Google pushing for less intrusive app installation pop-ups in mobile web pages
Google is updating their mobile friendly website test to try and promote less intrusive app installation warnings that hide significant amounts of content. When browsing a website on a mobile device, it’s not uncommon to see a pop-up that prompts you to install the site’s app on a mobile app store. Sometimes it’s out of the way and simple, like a native banner at the top of the website. Sometimes, though, it’s a very intrusive, large pop-up that hides the actual website. I’m sure you’ve seen one at least once since you’ve had a smartphone, but if you’ve managed to avoid it this long, trust me, they’re awful.
Google’s updated guidelines will go into effect on November 1st, and after that any app that displays a large app install interstitial will no longer be considered mobile friendly, which is bad news for a site’s search results.
Fortunately, most modern browsers support the smaller, native banners, including Google’s Chrome browser and Apple’s Safari browser, and website designers are free to implement their own solutions so long as it won’t block tons of content from readers.
source: Google Web Master Central
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Some of the largest tech companies are working together to make a new video format
Almost all the biggest tech companies are joining together to create a new royalty free video format. Amazon, Cisco, Google, Intel, Microsoft, Mozilla and Netflix plan on making this new format to revolutionize the internet.
The new company formed is called Alliance for Open Media. The new video format will probably mean the final end to Adobe Flash. Flash video has been around forever and has only caused trouble in recent years. Apple was the first company to stop using Flash altogether when it’s iPhone came out, interestingly enough, Apple is not a part of the alliance. However, Apple, Facebook, Sony, Twitter and other major tech companies, which are not a part of it, are welcome to join according to Mozilla CTO David Bryant.
“The initial members are just a start. We invite anyone with an interest in video, online or off, to join us.”
The new video format does not have a name currently, but will be specifically designed for streaming video. It will also need to able to work well with low powered mobile devices. A notable feature is the video format will support copyright protection.
The new group will operate under W3C patent rules and release code under an Apache 2.0 license. This means the new video format will be royalty free, any company can build software to support it.
A Mozilla blog post by Mozilla CTO David Bryant details the participants’ reasoning and concerns.
“One of the biggest challenges in developing open standards in a field like video codecs is figuring out how to review the patents. The Alliance provides a venue for us to share the legal legwork without having to worry about it being used against us down the road.
That distributes the load, allows us to innovate faster and cheaper, and gives everyone more confidence that we are really producing a royalty-free codec.”
Personally, I think there are already many other excellent video codecs out there to use and this seems to be more about creating a copyright protected one. However, share with us your thoughts in the comments.
Source: Alliance for Open Media
Via: TNW News
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Instagram adding several new features to Instagram Direct
Instagram Direct is the social media site’s way of directly sharing content with friends and family, and it’s been a success for the site since it launched a few years back. Today, Direct is getting some new features to make it even better, including threaded messaging and a way to share photos and videos on your feed straight to specific people.
The threaded messaging feature makes Instagram Direct work pretty similarly to text messaging and group messaging. The threads will follow conversations depending on which people are in the conversation, and you can name groups and quickly share things through a dedicated camera button and emoji sticker button.
Instagram is also pushing the sharing aspect of the site, adding a share button directly to posts next to the comment and like button. This will let you send content to direct messages and groups, and is designed to skip the step of mentioning someone in an Instagram comment.
Privacy hasn’t changed with these new features, so anything you share directly will only be seen by whoever you specify, and the photos and videos will only be visible to people that could already see the content normally, so you won’t be able to circumvent private accounts this way.
source: Instagram
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Pokemon Shuffle makes it to the Google Play Store
Fans have been begging for a Pokemon game to make it to mobile for years. Today we can finally report that a release is here, but it’s definitely not what you were hoping for. Nevertheless, it should be a fun title for your casual gaming sessions. It’s also worth mentioning that it’s not only the first Pokemon game to officially hit mobile devices, it’s also the first title to be ported from Nintendo consoles to mobile!
So, what is this Pokemon Shuffle all about? You will understand the game right away, as it is really nothing new. In essence, it’s the same as Bejeweled (or Candy Crush)… except with Pokemon faces instead of jewels or candy.
Your goal is to solve puzzles by matching identical Pokemon figures. You get a limited amount of moves, as well as lives. Each game costs one life, which is regenerated in 30 minutes. Of course, you can also buy game currency via in-app purchases, which can help you buy power-ups and speed up your advancement.
Admittedly, this is not really a Pokemon game. It’s just using the franchise’s image to try and get more users. Regardless, it’s still fun, and it represents something much larger. Nintendo is entering the mobile market and this happens to be one of the first steps into this transition. More is coming, and maybe even actual Pokemon games are to follow. Not to mention other amazingly popular franchises like Zelda, Mario Bros and more.
Good things are to come, guys! Just let this game be a good reminder of that. Also, who doesn’t like matching figures?! Go download Pokemon Shuffle from the Google Play Store!
Intel’s ‘Skylake’ CPU family includes an unlocked laptop chip
To say that Intel has been dragging out the launch of its Skylake-based processors would be an understatement when it didn’t even reveal full details after it started shipping the first CPUs. Most of that secrecy is coming to an end today, however, as the semiconductor giant is officially launching the wider 6th-generation Core family. You’ll soon see mainstream Core i3, i5 and i7 chips in desktops and laptops, as well as update Core M processors in ultraportables, convertible PCs and tablets. As you’ll see in a minute, though, this isn’t just a straightforward refresh. Slideshow-316076
Like the initial processors, these newer Skylake parts are more about power saving, graphics prowess and new connectors (such as USB Type-C and Thunderbolt 3) rather than raw computational power upgrades. Intel’s new HD 500-series integrated graphics are up to 40 percent faster than what you saw in the Broadwell generation (on a Core M), and you can drive as many as three 4K displays at once. Intel’s wireless display technology is 4K-friendly, too.
While almost every processor line is getting an upgrade (you’ll have to wait longer for Celerons and Pentiums), it’s the mobile processors that are the big deal this time around. Skylake is much, much better-suited to laptop-based gamers and creative pros. Besides the first Xeon laptop chips, you’re looking at Intel’s first-ever unlocked mobile chip (a four-core, 2.7GHz Core i7) and its first quad Core i5 models (at 2.3GHz and 2.6GHz). You won’t have to pay as much to get a truly speedy gaming laptop, and you’ll have an easy way to overclock your portable rig if it has strong-enough cooling.
Arguably, the biggest changes are coming to the Core M line. On top of seeing the largest graphics improvement and longer battery life, the chips are smaller and denser than they’ve been before. Also, you’ll have to get used to a more complicated naming scheme with Core m3, m5 and m7 models. The differences between the three are slight (mostly higher core clock speeds and video), but this could give you a better idea of what to expect when you’re buying a future MacBook or Windows tablet.
As for who’s onboard with the 6th-generation tech? It’ll likely take months for most vendors to completely transition to Skylake, but it won’t shock you to hear that gaming-focused brands like Dell’s Alienware label will be part of the first wave. As a whole, the Skylake launch will be much larger than that for Broadwell. Many PC makers had to stick with Haswell the last time around, since the processors they wanted weren’t always available. With Skylake, that isn’t an issue — there’s almost always a direct upgrade available.
Filed under:
Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Intel
Source:
Intel
Tags: 6thgeneration, core, corei3, corei5, corei7, corem, corem3, corem5, corem7, cpu, desktop, ifa2015, intel, iris, irispro, laptop, processor, skylake, tablet, thunderbolt3, usbtype-c, video, xeon
Easily plug your last tweet into Yahoo email signatures
Yahoo has unveiled a new feature for its email app that allows users to include their most recent tweet as part of their outgoing signature. To enable it, go to Settings -> Accounts -> Primary Yahoo and select “Include your latest Tweet from Twitter”. Users can also manually delete any included tweet if it’s not appropriate. Or, more likely, accidentally include it on a Reply All to the entire company.
Filed under:
Internet
Via:
Yahoo (Twitter)
Source:
Yahoo Mail
Tags: email, mail, tweet, twitter, yahoo, Yahoo Mail
New images of the Sony Xperia Z5, Z5 Compact and Z5 Premium emerge ahead of IFA announcement
We are gearing up for the IFA 2015 craze and Sony is expected to announce some of the most important devices at the event. Rumors have been going nuts about three devices coming from the Japanese manufacturer – the Sony Xperia Z5, Z5 Compact and Z5 Premium. We know you have already seen plenty of leaks, but there’s never too much, right?
The announcement of these devices is expected to be tomorrow, and we have what may be the last look at these three handsets before Sony takes the stage in Berlin. The leak offers multiple images, showcasing variable angles from all Sony Xperia Z5 iterations.
In all honesty, there is no remarkable aspects we haven’t seen before. On the back we can still see that classic, clean design with the word “Sony” engraved right in the middle. A tiny NFC logo is included above the branding, and there’s a 23 MP in the top-left corner. On the front we have the usual rectangular black slab look Sony has become so well-known for. Additionally, we can find the power button on the right side of all handsets (which doubles as a fingerprint reader), as well as the volume rocker and a dedicated camera button.
Otherwise, this is nothing but another close look at the phones! There’s so much left to learn about these handsets. We know the Xperia Z5 should have a 5.2-inch 1080p display, while the Compact will settle with a 4-inch 720p panel. Meanwhile, the Premium version takes things up a notch with a larger 5.5-inch screen. But get this – the largest of these phones is rumored to be the very first phone to come with a 4K resolution display. That would be 4096 x 2160 pixels!
Hey, if you thought QHD (2560x1440p) was already pushing it, you will definitely be surprised by Sony’s new Premium handset. Do take all of this with a grain of salt, though, as these are still all rumors. By the way, we have plenty of other murmurs in our Xperia Z5 rumor roundup. We will also have all the official details up as soon as possible, so keep it tuned to our home page for all your IFA 2015 news!
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OxygenOS 2.0.2 rolling out today via OTA
OnePlus is rolling out update after update to make sure your OnePlus 2 handset stays stable and free of bugs. Just over a week ago the company rolled out its 2.0.1 update for OnePlus handsets. Now it’s rolling out version 2.0.2 via OTA.
Starting today OnePlus 2 owners can get their hands on a new update of OxygenOS, version 2.0.2. It will bring many stability improvements, bug fixes, an improved camera UX and better accuracy for fingerprint recognition.
OnePlus plans to release an even bigger update slated version 2.1 to OnePlus 2 owners later this month. OnePlus says this update will bring new features and useful tools.
According to OnePlus, you should be connected to Wi-Fi before installing the update. In addition, users should have at least 50% battery life prior to downloading the update. It’s rolling out in waves now, so if you haven’t receive it yet, be patient and keep a close eye on your notification tray.
Source: TheTecholic
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Google has a beautiful new logo
After getting a new CEO last month, Google also has got a new logo. Google’s reasoning behind the new logo is that people are using Google differently today than they were 17 years ago. In the past the only way to use Google was through a desktop computer Today you can interact with Google in a variety of ways – mobile device, TV, watch, car dashboard, and even a desktop.
The new logo has more meaning today than ever. The new colorful microphone helps you identify and interact with Google, whether you’re talking, tapping or typing. The standard blue “g” in google has been replaced with a four-color “G” to match the new logo. The new logo is supposed to represent all of the ways Google works for you across Search, Maps, Gmail. Chrome, and others. This logo is the Google of today and the future.
Google also posted a history of their changes to their logo over the years. Check it out in the video above. Expect to see the rollout of the new logo across all Google products soon if you haven’t seen the changes yet.
The post Google has a beautiful new logo appeared first on AndroidGuys.
White House wants you to have online chats with the government
It’s getting easier to talk to the government online, but you’re frequently limited to one-way communication. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could chat with officials as easily as you do your internet friends? That might just happen. The White House has hired its first-ever Director of Product, former Facebook product lead Josh Miller, and he plans to do for government interaction what his startup Branch (which Facebook bought last year) did for group discussions. He wants officials to have a social network-like “conversation with you,” rather than issue statements. It’ll probably be a long while before you see the fruits of Miller’s efforts, but don’t be surprised if you can one day get your federal-level questions answered just by sending a message.
[Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images]
Filed under:
Internet, Facebook
Via:
TechCrunch
Source:
Josh Miller
Tags: branch, directorofproduct, facebook, internet, joshmiller, productdirector, socialnetwork, socialnetworking
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