Burner’s disposable phone numbers save everything in the cloud
Thanks to The Wire (one of the greatest TV shows ever), we know all about burner phones. These cheap and quickly discarded phones are an easy way to communicate without sharing your permanent number with random folks (or the police). The Burner app for iOS and Android works under the same concept. It creates temporary numbers to hand out to people while keeping your main digits a secret. To add value to those short-term (and in some cases long term) numbers Burner is adding integration with Dropbox, Soundcloud, Evernote and Slack. Linked numbers can auto-save texted photos and voicemails to Dropbox. Slack can route messages from a channel to a number and accept replies. While Evernote can create an auto-response bot that replies to texts with pre-determined messages.
Burner is hoping the new Connections features gets its customers to use the service in new ways. For example with the Slack integration, customers can send a text to a company’s Slack channel that’s manned by employees for quicker service. The Evernote auto-respond bot is even more intriguing. Burner says that Airbnb hosts could use it as a way to share WiFi or other commonly requested information without the host having to check their phone every five minutes.
The company also announced a premium subscription service to keep alternate lines active as long as you’re cool with paying $4.99 a month. If still you just want a temporary number that expires, you can still go in that direction. The updated Burner app is available now.
Source: Burner
Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Trackpad 2 References Found in OS X 10.11.1 Beta
The third OS X El Capitan 10.11.1 beta seeded to developers yesterday contains references to a Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Trackpad 2, as spotted by French website Consomac. Apple could ship the next-generation keyboard and mouse accessories alongside the new 4K 21.5-inch Retina iMac expected to launch next week, although the exact release date remains uncertain.
Apple’s current-generation Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse
A new Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2, each featuring Bluetooth 4.2 and rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, first appeared in FCC filings in August. Apple also registered several new web domains related to the term “Magic Keyboard” in September, including applemagickeyboard.com, applemagickeyboard.net, and applemagickeyboards.com.
Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Trackpad 2 references in OS X 10.11.1
Apple currently sells an Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad, each powered by two AA batteries, so these newly uncovered accessories are in all likelihood next-generation versions. The new Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Trackpad 2 could have Force Touch, which is built into new MacBooks, while the inclusion of Touch ID is a more unlikely possibility.
Samsung and TSMC iPhone 6s Chips Show Smaller Real-World Battery Impacts Compared to Benchmarks
The news that Apple dual sourced its A9 chips for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus has been a point of discussion over the past few weeks, especially when new battery tests on the phones pointed towards the TSMC chips outperforming those made by Samsung. Following the news, several YouTubers have begun creating videos to compare the dual sourced chips in both battery-straining tests and basic real-world scenarios.
In the first video, Austin Evans compared identical models of the iPhone 6s — one with the Samsung chip and one with the TSMC chip — and calibrated their screens so they had the exact same brightness. After running the GeekBench 3 battery test until they both ran down to 50 percent battery life, Evans discovered that the TSMC iPhone 6s lasted fifty minutes longer than the Samsung version, “resulting in a nearly 1.5 times difference in battery life.” Thermal imaging also showed the Samsung device running hotter than the TSMC version.
Evans also ran a lighter battery test, playing the same hour-long YouTube video on each device to see how a more day-to-day scenario would affect each chip. In the end, he saw only a one-percent difference in battery drain, noting that while heavy-use cases could see the TSMC chips come out on top, highlighting the differences between benchmarks and real-world usage.
The next video is from Jonathan Morrison, who compared each chip by running a 30-minute timelapse with all the same settings and brightness running on each device. After the test, the Samsung iPhone 6s was down to 84 percent battery, while the TSMC version came in on top with 89 percent remaining. Morrison continued testing the battery strength of each chip with a ten-minute 4k video test, exporting the video file in iMovie, and finishing off by running GeekBench 3. At the end of the full set of tests, the iPhone with the Samsung chip was at 55 percent battery while the TSMC device was at 62 percent.
As suspected from early results yesterday, the takeaway from Morrison and Evans’ videos today seems to be that while intense cases like synthetic Geekbench tests designed to push devices to their limits can reveal significant differences in battery life between devices using the two chips, real-world impacts are much smaller and are likely to be unnoticeable to many users.
Android devices could soon run Windows applications thanks to CodeWeavers
It looks like Android devices will soon be able to run software built for Windows, largely due to CodeWeavers’ CrossOver for Android, which is a compatibility layer that, well, let’s you run Windows apps on Android!
Originally, CodeWeavers’ was a company that was just building Windows compatibility layers for Linux and Mac, but the developer began working on doing the same for Android a couple of years ago. Under this CrossOver for Android initiative is the Wine open source project, which CodeWeavers has helped fund for years now.
CodeWeavers announced that a tech demo of CrossOver for Android will be available at the end of this year. While it won’t be even near perfection, CrossOver should let you play things like World of Warcraft or League of Legends on your Android device. Crazy, huh? Those interested can sign up to be notified when it’s available here.
There’s a small caveat, though. CrossOver for Android won’t work on every device. In fact, it’ll only function with a Android x86-based system. In other words, you’ll need a smartphone or tablet with an Intel or AMD chipset. CrossOver just won’t function with ARM-based processors, largely because Windows binaries are x86 or x64 applications.
To work on an ARM-based system, CrossOver or Wine, as PC World points out, would need to contain some sort of virtual machine. And even then, you’d need a massive battery and some better cooling for that to function properly.
There’s also another small thing. Software on Windows isn’t generally built for touchscreens, making playing something like World of Warcraft or League of Legends on your Android system a difficult thing. That said, those interested in CrossOver would have to not only buy an Intel-based tablet, but also look into some keyboard and mouse accessories. In other words, you’re going to need to meet a lot of requirements for this to work.
Either way, it’s still a cool idea and will give those who meet those requirements some cool possibilities. Compatibility layers have always intrigued me personally, and it often makes you wonder who will provide the first operating system that offers this sort of universal cross compatibility?
Definitely a technology for the future, but it’s not a far-fetched thought.
source: PC World
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Hangouts 5.0 update could roll out soon, bringing speed improvements, a splash screen, and GIFs
The much-anticipated 5.0 update to the Hangouts app would appear to be close to being ready for public consumption for Android users, a little while after it was made available for iOS users.
The news comes courtesy of Derek Ross (Phandroid) who states that the dog food icon has been removed from the app, which implies Google is readying it for prime-time. Other changes include eliminating the lag that occurred when both sending messages and loading conversations while the update process when loading the main screen conversations has also been sped up some. You can never have enough speed when it comes to opening an app, especially a messaging app such as Hangouts.
Cosmetics-wise, a Hangouts splash screen is now present along with the signed in as popup appearing in white. Finally, GIFs are also said to work as they should in the update, which is a feature I’ve been looking forward to seeing.
The update could be released later today, so keep an eye out for the notification from the Play Store.
Source: Derek Ross (Google+)
Via: Phandroid
Come comment on this article: Hangouts 5.0 update could roll out soon, bringing speed improvements, a splash screen, and GIFs
Verizon nearly doubles the price for its monthly unlimited data plan
It was just this week that Sprint raised their price for its unlimited data plan. Perhaps Verizon is following Sprint’s lead. According to The Verge, Verizon is nearly doubling the monthly cost of their unlimited data plan moving forward.
In the coming months, those signing up with an unlimited data plan on Verizon will be charged an additional $20 per month. Rather than the plan costing $30, it will soon cost subscribers $50 per month.
If you’re already using Verizon’s unlimited data plan, no changes will be made. The increased price will only affect new subscribers signing up. So you still have time. This is only for those on a month-to-month billing cycle, so if you’re in the middle of a contract you have nothing to worry about.
The price hike will reportedly begin in early November.
Source: The Verge
Come comment on this article: Verizon nearly doubles the price for its monthly unlimited data plan
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Verizon will bump unlimited data plan by $20
Verizon plans to raise the price of its unlimited data plan to $59.99, an increase of $20 per month. While this sounds likes like a jerk move (and it is), the change allegedly only affects roughly one percent of Verizon’s user base. Verizon no longer offers an unlimited data plan and today only provides buckets in S,M,L, XL and, for a limited time, XXL. The data pools range from 1GB to 18GB of data per month.
According to The Verge, a majority of Verizon’s customers still under the unlimited plan are no longer under contract. Those who are still under contract will be able to finish out the obligation under the current price. But, once fulfilled, the price goes up.
As a token of good will, Verizon will reportedly give those subscribers the option of purchasing a new device under an installment plan.
The post Verizon will bump unlimited data plan by $20 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
BBC vows to make more cuts in response to government review
The BBC’s Royal Charter isn’t due for renewal until the end 2016, but it’s already come under fire from the UK government over how it’s funded and its perceived public value. Ministers have suggested extending the standard licence fee to include subscriptions and asked whether TV, radio and online services are damaging commercial competitors. This led to Director-General Tony Hall outlining plans for a more “open” BBC last month, but he’s back today with a fresh round of commitments (and suggestions) aimed at convincing the public it can do what is asked of it.
You see, the consultation on the government’s charter renewal green paper ends tonight. In a 100-page document, the BBC says it will cut costs by another 20 percent over the first five years of the next Charter, having already saved over 40 percent (and cut over 1,000 jobs) in its current period. It also believes extending the Charter to 11 years and stopping rival broadcasters from being able to “contest” licence fee funding (and make their own public service broadcasts) would ensure it stays independent and allow it to continue to deliver a wide range of programming.
In a bid to make more money from its shows, the BBC says it will seek to increase the amount it earns from its commercial arm, BBC Worldwide. It aims to grow its “commercial return” in the first five years by 15 percent to £1.2 billion, which could be helped by the launch of a paid US streaming service next year.
“Our programme of reform will ensure the BBC is fit for the internet age, focused on the things that matter to audiences, continues to support the economy and is an unashamed champion of British talent, content and creativity,” says Hall. With BBC Three moving online in March 2016, the upcoming launch of a dedicated iPlayer service for kids and a move into music streaming, the BBC is already making good on that promise.
The BBC isn’t completely against the government’s suggestions, however. It agrees that the loophole which lets Brits consume BBC content via iPlayer without paying a licence fee should be closed. “We look forward to working constructively with the Government in the months ahead to ensure the British public continues to have a BBC they are proud of.”
[Image credit: Carl Court/Getty Images]
Via: BBC Media Centre
Source: BBC
Nanowire technology will improve brain-stimulating implants
Scientists at Lund University have published a paper about a new nanowire thread (only 80 nanometres in diameter) that will work to strengthen brain implants. Neuro-prostheses are currently used to stimulate and collect information from the brain of those with Parkinson’s disease, along with other illnesses. However, one of the biggest problems that current tech faces is that the brain identifies the implant as a foreign object and uses cellular material to surround the electrode, resulting in a loss of signal. With the newly developed technology, this will (hopefully) no longer be the case.
“Our nanowire structure prevents the cells that usually encapsulate the electrodes – glial cells – from doing so”, says Christelle Prinz who is the co-creator of this technology. The structure is made out of a gallium phosphide semiconductor with nanowires sticking out. While glial cells can grow on the flat semiconductor, neurons can grow on the nanowires. This way they’re close, but not so close that the neurons are affected, which leads to better, longer lasting implants. So far the nanowire has only been tested in cultured samples, but because of the positive results, tests should begin in live subjects soon.
Via: Medgadget
Source: Lund University
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