Twitter’s goal for the next year is to be simpler and easier to use
With the introduction of curated Moments, it’s clear that Twitter is trying very hard to not only keep its existing userbase, but also to make its product easier to use, especially for newcomers. At the Code/Mobile event in Half Moon Bay, Twitter’s SVP of Product Kevin Weil confirmed that vision by saying that the next 12 months will be about making the product simpler for casual users. This, he says, won’t be good for just new folks, but will also improve the utility and functionality of Twitter for everyone. One potential way for Twitter to do that would be to increase the 140 character limit in tweets, which was a rumor floating around last week. While Weil wouldn’t comment on it, he did say “We’re not shy about changing something that’s at the core of Twitter.”
There are some issues with Twitter that Weil says are difficult to change. Responding to a question from the audience on whether we’ll be able to edit our tweets in the future, he said that’s a difficult thing to implement, because of Twitter embeds and retweets potentially messing that up. But he was a lot more positive about improving DMs, or Twitter’s direct messaging. On building more utility into DMs, he said “We have some great ideas. Stay tuned.”
And as for whether Twitter will ever be sold? “Twitter is a force in the world,” he said. “It’ll remain an independent company.”
Meet the laundry-folding washing machine of our lazy-ass future
Socks are the hardest. For an future washing machine that washes, dries and then folds the results, it’s one of the small barriers that remains in that latter stage. But as a research project that started back in 2008, Laundroid is finally getting there. Next year, the collaboration between housing firm Daiwa House, electronics company Panasonic and Seven Dreamers will start offering preorders, the year after that ‘beta’ machines, then folding machines for big institutions, with event full retail planned the year after that — we’ll be in 2019 by then. (That said, the all-in-one model is still at the in-development stage). There’s no price and the presentation we saw added in a bunch of mosaic filtering on top as the shirt gradually got folded so you couldn’t see how the thing actually works. But that’s okay. We can wait. It’s not going to stop us waiting our chore-dodging dreams to come true.
While the video teaser above gives you pretty much nothing of substance, at the on-stage demonstration, we saw a just-washed tee take a matter of minutes for the internal tech to sort, identify and fold. The tech involved is separated into two very separate parts: image analysis and robotics. With a hypothetical bundle of clothes, each item demands different folding (we’re going to say) techniques, so the machine needs to figure what that soft lump of cloth is, then prime it for folding. The presentation here at CEATEC elaborated (if only lightly) on the stages it’s taken to get to here: it’s been a pretty long journey.
Because clothing is so malleable, it takes a higher degree of skill and dexterity for a robot to perform tasks with than, say, wood or metal.
Because clothing is so malleable, it takes a higher degree of skill and dexterity for a robot to perform tasks with than, say, wood or metal. However, as far as the on-the-rails demonstration on stage went, it was a success. A handful of minutes later, the HAL-esque cabinet (which frustratingly hid all the robotic ‘magic’) produced the shirt, folded flat, if not completely pristinely. (We’re sticklers for crisp edges, what can we say?) The team behind it promises that more will be revealed as it slowly comes into existence over the end half of this decade.
With a entire laundry load, the on-stage hostess explained it would likely take around seven hours, ideally meaning you’d set the machine to work as you’re going to bed, waking up to pile of freshly, robotically, folded laundry. And for now, crumpled socks.
Source: Laundroid, Panasonic (Japan)
Jony Ive Discusses His Lasting Memory of Steve Jobs, New Role as Chief Design Officer
Today at the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit, Jony Ive sat down with director JJ Abrams and film producer Brian Grazer in a panel titled “Changing Worlds, Inventing Worlds” and spoke about his lasting memory of Steve Jobs and his new role as Chief Design Officer.
Image via Vanity Fair
Ive said he had messy feelings about Jobs when he died and knew of the “incredible complexity” of his attributes, but that in the four years since his death most of those attributes have receded. Since then, Ive believes he’s been left with something that is “just him.”
Quite honestly, what’s remained, I never would have predicted four years ago. What’s remained is almost unremarkable, but what’s remained is his very simple focus on trying to make something beautiful and great. And it really was simple. There wasn’t a grand plan of winning, or a very complicated agenda. That simplicity seemed almost childlike in its purity. And it’s true.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so happy, as I saw him—this very simple kind of joy—when he would realize, “This is actually working out. This could be great.” It was just the simplicity of that.
That simplicity stands in “stark contrast” to the way Jobs is being portrayed in films like the upcoming Steve Jobs, according to Ive. He notes that Jobs had a sense of civic responsibility to make something good that contributed to humanity and culture.
When asked about Jobs portrayal in Steve Jobs, Ive noted that he “didn’t recognize this person at all.” He went on to say that the way someone is portrayed can be “hijacked” by people who aren’t close friends or family.
Ive also commented on his new role as Chief Design Officer, saying that he “should have done this years ago” and that he hasn’t felt “this happy and creative in years and years.” Ive’s new role, which he officially assumed on July 1, allows him to be more hands-off with day-to-day operations in addition to focusing on new ideas and future initiatives. Ive’s day-to-day management of the design team has been turned over to Alan Dye, vice president of user interface design, and Richard Howarth, vice president of industrial design.
PureGear DualTek Pro case for Samsung Note5 review
Choosing smartphone case isn’t a simple task, as we have to sift through a sea of types and brands. Fortunately at AndroidGuys, we get the opportunity to get our hands on great offerings and are able to take closeup, real-world pics and provide usability insight.
PureGear is such case company that keeps up with the latest smartphones and gives us the opportunity to check out. Today, I have an interesting case made for the Note5 – the DualTek Pro. It is PureGear’s latest crack at merging sleekness with robustness. Let’s check it out.
Design
I was surprised when I opened the box up and toured the Dualtek Pro case. It’s different. With cases, we typically see either TPU material (flexible plastic) or hard shell plastic. However, PureGear merged both of these approaches.
From the back it looks and feels like typical hard plastic. But then the perimeter is a mix of clear TPU and that hard plastic that wrapped itself around the sides. Take a look.
Why has PureGear done this? Robustness is a big reason. It can now boast a “Military Tested and Approved” standard. Also, we can have a pad that sits in the middle of the interior for shock absorption.
So then why not just make the whole case hard plastic? Well, PureGear thinks that you don’t want to completely cover up that beauty of a phone. It’s their solution for compromising sleekness and robustness.
I like the choice of finish of the plastic on the back. It’s a matte, smooth and soft feeling plastic. It feels like quality and like it can take a beating.
As expected, there is a lip on the front TPU wrapping, for protection of phone’s front glass.
The TPU material feels as expected from other cases. It’s great how PureGear made the hard plastic and TPU seamless where they meet on the sides.
The buttons are nice and firm. They have a satisfying click and protrude out of the sides slightly to make them easy to locate. They also have an appealing chrome finish on them.
Usability
The smooth-touch plastic on the rear of the DualTek case feels nice in hand. It does well with smudges too. Moisture it initially picks up from your fingers disappears within a couple seconds.
Being that this case carries a Military drop standard, don’t expect it to be the slimmest option. Not that we’re looking at a thick brick either, I’m just saying you’ll certainly notice the extra thickness in your pocket.
That also means that your phone won’t feel fragile anymore. You’ll have a solid grip now. And the case retains the curved-back design of the Note5 for a nice fit in hand.
You’ll naturally grip the phone on soft touch plastic around the sides. This is another reason why it was a nice touch to design the frame this way.
The cutouts for the ports on the bottom of the phone are perfectly done. And there’s plenty of an opening to access the SPen.
I must mention that the fit is tight. I’ve never had so much difficultly getting a case off before. So if you plan to just have one case, then there’s no problem. But if you have several cases you switch between, keep this in mind.
Final Thoughts
PureGear’s DualTek Pro is a great case to consider for your Note5. I’m happy to say that the quality impressed, both from an in-hand feel and robustness perspective.
I would recommend it to anyone who wants a good compromise of protection and slimness. However, keep in mind that the case wants to stay put once it’s installed.
You can find more info about the case at PureGear’s product page or on Amazon
The post PureGear DualTek Pro case for Samsung Note5 review appeared first on AndroidGuys.
New 32GB Nexus 6 back on Ebay for $299
The sale of the year is back people, the 32GB unlocked and brand new Nexus 6 is on sale at Ebay for just $299. Seller mobilepros1 has a 97.7 rating in user feedback so this deal is quite legit.
Shipping is free, and the expected delivery is between Oct. 12 and Oct. 23. The model only comes in the midnight blue variant. Grab them while you can!
Specifications for Google’s 2014 flagship phablet include:
- 5.96 Quad-HD AMOLED display
- Quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor
- 3GB RAM
- 13-megapixel back camera
- 2-megapixel front camera
- Dual front-facing speakers
- Matte plastic back with aluminum metal frame
The post New 32GB Nexus 6 back on Ebay for $299 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Get the 64GB OnePlus 2 now at Gearbest.com
Are you tired of waiting through the invite system for a flagship killer OnePlus 2? Gearbest.com has an inventory of the high-specced device ready for shipping in 1-2 days. The invite system is a way for OnePlus to minimize overstock which they would have to eat the costs on if they did not sell and they pass the savings on to the customers. That still doesn’t make the invite system any less frustrating.
Gearbest.com is offering the phone at a slight price increase, but with free shipping and no taxes, the device doesn’t cost much more than what you can pay direct through OnePlus. For $415.99 you can have the device in your hands by the end of the week. As a small refresher, the OnePlus 2 comes with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of memory, a 5.5″ LCD display, the Snapdragon 810,13 MP camera and USB type-C for easy charging.
If you’re interested in getting one now head on over to Gearbest.com now and order yourself the phone rather than waiting for an invite.
The post Get the 64GB OnePlus 2 now at Gearbest.com appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Journalist found guilty of assisting Anonymous hacks
Reuters journalist Matthew Keys was arrested back in 2013 over claims that he’d helped the activist group Anonymous compromise and deface the LA Times by handing over login information for its parent company, Tribune. He has denied the allegations (he was supposedly trying to get a story about Anonymous), but that didn’t hold water in court: a jury has found Keys guilty of hacking-related charges. The conviction could theoretically put Keys in prison for up to 25 years when sentencing takes place in January, although officials say that they’ll likely seek less than 5 years given that this wasn’t the “crime of the century.”
Keys’ attorneys plan to appeal the verdict, and it’s safe to say that Keys himself isn’t happy. They portray this as an attack against journalism, and that the damage (the LA Times article was modified for all of 40 minutes) wasn’t severe enough to count as a felony. Many have also pointed out that he wasn’t the mastermind of the attack so much he was an enabler. However, evidence shows that he at least goaded the attackers, and that the kind of power he gave (complete control over Tribune’s content system for multiple sites) was extensive. Whatever Keys’ intentions really were, the potential damage could have been much, much worse.
[Image credit: Max Whittaker/Getty Images]
Matthew Keys was found guilty. We’ll proceed forward to sentencing and look forward to appealing this verdict.
— Jay Leiderman (@JayLeidermanLaw) October 7, 2015
US Attorneys Office just told me they will likely seek less than 5 years in prison for Matthew Keys.
— A Facebook Psyduck (@sarahjeong) October 7, 2015
Via: The Cryptosphere
Source: Jay Leiderman (Twitter)
FAA tests tech to spot illegal drone operators near airports
As the number of privately-owned UAVs have exploded here in the US, so too have incidents of hobbyist drones being flown too closely to airports. More than 100 incidents have been reported every month this year, up from a handful of occurrences in 2015, according to FAA deputy administrator, Michael Whitaker. To combat this trend, the Federal Aviation Administration is looking into technology that zeros in on scofflaw drone pilots by tracking their radio signals.
“One of the biggest challenges we’re having is locating the operator,” Whitaker said in a statement. To that end, the FAA inked a deal with CACI International Inc. this week to provide a solution that would “passively detect, identify, and track” UAV operator locations within 5 miles of an airport. Details are scarce on how, precisely, the system will work. However, CACI has been building radio-based intelligence systems for the Department of Defense and domestic intelligence agencies for years.
[Image Credit: Getty Images]
Source: Phys.org
‘Star Wars: Battlefront’ beta opens wide Thursday at 1PM ET
You watched our stream of Star Wars: Battlefront but you didn’t win one of the early access codes we were giving away and you feel a little left out. That’s understandable, but know this: Come Thursday at 1PM ET / 10AM PT, you can play for yourself regardless of luck. Make sure you have at least 8GB of free space on your PlayStation 4 and Xbox One or 11GB open on your PC’s hard drive though. Word comes via the game’s community manager on Twitter. Need something to do until the beta unlocks for you? The embedded Playdate video below will make your wait just over two hours shorter.
The #StarWarsBattlefront Beta will open up on Oct 8th 10 AM PST.
— Sledgehammer70 (@sledgehammer70) October 8, 2015
Source: Sledgehammer70 (Twitter)
Google confirms that Android Auto does not collect private user data
According to a report from the Motor Trend magazine, Porsche decided to use Apple CarPlay instead of Android Auto for its infosystem of choice due to user privacy fears. The report claims that Android Auto collects specific data such as vehicle speed and throttle position, while CarPlay only needs to know if the car is moving while CarPlay is in use. This claim has apparently led luxury car manufacturer Porsche to chose Apple CarPlay instead of Android Auto for its 2017 911 Carrera and 911 Carrera S models. Motor Trend‘s editor Jonny Lieberman wrote:
“Certain pieces of data must be collected and mailed back to Mountain View, California. Stuff like vehicle speed, throttle position, coolant and oil temperature, engine revs – basically Google wants a complete OBD2 [on-board diagnostics] dump whenever someone activates Android Auto.“
Google immediately responded and specifically clarified that this claim is incorrect.
“We take privacy very seriously and do not collect the data the Motor Trend article claims such as throttle position, oil temp, and coolant temp. Users opt in to share information with Android Auto that improves their experience, so the system can be hands-free when in drive and provide more accurate navigation through the car’s GPS.”
Although Google had denied the claims, Porsche decided to not use Android Auto due to the fear that it might be collecting private data.
Source: Motor Trend
Via: The Guardian
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