UK ‘Dronecode’ aims to stop pilots from flying dangerously
If we were to create a list of “top places you shouldn’t fly a drone,” airports would certainly rank high. As the BBC reports, the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has recorded six incidents between May 2014 and March 2015 where drones have almost collided with aircraft. In one instance, the wing of an Airbus A320 passed 6 meters below a quadcopter flying near Heathrow airport. To combat the problem and reckless drone flying in general, the CAA has created a “Drone Safety Awareness Day” and a “Dronecode” to better educate pilots. The latter is a streamlined version of its existing UAV rules: keep your drone within sight and less than 400 feet high, stay away from aircraft and airports, and use common sense to keep others safe. They’re worth adhering to, otherwise you risk having your drone confiscated or, at the very least, receiving a good earful from the police.
Filed under: Misc
Source: Civil Aviation Authority
Hey look, it’s the OnePlus 2! OnePlus’ latest smartphone gets the TENAA treatment
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Regulatory bodies are always the best for an early leak, and thanks to China’s version of the FCC, TENAA, we’re getting our first look at the OnePlus 2 from all sides. Despite the low resolution photos, we see the overall design language from the OnePlus One has been preserved, but when we look at the back side, the camera has been repositioned a little lower, and on the front, it appears the OnePlus 2 has sprouted a physical button on the front, no doubt to accommodate a fingerprint scanner. Check out the images below for yourself:
According to the listing itself, the OnePlus 2 should have a 5.5-inch Quad HD display, a Snapdragon 810, 4GB RAM and 32GB storage. The rear camera is 13MP while the front camera is almost as good at 8MP. A sizeable 3,300mAh battery rounds out the formidable specs, though by now, none of the internal specifications are a surprise – though it is good to get a look at the device in all its physical glory. All that’s left to happen is for the OnePlus 2 to be officially announced, which should happen on July 27th.
What do you think about the look of the OnePlus 2? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Anzhuo.cn via Phone Arena
The post Hey look, it’s the OnePlus 2! OnePlus’ latest smartphone gets the TENAA treatment appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
3D-printed bottle caps will let you know if your milk goes bad
If you’re not a fan on the ol’ smell test to see if milk has spoiled, you might soon be in luck. Researchers from the University of California at Berkley and National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan created a “smart cap” for food storage containers that can detect spoilage. Using 3D-printed electronics, the lids house circuits and passive wireless sensors that are capable of determining if milk or juice has spoiled when it comes in contact with the lid. The components can detect changes in the liquid due to the presence of bacteria and transmit details wirelessly in real time. This means that you could potentially use a mobile app to check the freshness of food before you decide to buy it, for example. The group of engineers sees other uses for the technology too, including so-called smart implants that can relay pressure and drug concentrations to an external device.
[Image credit: Brendon Thorne/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Filed under: Science
Via: Entrepreneur
Source: Microsystems & Nanoengineering
Our first look at the OnePlus 2 comes from China’s regulator
So far, OnePlus has done a fairly good job of keeping its next smartphone under wraps ahead of the July 27th launch. However, a clear shot of the OnePlus 2 has been revealed by one of the biggest ‘leakers’ out there — Chinese wireless regulator Tenaa. We already knew that the Two would have a (supposedly very fast) fingerprint reader, and that’s clearly shown in the image. Its camera setup looks an awful lot like the LG G4’s, meaning it may have laser focusing and not dual cameras, as had been rumored. Unusually, it’s mounted very low on the back.
OnePlus has already let most of the rest of the specs out of the bag, including the Snapdragon 810 CPU, 4GB RAM, a 3,300mAh battery, 13-megapixel back camera and dual SIMs. It’s clearly clad in the OnePlus One’s “multi-material” back and is expected to have a metal frame. All of that sounds swell, but at what price? The original model sold like (invitation-only) hotcakes thanks to its $300 sticker, but the Two is expected to cost a bit more — luckily, we’ve less than a week to find out.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Via: Engadget.cn
Apple Disables App Store Reviews From Devices Running iOS 9 Beta Software
Apple has quietly changed its App Store policies and is no longer permitting iOS devices running pre-release software to be used to write App Store reviews. When attempting to write a review from a device that has iOS 9 installed, a popup is displayed that tells users reviews can’t be submitted while using beta software.
This is a much needed change that will prevent developers from having their App Store ratings and reviews affected by beta-related problems that are out of their control. As MacStories‘ Federico Vittici pointed out last week, negative App Store reviews left by beta testers have been an unaddressed issue for developers since Apple started providing beta software to public testers.
When beta software is released, some customers fault developers for apps that crash or do not function properly with beta features, leading them to leave negative App Store reviews even though there are months to go until apps need to be ready for the new software.
Following the release of the iOS 9 and OS X El Capitan public betas a week and a half ago, developers began seeing a huge uptick in negative reviews. Many of them took to Twitter to share 1 star reviews that included comments like “Broken with iOS 9.0,” and it appears Apple finally took notice of the issue.
Gotta love 1-star reviews for iOS 9 Beta issues. https://t.co/6lrFn9cP65
— Paul Mayne (@paulmayne) July 11, 2015
While it is no longer possible to write App Store reviews while running iOS 9, it is still possible to leave star ratings. It is not clear exactly when Apple made the change, but with both iOS 9 beta 3 and beta 4, App Store reviews are disabled.
iOS 8.4.1, another pre-release iOS build, does still allow App Store reviews to be left, so it appears that this may be a change that affects only beta software that’s been seeded to the public as part of Apple’s public beta testing program.
Google Maps shows what it knows about everywhere you’ve (ever) been
Google’s Location History feature keeps track of the places your mobile device has been (if you opt-in and turn it on) and now you can look back through that data with “Your Timeline.” Rolling out on the desktop and Android versions of Google Maps, its gives you an easy-to-navigate look at your comings and goings. It also shows what it recorded about how you made those trips (by plane, train, automobile, bike or even walking — how do you think it remembers where you parked?) and displays the Google Photos you took. This data has always been available on the Location History webpage, but now it’s easier to see. Google says the feature is “private and visible only to you,” and you can delete any segments that you’d rather not have recorded — we can’t wait for the first court case that comes up in — or drop in nicknames for frequently visited spots.
For many, it might be too creepy to see just how much data the search giant has and how complete its record is. But for others who were fans of Latitude, use Location sharing on Google+ or need Foursquare’s help just to remember what we they did last night, it looks like the best-organized way to look back at where you’ve been since Google added those pie charts to Maps 5.3 in 2011. If it’s not showing up on your phone yet, Android Police has v9.12 ready to download and check it out.
Filed under: Software, Mobile, Google
Source: Google Maps Blog
Sonavation discovers method for reading fingerprint through Gorilla Glass
Today’s Sonavation announcement may change the way we look at fingerprint readers forever. The ultrasound biometrics technology company has discovered a way to bond 3D biometric sensors with Corning Gorilla Glass, allowing for reading fingerprints through said material.
This new implementation can effectively lower manufacturing costs and maximize space by discarding the need for home buttons, glass cut-outs or special sensors in other areas of the phone. Furthermore, this method can be used as the breakthrough technology that brings discrete fingerprint readers to wearables and IoT devices, as it maximizes the space such products usually lack.
“Consumers and enterprises are relying on mobile devices more than ever before, and our advancement provides new, more cost effective and secure options for manufacturers. Touch-under-glass also means eliminating the expensive process of cutting a hole in the glass. Those looking to deliver secure solutions can now ensure biometrics are a natural extension of the user experience and make the necessary moves towards a new frontier of authentication options.” – Karl Weintz, CEO of Sonavation
Just how well will this technology work, though. While we can’t attest to its effectiveness yet, Sonavation claims its hardware and software can read accurately identify your fingerprint’s “ridges and valleys” for user authentication. Furthermore, this 3D ultrasound biometric system is said to work efficiently “despite moisture, dirt or oil”.
Sonavation is only announcing support for Gorilla Glass for now. There’s no news on expansion just yet, but that’s no issue considering most phones sport Corning’s fortified glass. It’s might be a posibility to see the expanding in the future, as well. The only real issue we would worry about is adoption. Companies often develop great components that could revolutionize our experiences, only to find that manufacturers are not interested in adopting them.
Do you think this will take off, or is it another great idea facing its impending failure?
Dell Venue 8 7840 sees the arrival of Android 5.1 Lollipop
On Tuesday night, Dell began pushing a software update to its Venue 8 7840 that refreshes the device with Android 5.1 Lollipop. Dell didn’t stop with ushering in a new version of Android, though. The company also included bug fixes and improvements to certain areas of the tablet. Processing for the camera’s depth capabilities, for example, has been improved to provide a richer experience after a photo has been taken.
Dell included in the following in this update, as noted by Android Central:
- Lollipop 5.1.0
- Enhanced access via Quick settings for Wifi and Bluetooth
- UI enhancements – Volume slider
- New animations on the Clock app
- Improved SD Card support (Fixed bug that prevented some apps from being moved to SD Card)
- Updated localization, Four additional languages added – Danish (Denmark), Finnish (Finland/Sweden), Norwegian, Swedish (Finland & Sweden)
- Depth processing improvements for Dell Gallery
- Added two new Dell Live wallpapers
- Miscellaneous bug fixes
Via: Android Central
Come comment on this article: Dell Venue 8 7840 sees the arrival of Android 5.1 Lollipop
Google clarifies what’s going on with Google+ Photos
Facing a backlash from angry Google+ users (what, both of them?), Anil Sabharwal, the head of Google Photos, released a statement on Tuesday clarifying Monday’s earlier announcement about the fate of Google+ Photos. According to Sabharwal, Google will still effectively “shut down” Google+ Photos in lieu of the company’s new Google Photos service. However, Sabharwal noted that the older service will still allow users to share, comment and +1 photos and videos as they always have. They will also remain on the Google+ service for the foreseeable future and accessible via the Photos tab of the Profile page.
The big change is really happening on the back end. Per Sabharwal, “The private photo management component of Google+, which includes backup, editing, creations, private album management…and sharing to other apps” will be handled by the new service. So, basically, Google+ Photos users be able to continue on with their existing service uninterrupted but the nuts and bolts of what makes it work will be handled by the new app.
[Image Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Source: Google Plus
Tim Cook says Apple is seeing the “highest switcher rate from Android that we’ve ever measured”
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Today, Apple announced their financial results for the last quarter, and despite strong overall results (not that this was helped by less than ideal performance of the Apple Watch), fell short of expectations which was punished by its investors. However, in Tim Cook‘s financial call, it wasn’t the iPhones performance, or even the Apple Watch, that was the underlying message – it was Apple’s tendency to make Android users jump the fence onto iOS platforms that Cook was sure to highlight, so much so that it was mentioned multiple times:
“The strong iPhone results were broad-based in both developed and emerging markets, and we experienced the highest switcher rate from Android that we’ve ever measured…
“We also are incredibly happy to see the highest Android switcher rate that we’ve observed. And so, from our point of view, the iPhone is doing outstanding…
“But as I back up from it and look at it from more of a macro point of view, the thing that makes me very bullish is the 27 percent number I just quoted; the fact that we are seeing the highest Android switcher rate; the customer satisfaction that we have on the iPhone versus the competition—it’s a huge margin; the loyalty rate that we have versus competition, an enormous gap there…
“In certain geographies, the way that we win is to get [Android] switchers. In other geographies, the way that we win is to get people to buy their first smartphone. In other geographies, the way that we win is to get people to upgrade from their current iPhone…”
Yes, four separate times. Now, we’d love to call bull on Cook’s statements, but it’s a pretty tough feat without his data, and the simple fact that we can kind of see how that might be true – in a market that is increasingly ruled by flagship devices, it’s arguable that the iPhones have the greatest brand pull with the general public of any flagship device. Throw in the fact that most of Android’s ecosystem includes low and mid-range devices that some people might get disillusioned with and jump the fence, and that there are now more Android devices than ever before, it seems inevitable that this statistic would be true now, if not year after year.
What we would be interested in seeing is any counter-data that shows us how many iPhone users are now switching over to Android – then we might have a fair comparison.
What do you think about Android users switching over to iPhones more than before? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: iMore via Phone Arena
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