Netflix’s ‘Wet Hot American Summer’ trailer: Fret not, this looks great
Wet Hot American Summer always seemed like an odd property for Netflix to revive as a TV series. The original film starred a who’s who of comedic talent like Amy Poehler, Janeane Garofalo and Paul Rudd as employees at a particularly demented summer camp. It wasn’t a big hit at the time, but over the years it gained a pretty vocal cult following (if you’ve seen it, you know why). But now that we’ve got our first detailed look at the series in a new trailer, it makes complete sense for Netflix. The Wet Hot American Summer show looks just as weird and funny as the original, and it also packs in a ton of star power. Netflix managed to get the entire original cast back together, along with some new faces. That includes Bradley Cooper, who was nowhere near a superstar back in 2001, and Jon Hamm, solidifying himself as a comedic ninja.
Filed under: HD
TVPlayer app streams 25 UK pay-TV channels for a fiver a month
For a long time, “premium” TV channels were locked behind expensive satellite and cable subscriptions in the UK. If you wanted to watch National Geographic, for instance, you had to pay a little extra for a special channel pack. But viewers want choice, flexibility and cheaper prices, which has forced TV operators to start “unbundling” their most precious channels and shows. It’s a positive trend, but many channels are still difficult to find as part of cheaper, standalone monthly subscriptions. Now, this is where TVPlayer comes in. The company already offers free streaming for free-to-air (Freeview) channels, and now it’s preparing a paid “Plus” package: for £5 per month, you’ll be able to stream 25 pay-TV channels including National Geographic, History and the Discovery Channel.
For that amount, you’ll also get catch-up for selected channels. It’s an intriguing option if you can’t afford a satellite or cable TV package, or just fancy some extra channels to bulk up your Netflix subscription. TVPlayer is available on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows and Amazon’s Fire TV; Chromecast, Fire TV Stick and Smart TV support will arrive with “Plus” later this summer. In addition, the company is promising new genre-based channel packs later this year — if it can deliver, Sky, BT and Virgin Media should be nervous.
Filed under: Home Entertainment
Source: TVPlayer Plus
Kate Winslet Calls ‘Steve Jobs’ Shoot ‘Extraordinary’, Compares Lengthy Takes to Stage Productions [Mac Blog]
During a recent press tour for the period drama A Little Chaos, actress Kate Winslet commented on the shooting process for the upcoming Steve Jobs movie (via Entertainment Weekly). While the movie’s structure was already known, Winslet solidifies the idea of the Aaron Sorkin-penned screenplay as three separate 45-minute scenes that are each continuous, in-real-time scenes that begin with him arriving at the event and end with his entrance onto the stage.
“The way in which that film was shot was extraordinary… extraordinary,” said Winslet, whose excitement for the project bubbled to the surface during her recent press tour for A Little Chaos. “Each act is continuous 45 minutes backstage of real time at each launch that Steve Jobs made during those time periods — ‘84 was the launch of the Macintosh, ‘88 was the NeXT computer, ‘98 was the iMac. Each act takes place backstage and literally ends with him walking from the wings on to the stage to rapturous applause.”
Winslet continued to comment on the way director Danny Boyle actually shot the movie, describing takes that would last as long as nine minutes, “sometimes even longer.” She ends with comparing star Michael Fassbender’s dedication to memorizing 182 pages of dialogue to the work of actors and actresses on a Shakespearean stage production, except twice as hard.
“We have nine-minute takes, sometimes even longer,” Winslet continued. “I think there’s a scene that Michael and Jeff had that was about 14 pages, so it really went for 11 minutes of continuous dialogue. It’s not unusual for an actor to learn huge passages of dialogue when you do a play. But it is unusual for an actor like Michael Fassbender to learn 182 pages of dialogue of which he’s on every page. It’s like Hamlet, times two.”
Conversations surrounding the movie have been circulating thanks to yesterday’s release of the first full-length trailer, which gave fans their first in-depth look at Fassbender, Winslet, Jeff Daniels, and Seth Rogen in the new movie. Universal will most likely release another look at the movie before its debut, which is still three months away on October 9.
MIGHTY Speaker: Sand-proof Bluetooth sound that floats
Most of our phones leave a lot to be desired when it comes to the internal speaker. Even if you’re able to get strong enough sound from your device’s built-in audio, it’s usually negated by the time you’ve put on a waterproof or protective case. Whether you’re looking for a new bath/shower companion or want to bring some portable audio power to your next workout or excursion, the MIGHTY Speaker is a lifesaver for anybody wanting an inexpensive and portable sonic boost.
Whether you’re listening to music, podcasts, or just making calls, MIGHTY Speaker boasts an attractive 6 hour run time. Compatible with any Bluetooth device, the water,dust, and sand-proof design is durable and up to just about every task imaginable. If the small form factor and flexible mounting options (thanks to the built-in suction cup) weren’t enough, MIGHTY Speaker can also float. That’s right — toss it in the water during any of your aquatic endeavors and bring the party to the pool.
MIGHTY Speaker is regularly priced at $80 but AndroidGuys readers can scoop up this splash of a deal, right now, for only $35.
Check this deal out, and many others at deals.androidguys.com!
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Easily find your smartphone’s value with Swappa Price
In the market for a new smartphone but don’t want or need a brand new device? Or, perhaps you want to get rid of your current model so you can cash in toward the latest flagship? Swappa, one of our favorite destinations for help in this area, has today released a companion app.
Called Swappa Price, the app is a no-frills way of looking up your smartphone’s value. Handy and intuitive, it pulls from the Swappa system to deliver your device’s trending worth. The data is presented in a handy chart that shows historical pricing.
Upon opening the app you’re given a list of devices to select from, some of which are older models. Find yours here and you’re essentially almost done.
Users can search for a specific phone using two methods: a traditional search box and a filter by brand and carrier option. Either way worked well for me in my initial testing.
Once you’re ready to either buy or sell the phone you can tap on the respective buttons which hand off to the (mobile) Swappa website. From there, you’re able to log into your account and begin the process of buying or listing.
There’s a quick “share” feature in the app which links to a phone’s respective listing on the Swappa database. If you’re helping your buddy get rid of his old Droid Incredible you can look the phone up and share the link via email, messaging, and more.
Understanding that this is an initial release, there are a couple of things I’d hope to see down the road. Heck as far as I know the developers already have these on their agenda. Two things spring to mind for me as a user which might make for a more robust experience.
First, I’d like to be able to save devices in a personal list. This could be helpful for watching the value of devices I am considering selling just as much as those I have my eye on. From there you can perhaps build in pricing alerts which could prompt the user to take action.
Another feature that I’d like to see is maybe a trending list of devices. Perhaps the top movers and shakers or those with major price fluctuation can greet the user upon opening the app.
Neither of these are vital in my opinion; I quite like the simplicity of the first release. It’s totally free and doesn’t have a single advertisement. As it is today I would definitely recommend the app to anyone interested in finding the value of their phone.
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Three models of the OnePlus Two pass through Bluetooth SIG
Earlier today, not one, but three variations of an unannounced OnePlus smartphone passed through the Bluetooth Certification HQ in the United States. The sparse information included within the filing documentation reveals that we could potentially be looking at the OnePlus Two— a second-generation model of the company’s flagship handset.
These devices carry the non-sequential model numbers A2001, A2003 and A2005, which leads us to believe that individual versions are set to launch in Asia, Europe and North America. All three variants have been certified with hardware version 2.2 and software version 2.01 for Bluetooth 4.1.
Unfortunately, the paperwork does not disclose anything at all about the devices internals, but we do know that the they will ship running the latest build of Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and pack a variety of different connectivity options, including support for 4G LTE, 802.11b/802.11g/802.11n Wi-Fi, NFC and GPS.
If you’d like to see the full Bluetooth Certification filing — hit the source link below.
Source: Bluetooth SIG
Come comment on this article: Three models of the OnePlus Two pass through Bluetooth SIG
Verizon’s finally pushing out the Lollipop OTA for the Galaxy Note Edge
Verizon is now rolling out the long-awaited Lollipop update to all carrier-branded variants of the Galaxy Note Edge located in the United States. In terms of functionality, this upgrade transports the latest build of the Android operating system to the handset, in addition to a truckload of bug fixes and stability improvements.
Hit the break for the full changelog.
- Material Design: You will quickly notice a whole new colorful look and feel to your device – from fluid animations to new application and system themes, colors and widgets.
- Notifications UI & Priorities: In order to alert you to the most timely and relevant information, the format and behavior of notifications have evolved:
- notifications will appear on the lock screen and are intelligently ranked by type and who sent them.
- you double-tap to open one, swipe left or right to clear one, or clear all notifications from the bottom of the list.
- you can set the priority and privacy of notifications for each application.
- very high priority notifications will pop up briefly over other applications so that you can take action.
- when you dismiss a notification on one device it will be dismissed on your other Android devices, if they are connected to the Internet.
- you can further tailor how notifications behave with the new Downtime and Ambient Display settings (see below).
- New Interruptions & Downtime Settings: You can tailor how interruptions behave, choosing to allow all, none, or only priority interruptions. You can personalize what counts as a priority interruption (reminders, events, calls, messages) and even tailor them to be from only contacts you specify. The Downtime setting will allow only priority interruptions during the times and days that you specify. e.g. allow only priority interruptions on the weekend.
- Recent Apps (Multi-tasking): The redesigned Overview space (formerly called Recents) will include both applications and separate activities within those applications. For instance, each open tab in Chrome will also appear here along with recent applications; both your Gmail Inbox and a draft email message will appear as separate cards. This provides a consistent way to switch amongst tasks.
- Flashlight: Lollipop includes a new flashlight option as part of Quick settings (swipe down with two fingers from the status bar to see it).
- Pin a view/app: Screen pinning allows you to keep a specific app or screen in view. For example, you can ‘pin’ a game and your child will not be able to navigate anywhere else on your phone.
- Battery: The Battery settings panel now shows an estimated projection for how much time you have left while discharging or charging. You can also enable a new battery saver mode that will save power by reducing performance and most background data operations to extend your battery life.
- Smarter Internet Connections: With Android Lollipop, your phone will not connect to a Wi-Fi access point unless there is a verified Internet connection. This feature improves hand-offs between Wi-Fi and cellular connections, helping to maintain your video chat or voice-over-IP (VoIP) call as you switch.
- Performance: Your phone now uses the new Android Runtime to help optimize application performance. After upgrading to Lollipop, your applications will undergo a one-time optimization process. Note that the optimization for ART requires more space.
- Security: Encryption can now use a stronger 256-bit key to help protect your data. Note that the stronger key willonly be used after you perform a factory reset on Android Lollipop. Otherwise encryption will continue to use 128-bit key. You can turn on encryption in the Security settings menu.
As is customary with all manufacturer updates, the upgrade is being rolled out in stages, but if you don’t feel like waiting for a notification confirming that it’s ready for your device to hit your unit, you could always search for the update manually. To do so simply follow the four steps below:
- Open the Settings app
- Scroll to the bottom and tap on “About Device”
- Hit “System Updates”
- Tap on “Check for update”
If you own a Verizon-branded Galaxy Note Edge, why not drop us a line in the comments section below to let us know when you receive/received the update?
Come comment on this article: Verizon’s finally pushing out the Lollipop OTA for the Galaxy Note Edge
LG is preparing to launch the G4 Stylus in India
If a new report found online earlier today is anything to go by, LG’s latest variant of its flagship smartphone is en route to India. The G4 Stylus is expected to hit shelves in the region within the next two weeks and will have a price tag of INR 24,990 ($390).
For those unaware, the Stylus was announced last month and packs a 5.7-inch Full HD IPS display, a 1.4GHz octa-core Snapdragon 410 chipset, 2GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera, an integrated stylus and a 3,000mAh Li-Ion battery.
The handset runs the latest build of Android 5.0 Lollipop skinned with LG’s custom user interface straight out of the box, but is expected to receive the long-awaited Android 5.1.1 update in the not-too-distant future.
Are you planning on picking up a G4 Stylus? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.
Source: MaheshTelecom
Come comment on this article: LG is preparing to launch the G4 Stylus in India
PayPal acquiring digital money-transfer startup Xoom to facilitate international money transfers
PayPal announced on Wednesday that it is acquiring digital money transfer startup Xoom for $890 million with the aim of making the process of sending money abroad to your friends and family easier, safer and more affordable. Xoom has transferred more than $7 billion for its 1.3 million users customers over the course of the 12 months before April 2015. These transactions were primary made via mobile devices between family and friends. This service helps people in the United States send money to their friends and family for paying bills and supporting them in 37 countries around the world.
PayPal currently focuses on business money payments and hopes to expand its money transfer services into the growing global money transfer market. Acquiring Xoom will allow PayPal to offer more services to its global customer base and help them expand in key countries such as Mexico, India, the Philippines, China and Brazil. PayPal currently has 68 million active users and hopes to continue growing by penetrating into those new markets.
PayPal expects the acquisition to be made by the end of the fourth quarter of 2015.
Source: PayPal
Via: Engadget
Come comment on this article: PayPal acquiring digital money-transfer startup Xoom to facilitate international money transfers
Strong and secure Turing Phone going up for pre-order on July 31st
Turing Robotic Industries (TRI) announced their brand new Turing Phone last April. It promised superior security and a strong design that would be a perfect fit for the active businessman. Some loved it, some not so much, but one thing is for sure – it stroke the audience, causing an onslaught of thoughts, questions and concerns.
The most popular doubt was regarding the release date and pricing information. We are not quite sure about the exact release date quite yet, but Turing Robotic Industries is now telling us you can pre-order this enterprise beast starting July 31st.
This phone turns out to be a very special product; it is the first liquidmetal-built smartphone to come to market. What the hell is liquidmetal? Don’t worry, I asked the same thing. As it turns out this amorphous metal alloy was developed by the California Institute of Technology research team, and it contains a mixture of zirconium, copper, aluminum, nickel and silver.
It’s not just a fancy name to throw on a specs sheet, that’s for sure. Liquidmetal has a high tensile strength and coefficient of restitution. It is also blessed with insane anti-wearing characteristics and its corrosion resistance is said to be like no other. In short: this phone will be built to withstand the horrors some of us put our devices through on a daily basis.
The Turing Phone is about more than just a strong build quality, though. This device is to compete against high-profile security devices like Silent Circle’s Blackphone products. The Turing Phone can directly verify the identity of other Turing devices using the company’s decentralized authentication technology. This method creates a protected network that insulates the device from cyber-threats and privacy intrusions, allowing users to share all kinds of private information without a single worry.
Don’t all these phones turn out being horrible, though? While we will agree most rugged and security-focused smartphones are no good in terms of consumer expectations, the Turing Phone packs a pretty good punch. Here are the specifications.
Turing Phone specs
- Android 5.0 Lollipop
- 5.5-inch 1080p display
- 2.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor
- 3 GB of RAM
- 16/64/128 GB of internal storage
- 13 MP rear-facing camera
- 8 MP front-facing camera
- 3000 mAh battery
Not bad at all, but remember these phones are not priced the same way consumer phones are. Turing Robotics Industries is definitely charging a premium for its highly secure and resistant smartphones. The 16 GB version will go for $610. Meanwhile, the 64 GB and 128 GB will cost $740 and $870, accordingly.
Not sure whether you want to pre-order or simply wait for the phone to be officially released? Turing Robotics Industries wants to give you a little incentive by offering all pre-ordering customers a bonus accessories package. It will include a Bleutooth keyboard, a Bluetooth speaker, a Bluetooth gaming headset and a gaming controller.
In addition, four color schemes will be announced on July 22nd, so you can be ready to make your pre-order as soon as July 31st comes around. The Turing Phone will be available for pre-order straight from the manufacturer’s website.
Are any of you signing up? It’s definitely a niche market they are trying to target… but it’s also one with a lot of cash in hand.
AIVAnet 