ICYMI: Kids abusing robots, solar powered balloon and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: A piece of robot news out of Japan has us riveted, mostly because it’s internationally understood that kids can be jerks. Researchers there studied how children treated a robot left to roam in a mall and basically, they just beat it up. Also out of Japan, a new heavy-duty piece of construction equipment can break down concrete debris with it’s massive pinchers and also has it’s own VR app for Oculus Rift. And the UK just launched the first ever solar-powered hot air balloon, which heats regular air with the sun’s rays rather than Google’s helium, which is found in Project Loon.
And then we do a wrap-up of the week’s big news and guys, there was a lot. The Japanese ruling saying bitcoin can’t be owned is a blow to that industry and India banning porn (and then undoing most of it) was a potentially misguided but overdue step in that’s country’s efforts to stop rampant violence against women.
If you come across any interesting videos, we’d love to see them. Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd.
Filed under:
Displays, Misc, Meta, Peripherals, Robots, Transportation, Wearables, Wireless, Science, Internet, Apple, Google
Tags: apple, engadget daily show, engadget video, google, icymi, In Case You Missed It, Indian, International Balloon Festival, Japan, Japanese robot, Japanese robot study, kids abuse robot, Oculus Rift, Robovie 2, solar-powered, solar-powered hot air, Super Guzzilla, UK news, video
Typewriters suck. This web app proves it.
Typewriters are beautiful objects. They are charming and ingenious in a way that only something analog can be. They make sounds that strike a chord even in those born long after the thwack-thwack of a type hammer smacking against the page, or the brrring of the carriage being slapped to the next line, were replaced with the mundane silence of the word processor. No wonder we’re nostalgic for them.
But functionally? Typewriters suck. Even if you do nothing but type words in the simplest text editor, computers are just infinitely better than typewriters. (One word: “backspace.”) Don’t believe me? Ignore twee typewriter emulators: here’s an online typewriter emulator that will make you want to take a sledgehammer to each and every one of Tom Hanks’ vintage typewriters.
It’s called OverType, and it was designed by Ben Wheeler after a conversation with his son about what using a typewriter was really like. He writes:
It started because I was trying to tell my kids about how typewriters worked (because of course they’ve never seen one), and all the existing typewriter simulators that I could find on the web get one very basic thing wrong—when you press backspace, they erase the character you just typed, like a computer. On a real typewriter, backspace simply moves the carriage back one space, allowing you to overtype a previously typed character. Erasing requires Tipp-Ex or suchlike.
One day my youngest son suggested I should write one that works the right way and allows overtyping. This seemed like it would be an interesting challenge … and indeed it was.
Using OverType is like vividly remembering what it was like to get around with a broken arm. Everything you take for granted about modern keyboards is explicitly painful to do in OverType.
Do you type over 30 words per minute? OverType will skip letters, simulating jamming. Do you have a long letter to write? OverType’s simulated ribbon will run out of ink halfway through. Are you interested in simulating the experience of typing on an older typewriter? Keys will completely break at random. Forget line-wrapping: on a typewriter, the only way to get to the next line was a hard carriage return, meaning that in OverType, you’re constantly on edge that your words will run off the page. And don’t expect clean typesetting: even the best typewriter is going to make your lines jagged.
The star, though, is the delete key. Using OverType for more than a few minutes will make you want to dip the delete key on your laptop in 24-karat gold, because, as Wheeler says, there was no deleting back in the typewriter days: you just had to type over your mistake, resulting in sloppy, illegible manuscripts that needed to be laboriously retyped to be presentable.
Maddening though it is, I really like OverType. Unlike other typewriter emulators, OverType isn’t trying to fool you into believing that typewriters were somehow a more efficient, more writerly way of writing. Nostalgia aside, typewriters were ill-tempered beasts with which writers constantly had to wrestle to do simple things we all take for granted today. It’s ironic that in today’s obsession with minimalist writing apps, the typewriter has somehow become symbolic of a cleaner, distraction-free era of writing, because the reality is that the actual act of using a typewriter was as messy a distraction as any writer has ever had to deal with. OverType is a love letter to modern computers, written on the shitty (but beautiful and charismatic) gadget that our Macs and PCs replaced. Good riddance.
Tags: benwheeler, fastcompany, mobilepostcross, overtype, partner, syndicated, typewriter, typewriters
Falcon Pro developer moves to Twitter to improve its Android app
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Any heavy Twitter user would be hard-pressed to deny that the native Twitter app is pretty terrible – it’s not catastrophically bad for the average user, but for those with multiple accounts and business needs, it leaves something to be desired. That’s where third-party apps like Carbon, Plume, and Falcon Pro come in, however in a weird turn of fate, the developer of that last app is going to be moving to Twitter. Yes, Joaquim Vergès, Falcon Pro developer, announced on Twitter that he is joining the Android team at Twitter and is going to be actively improving Twitter’s first-party app.
Guys, big news. It’s finally official. I’m joining the @Twitter Android core UI team!
— Joaquim Vergès (@joenrv) August 7, 2015
However, if you’re using Falcon Pro, don’t be alarmed: Vergès says he will continue to update Falcon Pro because he says “I’ll be a great place to try new experiments without the slowness of a big company” – we may have to see what Twitter’s intellectual property department has to say about that, though. Regardless, this is great news for Twitter users as Vergès’ tenure at Twitter will hopefully bring us significant improvements to the Twitter Android app which sorely needs an overhaul.
What do you think about the Falcon Pro developer moving to Twitter? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Twitter via engadget
The post Falcon Pro developer moves to Twitter to improve its Android app appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Talk Android Weekly Recap: August 2, August 8
This week was a bit slow in regards to big stories, but the rumor mill is in full force in anticipation of Samsung’s event in New York City next week. However, this week Verizon announced it’s getting rid of phone contracts and changing up its data plans, probably to better compete with T-Mobile’s rigorous Uncannier marketing campaign.
Furthermore, Costco is getting ready for the Verizon DROID Turbo 2, Google announced that Nexus devices will begin receiving monthly security updates, Google Fiber is getting ready to shake up San Antonio, and the OnePlus Two has begun selling really well in China. Hopefully you didn’t miss any of these exciting stories and more.
If you did, be sure to check out the roundup after the break.
- Google Fiber is coming to San Antonio, Texas
- New leak shows Costco is getting ready for the Verizon DROID Turbo 2
- Nexus devices to begin seeing monthly security updates
- Verizon gets rid of smartphone contracts and begins shaking up data plans
- T-Mobile overtakes Sprint as 3rd largest US carrier
- OnePlus Two is sell like hotcakes in China
- Samsung Galaxy Note 5 leaked ahead of Samsung event
- Software Engineer hacks OnePlus invite system twice
- OnePlus might release another smartphone around Christmas time
Have a great week, everybody!
Come comment on this article: Talk Android Weekly Recap: August 2, August 8
KickStarter: The MiStand+ is an Aluminium Tablet Stand
I’ve using a MiStand Tablet Stand for just over a year now, and I always been mightily impressed by its ease of use, sturdiness, and resistance to life’s bumps and knocks. My only complaint was that charging the tablet on the MiStand was a little messy because the base didn’t have a cable slot to pass a charging cable through. That won’t be a problem for much longer though, because MiStand is running a KickStarter campaign for a new, improved tablet stand called the MiStand+ that allows a charging cable to be slotted through the base.
Along with the cable slot in the base, the MiStand+ has been tweaked elsewhere, with a 33% stronger magnetic ball-joint to work with even the heaviest tablets. To be fair to my MiStand, I’ve even had a Chromebook attached to it a few times with zero slippage, so this new magnetic ball-joint must be something to behold.
Other tweaks include new polyurethane pads that are stickier than the old micro-suction pads. These new polyurethane pads will stick to a tablet regardless of whether it has a protective case on or not. The pads can also be rinsed clean with warm water once in a while to maintain stickiness. The MiStand+ can be had in silver, space grey or black. Finally, it’s compatible with any tablet, even the fruity ones.
So, it looks great, how much is it? Well, you can back the MiStand+ on its KickStarter campaign with the following rewards:
Exclusive Early Bird: £28All Gone!- Exclusive Not Quite So Early Bird: £28 ($43)
- Solo MiStand+:£32 ($50)
- Exclusive Duo Early Bird (2 x MiStand+): £55* ($85)
- 5 MiStand+’s: £138* ($213)
- 10 MiStand+’s: £270* ($418)
*Includes free shipping to USA, Canada and European Union.
The MiStand+ goal was to raise £5000, but it has already managed to get £15,000 in backing in its first two days on KickStarter. It’s first stretch goal of 350 backers has already been achieved, which means that the MiStand Mini (for phones) will return, probably with some tweaks of its own. The next stretch goal is to raise £20,000 which will unlock a gold variant of the MiStand+. The MiStand+ KickStarter campaign has another 33 days left to run with production scheduled to begin in October and shipping in November. More details about the MiStand+ tablet stand and its KickStarter campaign can be found here.
Source: MiStand (KickStarter)
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: KickStarter: The MiStand+ is an Aluminium Tablet Stand
One variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 might have a microSD slot
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Over the last few weeks, we’ve had multiple leaks regarding the new phablet smartphone that Samsung is about to announce on August 13th. One point that fans of the Galaxy Note series are hoping to have confirmed is whether the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 might have a microSD slot, and it’s not looking good so far. Having said that, a new rumour coming out of Taiwan is saying that it’s possible the variant arriving in that country will have a microSD slot – according to the report, this microSD slot actually doubles as a second SIM slot as well.
This is a fairly common theme in Asian markets where dual-SIM devices are a must and microSD slots are often put in as well. Whether this variant of device will be available anywhere else is anyone’s guess, but if you were really hoping to get a Note 5 and need a microSD slot, at least you’ll be able to get one assuming the LTE bands work out for you.
What do you think about the fact one variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 might have a microSD slot? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post One variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 might have a microSD slot appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Final Fantasy III through VI can now be played on Android TV, games discounted to celebrate
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There are few video game franchises as iconic as the Final Fantasy series, and while most of the games have released on console over the decades, they have slowly been re-released on mobile devices in recent years. Well, for those that believe that Final Fantasy games belong in the living room on the TV, you’ll be happy to know that Final Fantasy III through VI are now available to be played on the Android TV. Square Enix announced the update earlier this week and to celebrate has discounted all four games.
Of course, being Square Enix games, the discounted prices are still a little high for mobile games ($7.99 down from $15.99), but for fans of the series, any discount is worth it. The sale runs from August 7th to August 13th. If you’re interested in taking a look at these games on Android TV, or just want to take advantage of the sale, we’ve got the Play Store links down below:
Are you excited to play Final Fantasy on Android TV? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post Final Fantasy III through VI can now be played on Android TV, games discounted to celebrate appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Hackers are attacking US gas pumps
After a gas station monitoring system was hacked earlier this year, Trend Micro researchers Kyle Wilhoit and Stephen Hilt decided to take a closer look. They set up fake internet-connected systems called “GasPots” — honeypots that mimic the real ones — in several countries to track hackers’ movements. Turns out gas monitors are never safe: the researchers observed a number of attacks on their GasPots within a period of six months, with US-based ones being the most targeted. Some instances were clearly for reconnaissance purposes as they were merely automated scanners pinging the monitors. Others were more intrusive, with the hackers changing GasPot names to something else. Once, they changed it to “SEAcannngo,” presumably to represent the Syrian Electronic Army, which denied any involvement to Motherboard.
In another instance, hackers named a GasPot “H4CK3D by IDC-TEAM,” the same message Iranian Dark Coders Team members use when they crack websites. To note, when the real gas station was hacked in February, its name was also switched from “DIESEL” to “WE_ARE_LEGION,” which is commonly associated with hacker collective Anonymous. One GasPot in DC also suffered a DDoS attack for two days.
Gas monitoring systems or automated tank gauges (ATG) keep an eye on fuel levels, volume and temperature, among other stats. Many of them are easy to get into, because they’re not protected by passwords. Companies are likely not keeping them heavily protected, since they can’t really be manipulated to do something extremely destructive — like blow up a gas station.
However, the Trend Micro researchers warn that ATG cyberattacks could still cause serious issues. Hackers can monitor one to find out when a facility is expecting the next fuel delivery or hold it hostage and ask for ransom. They can also fake fuel levels to induce overflow and put the lives of people in the area in danger. By the end of their experiment, Wilhoit and Hilt concluded that supervisory systems shouldn’t be connected to the internet. “If they really need to be,” their white paper reads, “their security should be so strong that access to them is extremely limited and private.”
[Image credit: shutterstock]
Filed under:
Misc
Via:
Motherboard, PCMag
Source:
Trend Micro
Tags: gaspump, hack, trendmicro
Amazon Studios has two new pilots for you to judge
While Amazon has a track record to go by for its upcoming car show, it’s still crowdsourcing impressions for its new dramas. Today the service posted pilot episodes for two new series that it might pick up for streaming, and you can check them out for free. First up is the Brian Cranston-produced Sneaky Pete (not Skinny Pete, this is not a Breaking Bad spinoff), starring Giovanni Ribisi as an ex-con who has assumed the identity of his former cellmate. Meanwhile, Casanova is directed by Jean Pierre Jeunet (Amelie) and stars Diego Luna (Y Tu Mama Tambien) telling the “true” story of the legendary playboy. Pilots for both are live for viewers in the US, UK and Germany, so watch and give your opinion — or just check out the newest clip for Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle, which debuts November 20th.
Filed under:
Home Entertainment, HD, Amazon
Source:
Casanova, Sneaky Pete
Tags: amazon, AmazonPrimeInstantVideo, casanova, hdpostcross, pilot, SneakyPete, video
5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week! – Android Apps Weekly
Sponsored by Chameleon Color Adapting LWP
[Price: $1.21]
This week’s Android Apps Weekly is sponsored by Chameleon Color Adapting LWP. This unique live wallpaper changes your background colors based on your surroundings. The way it works is you set the wallpaper, then find something you like and point your camera at it to grab the colors. It includes a preview to see what colors you’ll be getting and it’s pretty decent on battery life. It’s an interesting live wallpaper and inexpensive. Give it a shot!
Get it now on Google Play!
Welcome back to Android Apps Weekly! Here are your headlines from the past week.
- With a little bit of tinkering, it’s been found that you can, in fact, control Windows 10 with your Android smartphone. It requires the use of Tasker and a couple of plugins so there is a learning curve, but it’s really cool to see this being done.
- Earlier this week, the esteemed and unique browser Link Bubble received a huge update to version 1.5. On top of getting an update, the app also got a new owner as developer Chris Lacy announced the sale. It was for an undisclosed amount and to an undisclosed company. I’m sure we’ll know soon enough.
- Speaking of things being sold, Nokia offloaded their acclaimed HERE Maps to various German auto manufacturers such as Audi and BMW for about $2.8 billion USD. This is a huge deal, but interestingly enough, Nokia took a loss because they originally paid $8.1 billion for it.
- Square Enix announced a huge sale this week that includes a number of their biggest titles, including some Final Fantasy games, Secret of Mana, and Dragon Quest VIII. Square Enix is known for putting out some expensive games so this is a great chance to get them a little cheaper.
- A new Humble Bundle is out now and it includes nine games from Games Workshop which means there are a ton of Warhammer games to be had. The whole package would cost $44 if you bought them separately but you can get them all for just about $4 and donate to charity in the process. That’s a win-win.
For even more Android apps and games headlines, updates, and new releases, don’t forget to check out this week’s newsletter. There we’ll have all the stuff that happened including the stuff we didn’t have time for here. If you want, you can also sign up with your email address and have this info beamed to your inbox every single Friday!
Subscribe to Apps Weekly Newsletter
The latest apps, games and Google play news in your inbox once a week.
While you’re at it, don’t forget to check us out on Twitch! We’re on a short hiatus while I wait for Nvidia to replace my Shield Tablet but we do have a ton of awesome content already there for you to check out. Don’t forget to hit that subscribe button and join in on the next streams which will likely happen next week! I will actually see you there!
Chrome Beta
[Price: Free]
The beta version of Google’s Chrome browser received a fairly significant update this last week. It will now have Chrome Custom Tabs enabled which, for those who may not know, is something that was announced for Android M back at Google I/O. Along with that came an update to the bookmark interface and media playback controls. If you want to see the future of the Chrome Browser, then give this app a try.
Get it now on Google Play!
Barmark
[Price: $2.99]
Barmark is an interesting and unique adventure game that has no point. By that I mean there is no score, no goals, and no 3-starring anything. You walk around in a fairly well designed world and alter the landscape based on what you think it should look like. It’s kinda weird because it doesn’t have a goal or a point which technically doesn’t qualify it as a game but it’s an interesting app nevertheless. It is $2.99 but do beware of those release day bugs.
Get it now on Google Play!
Gunjack
[Price: Free]
Gunjack is a new game that was developed specifically for the Samsung Gear VR platform by the developers who bought us the EVE series of games. It’s a first person shooter where you sit in a turret, spin around, and shoot bad guys. This is an awesome premise and one of the few VR games that really takes advantage of the platform without feeling like it was intentionally built around it. It’s done but won’t be available to owners until this autumn.
Get it now on Google Play!
FishBrain
[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
FishBrain is an app for fishing enthusiasts that kind of turns the actual act of fishing into a video game. It’s a crowd sourced application that allows you to see what fish are biting, where, and keep track of where you are when the fish start biting. There are also leaderboards per location so you can see who has caught the most and biggest fish. It’s a fun little app and one that all anglers should definitely try.
Get it now on Google Play!
Shooting Stars
[Price: $0.99]
Shooting Stars is the latest game out of Noodlecake Studios. This one has you suiting up and battling aliens that are mostly disguised as celebrities. It’s an arcade shooter with retro graphics and tons of rainbow lasers, explosions, and bright colors. The game also includes over 60 ridiculous weapons, plenty of celebrity cameos, and there’s even a hover board. It’s fast paced and utterly ridiculous. There are also no in-app purchases.
Get it now on Google Play!
Wrap up
If we missed any great Android apps or games news this week, tell us about it in the comments! Thanks for checking out the show and we’ll see you next week!
AIVAnet 