Google Glass team reportedly named Project Aura; new talent and devices incoming
The Glass team is still working hard on the consumer version of Google’s augmented reality headset. They stopped selling the $1,500 developer iteration earlier this year, with the plan of polishing the product and making it something we could all afford and use. But it now seems the team behind Google Glass is looking far beyond those tiny screens in front of their eyes.
According to Business Insider, “sources familiar with the matter” swear the team behind Google Glass is now known as Project Aura (not to be confused with Project Ara). It’s also apparent the group is no longer focusing only on this head-mounted gadget. This report suggests Project Aura is to expand its plans and start working on wearables, as well. The source describes Project Aura as something along the lines of “Google Glass and beyond”.
In addition to taking on more endeavors, Project Aura is to welcome some talented new members. What’s more interesting is that the company recruited this new employees from Amazon’s Lab126, the online retailer’s hardware division (which let go of plenty workers recently). These include software development manager Dima Svetlov, manager of technical program management Tina Chen and director of software development Amir Frenke.
Obviously, no one is commenting on the matter just yet. We will have to wait until this develops before we get to see what Project Aura is really all about. So far all we have heard about Glass is that the 2nd generation is being launched with professionals in mind, mostly targeting those in healthcare, energy and manufacturing. A second report says it will come with improved battery life (thankfully!), a stronger Intel Atom processor and a larger prism display for more comfortable viewing.
What is to come out of this Project Aura ordeal (if it even exists)? We are not sure, but rumors say Google is still dedicated to Glass and a consumer version is to come. Now, I wonder what those side wearable projects are all about.
Lenovo will unveil the Vibe Shot in India on September 22
Lenovo has today sent out its first batch of invites to a press conference it’s holding in India on Tuesday, September 22. The Chinese company has confirmed the purpose of the event is to unveil its upcoming camera-centric Vibe Shot smartphone, which is expected to launch in the region later this month.
As far as internals go, the Vibe Shot is set to pack pack a 5-inch Full HD display, a 1.7GHz Snapdragon 615 quad-core processor, an Adreno 405 GPU, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage (expandable up to 128GB via microSD), a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 8-megapixel selfie shooter and a 2,900mAh non-removable battery.
Out of the box, the handset will run the latest build of Android 5.0.1 Lollipop, skinned with Lenovo’s very own custom user interface. However, if you aren’t a fan of UI’s, you could always install a launcher from the hoards that are readily available through the Play Store, to give your device a more personal touch.
If you’re based in India, we’d love to know if you’re intending on picking up the Lenovo Vibe Shot. Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Come comment on this article: Lenovo will unveil the Vibe Shot in India on September 22
Skype for Android updated with streamlined photo-sharing system
Skype is currently rolling out an update for its official Android client via the Play Store. This upgrade bumps the software version up to 6.2 and brings a handful of new features to the application, including a streamlined photo-sharing system and cross-platform support for animated Mojis.
The full changelog for the upgrade can be seen below:
- Media bar: Use the new toolbar to easily share photos, files and more.
- Animated Mojis: Brand new moving emojis for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS.
- Location sharing: Send a map with your location in a Skype chat.
- Launcher badge: View the number of unread conversations on the Skype icon in the launcher (only available for Samsung, HTC and Sony phones).
If you already have the Skype application downloaded on your smartphone or slate and would like to install the update, simply open up the Play Store, toggle the hamburger menu by swiping in from the left-hand side of the screen, select ‘My Apps’ and click on ‘Skype’, then hit the update button.
Come comment on this article: Skype for Android updated with streamlined photo-sharing system
You will soon be able to stream Android games to YouTube
The folks over at YouTube have announced that Android-powered smartphones and tablets will soon have the ability to live stream mobile games to the service. Unfortunately, no official release date was given, but was conveyed as “coming soon”, and should launch at the same time as the Japanese version of the YouTube Gaming application.
YouTube’s global gaming executive, Ryan Wyatt, believes that the live streaming feature will be extremely popular in Japan as its “mobile games define its gaming culture, far more so than in other countries, so there’s a real need for gamers to easily share what’s on their screen with the gaming community, as it happens.”
Are you excited for the release of the live streaming functionality? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Come comment on this article: You will soon be able to stream Android games to YouTube
Todoist launches its new logo and brand; different, but still same-same
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Todoist is one of the more popular to-do list services out there, so it’s been pretty big news that they have revamped their brand and logo today. Doing away with the old “TD” logo, the new logo now sports a red square with three checkmarks down its left side – simple, but definitely aligns with its purpose as a checklist a lot more than its previous logo.
That’s not all that’s changed – the Todoist team have basically overhauled the graphical interface on all its available apps and websites, giving a much cleaner, streamlined appearance, even going as far as changing their preferred font type to Graphik. However, while the looks have changed somewhat, the functions of Todoist remain, which should keep its faithful users happy. In case you needed a summary of what’s changed, here’s one from the team themselves:
A new Todoist…
Last year, we embarked on a creative journey to bring our entire brand identity in line with our mission: To build a tool that can help anyone achieve more every day. This redesign brings:
- A brand new Todoist logo to all of our platforms
- An entirely redesigned Todoist website & blog
- A complete update of our Web, plugin and desktop apps with fresh interfaces & powerful new features
Learn more about the new Todoist on our blog at http://j.mp/new_td.
http://playboard.me/widgets/pb-app-box/1/pb_load_app_box.jsWhat do you think about the new Todoist? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Todoist via Android Police
The post Todoist launches its new logo and brand; different, but still same-same appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Google Glass is now ‘Project Aura;’ welcomes ex-Amazon employees
Looks like Google Glass really isn’t dead like the company promised. Mountain View has been hiring engineers and software developers out of Amazon’s Lab126 for the initiative now dubbed “Project Aura,” according to The Wall Street Journal. The company has reportedly signed up at least three people from the e-retailers’ secret hardware facility, which recently went through an overhaul — Amazon laid off a bunch of folks and shelved a number of ambitious projects — due to the Fire phone’s failure to sell. Business Insider says Project Aura will work on other wearables, as well, and will remain under Google’s supervision instead of being established as a separate entity under the Alphabet umbrella.
It’s still run by Project Glass’ original head honcho Ivy Ross, but she’ll now report to Nest CEO Tony Fadell, who volunteered to rescue the initiative and work on the second iteration. Project Aura, however, will remain independent from the thermostat company. Since Google hasn’t even officially announced this new wearables initiative yet, we’re not 100 percent sure what else the team will be working on. BI dug through some of the new hires’ LinkedIn profiles, though, and found that one of them worked on the Fire TV stick, another on the Fire TV box and Amazon Echo, while the last one was the director of software development
Filed under:
Wearables, Google, Amazon
Source:
Business Insider, The Wall Street Journal
Tags: amazon, google, googleglass, lab126, projectaura
Google app updated with Now on Tap functionality and Android Marshmallow UI
Google was quick to tell us the Now on Tap feature wouldn’t be coming with the Android M previews, so fans were not expecting to see it until Marshmallow came around. The Search Giant may have partially changed its mind, though. The latest Google app update (version 5.3) is now rolling out, bringing forth Now on Tap functionality and an updated UI for the Google Now Launcher.
Any device with Android 4.4 or higher will be eligible for getting this upgrade, but not everyone will reap its benefits. Only Android Marshmallow preview 3 testers will see the new changes. Those who happen to be running the test software will definitely have something to write home about, though. As for the rest of us – we will have to wait until we get our taste of Marshmallow.
Let’s start by telling you a bit about Google Now on Tap, just in case you forgot or haven’t been keeping up with the times. Now on Tap allows you to search and access helpful information without having to leave your current app. The best part is the service is contextually aware of content coming from other apps.
For example, those who receive an email from a friend about going to watch a specific movie will be able to simply long-press the home button and have Now on Tap pull out a bevy of information on the film. In addition, Google Now on Tap can help you easily access information on places, music and anything Google can Search. We saw it in action at Google IO, and can only tell you it is a beauty.
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Supported devices will also display slightly different UI elements. The app drawer and widget list now scroll vertically, and they look a tiny bit different. This is pretty much updating the launcher UI with the Android Marshmallow design language, which we have seen plenty of applications start adopting.
Interested? Just head over to the Google Play Store and see if the update is available for your device yet. If it isn’t you can always get the APK file and sideload the update yourself.
‘Mighty No. 9’ demo delay gives backers more reason to be upset
What a long, sad trip it’s been for folks who backed the Mega Man spiritual successor Mighty No. 9 on Kickstarter. A demo, which was originally planned as an apology for the game being delayed, has been pushed back. Developer Comcept writes that this tardiness is a result of issues that arose pertaining to the distribution method — Steam. No other updates or info was given, and this news was buried at the bottom of a blog post about a custom-design contest (hey, we’re running one of those too!). It’s probably safe to guess that those involved feel pretty bad about the whole ordeal and how Comcept plans to make up for this is going to be interesting. Could another apology even suffice at this point?
Filed under:
Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Via:
Polygon
Source:
Comcept
Tags: crowdfunding, delay, demo, gaming, hd, hdpostcross, KeijiInafune, kickstarter, megaman, mightyno.9, steam
Banks can bring class-action suit against Target over data hack
Target’s legal woes continue to mount over its now-infamous data breach in 2013, which exposed the credit card numbers and personal information for as many as 70 million shoppers. A District Court judge in Minnesota ruled on Wednesday that Target was negligent in its credit card data security and is therefore liable to a class-action suit brought by banks affected by the hack. That $5 million lawsuit seeks to defer the cost of covering fraudulent charges made with the stolen data. Wednesday’s decision allows the primary five plaintiffs — Umpqua Bank, Mutual Bank, Village Bank, CSE Federal Credit Union and First Federal Savings of Lorain — to represent the rest of the class in its action.
This development follows a tumultuous span for the retail chain. Following the initial hack and disclosure in the fall of 2013, Target’s come under scrutiny from the Justice Department and had its CEO step down in disgrace. Financially, Target could be on the hook for up to $10,000 for each of the 70 million affected shoppers. The company has already paid Visa $67 million for the trouble and attempted to give MasterCard another $19 million, though that latter offering fell through. Member banks that were compensated through the Visa settlement will not be eligible to participate in this lawsuit.
[Image Credit: Getty Images]
Filed under:
Internet
Via:
Ars Technica
Source:
US District Court of Minnesota
Tags: breach, CrimeAndPunishment, Cse Federal Credit Union, data, hack, hacking, law, lawsuit, legal, MasterCard, Minnesota, negligence, Target, Umpqua Holdings Corporation, Village Bank, Visa
Android security flaw lets attackers in using a large password
There have been plenty of security holes involving mobile device lock screens, but a recently discovered Android flaw may give you more reasons than usual to be cautious. The technique bypasses the lock screen on most versions of Android Lollipop by crashing it with any large-enough password — all you need to do is work with that text while the camera app is open, and then enter it into the password prompt. When the attack works, you have as much access as the hardware’s rightful owner.
The exploit has already been fixed through a security update for Google’s Nexus devices, and it doesn’t work if you’re using either a PIN code or a pattern unlock. The odds that you’ll fall prey to this attack aren’t high, folks. Even so, there are a few reasons to be concerned. While Android device makers are getting better about timely security fixes, you may be stuck with hardware that either gets its patch late or not at all. And if you’re vulnerable, you may have to switch to a more predictable unlock method just to avoid the glitch. While this isn’t the end of the world by any stretch, it’s not exactly comforting.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Mobile
Via:
Ars Technica
Source:
University of Texas
Tags: android, exploit, lockscreen, lollipop, mobilepostcross, security, smartphone, universityoftexas, video
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