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

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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

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(Deal) Become an analytics and data guru with this bundle of courses for 97% off

When you write for a website, and are trying to make some money doing so, analytics are huge. Trying to figure out what your readers are looking at, and what they are interested in, is a very difficult task to complete. For most, it’s you’ll never figure it out, but there are some occasions where the variables just line up perfectly, and your writing gets noticed by everyone.

Today’s deal from AndroidGuys and StackCommerce is for a set of over 130 courses that are designed to teach you the ins and outs of analyzing data. With the Ultimate Data & Analytics Bundle, you will be able to find patterns, correlations, trends and more, helping you become invaluable to any team.

• Lifetime access to all 130+ courses
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• SAS courses, including SAS Dataset, SAS Format & SAS Functions training
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Provided by eduCBA, this bundle of courses will keep you quite busy, as you learn everything you need to know about analytics and data tracking. Normally priced at $1,699, you can head over to the AndroidGuys Deals page and grab this bundle for only $39, a savings of 97%. That’s a great deal for a lifetime subscription for some invaluable course trainings.

You can find this, and many other great tech bargains through our Deals page. Backed by StackCommerce, there are daily promos, giveaways, freebies, and much more!

The post (Deal) Become an analytics and data guru with this bundle of courses for 97% off appeared first on AndroidGuys.

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 Verge

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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

Kodak has a new surveillance camera to compete with Nest Cam

Google’s Nest Cam, previously known as Dropcam, is without a doubt one of the most preferred home monitoring camera brands. But Kodak doesn’t want to be left behind, and today it introduced an upgraded video surveillance camera as part of its CFH-V series. The new model, called the CFH-V20, features a 180-degree field of view, night vision and WiFi capabilities (including a built-in signal extender. It also comes with IFTTT integration, letting you pair the device with third-party automation apps and services, as well as lifetime one-day cloud storage that lets you watch any recording from the past 24 hours. Kodak’s V20 is available now for $150, which is about $50 cheaper than the Nest Cam.