The 2016 Toyota Tacoma has a GoPro mount as a standard feature
Considering a new truck for your next off-road excursion? Well, if you also fancy chronicling your adventures with a GoPro camera, Toyota is hoping a new feature on its 2016 Tacoma will help entice you to buy one. The automaker is including a mount for GoPro’s line of action cameras as a standard feature, so if you spend tens of thousands on a new truck, you can pocket the $40 you’d spend on an extra accessory. “We’re not in the business of selling cameras, and we’re not in the business of dictating to our customers what they have to use,” Tacoma chief engineer Michael Sweers told Bloomberg. “It just made sense to try to team up with GoPro because that’s what our customer base is using.” Of course, the new Tacoma won’t arrive with a camera already in the cab, but surely more than a few dealers will offer one as an extra if you buy a new truck.
[Image credit: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images]
Filed under: Transportation
Source: Bloomberg
Situ Scale Review: This Smart Scale Needs a Smarter App
The Situ Scale, which originated as a Kickstarter Project, is an iPad-connected food scale that’s designed to offer up a more precise picture of the calorie and nutrient content in the food you’re eating by measuring portion size in ounces or grams and storing nutrition information in an accompanying iPad app.
You can take a handful of crackers or an apple, place it on the scale, and get a calorie and nutrient estimate that’s based on weight, which is more accurate than using a nutrition measuring app alone. In many apps, the only option would be to enter “medium sized apple” or “13 Goldfish crackers,” whereas the Situ Scale can use the weight of what you’re eating for a quicker, more reliable measurement.
I went hands-on with the Situ Scale and I was impressed with what it has the potential to do, but there are some definite caveats to the product. I had no complaints about the scale itself, but as you’ll see in my review, this is not a product that’s going to work for everyone due to the limitations of the iPad app.
The Scale
The Situ Scale looks and functions a lot like other scales one might purchase for the kitchen. It’s made from a sleek white glass-topped plastic that was a good aesthetic fit in my kitchen and is likely to match with most kitchen decor. It’s big enough to hold a large bowl, but not so big that it took up an excessive amount of countertop space.
It’s powered by two batteries and controlled by an on/off switch on the side. When turned on, it pairs with an iPad over Bluetooth, a function that worked flawlessly. Every time I turned it on it connected to my iPad within a matter of seconds, without fail. Aside from the Bluetooth connectivity, it works as any other kitchen scale. There are rubber feet on the bottom to raise it up slightly and keep it from slipping around on a countertop.
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Ztylus Review: This Modular Lens and Case System Protects Your Phone and Improves Your Photos
Ztylus is a company that specializes in a complete photography kit for the iPhone, bundling a protective iPhone case with a 4-in-1 lens attachment and an additional LED ring light attachment for improving low-light photos. We gave away a special limited edition Ztylus camera kit earlier this year, and now I’m following up with a complete review of the company’s accessory system.
Compared to other photography accessories available for the iPhone, the Ztylus system has some positives and negatives. On the positive side, it’s modular and the case can be used with or without the accompanying camera attachment, plus it’s nice to have a complete 4-in-1 system that can be stored directly on the iPhone. On the negative side, it’s limited to the rear camera, bulky, and adds a lot of weight to the featherlight iPhone 6 Plus.
The Hardware
There are two main parts to the Ztylus: the iPhone case and the camera lens attachment. The iPhone case can be used without the lenses, but the reverse is not true — Ztylus’s lenses require the Ztylus case and can’t be used with another third-party case due to the way the lens attachment snaps onto the back. The case I reviewed is the Metal Series for the iPhone 6 Plus.
The case itself comes apart in two pieces to get it onto the phone, and as far as cases go, it’s protective and in line with other open-screen cases on the market. It’s mainly made of a hard, textured plastic and comes in several different colors, with a solid metal bottom piece. There’s a large hole in the back of the case, which is where the lens attachment snaps in. When the lens isn’t attached, there’s a separate plastic piece with a built-in kickstand that can prop the iPhone up for taking photos or watching movies.
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Motorola set to live stream new device announcement July 28th
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Motorola has announced that it is prepared to make “Your relationship status change” on July 28th with a live streaming announcement. Certainly they will be making the 2015 Moto X and 2015 Moto G device announcements. We are also hoping they might make a new Moto 360 announcement too. Looking at the invite image one could see that the X and G are more than likely all we will see. Assuming you read into the image’s lettering. The XOX looks like XGX, or even X6X. That ‘O’ just isn’t right really.
As hopeful as we are about the next Moto 360, nothing leads us to believe it will make its way to the stage. Instead, this will be a phone announcement. The verbiage on Motorola’s own page seems to prove that. The 2015 Moto G has been leaked and covered quite a bit over the last month or so. It looks like it will get a refreshed design and is even being reported to gain Moto Maker ordering abilities this year. A nice way to customize the solid mid-tier device. Spec rumors for include a Snapdragon 410, 5-inch 720p display, 1GB RAM and a 13MP rear camera. Quite a bump on the camera front for a mid-tier device. Hopefully the camera quality is solid and the price remains under $200 for standard device options.
If you click-through to the “Find out more” all you get is a sign-up page to ‘learn more about your perfect moto match” and some blank fields for your name and email address.
If you want to catch the announcement first hand you can watch the live stream on July 28th at 9 a.m. ET. That equates to 6 a.m. PST. I am assuming, for now, that if you bookmark www.motorola.com/hellomoto they will update the page prior to the event for the video feed. I am probably wrong. When I have a definitive link I’ll post it up for everyone.
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HBO NOW, the standalone service, is now available for Android with a 30 day free trial
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The cord cutting community has been begging networks like HBO, Starz and Showtime to bring standalone apps to consumers for a monthly fee. While they all offered an app to watch and buy movies/shows, you still were forced to have a supporting subscription through a traditional cable or satellite provider. HBO broke that mold not that long ago, but limited the run to Apple devices. Now the associated stand alone app is finally live on the Play Store.
The app is free to install, but will require you to sign-up for monthly charges based on the installation time. Signing up today gives you 30 days to check out the app and the service with a scheduled payment through Google of $14.99 per month. In this case, signing up today makes your first payment due on August 15th.
Amazon accompanied the announcement of HBO NOW for Android with inclusion that it is available for their Fire tablet line and it will be making its way to Fire TV and the Fire TV Stick soon. I gave it an install to check it out as the wife loves a lot of what HBO offers and we have been cable free for 8 years. The app seems to work well and looks pretty solid. Navigation isn’t all that difficult, but you can certainly expect to watch it on the device unless you want to cast the screen to your Chromecast as I see no support for Chromecast. Which still worked, but was a bit glitchy on from the Galaxy S6, might be better on a lower screen quality device. HBO’s announcement video does state that Chromecast support is coming soon though. I have a feeling that will be a big hit when it drops.
Hit the Play Store to grab the app and sign-in if you already have a HBO NOW account. If not, start one up, you do get 30 days to see if you want to keep it before you see a charge.
Download: HBO NOW on the Play Store
Press release:
HBO NOW Available on Fire Tablets, Coming Soon to Amazon Fire TV
Start watching HBO favorites on the latest generation Fire devices—all you need is the internet
Amazon customers new to HBO NOW get 30-day introductory free trial
SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jul. 16, 2015– (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today announced that HBO NOW is available on Fire tablets, and will be available on Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick in the coming weeks. HBO NOW is HBO’s internet only streaming service, providing audiences with instant access to all of HBO—addictive series, unforgettable movies, thought-provoking documentaries, thrilling sports programs and entertaining comedy and music specials for just $14.99 a month.
“If there’s one thing Fire TV and Fire tablet customers are telling us, it’s that they love to watch their favorite movies and TV shows. This is why the team is doubling down on adding great new movies and TV shows for Fire TV and Fire tablet customers—in less than five months we’ve added over 700 new channels, apps, and games to Amazon Fire TV, and over 300,000 apps are now available on Fire tablets,” said Steve Rabuchin, Vice President, Amazon Appstore. “HBO has produced some of the most groundbreaking and award-winning TV shows and movies, and we are excited to introduce HBO Now on Fire tablets and soon on Fire TV.”
“Amazon has cultivated an incredibly vast and savvy base of customers that we’re excited to provide with unlimited access to all of HBO through HBO NOW,” said Bernadette Aulestia, Executive Vice President, Global Distribution Operations, HBO. “The addition of Amazon devices is another great stride in the distribution of HBO NOW and affirmation of our long standing partnership with Amazon.”
Starting today, customers can enjoy HBO NOW on the latest generation of Amazon’s Fire tablets. The $99 Fire HD 6 and the $139 Fire HD 7 deliver a world-class entertainment experience—in a compact, pocketable design—with a high-definition display, ultrafast quad-core processor and Dolby Digital Plus Audio. Fire HDX 8.9 combines a 339 ppi HDX display with a powerful quad-core 2.5 GHz processor and the latest Dolby Audio—all in a startlingly light design, giving customers the ability to enjoy TV programming, movies and much more wherever they go. Learn more about Fire HD at http://www.amazon.com/fire-hd and Fire HDX 8.9 at http://www.amazon.com/hdx.
In the coming weeks, HBO NOW will also be available on Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, joining the increasing number of developers building for the platform. Selection for Amazon Fire TV has increased by over 700 channels, apps, and games since February, and nearly 2,000 titles are now available, with HBO NOW coming soon. Amazon Fire TV is a tiny box with voice search built right into the remote, and a quad-core processor for seamless streaming; Fire TV Stick is a small streaming media stick that brings an incredible amount of power and content at a great value—it’s just $39. Learn more about Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick at http://www.amazon.com/FireTV and http://www.amazon.com/firetvstick.
About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire phone, Fire tablets, Fire TV, and Amazon Echo are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150716005433/en/
Source: Amazon
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Pay What You Want: Web Hacker Bundle
Today’s deal will see you steeped in expert knowledge on hacking web development. We’ve put together a collection of web-seminars, training, sample projects and guidance from some of the most trusted sources around. If you’re ready to build web apps, master HTML, CSS & JavaScript components and add high-quality projects to your resume, then this today’s Pay What You Want: Web Hacker Bundle is for you!
It’s very simple. You’ll pay any price you’d like and receive our “Learn Docker from Scratch” and “Learn Apache Cassandra from Scratch” courses. Beat the average price ($5.12 as of publication) and you’ll unlock 5 other courses that delve into Django, Python, Bootstrap Development, JavaScript, JQuery, PHP, MySQL, Ruby on Rails and more!
Plus, if you make the top contributor leader-board, you’ll automatically be entered for a chance to win a 50-inch 4K Samsung TV bundle. If that weren’t enough, you’ll be contributing to a good cause as 10% of proceeds will be donated to Creative Commons.
What are you waiting for? Grab this deal, now!
See more at deals.androidguys.com
The post Pay What You Want: Web Hacker Bundle appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Mark Cuban backed illumi starts a new Kickstarter for even smarter light bulbs
Mark Cuban and ilumi solutions aren’t new to the smartbulb market, but they’re back for a second Kickstarter round, offering smarter light bulbs with updated performance, improved features, and more. The bulbs are $29 on Kickstarter as an introductory price, but they’ll most definitely cost more once official on the market.
Here’s what illumi is doing different this time around:
- Both bulbs feature Bluetooth SmartMesh technology, which provides a range of more than 150 feet (unlike competitors that only reach 33 feet) and allows users to connect and control more than 50 bulbs
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iOS and Android app has 10 features and settings to personalize the smart bulbs and create new lighting experiences
- Proximity controls turn lights on and off by detecting the presence of a connected smart device
- Suggestive lighting automatically provides the right lighting for every room in a home, acting as a personal interior designer
- Rise & Shine wakes users up with a simulated sunrise for a peaceful start to their day
- Vacation Setting prompts lights to automatically turn on at night while users are away, providing peace of mind that their home is safe
- The A19 is packed with more than 800 lumens at a category best efficiency of 10 watts of power. The BR30 delivers more than 1100 lumens at an efficient 15 watts of power
- ilumi’s Smartbulbs last up to 20 years and uses a fraction of the energy or a normal incandescent
If this new Kickstarter project gets fully funded, consumers will begin getting their smartbulbs in September. Additionally, the smartbulbs should be available through major retailers in September as well.
If you want to get in on the $29 introductory special, you’ll need to act fast, as there’s only a few left!
source: Kickstarter
ilumi Announces new LED Smartbulbs: Simplest, Brightest & Smartest Light Bulbs on the Market
DALLAS – (July 14, 2015) – ilumi solutions, a market leader in app-controlled and custom smart LED lightbulbs, launches its second generation Smartbulb series on Kickstarter for an introductory price of $29. After distributing thousands of its original LED Smartbulbs to customers around the world, the Mark Cuban backed ilumi is excited to showcase its second generation of smart, bright, efficient and entertaining Smartbulbs – the new ilumi A19 and BR30 Flood Smartbulbs. Watch the product video here: https://youtu.be/QfxcEniMfs8.
ilumi’s new energy efficient and user friendly A19 and BR30 Smartbulbs both feature improved Bluetooth® Smart mesh wireless connectivity, which provides a first of its kind long-range wireless connection that combines speed, reliability and simplicity. With ilumi’s Bluetooth Smart mesh, users can connect more than 50 ilumi Smartbulbs wirelessly with a potential range of more than 150 feet, enough to cover large homes or commercial installations. This allows the ilumi Smartbulbs to provide a commercial grade lighting control and automation system that can be setup in seconds without a hub.
The A19 and BR30 boast an updated beautiful industrial design that marries elegance and class. The A19 features a natural dome structure for a wider dispersion angle to fit everyday standard lamps, pendants, fans or general lighting fixtures. It is also packed with more than 800 lumens (equivalent to 60W incandescent) at a category best efficiency of 10 watts of power. The BR30 similarly adds a larger diffusion area for seamless use in overhead, recessed and track lighting and delivers more than 1100 lumens (equivalent to 85W incandescent) at an efficient 15 watts of power. Additionally, the A19 and BR30 include ilumi’s patented HyperLux® LED technology that delivers high brightness in variations of white and vibrant saturated colors.
The Smartbulbs also feature an upgraded companion app design that provides users with a guided and simple personalized setup featuring new and exciting experiences, such as:
- Suggestive Lighting – automatically provides the right lighting for every room in a home and any occasion
- Wellness Lighting – tunes the body’s natural rhythm by replicating the sun’s daily color cycle
- Presence Detection – integrated proximity control automatically turns lights on and off when a user’s phone is detected without hitting a switch
- Nightlight Shake – ideal for when users need to get out of bed but the lights are off, users can shake their smartphone to activate a dim nightlight
- Rise & Shine – wakes users up with a simulated sunrise, creating a peaceful environment to ensure an energizing start to the day
- Vacation – prompts lights to automatically turn on and off at night randomly while users are away, providing peace of mind that their home is safe
- Routine Lighting – schedules the exact lighting users prefer based on their own personal schedule
- Music’s New Best Friend – sync the Smartbulb’s colors with the beat of music to pump up dance parties
- Integrations – Use your ilumi Smartbulbs with IFTTT, your Nest products, and much more to enjoy an even better connected experience
“We wanted to provide more than just a Smartbulb that has a million color options,” said CEO and cofounder Corey Egan. “With ilumi, consumers unlock the power of lighting in ways they have never thought of. Our enhanced features provide a transformational experience, allowing users to be a Michaelangelo of their own home.”
The A19 and BR30 are available now on Kickstarter for an introductory price of $29 and $35 respectively and will retail for $59.99 and $69.99 when fully available. The company is already far along in development, and Kickstarter orders will begin shipping by September 2015.
For more information, please visit ilumi.co and follow ilumi on Facebook and Twitter.
About ilumi solutions:
ilumi solutions, inc. transforms ordinary things into extraordinary experiences, beginning with light. The company first launched the ilumi Smartbulb in 2014 after collecting more than $200,000 via crowdfunding and a $350,000 investment from billionaire Mark Cuban through an appearance on Shark Tank. Based out of Dallas, Texas, the company holds five issued patents and multiple patents pending covering a wide variety of smart lighting, advanced wireless networks and other unique technologies and was recently named one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s top 100 most brilliant companies of 2015.
Come comment on this article: Mark Cuban backed illumi starts a new Kickstarter for even smarter light bulbs
Samsung Pay trial launches for select Galaxy S6 owners in Korea
Samsung is gearing up to launch its new mobile payment system, Samsung Pay. In preparation for its full worldwide rollout, Samsung has just launched a trial for select Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge owners in Korea.
Samsung announced the mobile payment system alongside its two flagship devices back in February at Mobile World Congress, and the company has since been testing out the service to iron out bugs before the big launch date. Samsung Pay was first slated to make its way to consumers in July, but rumors began circulating that the payment method has been delayed until sometime in September when the next Galaxy Note device(s) launch. Releasing the service to the masses alongside the next Note makes sense, but we might not actually have to wait until September to get our hands on it. Recent rumors have suggested that the Galaxy Note 5 will be unveiled mid-August, so there’s a possibility we could see it then.
Don’t miss: Samsung Galaxy Note 5 rumor roundup
As a refresher, in February Samsung officially acquired mobile payment startup LoopPay, which takes advantage of card readers with magnetic secure transmission (MST). Samsung built LoopPay’s features into Samsung Pay, which allows the payment service to be compatible with both NFC payment terminals and legacy terminals.
As of now, details are scarce as to when we can expect the service to launch. We’ll let you know once we get some more information.
Report: Apple and Samsung in talks to adopt e-SIM technology
The Financial Times reports that Samsung and Apple are both in talks with the GSMA, the mobile telecom telecom industry association, to begin employing electronic SIM cards in their mobile devices. Electronic SIMs (or e-SIMs) differ from their physical predecessors in that they don’t lock users into a specific carrier network and would allow them to switch any device between an network instantly. So, remember how when the iPhone debuted, it was only available on AT&T? That won’t happen with e-SIMs — any phone, tablet or network-enabled gadget will work with any carrier that supports the technology. Apple itself actually tried its own take on e-SIMS with the last generation of iPads, though only T-Mobile and AT&T supported that feature.
But while the association is confident that a “common architecture” will eventually be adopted by the entire industry, we’re still at least a year away from actually seeing a device with these cards. “With the majority of operators on board,” Anne Bouverot, chief executive of the GSMA, told Financial Times. “The plan is to finalise the technical architecture that will be used in the development of an end-to-end remote SIM solution for consumer devices, with delivery anticipated by 2016.”
[Image Credit: Janitors/Flickr]
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Wireless, Networking, Apple, Samsung
Source: Financial Times
A scooter-rental startup dabbles in cars
If you live in San Francisco you’ve seen them. The red Scoot scooters buzz pass vehicles trapped in San Francisco’s increasingly frustrating traffic. The riders’ helmets sport a lightning bolt while the signage on the vehicles touts a cheap alternative to Uber, Lyft and other car-sharing services as a way to get around town. Those tiny rolling billboards are working. Scooter-rental service Scoot is currently adding an additional 150 scooters to its current fleet of 250. The new Scoot Cargos are larger and less about commuting and more about running errands. It’s a logical expansion for the company. But its future might lie beyond two wheels.
Scoot has been showing off its latest experiment, an electric Renault Twizy, at company events. The 17-horsepower, two-person vehicle puts the passenger directly behind the driver and has a small trunk. While it’s not available for purchase in the United States, one sits outside the company’s headquarters in San Francisco. It’s a huge jump from two wheels (specifically it’s four wheels). But in the rapidly changing world of urban transportation and the growth of electric vehicles, it’s something a company like Scoot should be investigating.
It won’t say much more than it’s testing out the Twizy. The company’s VP of Fleet, Mike Waltman told Engadget, “We’re constantly thinking about what would make the service more valuable for our riders.” But it’s a safe bet that if and when the Scoot car hits the road, it will work like the current Scoot fleet.
The company is far from the first to offer a car-rental service that’s based on quick trips rather than a full-day reservation. In cities like Austin, Car2Go offers a similar service that charges per mile in addition to per hour. But Scoot’s been working its way toward this inevitability for over two years.
Scoot launched its rental service in September 2012. After signing up, an instructor gives new customers a 30-minute introduction to the scooters and how the service works and the riders are off. Customers rent a scooter for a few bucks to get them across town — no motorcycle license needed. Previously, the bikes were only available at charging stations. But, a recent update added street parking in busy neighborhoods to the mix. Now the bright red scooters are more visible (not to mention easier to pick up and drop off) than ever.
Currently, Scoot is only available in San Francisco. And while it’s actively investigating other cities, it’s picked a city that’s ready to embrace a two-wheeled lifestyle. Between 2010 and 2014, according to DMV estimates, motorcycle registrations in San Francisco have increased 10.3 percent while car registrations have only increased 5.5 percent. Scoot just made it easier to join the folks getting from point A to point B quicker without having to actually buy or service a vehicle. An electric rental car could do well.
With 400 vehicles available on the streets in the next few weeks, Scoot seems to be resonating with the populace and it’s continually experimenting to see what those customers might want next. The company is already evaluating renting an electric “Super Scoot” motorcycle on a limited basis while it figures out if cars are a good fit. “Scoot is designed as a platform for light electric vehicle rental. Scooters are where we are now, but we expect that in the future there will be a broader offering set and the Super Scoot is one good example of things we’re testing in that direction,” said Waltman.
Scooters are fine in cities with mild year-round weather like San Francisco, Portland and San Diego, but to succeed in a city like New York where there are actual seasons, you need a car. Scoot’s testing the car; now it just needs to test the cities.
Filed under: Misc, Transportation
AIVAnet 