Instagram to sprinkle 30-second ads in feeds
Get ready for a few more advertisements in your Instagram feeds. According to an announcement on the official Instagram blog, businesses will soon be able to run campaigns on the social networking service.
Taking advantage of the technology behind Facebook’s ad infrastructure, the Instagram ads will let advertisers target messages and hit the right people, regardless of topic. There will be new ad formats rolling out however it is unclear just what that really means.
Instagram says they’ve been working with various ad partners this summer and have the results thus far seem quite positive. Whether it’s higher engagement, acquiring new customers, or pushing app installs, the new ads have worked well for Kabam, The North Face, Made.com, and Gilt Groupe.
Instagram is also announcing a number of other tools and capabilities:
- Landscape photo and video to unlock new creative opportunities and give ads a more cinematic feel
- Video ads of up to 30 seconds in length, so brands can engage in richer storytelling
- Marquee, a new premium product that helps drive mass awareness and expanded reach in a short time-frame—perfect for events like movie premieres and new product launches
- Delivery and optimization tools to manage and drive the best performance of campaigns across Facebook and Instagram
How do you feel about seeing occasional advertisements inside your timelines and social network feeds? Do you stop to watch or check them out or have you learned to tune them out?
The post Instagram to sprinkle 30-second ads in feeds appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Blizzard’s Mobile Authenticator app FINALLY gets updated
Those entrenched in World of Warcraft have had more than a few reasons to rejoice over the last few months. At BlizzCon, the newest expansion was announced and then released. Since then, millions of people have been joining the World left and right.
In addition to that, another game from the folks at Blizzard has been released and is extremely popular, Heroes of the Storm. This also has been taking the world by storm, especially because of the fact that it’s free to play.
While playing these games, it’s important to keep your Battle.net account secure, because you definitely don’t want the wrong people getting ahold of your credit card information. Currently there are a couple of ways to keep your Battle.net account secure.
You can purchase a mobile authenticator which is a dongle that you can throw on your key-ring or back pack. The other is through a mobile app available on iOS and Android that acts as a two-step authenticator process. However, the application was in DESPERATE need of an update, and thankfully, today it has come.
The Battle.net Mobile Authenticator app has hit version 2.0, and doesn’t really bring any new features, but instead, is mainly just an aesthetics upgrade. The previous version looked like an app from yester-year dating back to the Froyo days. However, this new design brings the app up to the standards of Lollipop design and such.
Let us know what you think about this update to the Battle.net authenticator application and whether it really matters to you or not.
Source: Android Police
The post Blizzard’s Mobile Authenticator app FINALLY gets updated appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Deal: learn to make phone & wearable apps with the Android Marshmallow Mobile Developer Course
Android 6.0 Marshmallow is posed to be an awesome update. Automatic app backups, bio-metric support and battery enhancements are but a few of the main improvements that the next Android version will bring to the table. Of course, many of these awesome features are no good if developers don’t support the new software. Are you stuck trying to upgrade those apps? Or maybe you are trying to learn how to code! Regardless of your position, the Android Marshmallow Mobile Developer Course will help you get ahead of the curve.
This course will not only show you how to reap the benefits of Android 6.0 Marshmallow; users can also learn to code in java from scratch! So this is a good course for beginners, intermediate coders and even pros. Subscribers will learn to build both smartphone and wearable apps through 93 lectures, as well as 14.5 hours of content. You will also make 5 varied apps, including a weather application and a unit converter.
The only requirements are having an internet connection and downloading some software, which includes the Java Development Kit, Eclipse IDE and Android Studio. You will also need a Google Developer account if you want to publish your apps.
The best part? This course will cost you a mere $24.99! That would be an 87% discount over the original $199 price point. And you could make the deal even sweeter if you successfully refer a friend, which gets you $10. What are you waiting for? Start making those awesome apps you have been planning!
Buy the Android Marshmallow Mobile Developer Course for only $24.99!
Jawbone announces redesigned UP2 and UP3, updates firmware for better sleep tracking and more
Jawbone has announced a number of new enhancements to its UP line of wearables, bringing big improvements to both the hardware and software side of things. The Jawbone UP2 and UP3 fitness trackers are getting a slight redesign, and the whole UP line is getting some notable new features that will make tracking your sleep much easier.
For starters, Jawbone has announced a slightly redesigned UP2 tracker that comes with a new strap, making it smaller than the company’s previous offerings. There’s now a rope-like TPSIV rubber band with a metal hook that holds the wearable together. Not only will this allow for more breathability on the wrist, it’s also made to look more like a nice piece of jewelry.
When it comes to the updated UP3 collection, the company focused on colors and patterns this time around. There are now Turquoise, Deep Blue, Ruby Red, Champagne, Silver and Gunmetal color options. The UP3 line also has a few new textures on their touchpads, which you can find in the image attached above.
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Jawbone is also releasing a new firmware update that will make it much easier to track your sleep and record your heart rate. Most notably, the UP3 and UP4 trackers are getting passive heart rate functionality, which will allow the wearables to track your heart rate throughout the day when your body is still. Since the UP2 doesn’t have a built-in heart rate monitor, this device isn’t getting the new feature.
Additionally, the UP2, UP3 and UP4 are getting new sleep features, which will let your wearable automatically track your sleep, no tapping or switching modes required. Check out the brief overview of the update below:
- Automatic Sleep – UP will automatically track and log your zzzs. Understand the duration, quality and stages of sleep without switching to sleep mode.
- No More Tapping – Say goodbye to the hassle of switching modes. You can still dismiss alarms and alerts, but band-side mode switching is a thing of the past.
- Passive Heart Rate (UP3 and UP4 only) – See a more complete picture of your heart health. UP will now measure your heart rate throughout the day when your body is still.
If you’re interested in checking out more information about the new UP2 and UP3 wearables, both new models are already available from Jawbone’s website at the link below. The update to the UP application is rolling out now, so feel free to click the link below to grab the latest version.
“Adult Player” app blackmails users by taking their photos
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If you use third-party app stores and enjoy your porn on the go, you may want to steer clear of this nasty little app. Adult Player is a ransom-ware app that is currently floating around that promises, as the name would suggest, adult content. However, once installed the little app takes a photo or the user when it is opened the first time. Then it locks the device threatening to expose the pictures and users privacy information along with deleting all data on the device if they do not pony up $500 USD.
The device will remain locked even after a reboot, and booting up into safe mode or doing a restore is the only current way of removing the malware.
What use to only affect the PC community, ransom-ware is becoming increasingly problematic in the mobile device world. Partly in thanks to the open nature of the Android operating system. The general public shouldn’t run into issues as they tend to stick to safe methods of installing apps via the Google Play Store. However, adults do enjoy their adult content and will often times find their way from proven app stores to get it. While the Play Store doesn’t currently offer an “Adults” section, it might be something to look into. That industry does make a killing and as we move to a more mobile society it is apparent that people will go to what ever length they deem necessary to get that content.
The post “Adult Player” app blackmails users by taking their photos appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
$2 billion rocket company merger could create giant SpaceX rival
United Launch Alliance is a joint-venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing that launches spy and navigation satellites for the Pentagon and Air Force. Now, the firm is the subject of a $2 billion bid from engine business Aerojet Rocketdyne, a company that’s been snubbed in its attempts to power the Atlas V. If the government’s shadowy army of intelligence analysts and accountants approve the deal, it could create a new aerospace behemoth that could leave Elon Musk shivering out in the cold.
As Reuters explains, ULA has one of the best reliability records in the industry but charges a high price for each launch. The firm’s been using cheap, Russian-made rocket engines, but that’s now gone out of the window since the US imposed a trade ban on the country following the occupation of Crimea. The business is believed to be looking at Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin as a supplier of US-made engines, something that might have prompted Aerojet’s bid.
Another problem for ULA is that Elon Musk’s SpaceX is doing its best to break what’s seen as an old boy’s club in the aerospace business. Musk himself has complained publicly that ULA was handed plum Air Force contracts at a time when SpaceX has been bringing the cost of rocketry down. There’s also been political pressure to use wholly-American components, something else that SpaceX can be smug about when it goes looking for deals. If, however, the deal goes through, and the early signs are positive, then these smaller private spaceflight companies might find themselves left on the doorstep.
[Image Credit: Getty]
Filed under:
Transportation, Science
Source:
Reuters
Tags: AerojetRocketdyne, AirForce, Boeing, NASA, Pentagon, PrivateSpaceflight, SpaceX, ULA, UnitedLaunchAlliance
Intel pulls out of sponsoring America’s Science Talent Search
Intel, the world’s largest chip maker, has announced that it’ll end its long association with the Science Talent Search. STS is a program that unearths promising STEM talent from America’s high schools, rewarding entrance with cash prizes and meetings with experts. The New York Times is reporting that the company will no longer sponsor the contest after 2017, although an international prize will run until 2019. Tellingly, Intel was unable to explain why it was withdrawing, despite the cost being just $6 million a year — pocket change for a company that makes quarterly net profits of around $3 billion. If we were to wildly speculate, perhaps it’s got something to do with the fact that the firm is going to team up with TBS to create a reality show around the maker movement. We’ve reached out to ask the company for comment, but it had yet to respond to us by the time of publication.
[Image Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under:
Misc, Science, Internet, Intel
Source:
New York Times
Tags: Competition, Education, Funding, intel, Kids, ScienceTalentSearch, STEM
Robots can be used to record repair instructions for future ISS crew
These pint-sized Nao robots sure are versatile: they can be programmed to dance, be self-aware and even record and relay technical repair instructions. Researchers from the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) have given their Nao robot “autobiographical memory.” That’s a system specifically developed to help the ISS crew pass on their knowledge to the next group. Astronauts typically spend only six months aboard the International Space Station per expedition — some crew members spend a year on the spacecraft, but they’re an exception — before they’re replaced by new people. One of them, for instance, could use the system to record himself doing some very specific repairs on a piece of equipment, so that the next batch can learn from him.
To be clear, the technology doesn’t just record a video of the repair. It also gives the original user the power to teach Nao how it can assist during the process through vocal commands, manually positioning its limbs or having it mimic his movements using Kinect. You can watch a rather thorough overview of how users can record and access the instructions Nao saved in the video below.
The scientists want to eventually test their Nao unit loaded with “autobiographical memory” tech on a spacecraft. If space agencies decide to use it, though, the technology will likely be ported into whatever robot is aboard the ISS. At the moment, it’s Robonaut 2, a humanoid machine with a 40-pound-payload capacity that can be controlled by either the onboard or the ground crew. Here at home, they’re hoping that the system has a future in assisting the elderly and serving as their high-tech memory aid for everyday tasks.
Filed under:
Robots
Via:
Gizmag
Source:
CNRS
Tags: france, iss, nao, space
Range Rover’s Sentinel SUV can survive virtually any attack
It’s not uncommon for dignitaries and the super-wealthy to get armored vehicles, but Land Rover’s new Range Rover Sentinel may be the protected luxury ride of choice — especially if you’re traveling through a warzone. The hand-built SUV looks exactly like the Autobiography it’s based on, but has a slew of hidden upgrades that make it impervious to all but the heaviest attacks. On top of expected upgrades like bulletproof glass (it can handle armor-piercing rounds), the Sentinel has a high-strength steel passenger cell that protects against explosions from 33lbs of TNT from the side, and grenades on the floor or roof. That doesn’t make it completely impervious, but it would take some deep, deep trouble to put your life at risk.
There are legions of technology upgrades to help you escape attacks, too. This SUV has run-flat tires, a self-sealing fuel tank, a backup battery and a tamper-proof exhaust. You’ll even find an escape system behind the back seats when the doors just aren’t an option. The Sentinel makes virtually any other Land Rover or Range Rover seem cheap with an equivalent price of $445,410 (£289,941). If you’re the sort of person who really does have to worry about making it from A to B in one piece, though, you can probably justify the expense.
Filed under:
Transportation
Source:
Jaguar Land Rover
Tags: armor, armored, armoredcar, jaguarlandrover, landrover, rangerover, sentinel, suv, transportation, vehicle
Apple is refusing Justice Department requests for iMessages
You likely know that Apple’s iMessage is encrypted well enough that law enforcement can’t snoop on your messages, but it’s now very clear that this security is setting up a conflict with the US government. The New York Times understands that Apple refused at least one Department of Justice request for iMessage chats between suspects using iPhones. There’s no way to comply, according to the response. Reportedly, the case ruffled enough feathers that officials at the FBI and Justice Department were pushing for legal action against Apple. That never materialized, but there’s no doubt that the Cupertino crew is on notice.
It’s important to note that messages uploaded to iCloud aren’t encrypted, and Apple has handed over iMessage chats stored that way. However, it can’t deliver real-time conversations or any other messages that aren’t in the open — Apple doesn’t keep its own copies, and can’t decrypt the discussions itself. And since Apple isn’t subject to federal wiretap laws, the only real way for the US to compel disclosure would be to mandate security back doors, which are facing stiff opposition from experts and civil liberty advocates. One thing’s for sure: between this and Microsoft’s resistance over foreign data requests, the feds will have to fight the tech industry tooth-and-nail to get some of the surveillance info they want.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Apple
Source:
New York Times
Tags: apple, chat, departmentofjustice, encryption, imessage, justicedepartment, messaging, mobilepostcross, privacy, security
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