Stephen Colbert is the latest celebrity to guide you on Waze
Stephen Colbert is going from talking about tech to getting involved with it. He’s joining the ranks of comedian Kevin Hart and former Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger as a celebrity voice for Waze, the crowd-sourced mobile GPS app. Based on the video below, his audible suggestions don’t go quite the distance we’d hoped in terms of hilarity but that’s probably for the best. I mean, explaining to a cop that the reason you totaled your car was because The Late Show‘s new helmsman said there was a bear in the road and you needed to punch its face with your bumper probably wouldn’t go over well — for you or CBS’s legal department. Sadly the former Colbert Report host’s‘ voice will only be available through September 22nd.
[Image credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP]
Filed under:
Cellphones, Transportation, Mobile
Tags: celebrity, colbert, gps, mobilepostcross, stephencolbert, thelateshow, voices, waze
Here’s how to watch Sony’s IFA 2015 press event
Sony is taking over IFA 2015 for the next hour or so. Based on recent leaks and rumors, the Japanese company is expected to announce a new smartphone — but it could more than one. Aside from that, Sony will likely also introduce other type of devices, as well as go over some of its recent products across different categories. The press conference starts at 10AM ET, and you can watch it live from Berlin via Sony’s website. Of course, we’ll be there too, so make sure you tune into our liveblog right here.
Be part of something special. Only 3 days to go until all is revealed…#SonyIFA pic.twitter.com/Dff28WuSQG
— Sony Xperia (@sonyxperia) August 30, 2015
Check out all the news from Berlin at our IFA 2015 hub.
[Image credits: AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under:
Cellphones, Misc, Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile, Sony
Tags: hdpostcross, IFA, IFA2015, mobilepostcross, Sony
Hollywood studios begin suing Popcorn Time users
Popcorn Time may have won an army of fans with its “Netflix for Torrenting” service, but its rapid rise in popularity has also caught the attention of Hollywood and its legal teams. The Wall Street Journal reports that the studio behind The Expendables movies is suing 16 users of the Popcorn Time service, after they were allegedly found to have illegally downloaded and shared copies of straight-to-DVD Pierce Brosnan film Survivor.
In a legal notice filed with the US District Court in Oregon on Tuesday, a production company representing Millennium Films said that it had tracked the accused using their IP addresses. It hopes to identify the defendants by subpoenaing ISPs for their real names. In an email to the Wall Street Journal, a Popcorn Time spokesperson said: “It’s really saddening to witness studios go after the ‘little people.’”
Last month, police arrested two people for running Popcorn Time guide sites in Denmark, where instructing people how to use the streaming service can land you in hot water, even if you don’t host the clients or content. In April, the MPAA welcomed a UK High Court ruling that forced ISPs to block access to websites hosting Popcorn Time software.
With their Bittorrent-based distribution method, restricting access to Popcorn Time streams is a lot more difficult than pulling down the websites that host the tools to deliver them. However, the technology also makes users easier to track, which a number of streamers based in and around Oregon are starting to find out.
Filed under:
Home Entertainment, Internet, Software, HD
Source:
Wall Street Journal
Tags: bittorrent, hdpostcross, lawsuit, oregon, popcorntime, streaming
The BBC is making a feature film starring British YouTubers
What’s the best way for a broadcaster like the BBC to stay “down with the kids?” By hiring some incredibly popular YouTube vloggers, apparently. After recruiting a slew of internet personalities for BBC Radio 1, BBC Worldwide has commissioned a feature-length film starring Joe Sugg and Caspar Lee. The one-off special will see the pair — who have more than 10 million subscribers and a billion video views between them — galavanting around Europe, as they try to survive solely on the money they earn each day. Teenagers are pulling away from linear TV scheduling though, so the BBC plans to release the film as a digital download on November 23rd. In Britain, it’ll also be available on DVD — the first 8,000 fans that pre-ordered will get a wristband and their names listed in the credits.
If you’re wondering just how popular the pair are, the BBC says the film was the biggest first-day pre-order on Amazon UK this year. The feature should clock in at 75 minutes, and it’s being spearheaded by Top Gear director Brian Klein. With a proper camera crew in tow, it should feel pretty different to the pair’s normal short-form videos on YouTube.
[image Credit: BBC Worldwide]
Source:
Joe & Caspar Hit The Road (Amazon)
Tags: bbc, bbcworldwide, CasparLee, JoeSugg, vloggers, youtube
Tranquil snowboarding game ‘Alto’s Adventure’ is coming to Android
There are basically no downsides to using Android anymore, but one of the few remaining bummers is that most great mobile games hit the iPhone first. That was the case with the wonderfully tranquil and beautiful snowboarding game Alto’s Adventure that came out this past February, but fortunately that’ll be rectified soon. Developer NoodleCake is working with the team that originally created Alto’s Adventure to port the game over to Android and the Kindle Fire, and it should be ready to go soon. Unfortunately, that’s not now, but you can stay tuned to the Alto’s Adventure Twitter feed for updates. And if you’re an iOS user and haven’t tried this game yet, do yourself a favor and give it a go — it’s an endless runner that manages to somehow be relaxing, a rare combo.
Via:
The Verge
Source:
Noodlecake Studios
Tags: alto, altosadventure, endlessrunner, noodlecake, snowboarding
Huawei Watch available to pre-order today, launches September 17
Huawei today at IFA 2015 confirmed that the much anticipated Huawei Watch will officially launch on September 17, albeit those eager to get their hands on one can pre-order a unit today.
The Chinese-based company has a Huawei Watch for just about anyone. There’s a stainless steel option with a black leather band ($349), or if you fancy something more high-class, Huawei has a gold plated stainless steel watch with a golden metallic band available ($799).
Those are the lowest and highest prices available, but there’s a few other options between those price points.
Keep in mind that the Huawei Watch will also work for our friends using an iPhone, too. Google just recently announced the news, making Android Wear compatible with iOS 8.2 or higher, albeit the compatibility only goes as low as the iPhone 5. Anything earlier than that loses out, unfortunately.
The Huawei Watch sports a Snapdragon 400 dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and has a circular AMOLED 400 x 400 display.
Classic Watch Design and Smartwatch Function Come to the U.S. with Introduction of the Huawei Watch
Huawei Watch pre-orders start today with mid-September availability
PLANO, Texas [September 2, 2015]: Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology solutions provider, today announced U.S. availability and pricing of the highly-anticipated Huawei Watch, a new smartwatch that redefines smart by blending timeless, uncompromising design with the functionality of Android Wear™.
Starting today, consumers can pre-order the Huawei Watch on GetHuawei.com, Google Store, Amazon.com and BestBuy.com. General availability and pre-order shipments begin September 17th. Six models with stainless steel, black and rose gold-plated watch bodies will be available in the U.S. with prices ranging from $349 to $799 USD. Stainless steel and black models are available for pre-order today, with rose gold models available later this year.
“Designed first and foremost as a watch, the Huawei Watch is unlike any smartwatch available today,” said Zhiqiang Xu, President of Huawei Device USA. “We are committed to meeting U.S. consumers’ demands for premium products and the Huawei Watch is a step in that direction. It embodies Huawei’s technology innovation heritage, pursuit of premium design and integration of useful functionality that we strive to develop in each product.
Timeless Design
The Huawei Watch is inspired by classic, high-end wristwatch design and executed with the most sophisticated materials. In keeping with traditional wristwatch design, the Huawei Watch has a round face and body, standard lugs and a 42mm diameter. Improving on classic design, the physical crown is in the 2 o’clock position on the watch body, making it ergonomic and easy to use on either wrist.
Sophisticated Craftsmanship with Premium Materials
The craftsmanship of the Huawei Watch is evident in the materials chosen and the attention to detail throughout the manufacturing process. Both the scratch resistant, two-layer sapphire crystal and the 316L cold-forged stainless steel body construction are details usually found in premium and luxury watches.
Style and Personalization
Just as a classic wristwatch is a symbol of personal style, the Huawei Watch provides customization options to let individual style and personality come through. With six watch body and band combinations, consumers can choose the watch that’s right for them. The lug design makes it easy to swap standard 18mm bands for a classic, modern or eclectic new look. In addition, the Huawei Watch comes with a variety of watch faces that users can switch for different settings, moods or activities.
Rich Functionality
Running the latest version of Android Wear, the Huawei Watch offers the rich functionality consumers expect in a smartwatch. Features of the Huawei Watch include:
- 300 mAh battery offers up to two days of battery life with regular use, and fast charging offers 80 percent battery life in just 45 minutes, or 75 minutes for a full charge.
- Always-on watch face gives immediate access to the most important information a watch can provide – the time.
- Wi-Fi connectivity for instant notifications when the user’s phone isn’t in Bluetooth range.
- Bluetooth 4.1 LE enables users to pair directly to Bluetooth headsets and speakers to enjoy music on the go with or without a smartphone.
- 6-axis motion sensors automatically identify activity and provide accurate tracking.
- Enhanced heart rate monitor provided by one of the world’s most advanced heart-rate detecting sensor manufacturers delivers measurable health tracking.
- 1.4-inch AMOLED screen offers the highest resolution display of any Android Wear watch at 400 by 400 pixels with 286 pixels per inch.
About Huawei Consumer Business Group
With 16 R&D centers in countries that include Germany, Sweden, the US, France, Italy, Russia, India, and China, Huawei’s products and services extend to over 170 countries, serving one third of the world’s population. In 2014, Huawei’s smartphone global shipment ranked third in the world. As one of Huawei’s three business groups, Huawei Consumer BG offers mobile phones, mobile broadband (MBB) devices and home devices. With more than 20 years of rich expertise in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, an extensive global network, vast global business operations and network of partners, Huawei Consumer BG is dedicated to bringing the latest technology to consumers, offering a world of possibilities, creating extraordinary experiences and realizing dreams for people everywhere.
Come comment on this article: Huawei Watch available to pre-order today, launches September 17
ASUS ZenWatch 2 will go easy on the wallet when released in October
ASUS has announced pricing for their new ASUS ZenWatch 2 smartwatch and for those looking to get a smartwatch without dropping a lot of coin, the ZenWatch 2 may be a good option. The different versions of the ZenWatch 2 are slated to be available on retail shelves starting in October. When they arrive, the larger 49mm model will run €149 ($170 USD) while the smaller 45mm version will cost €169 ($190 USD).
The ZenWatch 2 will come equipped with a Snapdragon 400 processor, 512 MB of RAM and a 320 x 320 AMOLED display.
Anyone out there enticed by the ZenWatch 2? Be sure to check back for more IFA 2015 coverage from TalkAndroid.
Come comment on this article: ASUS ZenWatch 2 will go easy on the wallet when released in October
Apple May Be Returning to Glass-on-Glass Touch Panels for iPhone 7
A new rumor out of Apple’s supply chain in Asia suggests that the company could be returning to using ultra-thin glass-on-glass touch panels for next year’s line of iPhones, but will remain using in-cell touch panels for the “iPhone 6s” and “iPhone 6s Plus,” both predicted to launch this month (via DigiTimes). The sources cite Apple’s issues with production bottlenecks of the in-cell technology which prevent the company from “adding new features as well as increasing resolutions.”
Makers have already begun sending samples of fully laminated G/G technology to Apple and Corning along with Asahi Glass have also reportedly sent glass samples.
Market observers have recently noted that Apple is in discussions over whether to go back to G/G instead of in-cell technology for future iPhone devices as in-cell technology is currently struggling with various production bottlenecks that are preventing Apple from adding new features as well as increasing resolutions.
Notably, the improvement in glass-on-glass production technology could grant Apple the ability to create a bezel-free iPhone that in-cell panels currently limit. The possibility of a full 4K ultra HD screen would also be in the cards according to the sources in the company’s supply chain, again pointing to current limitations on in-cell touch panels themselves, and their production.
G/G touch panels may also help Apple develop bezel-free smartphones as in-cell touch panels reportedly are struggling with touch sensitivity on the edges. Additionally, in-cell touch panels also make it difficult for vendors to pursue higher resolutions including Ultra HD (4K) due to current bottlenecks, the observers said.
Apple used glass-on-glass touch panels in its iPhone line until the iPhone 5 came out in 2012 with in-cell panels. The new line of iPhones predicted to be announced at next week’s September 9 media event will undoubtedly continue to use in-cell panels, with stronger 7000 series aluminum shells, Force Touch, an improved 12-megapixel camera, all housed in a similar design to last year’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models.
Apple Pay Gains 18 New Participating Issuers in United States
Apple updated its Apple Pay participating issuers list today with 18 additional banks, credit unions and financial institutions supporting the contactless payment service in the United States. Apple Pay now has over 450 participating issuers nationwide, and several more plan to support the NFC-based mobile payment service in the future.
The newly added Apple Pay participating issuers are reflected below, although it’s worth noting that some banks, credit unions and financial institutions listed may have already had support for the contactless payments service and are only now being reflected on Apple’s website.
The full list of new Apple Pay participating issuers:
- AltaOne Federal Credit Union
- American Bank of Commerce
- Capital Bank, N.A.
- Cardinal Community Credit Union
- Del-One Federal Credit Union
- Enterprise Bank and Trust Co.
- Envision Credit Union
- First Commonwealth Bank
- First National Bank and Trust
- First South Financial Credit Union
- FirstMerit Bank
- Fort Worth City Credit Union
- Leominster Credit Union
- Magnolia Federal Credit Union
- Monticello Banking Company
- Northfield Bank
- Southern States Bank
- Spire Credit Union
Apple Pay remains limited to the United States and United Kingdom, although Apple is committed to an international rollout of the mobile payments service in additional countries such as Canada and China in the future. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Apple is planning a November launch of Apple Pay in Canada.
The Sony Xperia Z5 family gets featured on a poster ahead of IFA 2015 reveal
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When there’s a convention on, it’s almost certain that there are going to be leaks coming out left, right and centre. Case in point, a poster showing the full Sony Xperia Z5 family has been spotted, showing the full range of colours available for each handset. The Sony Xperia Z5, Z5 Compact and Z5 Premium have yet to be officially announced – that should be happening later today – however there’s been very little left to imagination after some very indepth leaks over the last few days. Still, we hope Sony has some interesting information up their sleeves about software or pricing that we haven’t heard yet.
Of the Sony Xperia Z5 family, the Z5 Premium is definitely the most intriguing with several rumours suggesting that the device will have a 4K display, which sounds absolutely ludicrous, but given how Sony‘s mobile division has been performing lately, anything new that Sony can bring to the table could be the difference. We’ll find out soon enough as Sony’s press conference is due to start at 3PM BST / 16PM CET / 09AM CST.
What do you think about the Sony Xperia Z5 family? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: XperiaBlog
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