Prepare for Google Play to get a new look
On Google+ today, Kirill Grouchnikov shared images of what will become of Google Play in a soon-to-be-released update. The upcoming facelift for the Play Store seems to focus more on graphics and less on text. Navigation will be done through more noticeable tabs with animations following the company’s own Material Design guidelines. And, as you can see above, division will occur between the content found in the Play Store. Apps and games will have their own place away while everything else offered — movies, television shows, music, books, news — is pushed into an Entertainment section.
Look! A new animation!
Google Play will also be getting its own introduction like almost every other major app from Google. It informs users that this is the place for apps, games, movies, television shows, music, books, and news.
Grouchnikov has been working on the Play Store for almost six years, a time when it was still known as the Android Market; however, his time there is over with a transition in place to go to the Android frameworks team:
“Android Market / Play Store has been my work home for the last (almost) six years. Now that I’m moving to the frameworks team, the story of Play Store will not be mine to tell – if I could even ever lay such a claim to begin with, since it’s always been a team effort, and I was the self-selected messenger of all things pixels.
In fact, the vast majority of pretty pixels I’ve posted today are not mine. I did a few minor things here and there, mostly documenting all the terrible hacks and all the awkward decisions that were made over these years.
I’m sad to leave the team after being on it for so long and seeing the product evolving along the way. I’m also very excited to have watched the evolution of the new design from the sidelines over the last [REDACTED PERIOD OF TIME WHERE NOBODY NOTICED THE NEW BITS AND PIECES IN ALL THE TEARDOWNS SERIOUSLY WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE CAN YOU NOT READ BETWEEN THE LINES ANYMORE].”
In honor of his work, let’s admire how far the Play Store has come:
We’d like to thank Kirill for all of his work on the Play Store and wish him the best in what’s next to come.
Source: Kirill Grouchnikov (Google+)
Come comment on this article: Prepare for Google Play to get a new look
Apple Updates iWork Mac and iOS Apps With Support for OS X El Capitan and iOS 9
Apple today updated its three iWork apps for the Mac, adding new features and OS X El Capitan support to Keynote, Numbers, and Pages. All three apps now support the new Split View multitasking feature in OS X El Capitan, allowing them to be used side-by-side with another app while in fullscreen mode.
There are also new Force Touch gestures in each of the apps, which work with the new Force Touch Magic Trackpad and the trackpad in the Retina MacBook Pro and the 12-inch MacBook. In all three of the apps, a Force click on an image will allow them to be edited, and this Force gesture has built-in haptic feedback.
Keynote and Pages have gained support for opening presentations and documents from 2006 and 2008 versions of the software, while Numbers is now able to open Numbers ’08 spreadsheets. Shared Pages, Keynote, and Numbers documents can now be previewed on iOS and Android browsers.
Apple has also updated its iWork apps for iOS, notably adding split-screen multitasking support on the iPad and support for 3D Touch on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. On the iPad, the three apps have also gained new Multi-Touch gestures for selecting text, a new Shortcut Bar that provides quick access to formatting tools, and new keyboard shortcuts when connected to a wireless keyboard.
Each of the iWork apps has also received a long list of other minor feature improvements and updates that are available in both the iOS and Mac versions of the software. A full list of the improvements can be found on Apple’s dedicated Pages, Numbers, and Keynote website.
Apple’s line of iWork apps are free to users who have recently purchased a new Mac or iOS device. Otherwise, each iWork app for Mac is available for $19.99 while each iWork app for iOS is available for $9.99.
Pages for Mac – [Mac App Store]
Keynote for Mac – [Mac App Store]
Numbers for Mac – [Mac App Store]
Pages for iOS – [App Store]
Keynote for iOS – [App Store]
Numbers for iOS – [App Store]
Adobe warns of ‘critical vulnerability’ in some versions of Flash
The general consensus on Adobe Flash is that it’s no longer good for anyone. In 2010, Steve Jobs’ wrote an open letter about the software, stating it fell short in many areas and wasn’t ready for the mobile era. Facebook’s newly appointed security lead, Alex Amos, added fuel to the fire recently by saying Adobe should announce an end-of-life date for Flash soon. And Adobe isn’t helping its cause. To make matters worse, the company has now found a critical vulnerability in Flash Player which, if successfully exploited, “could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system.” According to Adobe’s security bulletin, this issue affects version 19.0.0.207 (and earlier) on Mac, Windows and Linux computers, adding that it is aware of a report claiming the exploit is “being used in limited, targeted attacks.” Adobe says it’s working on a fix, but the update won’t be available until sometime next week.
[Image credits: Getty Images]
Via: 9to5Mac
Source: Adobe
Interactive drone app lets you capture aerial shots like a pro
Quadcoptors have introduced a new visual language in filmmaking. These four-rotor UAVs, when equipped with a high definition camera, fly out and capture shots of sweeping landscapes, football matches and even active volcanoes. But drone cinematography of this kind, for the most part, has been a manual and challenging process. It takes an expert, sometimes two, to fly a drone and steer the camera to capture artistic shots at the same time. A team of computer graphics PhD students at Stanford University recognized this camera control problem. They spent the last two years building an app that allows even a novice to design and execute aerial shots like a pro.
“Camera control is a classic problem in computer graphics,” Mike Roberts, co-creator of the app told Engadget. “If you want to generate an image of a virtual environment using a computer…you need to decide where to position the virtual camera.” It’s a decision that plagued the animation industry for decades. But over the years, it was made easier with intuitive tools that allow animators to choose the viewpoints that would help create the computer-generated shots.
The Stanford team’s interactive tool follows that premise. It allows users to control the motion of a camera in a virtual setting to capture a desired frame. It lets you pre-plan a shot right down to the twists, turns and timings before the aircraft even takes off. You start by picking keyframes and assigning camera orientations at specific times based on a 3D preview of the camera shot and a 2D map of the route. The tool then uses your input to map a feasible trajectory for the drone between the chosen frames. While it charts a plan, it also keeps track of the physical limitations of the quadrotor so that it doesn’t crash to the ground.
Unlike existing flight planning tools, where the user has no way of knowing what the final shot might look like, this hands-free app lets you preview your shot in Google Earth’s virtual environment to tweak it or hit capture. When you choose the latter, the app commands the quadrotor to follow the planned trajectory autonomously. “The real video footage is faithful to the virtual preview shown in our app,” says Roberts. “The workflow is similar to how an animator at Pixar might set up a camera path for an animated movie.”
With the FAA regulations shifting in favor of commercial drones for movie and TV productions this year, drones are expected to replace the bulk and expense of helicopters that have long been employed for aerial settings. This new app could make that replacement a lot easier. “There are a hundred problems that our app doesn’t solve,” says Roberts. “But for the domain of pre-scripted aerial cinematography, we’ve made a step forward. You can use our app to express yourself and you don’t have to know how to fly a drone to do it.”
Bet you can’t tell whether or not the girl in this picture is real
This is either the school portrait of a teenage girl named Saya or it’s the single best photorealistic CGI rendering I’ve come across to date. Honestly, I couldn’t figure it out at first glance (or even second). What do you think? Vote in our poll or just skip on down to see more photos. Answers below!
Is the young lady in this image a real person or a computer generated image
These are, shockingly, CGI. They’re the work of the uncannily talented duo of Teruyuki and Yuki Ishikawa. The husband and wife team work as freelance 3D artists in Tokyo and, according to Spoon and Tomago, plan to have Saya star in a film they are self-producing. Per the artists, the hardest part was creating her supple, realistically-textured skin — her hair, however, didn’t turn out as well as they’d hoped.
Via: Boing Boing
Source: Teluka
The Wirecutter’s best deals: a standing desk, compact printer and more
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. Read their continuously updated list of deals at TheWirecutter.com.
You may have already seen Engadget posting reviews from our friends at The Wirecutter. Now, from time to time, we’ll also be publishing their recommended deals on some of their top picks. Read on, and strike while the iron is hot — some of these sales could expire mighty soon.
Mpow Streambot Y Bluetooth FM Transmitter
Street Price: $35; MSRP: $57; Deal Price: $28 with code ABYREJAV
Enter code ABYREJAV at checkout and you’ll snag the lowest price we’ve seen for this product. It beats out the last deal by $4.
The Mpow Streambot Y is our FM transmitter pick in our guide on the best Bluetooth kits for car stereos. Nick Guy and Karissa Bell wrote, “While it’ll work for voice calls, this FM transmitter is best suited for music streaming. The design allows you to see which station you’re tuned to and manually (but easily) find a new one if necessary.”
Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desk
Street Price: $650; MSRP: $750; Deal Price: $600
Despite it being listed as a sale on their site, this is more of a price drop. We’ve been told that it’s likely to stay at this price barring any supply chain issues. The last time we checked, the price was hovering around $650, so a drop to $600 gives you some extra cash to spend on desk accessories.
The Jarvis Bamboo Desk is our pick for best standing desk. Mark Lukach and Nathan Edwards said, “It has a sturdy, reliable frame with a great motor; a huge height range to accommodate even the very tall; a controller with four height presets; and an array of functional, unpretentious accessories.
He added, “It has a seven-year warranty and ships quickly, and you can buy the frame by itself—it adjusts to work with desktops of many different sizes. It’s not perfect, and there are nicer standing desks, but they’re a lot more expensive.”
Brother HL-L2340DW Compact Laser Printer
Street Price: $86; MSRP: $140; Deal Price: $75
This is a few bucks shy of our lowest deal ever on this printer, but it’s still a good price for anyone with Amazon Prime. Before this drop, Amazon had already lowered the price from $90 to $86. This deal is also available at Newegg, but shipping there costs $1. If you need a scanner, the Brother HL-L2380DW is also currently on sale for $100 (from $130).
The Brother HL-L2340DW is our top pick for the best cheap printer. Liam McCabe writes, “All the crucial features you should expect from a document printer in 2014 are here: wireless networking, auto duplexing, and support for important mobile printing standards. Text is crisp, and print speed is as fast as you’d ever need in a home office.”
Deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go to The Wirecutter.com.
Skype gets shareable conversation links for easy invites
Need to invite someone to join a Skype session? Well, that task just got a lot easier. The video-chatting app added a new feature that lets you invite folks to join a conversation with a shareable link. All you have to do is nab the URL, send it to the person and they can click it to join. What’s more, the invitee doesn’t need a Skype account to do so. Clicking on a shared link can employ Skype on the web as a guest, but it’ll still offer access to messaging and both video and voice calls. If you’re familiar with sharing links to Dropbox or OneDrive files, you have an idea of how this works. It sounds like a simple addition, but it’s sure to save time, and allow people who aren’t using the app to easily participate as needed.
Source: Skype
YouTube Gaming update lets users livestream gameplay
It seems like Google’s been hard at work behind the scenes, as they today announced an updated version of their YouTube Gaming app. This comes after the initial announcement of the release of YouTube Gaming, an Android and iOS app that allows anyone to record their screen and livestream it to prospective viewers.
The update, released today, highlights the livestreaming capabilities that is now available to users to publicly use. The app is available for download in both the US and UK, and comes with a host of several new options and features:
(Excerpt from Official YouTube Blog)
- More easily see when there are live streams for games in your collection
- Easier video bookmarking with Watch Later
- Improved performance and a redesigned watch page on gaming.youtube.com
- Better search navigation on iOS by remembering your previous searches
- Import existing subscriptions anytime from YouTube via Settings
Who doesn’t love a good stream of Clash?
You can download the Android version here, and the iOS version here.
This may also mean that we at AndroidGuys might have a few videos lined up for you. What suggestions do you have? Let us know in the comments! And stay tuned, of course…
Source: Official YouTube Blog
The post YouTube Gaming update lets users livestream gameplay appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Did Google charge you for your Nexus 5X yet?
Reports from multiple users and media outlets are indicating that Google is preparing to ship Nexus 5X orders from the Google Store. Select orders are now “Pending” and some people are noticing that Google has charged their bank accounts.
As for my own order of the Nexus 5X, it remains in the “Processing” stage by the Google Store. My bank account, though, has been moving it on and off of a “Pending Transaction” for the last two days.
What’s your order’s status?
Come comment on this article: Did Google charge you for your Nexus 5X yet?
You can now buy the Home Monitoring Kit from the Samsung-owned SmartThings
The latest wave of SmartThings products is finally available for you to purchase. The Samsung-owned company announced today that its new Home Monitoring Kit is available from retailers online and throughout the United States. SmartThings says that the Home Monitoring Kit makes it possible to monitor, control, and secure your home from just about anywhere. Paired with the SmartThings apps, you view the status of your home and receive actionable alerts on your mobile device.
Here’s what the Home Monitoring Kit includes:
- The new SmartThings Hub to connect smart sensors, lights, locks, cameras, and more
- Two Multipurpose Sensors to monitor whether doors, windows, cabinets, or your garage are open or closed
- A Motion Sensor to monitor movement in your home
- An Outlet to control lights, electronics, and small appliances
SmartThings app running on Samsung hardware
You can purchase the Home Monitoring Kit for $249 from Best Buy, Amazon, Sears, and Samsung. Select stores will also offer the Samsung SmartCam HD Pro, too.
Source: SmartThings
Come comment on this article: You can now buy the Home Monitoring Kit from the Samsung-owned SmartThings
AIVAnet 