More HTC One A9 details surface via familiar source
We recently heard that the HTC One A9 could come out on top of the spec war with a huge 10-core processor and 4GB of RAM, but now we’ve heard the complete opposite from a familiar source.
Evleaks took to Twitter to completely contradict what we’ve already heard:
HTC One A9 (Hima Aero): SD617, 5" FHD AMOLED, 2GB/16GB, 13MP/4UP OIS BSI, 2150mAh, microSD, fingerprint, metal, ~7mm, 6 colors. November.
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) September 15, 2015
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Instead of the eye-watering 4GB of RAM, we’re instead presented with only 2GB of RAM for the HTC One A9, which is still a decent amount of memory for a smartphone in 2015, but is far from the powerhouse we were expecting. That trend continues with the other specs that have been released on Twitter, making the HTC One A9 a seemingly budget device rather than a flagship.
Thoughts?
The post More HTC One A9 details surface via familiar source appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Inside iOS 9: Split-Screen Multitasking for the iPad
iOS 9 brings a long-awaited Split-Screen multitasking feature to the iPad for the first time, letting users operate two apps simultaneously and bolstering the productivity capabilities of Apple’s tablet lineup. There are three different multitasking features that are available on various iPad models: Slide Over, Split View, and Picture in Picture.
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Slide Over can be activated within any app by swiping left from the right side of the iPad to bring up a small side pane that displays a secondary app alongside the first app. Slide Over takes up 1/3 of the space, and any app that has built-in multitasking support will appear in the side pane. Swiping downwards on the Slide Over window from the top of the iPad screen will allow you to switch between apps.
Slide Over is not a full multitasking experience because both apps are not active at once. When the side pane is open, the app that’s taking up most of the screen is paused and relegated to the background. Slide Over can be used in portrait or landscape mode and is useful for answering a quick message or looking something up in Safari while using another app.
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Inside iOS 9: HomeKit Gains Simpler Set Up, Pre-Defined Scenes, Triggers and More
HomeKit officially became available in June, with the launch of the first HomeKit-compatible products, but as we’ve highlighted in reviews, Apple’s home automation platform is still in need of some work to make it a viable choice for most users.
With iOS 9, Apple is debuting several new HomeKit features that have the potential to significantly improve the way it works, by simplifying some of the setup process broadening supported device types, and introducing key automation features to cut down on user interaction.
Setup
Setting up HomeKit devices isn’t difficult, but it does require users to enter a unique HomeKit identifier to pair with an iPhone. In iOS 9, Apple will support scanning the code with the camera, shaving some time off of the setup process. Information displayed during the setup process, like icons, brand names, and images, is also improved, making the process somewhat more streamlined.
Scenes
With HomeKit, one of the most confusing and time consuming things to set up are scenes, which allow several devices to work in unison at a specific command. For example, when arriving home, one might want a scene that turns on the air conditioner and turns on the lights, a task that can be accomplished with a Siri command like “Turn on the Home scene.”
Scenes are useful, but their setup in iOS 8 is not always clear, especially to users who are new to HomeKit. In iOS 9, scenes are more straightforward because developers can add four pre-defined scenes to apps designed to work with their HomeKit-enabled devices. Pre-defined scenes include Getting Up, Leaving Home, Returning Home, and Going to Bed, and will walk users through setting up their devices for each occasion. Siri will automatically recognize these scenes, so Siri response to Scene queries should improve.
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Inside iOS 9: A More Intelligent OS With Proactive Suggestions and Siri Improvements
iOS 9 focuses on intelligence and proactivity, giving iOS devices the tools to learn user habits and act on that information. In iOS 9, our iPhones and iPads can open up apps right when we need them, make recommendations on places we might like, and guide us through our daily lives through improvements to search and Siri.
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Proactive Suggestions
Through a set of Proactive features, iOS 9 is able to offer up app suggestions and other information based on the way you use your iPhone or iPad. For example, if you often listen to music in the morning, iOS 9 will offer up the Music app on the lock screen when you plug in your headphones. If you always open the weather app to check what’s going on outside, it might be presented as a suggestion each morning.
When heading home from work in the evening, iOS 9’s Proactive features might bring up a map that includes traffic patterns, or tell you how long it will take to get home. When getting in the car, if you listen to a specific music app, it might open automatically when the car connects to Bluetooth.
Proactive suggestions are also available within apps. When creating an email or composing a message to a friend, iOS 9 will suggest people you typically include, making it easy to get things done fast. If you get an email with a flight reservation or restaurant confirmation, iOS 9 can suggest and then create a calendar event. With calendar events that include location, iOS 9 is able to assess traffic conditions and send a reminder when it thinks you should leave to make it on time.
Siri
Siri is also able to do a lot more in iOS 9 because the personal assistant has contextual awareness. For example, when asking Siri to “Remind me to do this” when looking at a request in the Messages app, Siri will understand what “This” refers to, providing the correct response. In the Reminders app, the Reminder created by Siri will link back to that original conversation, so the source is apparent.
Siri is also more aware of location, so specific location-based reminders like “Call mom when I get in the car” are available. For photos and videos, Siri is able to perform time-based searches. Ask Siri to “Show my photos from Utah from last August” and images that fit the criteria will appear. Siri is able to search based on dates, location, and album titles.
Siri Suggestions
Swiping left on the Home screen brings up a new Spotlight search interface that includes “Siri Suggestions.” Siri Suggestions includes a list of people you speak with often, apps you might want to use depending on the time of day, nearby venues like restaurants and gas stations, and relevant news.
Suggestions offered through this interface will change based on the time of day and each user’s iOS usage habits. If you open Yelp at lunchtime, it might display the Yelp app at noon. If you watch Netflix at night, it might display the Netflix app when you get home from work.
Search
Search in iOS 9 includes an expanded list of sources, which are available whenever a text-based search is made or a voice-based search through Siri. Sports scores and schedules, weather forecasts, and stock prices are all available, as are simple calculations and conversions. A search for 15% of $25, for example, will bring up the correct result.
Search extends to content within apps in iOS 9. When looking for a recipe, for example, you might search for “apple pie” to find apple pie recipes across several different cooking apps. Developers need to build support for search into their apps, so not all apps will show up. In the Search section of the Settings app, you can customize which apps will show up in search results.
With all of these new features, iOS 9 will learn more about usage habits over time to create a unique experience that’s tailored towards the specific needs of each individual user. Proactive suggestions will improve as time goes on and the operating system gets used to the way you like to use your iPhone or iPad.
Politiwoops uploads its 1.1 million-tweet collection to the Internet Archive
Twitter may have revoked Politiwoop’s API access but that isn’t stopping the political watchdog from preserving its already-sizeable collection of online gaffs and retractions from elected officials. Politiwoops, which archived the deleted tweets of politicians in 35 countries worldwide, announced on Wednesday that it will upload its collection of 1.1 million formerly-deleted tweets to the Internet Archive for perpetual preservation.
This move follows the publication earlier this month of an open letter penned by 17 international rights groups — including the EFF, Sunlight Foundation and Human Rights Watch — urging Twitter to reverse its decision. That letter has since been endorsed by more than 50 more rights groups from across the globe. “Social networks should take into account international norms about transparency and the right to information,” Arjan El Fassed, director of Open State Foundation, said in a statement. “When politicians turn to social networks to amplify their views, they are inviting greater scrutiny of their expression.” However, to date, Twitter has refused to review the decision.
[Image Credit: AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under:
Internet
Source:
Open State, Internet Archive
Tags: Human Rights Watch, Internet Archive, politics, politiwoops, Social networks, Sunlight Foundation, twitter
Six things you might want to prepare for the apocalypse
By Cat Distasio, Inhabitat
There are a lot of things you can do to prepare yourself for the possibility of a disaster. You can load up on shelf-stable foods, clean drinking water and batteries. You can dig a bomb shelter in your backyard. You can stockpile first aid supplies and polish up your ham radio equipment. But there are a number of other cool disaster-proof designs that you may not even know about. You’ll still probably need an emergency stash of food and water, but some of these things could guarantee your survival in apocalyptic times.Slideshow-320511
Filed under:
Misc
Tags: apocalypse, inhabitat, partner, syndicated
Dropbox for iOS just got a lot faster (and simpler)
When you’re juggling a lot of files in the cloud, every little bit of time you save is a big deal… and Dropbox knows it. The online storage outfit has released an iOS app update that’s all about speeding up and simplifying its core tasks. The centerpiece is a new action menu that sits next to every file — tap it and you can modify or share that file without skipping a beat. If you’re on iOS 9, you’ll also see your recent and offline files in Spotlight searches. And if you’re spending big bucks on an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus, you’ll be happy to know that 3D Touch gives you both home screen shortcuts (such as uploading a photo) as well as peeks at files. Dropbox’s upgrade is live as I write this, so you only need to visit the App Store to see what the fuss is about.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Storage, Internet, Mobile
Source:
App Store, Dropbox Blog
Tags: 3dtouch, cloud, cloudstorage, dropbox, internet, ios, ios9, ipad, iphone, iphone6s, mobilepostcross, storage
NASA delays Orion capsule’s first manned flight until 2023
Although NASA’s Orion capsule completed a successful test flight back in December, the space agency has delayed the first launch with a crew on board. In an announcement detailing a recent “rigorous technical and programmatic review,” NASA mentions that the first time the EM-2 spacecraft will take flight with astronauts inside will happen “no later than April 2023.” That’s two years after the previous launch target and five years after the next scheduled unmanned test flight in fall 2018 aboard Boeing’s Space Launch System. This isn’t the first time a trip with humans on board has been pushed back for the capsule, but NASA didn’t mention if the target of a mission to Mars in the 2030s will also be delayed. The agency did, however, reaffirm its commitment to the deep space mission and to the funding levels provided by President Obama’s budget request. In the months to come, though, the Orion team will push ahead with parachute tests and more.
[Image credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz]
Filed under:
Science
Source:
NASA
Tags: mars, nasa, orion, orioncapsule, space
iOS 9 Hidden Features: Settings Search, Selfie Folder, Home Sharing for Music, Go Back to App, and More
There are quite a few major changes in iOS 9, like split-screen multitasking for the iPad, improvements to search and Siri, under-the-hood performance boosts, and revamped apps, but there are also dozens if not hundreds of lesser-known tweaks and refinements that make the iOS 9 experience better than ever before.
We’ve had a lot of hands-on time with iOS 9, so we’ve rounded up a list of the best hidden features in new operating system. These are great little changes you’re going to want to know about, so make sure to check out the video and the list below.
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Settings search – There’s a new search bar in the Settings app that lets you quickly locate a specific setting by typing in what you’re looking for. Want Siri settings? Search for Siri, and all the settings options for Siri will be shown in a list.
Go Back to App – When you tap on a Notification or a link in Safari or another app and it opens a new app, you can go back to the previous app using a handy new “Go Back” button. The “Go Back” button will stick around for about a minute before disappearing, so you can switch quickly between apps if you just want to glance at something real quick.
Battery settings – To go along with all the new battery features in iOS 9, there’s a new dedicated “Battery” section in the Settings app, where Low Power Mode can be turned on. It also displays more detailed battery usage information that can be sorted by apps using the most and the least amount of power. With Low Power Mode, background activity, motion effects, and animated wallpapers are disabled. Battery information is also displayed in the Notification Center, for the Apple Watch, iOS devices, and some other connected devices like wireless headphones.
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Inside iOS 9: Notes Gains Checklists, Photos, Sketches and More
Apple has made the Notes app a lot more useful on iOS 9 by integrating it with several other stock apps, including Photos, Mail, Maps and Safari. In addition to traditional note-taking, users can now create checklists, draw sketches and insert photos, videos, links, maps, Pages documents and other attachments into notes.
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Checklists
You can now create a checklist in the Notes app by selecting lines of text and tapping on the checkmark button above the keyboard. Each list item will then have a circular bullet next to that can be marked as completed, which is convenient for grocery lists, wish lists, to-do lists and so forth.
Apple has also added formatting options in Notes for adjusting the size and weight of text, including Heading, Body, Checklist, Bulleted List and Dashed Line. Anyone that has ever used text formatting in Pages, Microsoft Word or virtually any other word processing program should be familiar with this feature. Read more
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