Fossil shows off Android Wear smartwatch powered by Intel
With the possibility of an impending update to the Moto 360, consumers are getting excited for a new Android Wear device. Well, Fossil took to the stage today at Intel’s Developer Conference to show off three new smartwatches coming this holiday season.
The first is a fitness band type device, and the other two are regular smartwatches. What makes today’s announcement so exciting is that the top-of-the-line smartwatch that we will see from Fossil this Holiday season, will have some Intel internals under the hood.
The specs obviously aren’t known yet, but we do know that the high-dollar item is running Android Wear and is powered by Intel. Battery life, screen density, charging capabilities, and all that jazz were intentionally left out of the presentation today. What wasn’t was that when Fossil showed these off, there was a familiar foe.
Fossil and Intel's smartwatch running Android Wear #idf15 pic.twitter.com/aXHSnAMsdN
— Lexy Savvides (@lexysavvides) August 18, 2015
That oh-so-controversial flat tire at the bottom of the watch face. After the world saw the Moto 360, we all were wondering why in the world would you make a round faced watch with a flat tire, only to learn that was where some of the sensors were housed. So we can only expect that this is the same reason why Fossil has one on their smartwatch.
Fossil and Intel announced that these devices would be officially revealed and announced in time for the holiday season, so we have a few more months to go before we get to dive into these. But from the looks, Fossil may have found a place in the Android Wear world with these one.
Let us know what you think about Fossil’s upcoming lineup of smartwatches that will be running on Intel processors. Also, let us know what smartwatch you are looking forward to the most for the last portion of 2015.
Source: Engadget
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Complete your Android Marshmallow transformation with the boot animation
As usual when a new version of Android is released, everyone wants to get their hands on whatever they can. Regardless of whether it’s the Developer Preview, or wallpapers, or even boot animations.
Well, with the final Developer Preview of Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Google introduced a new boot animation. Problem is, only those with Nexus devices could have the boot animation. Not anymore, if you have a device that is running a custom ROM that supports the Cyanogen Theme Engine, you can get the new bootloader for your device.
Thanks to an awesome user over at XDA, an APK has been created that allows you to install and will give you the Android Marshmallow boot animation. Grab the wallpapers, grab the boot animation, and the MoonShine icon pack, and you’ll be feeling like you’ve already gotten Marshmallow on your device.
Source: Phandroid via XDA
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Blackphone 2 available for pre-order, launching in September
It has been over a year since Silent Circle released its Blackphone handset, in June 2014. The phone was among the first security-focused devices to become relatively successful, and we now find ourselves waiting for the second iteration, which was announced at MWC 2015. Almost everything about the Blackphone 2 has been revealed, except for the most important factors – price and release date.
There’s good news for those who have been hoping to learn more about the handset. Silent Circle has quietly published a pre-order page for the BlackPhone 2, and though it doesn’t tell us much about the cost of the smartphone, it does signal a September launch window, which is just around the corner.
For those who may be out of the loop, the Blackphone 2 is to come with a 5.5-inch FHS 1080p display, 1.7 GHz octa-core processor, 3 GB of RAM, a 13 MP camera, microSD card support and quick charge support. Of course, we can’t forget about the many security features Silent OS offers, and the fact they are joining the Android for Work program.
One of my biggest complaints about the Blackphone was its lack of Google Apps support, which in turn meant there was no Google Play Store access (at least officially). This proved to be a nuisance to users. And though we may see the same issue come to the successor, we at least know Silent Circle is working on a secure app store of its own. Furthermore, there’s a tablet by the name of Blackphone+ in the works, so you will soon be able to stay secure in multiple form factors.
Let’s get back to the main topic, though. The Blackphone 2 is launching this September, and you can get started with the pre-order process now. The only issue is you can’t just jump into the website and put your name to a phone; customers will need to contact the sales department first. As mentioned above, there’s no mention of the price, but we can assume it will be too different from the $629 the first iteration costed.
Are any of you signing up?
Android Auto updated with changes to music and navigation
Android Auto has been updated to version 1.2 and it brings small UI changes. Playing music and using the navigation in particular.
Music lovers will be happy to know the new update brings a play and pause button to music cards. This means if you are on the home screen viewing all the cards you can easily start or stop the music without needing to go into the app. Much more convenient if you ask me.
The second big change is for the navigation. Similar to the music change, an arrow icon will now appear on the navigation card. It allows you to still use parts of the navigation directly from the home screen.
Other changes are the usual bug fixes and minor improvements.
Come comment on this article: Android Auto updated with changes to music and navigation
Amazon’s latest service test has you picking up orders
Amazon has jumped through hoops trying to speed up deliveries, but wouldn’t it sometimes make sense to eliminate the last-mile shipping altogether and pick up orders yourself? That might just happen. GeekWire has discovered that Amazon is trying out a new service, Flex, that has you collecting your package from a facility. It’s much like a visit to a government office, or Amazon’s Purdue pickup spot — you take a ticket and wait for your turn. The company isn’t commenting on Flex (even the test building in Seattle is still in rough shape), but it’s safe to say that this would be limited to areas where Amazon can set up distribution centers.
Not that you’ll have to necessarily wait for it to get your goods faster, depending on where you live. The same Seattle building is expected to handle Prime Now orders (unsurprising given that this is Amazon’s home turf), and one of Amazon’s courier partners is hiring for likely Prime Now positions in Portland, Oregon. Although it’s doubtful that either Flex or Prime Now will come to many cities, it’s not far-fetched to see these gotta-have-it-now options becoming mainstays in major urban hubs.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Paul Sakuma]
Tags: amazon, amazonflex, delivery, e-commerce, internet, portland, primenow, seattle, shopping
Intel and Google want your phone to see in 3D
Intel’s RealSense camera tech can sense and scan three-dimensional objects, while Google’s Project Tango sensors are adept at motion tracking and 3D-mapping. It just makes sense for the two to come together, which is exactly what was announced today at Intel’s Developer Forum. The two have developed a smartphone and software kit that integrates both RealSense and Project Tango technologies, as can be seen in the hardware prototype seen here. While this handset is strictly for developers at the moment, it offers a pretty good early look at what could potentially be in consumer phones later on. Slideshow-313608
At first glance, the RealSense and Tango collaboration looks like a pretty normal smartphone. It has a 6-inch QHD display and is a little on the hefty side at 8.2mm thick and weighing in at 165 grams. The version that I looked at was running Android 5.0.1 Lollipop, and I was told that it has an Intel Atom X5 processor inside. Flip it over however, and you get to see the physical manifestation of the Intel and Google marriage. There’s an array of sensors and cameras here that includes Intel’s RealSense R200 camera with a fish-eye lens and an 8-megapixel sensor. It also has a couple of RGB cameras, IR cameras that offer “stereoscopic matching” and a laser emitter to give texture to scanned objects.
An Intel spokesperson showed us a few demos of the hardware. At its most basic, you can use it to scan 3D objects and get three-dimensional portrayals of the environment in real-time simply by moving the phone around — it’s even able to map your movements with a breadcrumb trail. But because it also has motion-tracking, there’s a great potential for games. He showed us a cube stacking demo, where he could create virtual walls and barriers overlaid atop the real-world environment — sort of like an augmented reality Minecraft, if you will. Another demo that uses the depth sensor was a mesh builder built with the Unity engine. Using complicated peaks and valleys, he was able to recreate objects around the room, and then throw balls at them.
Last but not least, the Intel spokesperson showed us a demo called Tango Blaster, which lets you play a first-person shooter with a modified NERF gun. You can shoot at enemies as usual, but thanks to the phone’s motion-tracking and depth-sensing tech, you can seek cover by going behind walls and find new robots to shoot by moving your phone-equipped gun around.
“RealSense and Project Tango are really complimentary technologies,” said Michael Liu, a product manager for RealSense who was helping to demonstrate the tech. “The camera’s depth sensor works really well with Project Tango’s motion-tracking.” Interested developers will be able to snag one of the phones for themselves later this year, though it’s unclear on who much it’ll cost just yet. As for when we’ll see this in consumer hardware, it probably won’t be for awhile yet. But if the prototype I saw today was any indication, I wouldn’t be surprised if 3D-scanning phones are everywhere in the not-too-distant future.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Intel
Tags: idf2015, intel, projecttango, realsense
Microsoft patches up IE flaw that gives hackers access to your PC
Microsoft has issued a critical update to patch up an Internet Explorer hole that can give hackers access to your system. Hackers could create websites capable of exploiting the zero-day vulnerability — discovered by Google researcher Clement Lecigne — and get you to click on the URL via email or instant messenger. They will then get the same user rights you have, making the flaw more dangerous if you have administrative access or if you’re handling a server or a workstation. With admin powers, intruders can remotely install applications and steal your data.
You probably won’t have to do a thing if you’ve set up security updates to download automatically, but you can also download the fix from the company’s website. Microsoft recommends installing it for IE versions 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 — and yes, it’s advisable that you get it even if you’re on Windows 10 but too attached to IE to switch to Edge.
[Image credit: geekgiant/Flickr]
Via:
CSO Online, ZDNet
Source:
Microsoft
Tags: browser, internetexplorer, microsoft, securityflaw
Skype for Android gives you custom ringtones and photo forwarding
If you use Skype enough on your Android phone that you can’t always make heads or tails of who’s calling, today’s your day. An updated version of Skype for Android brings the same kind of contact-specific ringtones that you might be used to with conventional calls, so you’ll know if it’s a BFF or someone who can afford to wait. The same update will be handy if you can’t help but share pictures, for that matter — you can now forward the images you receive in chat, guaranteeing that those baby photos will reach the rest of your Skype-using family. Swing by Google Play if either of these new features happens to reel you in.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Microsoft
Source:
Skype, Google Play
Tags: android, InstantMessaging, internet, messaging, microsoft, mobilepostcross, skype, smartphone, voip
Google addressing Moto G issues with Android Auto
Both the 2015 Moto G and Android Auto are relatively new products, so it’s no surprise to see them showing some bugs and issues from time to time. But the real problem emerges when you try to mix the two together!
Reports around the web suggest many (not all) new Moto G users have been experiencing issues trying to connect their handsets to their Android Auto-equipped vehicles. If you are lucky enough to sport Google’s new infotainment system, this is pretty bad news. The system should work with any device running Lollipop or higher; what is the problem here, then? We are not sure quite yet, but the Moto G does come with Android 5.1.
When Moto G users try to connect, they will often get an error message that reads: “This device doesn’t support Android Auto”. It’s hard to tell what the discrepancy is, exactly, but at least now we know Google is working with Motorola to fix this. Such is what their latest update to the “known issues” list states.
Motorola Moto G
Android Auto doesn’t start on the Moto G. We’re working with Motorola on a solution.
Your Moto G/Android Auto hassles should be over soon enough. We have no ETA for the update, but at least Google is taking care of the issue. After all, the 2015 Moto G is bound to be a pretty popular handset! Wouldn’t want all these users running around without Android Auto support, especially as they try to push the new platform out there.
Want to learn more about the 2015 Moto G? Go ahead and read our full review on it. Likewise, you can catch all the details on Android Auto by checking out our Hyundai Sonata review.
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Humble PC & Android Bundle 13 launched with seven titles valued at $113
The newest fundraiser from Humble Bundle focuses on both PC and Android titles. The aptly named Humble PC & Android Bundle 13 currently offers four games for a donation of any amount. Donors exceeding the average gain at least three additional games.
Pay $1 or more to get:
- Crimsonland
- Neverending Nightmares
- Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians
- FOTONICA
Pay more than the average donation to get:
- TinyKeep
- Crowntakers
- Monster Loves You!
- Any added games…
The value of this bundle is set at $113 and will only grow as more titles are added.
As of Tuesday night, Humble Bundle has managed to sell nearly 22,000 bundles. With weeks to go until the bundle’s September 1 deadline, there are going to be thousands of bundles increasing that figure.
HUMBLE BUNDLE LAUNCHES NEW PC & ANDROID BUNDLE
The Humble PC & Android Bundle 13 supports the American Red Cross and EFF
San Francisco, Calif. – August 18, 2015 – Humble Bundle’s long running PC & Android bundle is back this week with popular titles from some of today’s top developers including Digital Tribe Games, Kalypso Media, Dejobaan Games, Radial Games, 10tons Ltd, Infinitap Games, THREAKS, Santa Ragione.
Customers can name their price for Crimsonland, Neverending Nightmares, Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians, and FOTONICA.
Those who pay more than the average price will also receive TinyKeep, Crowntakers, and Monster Loves You!
To see the full bundle, head to: https://www.humblebundle.com/.
That’s not all as additional titles will be unveiled mid-promotion on August 25.
As with all Humble Bundles, customers can choose how their purchase dollars are allocated, between the publisher and charity. The Humble PC & Android Bundle 13 supports the American Red Cross and EFF.
The Humble PC & Android Bundle 13 runs from now until Tuesday, September 1, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
About Humble Bundle
Humble Bundle sells digital content through its pay-what-you-want bundle promotions and the Humble Store. When purchasing a bundle, customers choose how much they want to pay and decide where their money goes — between the content creators, charity, and Humble Bundle. Since the company’s launch in 2010, Humble Bundle has raised more than $62 million through the support of its community for a wide range of charities, providing aid for people across the world. For more information, please visit https://www.humblebundle.comAbout Electronic Frontier Foundation
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is the leading nonprofit organization defending civil liberties in the digital world. Founded in 1990, EFF champions user privacy, free expression, and innovation through impact litigation, policy analysis, grassroots activism, and technology development. We work to ensure that rights and freedoms are enhanced and protected as our use of technology grows.EFF is a donor-funded US 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that depends on your support to continue fighting for users. Additional information: https://www.eff.org/
About The American Red Cross
The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S. affiliate of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.Today, in addition to domestic disaster relief, the American Red Cross offers services in five other areas: community services that help the needy; communications services and comfort for military members and their family members; the collection, processing and distribution of blood and blood products; educational programs on preparedness, health, and safety; and international relief and development programs. http://www.redcross.org.
Come comment on this article: Humble PC & Android Bundle 13 launched with seven titles valued at $113
AIVAnet 