Niantic Labs gets a $20 million investment from Google, Nintendo and the Pokemon Company
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
The world pretty much lost its mind when we saw the announcement trailer for Pokemon Go, an augmented reality game in the same vein as Ingress but with, well, Pokemon. We’re expecting the game to be very similar to Ingress in that you’ll need to roam the world in the hopes of catching available Pokemon and battling other players. Pokemon Go has gotten such a good reception so far that Google, Nintendo and the Pokemon Company have together invested $20 million into Niantic Labs to make it happen, with an alleged extra $10 million based on performance milestones.
It will be interesting what Niantic Labs does with Pokemon Go – Ingress is definitely a cult hit, but leveraging the existing Pokemon audience seems like a daunting task to say the least, and that’s before you consider that it will involve augmented reality. If there’s anyone who can make it happen, though, it’s Niantic Labs and it’s clear its investors think so too.
How do you think Pokemon Go is going to turn out? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Re/Code via Android Authority
The post Niantic Labs gets a $20 million investment from Google, Nintendo and the Pokemon Company appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Android Marshmallow for the LG G4 to start rolling out next week
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
And so it begins. Earlier this week, LG announced the roll-out of Android Marshmallow for the LG G4, saying that it would be the first smartphone (apart from the Nexus devices, of course) to receive the update to the latest version of Android. For whatever reason, the roll-out will start in Poland, which is an awfully Samsung thing to do, but take that as you will. The update will start appearing sometime next week with Europe, Asia and the Americas to get the update in the following weeks/months/whenever. Also note that if you have a carrier variant of the LG G4 that you shouldn’t hold your breath as your update could be delayed by at least a few weeks, if not months.
This announcement comes just days after Google VP of Android Engineering, Dave Burke, made some comments about Google working with LG and how they had a wonderful relationship together. To supplement this, LG VP of marketing communications, Chris Yie, added:
“By working closely with Google, LG has been able to bring Android 6.0 to the G4 ahead of any of our competitors. While speed alone isn’t an indicator of great service, it does go a long way toward giving consumers the confidence that LG is committed to its existing customers first.”
Unless we’re reading too far into it, we’d say Google has a new favourite among all the Android manufacturers. Where you at, Motorola?
What do you think about Android Marshmallow for the LG G4 coming out first? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post Android Marshmallow for the LG G4 to start rolling out next week appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Apple Ordered to Pay University of Wisconsin $234 Million in A7/A8 Patent Lawsuit
Apple has been ordered to pay the University of Wisconsin’s intellectual property management arm $234 million in damages for infringing on one of its processor patents, reports Reuters.
Earlier this week, a jury ruled Apple had infringed on a patent owned by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) when it used the technology in its A7, A8, and A8X processors included in the 2013 and 2014 iPhone and iPad lineup.
The University of Wisconsin had originally asked for damages as high as $862, but later lowered that request to around $400 million. Apple will be paying a little more than half of the requested amount with the $234 million award WARF received from the jury, but that amount could increase. The jury has yet to determine whether Apple willfully infringed on the patent.
The patent in question, titled “Table based data speculation circuit for parallel processing computer,” was originally granted in 1998 and covers a method for improving processor efficiency. It lists several current and former University of Wisconsin researchers as inventors.
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation has also filed a second lawsuit against Apple for the same patent, accusing the company of using the technology in the A9 and A9X found in the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, and iPad Pro.
For the first six months of 2015, Apple averaged a daily net profit of $134.7 million, which means the judgment will account for approximately 42 hours of profit. Apple is likely to appeal the ruling.
Best running apps [2015]
Looking to get fit in time for the holiday season? We have you covered. One of the best ways to get fit is by taking a walk, jog or run. With phones getting more advanced each and every year comes new applications to keep you healthy. Integrated GPS, pedometer, accelerators and a number of other sensors make it easier than ever to track one’s activity on the go. Now all can be done through a single application on your phone. Across Google Play, there is a variety of apps associated with getting fit through running, tracking your progress to achieve goals. With that said, here are the best apps for monitoring runs.
Runkeeper
The widely used Runkeeper is available free of charge, garnering over 10 million installs on Android alone. This app uses your smartphone’s integrated GPS sensor to track your runs, jogs and/or walks. In addition, Runkeeper offers a feature that many similar apps do not: tracking hikes and bike rides.
With other integrated sensors, the fitness app can track your running pace, time, speed, route, distance traveled, elevation, calories burned and more. Everything is right at your fingertips and can be adjusted, renamed and categorized by the calendar date. Runkeeper can also show your path using Google Maps.
All data and history is stored within the app in an organized manner. The coaching feature can be enabled from the settings menu to give fitness tips and keep you on pace, achieving goals with an extra push. Runkeeper also gives users a suggestion of installed apps on his or her device to listen to music while out on the road. Users also have the option to add core sessions and yoga as well as additional cross training of their choice right within the app, thus keeping a full log of all your physical activity.
Runkeeper is great for all ages. Whether you’re trying to finish your first full mile or run a marathon, Runkeeper can provide one useful tips. Android users have the power to keep track of their activity right from their home screen using a widget that comes installed alongside the app. Best of all, it will adjust in real-time.
Unlike many, Runkeeper supports Android Wear and wireless GPS. This means you can use your Android Wear device (so long as it has a GPS sensor) to track runs without the need to bring your phone with you. Once you complete your activity, all the details will automatically sync over to your smartphone once reconnected. For even more connectivity, users can sync up their data from other applications such as MyFitnessPal, Garmin Connect, Fitbit and Google Fit. By monitoring your weight, sleep, and step count, Runkeeper is perfect for just about anyone looking to track their physical activity.
Runtastic
Runtastic, which is owned by Adidas, has both free version and paid versions, the latter costing $4.99 with in-app purchases unlocking even more capabilities. Runtastic recently surpassed 10 million installations and has made a name for itself in the best fitness apps available. Just like Runkeeper, Runtastic offers many of the same capabilities. It also supports Android Wear; however, it’s yet to bring standalone GPS compatibility to take advantage of your smartwatch’s built-in GPS. You’ll have to bring your smartphone with you in order to fetch accurate data.
As expected you can track your run, jog, walk and more with Runtastic and the service’s assorted apps. Runstastic’s interface offers Material Design and an easy glance view showing your pace, duration, average pace, calories burned, distance traveled and a map representing current location. If you get stopped at a light, you can easily stop your activity with the slide of a finger. Playing music, listening to coaching tips and monitoring heart rate are all here, so you’re not missing out on any goodies. Following the end of an activity, users can view all their stats and history for free. Viewing routes, though, is a premium feature.
Unlike Runkeeper, Runtastic has an option allowing users to see the current weather status for of a location without the need to open a separate app. You can also record these weather conditions for future reference. Runtastic’s built-in sharing option lets users quickly share their progress or a recent activity he/she is proud of to all their social media accounts. Runtastic is available on smartphones in addition to tablets, which offer a great experience as well.
You should know that Runtastic is an Editors Choice in the Play Store, making it a reliable pick for anyone.
Nike+ Running
Nike+ Running is a bit more conservative and focuses on the basics. One of the strongest points of Nike+ Running is being able to use a large variety of accessories. Some of Nike’s accessories make for the most accurate results. Some include the company’s fuel bands and Nike+ wearables. In addition, users can use his/her smartphone to capture data using its integrated sensors.
With Nike+ Running, users can get coaching tips using the newly released Nike+ Coaching program built directly into the app. Just like many other running apps, Nike+ tracks your time, distance, avg. pace and route. All of which can be viewed during the exercise or after. In addition, Nike+ brings fuel points and achievements that help one stay on pace to achieve their goals. Users can share their runs with others and try to compete with each other on a variety of social networks. Nike+ also brings an easy option for listening to music during one’s exercise with a built-in music player.
As a result, Nike promises that tracking your progress with Nike+ Running is the easiest and most accurate way to achieve one’s fitness goals.
Strava
With Strava, users get a dose of everything. Strava works for running, jogging, walking and cycling using a device’s in-house GPS sensors. Once initially set up, Strava will automatically track your runs and rides beginning when the user presses start. Users can build different routes and courses to follow along with or just in case you get lost. It tracks key statistics such as distance, pace, speed, elevation and calories burned. It can also store data taken on a connected heart rate monitor that is sold separately.
One of the best things about Strava is the whole user experience. Users can browse new locations and nearby locations and even view pictures taken there. If you’re looking to explore a new area, no problem! Strava includes some of the most popular sites nearby and shows one how he/she can get there. Users can then go on to create their own route using the built-in mapping system.
Strava is always worried about keeping you fit. It highly encourages users to beat out the competition using social leaderboards. Users can challenge their friends, locals and even professional athletes. Users can also set their own monthly goals to push them even further. Following friends has never been easier than on Strava. Members can poke at each other and motivate others to exercise through the app and then share activity once done. For an extra boost of functionality, members can post on each other’s behalf and comment on profiles.
Strava is free, but the premium version will take the experience even further. Strava also has support for Android Wear, but it’s yet to take advantage of some of the newest smartwatches that have a GPS sensor installed. Overall, Strava is a great app for those looking to track their physical activity and its built-in sharing options and leaderboards make exercising a bit more fun.
Map My Run
Although not the most accurate when it comes to statistics, Map My Run rounds out the top five because of high compatibility and built-in workout trainer. While free, this app has in-app purchases from $5.99 all the way up to $29.99 for bonus features.
Map My Run can track your running, jogging, walking, workouts and calories burned. Differently, Map My Run originated from a web-based app and offers nearly all of its features on the web. What does this mean? Taking your Map My Run profile across devices is probably easier than any other service. What makes Map My Run even more unique is its ability to connect with over four hundred devices to import and analyze stats all in one convenient place. Additionally, those who have an Android Wear watch will be happy to know it’s supported. Not only does Map My Run record one’s fitness data, it also has a built-in section for nutrition because maintaining a healthy diet while exercising is key in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Users can also sync their account with other health apps such as MyFitnessPal and Google Fit. Newly enhanced support for Gear Tracking lets users be more precise when tracking mileage by connecting their athletic shoes. It will also give users updates as to when their shoes need to be replaced.
A cool feature called Live Tracking has been included so that you can track your location from the web if something happens to you. Just like many others, members can also share their activities with friends and family all within the app and comment on performances. Graphs show one’s bumps in heart rate as well as any vary in elevation or sudden pace changes. If you want to look at your workout history, it’s all possible with Map My Run because everything is kept within a log inside the app. One can even put in their calorie intake using the ‘Log Food’ section.
Hands down the best part of Map My Run is the ability to choose from a wide selection of workouts. With a built-in trainer, the app can give one suggestions to installed workouts based on what they have been training for and what they need to improve upon. There are over six hundred different workouts to choose from so one could never get bored with the options. Instructions can be provided on-screen or through audio.
For those feeling like this isn’t enough, users can train like a profressional with an MVP membership to Map My Run. This supply’s exclusive offers and promotions in addition to an ad-free experience with access to special features that are unavailable in the free version. To find out what comes free and what doesn’t, you can look under the app description or try the app out for yourself at the download link below.
Closing
There you have it! All of the aforementioned apps receive frequent updates to ensure the experience is always at its best. Running (but really health and fitness in general) has been a major focus among many manufacturers and app developers in recent years, and we’re hoping the growth doesn’t stop here. Feel free to drop a comment below on a running app you’re currently using and how you’re liking it.
Come comment on this article: Best running apps [2015]
[TA Deals] Store 1TB in the cloud with a lifetime subscription to SkyHub Cloud
Eventually you’re going to run out of on-device storage. Phones, tablets, and even computers are not built to store a huge amount of storage. The makers of those devices are actually starting to reduce internal storage to cut costs and push consumers to the cloud. But honestly, moving everything to the cloud is difficult because of costs. Most services have a monthly fee that is unjustifiable to pay considering the amount of cloud storage offered. That’s why you need to take a look at SkyHub Cloud’s lifetime subscription offered at Talk Android Deals. You get a whopping 1TB of cloud storage that is yours for an eternity after paying a one-time fee.
You’ll be able to safely take files with you everywhere you go.
Perks of trusting SkyHub Cloud
Here’s what the competition charges for cloud storage:
- Google Drive: $9.99 per month (for 1TB)
- Dropbox: $9.99 per month (for 1TB)
- Microsoft OneDrive: $6.99 per month (for 1TB)
- Box: $10 per month (for 10GB)
- Amazon Cloud Drive: $59.99 per year (for Unlimited Everything)
The suggested price of this lifetime subscription is $450; however, we’re taking 88% off! So you only have to pay $49.99 once to get 1TB of cloud storage through SkyHub Cloud.
Come comment on this article: [TA Deals] Store 1TB in the cloud with a lifetime subscription to SkyHub Cloud
Oh look, DROID Turbo 2 accessories show some device designs
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
Verizon has a knack for taking a perfectly good thing and twisting it into a carrier exclusive. I can say the same thing about a number of carriers. However, that device exclusive list has certainly shrunk over the years. The second generation of the DROID Turbo 2 is close at hand with an expected announcement slated for October 27th. While there have been a number of leaked images and specs regarding the device, it never hurts to toss out a few more when we come across them. Apparently accessory manufacturer Qmadix has a few accessory items ‘coming soon’ that show the DROID Turbo 2’s front again and a bit of the back mixed with button locations. Not super exciting, but something none the less.
The launch should be good for Motorola since the 2015 Moto X Pure edition is sticking to a direct to customer sales approach. With a monster sales force and a huge advertising budget I expect the DROID Turbo 2 to bring in a lot of sales for big red and Motorola.
Via Qmadix
The post Oh look, DROID Turbo 2 accessories show some device designs appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Prepare your PS3s, North America: ‘Yakuza 5’ lands next month
Yakuza 5 launched in Japan for the PlayStation 3 in December 2012. Three years and one console generation later, it’s heading to North American PS3s in “mid-November, if all goes to schedule.” Sega announced the release window today in a blog post, noting, “It’s a little later than we would’ve liked, and a few weird development bugs that popped up in localization caused the delay.” Specifically, but not technically, Sega ran into issues with the on-screen text, which had to be flipped from Japanese to English. Once the bugs are squashed, Yakuza 5 is on track to hit PS3 digitally via PSN next month across North America.
At TGS 2015, Sega announced it’s working on Yakuza 6, which is due to hit Japanese PS4s in the fall of 2016. Plus, it’s developing an HD remake of the original Yakuza for PS3 and PS4, also confirmed for Japan only so far.
[Image credit: Sega]
Source: Sega
Playdate: We’re exploring ‘Yoshi’s Woolly World’
From all of your custom Super Mario Maker levels, to Steam Machines and now to Yoshi’s Woolly World on Wii U in one week, you can’t say we aren’t afraid to switch things up now and again here on Engadget Playdate. When he played the latter back at E3, features editor and gaming overlord Joseph Volpe likened the game to “a warm hug.” Neither Sean nor myself has had a chance to get our mitts on it yet, so we’re fixing that today live on Twitch just for you. Join us starting at 6PM Eastern / 3PM Pacific as we make our way through the yarn-spun affair either here on this post, the Engadget Gaming homepage or Twitch.tv/joystiq if you’d like to chat with us. http://www.twitch.tv/joystiq/embedWatch live video from Joystiq on www.twitch.tv
[We’re streaming Yoshi’s Woolly World at 720p through OBS, so rest assured it’ll look much more adorable on your TV at home.]
Intel Has 1,000 Employees Working on LTE Modem Chip for the Next-Generation iPhone
Intel has a thousand of its employees working on preparing the Intel 7360 LTE modem for Apple’s iPhone 7 devices, reports VentureBeat. Apple is rumored to be switching to the Intel modem chip for some models of the iPhone 7, using it instead of the standard Qualcomm chips Apple has used for years.
Intel’s 7360 LTE modem chip features an up to 450MB/s downlink and it supports 29 LTE bands. Intel is eager to score a contract with Apple, which is why it has poured so many resources into the development of the chip, which is supposed to begin shipping later this year.
One source said Intel needs a small army of people on the Apple account because of the importance of the project to Apple’s future in the mobile market, because of the complexity of the project, and because Apple is a demanding client with an extremely popular phone.
The LTE modem chips in the next-generation iPhones could be dual-sourced from both Intel and Qualcomm, with earlier rumors suggesting devices in emerging markets in Asia and Latin America could use Intel’s chip. Intel is not yet an official supplier for the modem chip, but should Intel continue to make important milestones, it could wind up inking a deal with Apple.
Should work on the modem chip go well, VentureBeat says Intel could end up supplying Apple with both that chip and the fabrication for a new Apple system-on-a-chip. Apple is said to be aiming to create a future system-on-a-chip that includes both the iPhone’s Ax processor and the LTE modem chip for improved speed and power management.
To achieve that goal, Apple would design the system-on-a-chip, licensing LTE modem intellectual property from Intel, with Intel also fabricating the chip with its 14-nanometer process. VentureBeat‘s sources say Apple is interested in Intel’s technology because of its “front to back” 14-nanometer process that results in “silicon chips with superior density and gate pitch.” Intel is also developing a 10-nanometer process that has caught Apple’s eye.
Apple’s system-on-a-chip project would likely be for a future version of the iPhone, rather than the iPhone 7. For now, the iPhone 7 is likely to continue using chips from existing manufacturers like Samsung and TSMC, along with the separate modem chips from Intel and Qualcomm.
How to Customize Default Replies on Apple Watch
With watchOS 2, Apple added some features to the Mail app that make it possible for you to actually respond to email right from Apple Watch. Similar to responding to text messages on Apple Watch, users can now use voice dictation, send an emoji, or respond with a preset default reply.
Additionally, Facebook recently updated its Messenger app to work on Apple Watch. So, now you can read and reply to chats with Facebook contacts.
Apple provides room for about 20 default replies for Messages and about a dozen for Mail. Facebook provides six. You are not confined to the premade responses, however, and you can customize them to say whatever you’d like.
We’ve got a quick tutorial explaining how to customize your quick responses to fit your personality. The steps are very similar for customizing default responses in all three apps.
Messages
- On iPhone, open the Apple Watch app and navigate to the My Watch tab.
- Select Messages from the menu.
- Tap “Default Replies.”
- Tap a premade response and replace it with your own.
AIVAnet 