Former Mt. Gox CEO officially charged with embezzlement
Mt. Gox is a sordid story seemingly refuses to die. Last we heard, the bitcoin exchange’s CEO Mark Karpeles had been arrested by Tokyo police, and some six weeks later he’s been charged with pilfering 321 million yen (around $2.7 million) of former clients’ money according to Reuters. Apparently he spent it on a custom-built bed and buying the rights for computer software development. Why the gap between arrest and now? Well, Japan grants that sort of holding even without formal charges. As the AFP Newswire tells it, Karpeles is still being held by Japanese authorities, but he can petition the court for “release pending trial.” We’ll have to wait and see if he exercises that right.
[Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Filed under:
Internet
Source:
Reuters, AFP Newswire
Tags: bitcoin, chargesfiled, cryptocurrency, embezzlement, japan, markkarpeles, mtgox
Continuing its Android crusade, Microsoft has bought Echo Notification Lockscreen
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Microsoft has made many significant moves to cement its place as one of the top developers of Android apps recently, and in the latest example of this new crusade, Microsoft has bought Echo Notification Lockscreen, a custom lockscreen app that has somewhere in the vicinity of 1,000,000-5,000,000 downloads on the Google Play Store and a great rating to boot. Chief Experience Officer at Microsoft, Julie Larson-Green, expressed Microsoft’s urge to fix something it sees as a problem with lock screens on all smart devices and the notifications that are shown on it.
“It’s a list of what apps want you to know, not necessarily what’s important to you.”
And Microsoft isn’t just working on the Echo Notification Lockscreen to improve Android – Larson-Green says that improving it in its standalone form first means that when it is refined to the level Microsoft wants, it can be integrated into Windows 10 and Microsoft’s whole ecosystem, without the risk of having it around half-finished. You can really start to see that Microsoft has a much bigger vision for its ecosystem than just Windows 10, one day extending it to Android the same way it would extend it to Windows Phones.
What do you think about the news Microsoft has bought Echo Notification Lockscreen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Business Insider via Phandroid
The post Continuing its Android crusade, Microsoft has bought Echo Notification Lockscreen appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Xbox One’s upcoming overhaul has an opt-in beta
That new Windows 10 Xbox One update sounds pretty great, right? Well, how it works is a little different than folks in the console’s Dashboard Preview Program are used to. Previous updates were pushed out automatically and you had no choice over installing them, but here you can choose as to whether or not jump into this massive overhaul. Xbox spokesperson Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb says that Preview members will get a message in their system’s inbox and you’ll need to register and opt-in from there. But if you’re not quite sure about being even more of a guinea pig that’s totally okay: You can choose to not participate in the double preview and still get the regular dashboard updates ahead of the general public.
Hryb also says that you can expect more builds of the Win10 dash to hit as kinks are worked out ahead of the full launch. Invites for this beta will go out in waves, and Hyrb says to be patient if you don’t see one pop up just yet. Until then? Maybe grind through some more Destiny ahead of “The Taken King” arriving next week.
Filed under:
Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
Source:
Major Nelson
Tags: beta, dashboardpreviewprogram, gaming, hd, hdpostcross, majornelson, microsoft, optin, windows10, xbox, xboxone
First Unboxing of New Apple TV Shows off Packaging, Device and Remote
Despite not arriving until the end of October, YouTuber Andru Edwards has gotten ahold of the fourth-generation Apple TV and unboxed it on video. The video, which appears to be the first unboxing of the device, offers a glimpse at the new packaging for Apple’s new set-top box.
The new Apple TV’s packaging is all-black and features a picture of the top of the device on the top of the box. Once opened, the user is presented with the Apple TV box and the brand new Siri Remote. Underneath those are a Lightning cable to charge the new remote and a power cable.
Edwards, who says he received his Apple TV on the day of Apple’s “Hey Siri” event, then provides a closer look at both the set-top box and remote.
The fourth-generation Apple TV will be available at the end of October. It’ll be priced at $149.99 for the 32 GB option and $199.99 for the 64 GB option.
Lyft gets cited by the FCC over shady robocall practices
The FCC continues to wage war against spam calls and texts, most likely because it’s being inundated with complaints related to one or both. In fact, it has recently cited a couple of companies due to their questionable robocall practices, including ride-sharing firm Lyft. According to its official citation and order document, Lyft doesn’t actually have a viable “unsubscribe option” for marketing calls and texts like written in its terms of Service. The FCC’s investigation revealed that in order to opt out of those messages, passengers have to go to the company’s website, and then search the Help Center.
The key phrase “opt out” surfaces an entry that instructs passengers to reply “STOP” to one of its messages. Problem is, by doing so, customers will also stop receiving security texts needed to log into their Lyft accounts, preventing them from accessing the company’s services. The FCC warned that if Lyft doesn’t shape up and comply with the law, it may be “liable for significant penalties.” We’re not sure if the firm already fixed the issue, but its Help Center is showing us a significantly different response when we looked up how to opt out.
When the FCC last visited the page entitled “Stop Receiving Text Messages from Lyft” on September 10th, here’s what its investigators saw:
If you no longer wish to receive text messages from us, all you have to do is reply “STOP” to the message, and you’ll receive a final text confirming that you no longer want to receive texts from us.
Here’s what we’re seeing now (emphasis ours):
You may opt-out of receiving promotional or marketing texts and calls from Lyft at any time by texting the word END to 46080 from the mobile device receiving the messages.
You may also opt-out of receiving all texts or calls from Lyft (including informational or transactional messages) by texting the word STOPALL to 46080 from the mobile device receiving the messages, however you acknowledge that opting out of receiving all texts may impact your use of the Lyft Platform or the Services.
If you ever want to opt back in, just reply STARTALL (if you’ve opted out of all texts and calls) or STARTPROMOS (if you’ve opted out of promotional or marketing texts and calls only). These texts should be sent to the same number initially used to stop messages, 46080.
[Image credit: Janitors/Flickr]
Filed under:
Transportation
Via:
Bloomberg
Source:
FCC
Tags: fcc, lyft, ridesharing
Samsung Galaxy Mega On passes through GeekBench
Recently, we heard that Samsung was preparing a new On or O-series of smartphones. The Galaxy Mega On will be one of the first members of the new lineup, and today the device passed through GeekBench.
The Galaxy Mega On has been undergoing testing in India over the past month and today the device passed through GeekBench. The benchmark revealed some of the device’s specifications.
According to the listing, the Samsung Galaxy Mega On will include a Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 410 SoC backed with 1GB of RAM. Thus indicating this will be targeting the lower end sector. The device will have Android 5.1.1 pre-loaded and support a large display living up to its name. The model number for the device is SM-G6000. No other specifications have been mentioned. Hopefully we’ll find out more soon.
Source: NapiDroid
Via: GSMArena
Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy Mega On passes through GeekBench
Wells Fargo joins the list of participating banks supporting Android Pay
Google was true to its word when it said new banks were coming to Android Pay in the days ahead. After beginning to roll out Android Pay yesterday, Google has come to agreements with Wells Fargo making a total of nine U.S. banks supporting Android Pay.
If you have Android Pay running on your Android device, starting today you can add your Wells Fargo credit and debit cards. The service can already be used at 1 Million locations around the world. Wells Fargo has also implemented addition security to keep your transactions safe.
The head of Virtual Channels at Wells Fargo made the following statement:
“We’re pleased to participate in Android Pay, increasing the availability of mobile payments to millions of Android device-loving Wells Fargo customers. This represents the latest offering in our commitment to give customers new, innovative ways to pay safely and easily, how and where they want.”
Source: Business Wire
Come comment on this article: Wells Fargo joins the list of participating banks supporting Android Pay
Cortana could be the Cyanogen OS personal assistant of choice
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The virtual personal assistant space became a little more crowded when Microsoft announced Cortana for not only Windows Phone devices, but Android and iOS as well. What’s more interesting is that everybody’s favourite alternative to Android that’s still Android, Cyanogen, could be looking heavily into integrating Cortana with their next version of Cyanogen OS. This news came out due to some comments that Cyanogen co-founder and CEO, Kirt McMaster, said during an interview:
“When Apple launched Apple Music at WWDC, they showed the Siri integration with Apple Music. Siri doesn’t power Spotify like that so we can do these kind of things with for example, integration of Microsoft’s Cortana into the OS enabling natural language to power Spotify and other services.”
“Natural language coupled with intelligence is very important but as an application it doesn’t rally (sic) work because you need to be embedded into the framework of the OS because that is where you get all the signal from the services that makes that intelligence smarter.”
In case you missed that last bit, it sounds like Cyanogen is looking at integrating Cortana into Cyanogen OS itself – when Microsoft released Cortana for Android a few months ago, its notable limitations were because it couldn’t hook into the system like Google Now could. If Cyanogen succeeds in doing this, we could be saying “Hey Cortana” to our Android devices at some point in the future.
What do you think about the news that Cortana could be the Cyanogen OS personal assistant of choice?
Source: International Business Times via TalkAndroid
The post Cortana could be the Cyanogen OS personal assistant of choice appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Best portable projectors of 2015
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Until recently, pocket-sized portable projectors were nothing more than a novelty idea, which allowed for some fun but didn’t offer a whole lot in terms of the viewing experience. While these devices still remain niche products, there has been an upswing in terms of quality, and quite a few OEMs are stepping up their game in this segment, delivering some amazing projectors, that can also fit in the palm of your hand.
Here is a roundup of some of the best portable projectors available in 2015!
UO Smart Beam Laser
Let’s start with the UO Smart Beam Laser. This is one of the smallest projectors on our list, and one of the more interestingly designed ones as well. Weighing a little over 500 grams, and with dimensions of 2.2-inches all around, the UO Smart Beam Laser is actually the world’s smallest HD LCOS Laser projector. This projector comes with a native 720p resolution and features fast laser auto focus, allowing for some very crisp and clear images instantly, no matter where you move it. The picture is quite bright, rated at 60 lumens, and so watching videos and movies even in non-pitch black areas is still manageable. The overall quality is great, and things stay in focus at pretty far distances, with a max screen size possible of 100 inches. The picture does tend to have a harsh bluish tint at times, but it’s not very obvious until you compare it to another projector, and is something that is easy to get used to.
The projector does have built-in speakers that get loud enough to handle watching anything on the go, but isn’t suitable for watching a full-length movie. The quality of the sound isn’t that great either, and while it isn’t completely horrible, the sound is a little muffled, which is not helped by the sound that the projector fans make either. Unfortunately, there is no audio output, so connecting external speakers of any kind is also out of the question.
The device does offer multiple options when it comes to setting up a video for playback. You can connect your smartphone to the projector wirelessly using DLNA or Miracast, and it also features a mini-HDMI port which can be used to plug in your laptop. Under the hood is a 4,200 mAh battery that can last for up to 2 hours, and a little more if you are connected with HDMI, so if you do plan to watch a long movie, it’s a good idea to plug the device into an AC power outlet.
The United Object Smart Beam Laser projector is priced at $420, and depending on where you order it from, also comes with a free tripod stand. This projector offers amazing video quality given its very compact size, and while the speakers aren’t the best, and the battery is on the smaller side, the biggest selling point of this device is its portability. It’s very simple, very small, and most importantly, displays a beautiful picture.
PicoPro
Next up is the PicoPro by Celluon, another projector that is beautifully designed, is also one of the thinnest projectors on this list, with a thickness of just half an inch. The device is also very portable, and should be able to comfortably fit in most pockets, with its length of 6 inches, and weighing just 181 grams. It also a has a very interesting design, giving an appearance of two bricks being stuck together, even though it is just one solid body. It also comes with a stand offering 360-degree rotation, which makes it very easy to find a surface for the projector to rest.
The projector light is rated at 32 lumens, which is the lowest on this list, but the PicoPro can get plenty bright, and offers fantastic quality as well, with its 720p resolution. It also comes with a infinite auto focus feature, which means that you don’t ever have to worry about fiddling with the focus, and it works just as well as the laser auto focus of the UO Smart Beam projector. The picture is always very clear, and the image doesn’t go out of focus up to a screen size of 250 inches. The color temperature can be a little warm and lean more towards a purplish hue which is very apparent, and will likely bother some users.
The built-in speakers of the PicoPro unfortunately don’t get very loud, but the quality of the sound itself is fantastic, and is definitely the best audio quality when compared to the rest of the devices on this list, with sound that is very crisp and not tinny. Since this is a fan-less projector, the projector stays very quiet, and there is no unnecessary noise that distracts the viewer. While the PicoPro does offer great sound quality, there is a standard audio jack available, letting you connect your own set of speakers or a pair of headphones.
The device supports the standard suite of connectivity options, including DLNA and Miracast, and also comes with a mini-HDMI port. We aren’t exactly sure as to what the capacity of the battery is, but the device lasts for around 2 hours when connected wirelessly, and can go beyond 3 hours when wired. You have the option to connect the device to a wall outlet as well.
The PicoPro is available for $349, with color options being black, silver, and gold. The Celluon PicoPro projector is on the cheaper side, but offers better sound quality than all the other devices on the list. The availability of a headphone jack is a plus over the UO Smart Beam projector, but unfortunately, the big drawback here has to do with the most important aspect of a projector, and that is the purplish tint on the picture.
ASUS S1
Next up is the ASUS S1 Mobile LED projector, which may not be as eye-catching as the others, but is still quite compact and light weight, with its dimensions of 4 x 4.4 x 1.2 -inches, and weighing around 340 grams. The design is pretty standard, but the build quality is solid, and while a tripod doesn’t come in the box, the projector does feature support for one.
The ASUS S1 also gets incredibly bright, with a rating of 200 lumens, but the resolution does take a dip to 480p. While it may not look as crisp as the other projectors on this list, the overall quality may actually be better than the first two devices above. Colors are beautiful and the picture is very bright, and there isn’t any obvious tint or hue to ruin the experience.
You also have a lot of control over the quality of the projection when you dive further into the settings, where you can change the contrast, and even select different modes, depending on the type of media you are viewing. There is no form of auto focus available however, so you will have to resort to using the manual focus wheel, placed on the right side of the device, to adjust the focus correctly. One nice about thing the ASUS S1 is its Ultra Short Throw ratio, which makes it very easy to play videos at short distances.
The built-in speakers aren’t of the best quality, but they are certainly the loudest, when compared to the rest of the devices mentioned here. There is a standard audio jack available as well, to allow you to use the projector with a pair of headphones or a set of speakers.
As far as connectivity is concerned, there is a standard HDMI port available, and a USB port as well, as this device can also be used to charge your mobile device. There is no wireless connectivity though, and you will need to use MHL to connect to your smartphone. Given its slightly larger size, ASUS was able to squeeze a 6,000 mAh battery into this projector, allowing for a battery life of 3-4 hours.
The ASUS S1 may not feature the most interesting design, and its resolution is lower than the rest, but the picture quality is actually pretty great, and it gets very bright. Priced at around $300, it is also the cheapest of the lot, and definitely worth keeping in consideration.
ZTE SPro 2
Finally, we come to the ZTE SPro 2, which is a portable projector that is in a league of its own compared to the other devices referred to in this list, and this is not only because of the fact that is also an Android device, running Android 4.4.4 Kitkat, and sports a 5-inch touchscreen.
The 5-inch display can be used as you would a regular smartphone, where you can surf the web, browse through photos, message your friends, and download apps from the Google Play Store. The projector can connect to WiFi, but the device is also available from AT&T and Verizon Wireless in the US, and you can take advantage of 4G LTE data connectivity with this projector as well, allowing you to project videos directly from Youtube, Netflix, and other media streaming websites. If you decided to not opt for a data connection and find yourself without WiFi, local storage is also possible, with the device featuring a microSD card slot, with support up to 64 GB. Wireless connectivity via Miracast is also available, and there is also an HDMI port, and USB port for charging your mobile device.
The picture quality is by far the best of the lot, with its rating of 200 lumens and 720p resolution. You get a nice, bright, crisp, and clear image, and colors are absolutely beautiful, at a maximum of 120 inches. There are no weird tints or hues or strange color temperatures to worry about, and the color reproduction is very accurate. There is an auto focus feature, but the implementation is slower than the others, and the device does tend to re-adjust the focus every now and then even if the device is not moved, but you do have the option to turn this setting off once the device is set down correctly.
There are different options for brightness as well, including low, medium, and high, but the last option will require the device to be plugged into an AC wall unit. Another feature that the ZTE SPro 2 has that the others do not is Keystoning, which means that the projector will automatically correct the angle to prevent the picture from stretching, so even if the projector is not sitting perpendicular to the wall, the projector image will be of a rectangular shape. The speakers on the projector are about the same quality as that of the ASUS S1, albeit a little quieter, but there is also a headphone jack available to connect external speakers. The device also packs a 6,300 mAh battery, which keeps things running for around 3 hours.
With dimensions of 5.3 x 5.2 x 2.1 inches, the ZTE SPro 2 is not as portable as the others on the list, but it certainly outperforms the others in all other aspects. It is also the most expensive as well, with a price tag of $750, but it can be found for cheaper directly from AT&T or Verizon Wireless, at about $600, who also offer the option of picking up the device with a 2-year contract to include a data plan.
So there you have it for this roundup of some of the best portable projectors of 2015! With the choices listed above, there is a little something for everyone here with these four great portable projectors. Whether you are looking to impress people with a very stylish and compact design, have the ability to create a home theater anywhere, project beautiful video without breaking the bank, or going all out with a high-end Android-based device, there is something that will best suit your needs.
Tim Cook is Stephen Colbert’s next ‘Late Show’ tech guest
Stephen Colbert continues to rack up high-profile tech guests for The Late Show and the latest is none other than Apple CEO Tim Cook. Of course, Colbert announced it in the most new-Colbert way possible: Smiling for the camera, talking into his Apple Watch in a Twitter photo and asking Siri to pencil the Cupertino boss in for next Tuesday, September 15th. It probably isn’t a far cry to expect the iPhone 6S and iPad Pro will be major points of conversation, but anything’s possible. Set your DVRs, folks.
“Siri, put Apple CEO Tim Cook on my calendar for Tuesday, Sept. 15. Oh, and come up with some questions to ask him.” pic.twitter.com/mXutum0Bp6
— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) September 12, 2015
[Image credit: AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under:
Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablets, HD, Mobile, Apple
Via:
9to5 Mac
Source:
Stephen Colbert (Twitter)
Tags: apple, cbs, ceo, hdpostcross, latenight, mobilepostcross, stephencolbert, thelateshow, timcook
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