Busbud dives into Instagram data to find most popular spots
Busbud, an online service that helps users book bus tickets, decided to perform some data analysis on Instagram in an effort to help users find the most popular places that generate Instagram photos. By doing this, they hope it might give travelers and tourists some ideas for places to visit when they decide to get out of town.
Busbud looked at data for both the U.S. and Canada to develop lists of the top locations for each U.S. state and Canadian province as well as by type of location. On the latter measure, Busbud found that when people hit the great outdoors in the U.S. via parks, they are apt to post a picture to Instagram to share the fun they are having. Following parks was an unexpected type of destination – wineries & vineyards. Meanwhile, in Canada users are more apt to post pics of points of interest or landmarks followed by historic sites.
In addition to looking at Instagram posts that included location information, Busbud also relied on hashtags to help identify activities and locations. For example, using tags like #beach, #beachlife or #beachday can help fellow Instagram users find great places to visit.
If you check out Busbud’s maps of the top places by state or province, how many can you claim to have visited and did you Instagram any of them?
Come comment on this article: Busbud dives into Instagram data to find most popular spots
RockScout brings Spotify to cars with MirrorLink systems
It is now possible to listen to your Spotify playlist in your car thanks to a new app called RockScout. With it, all MirrorLink-compatible in-car systems can now access Spotify.
MirrorLink lets you use you car’s dashboard buttons to control your phone. It is much easier to control your phone using the car’s buttons rather than trying to play around with your phone while driving.
Since RockScout works with MirrorLink systems, it will bring Spotify to many more car infotainment units. Spotify already works with Android Auto and CarPlay. If you have a MirrorLink system in your car and want to try it out, download RockScout for Android.
Press Release:
BEAVERTON, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Starting today, Spotify Android users can bring the Spotify mobile app to their dashboards via MirrorLink® RockScout, a simple download that makes participating Android music apps MirrorLink-compatible. The Car Connectivity Consortium, creators of MirrorLink, made the announcement as more and more apps become available in the MirrorLink ecosystem.
“MirrorLink provides a simple way to bring Spotify into the car and on the dashboard so listeners can access their favorite music in a manner suitable for the driving environment.”
“Spotify is obsessed with figuring out how to bring music into every part of your life, wherever you are, whatever you’re doing,” said Lawrence Kennedy, Sr. Product Owner for Automotive at Spotify. “MirrorLink provides a simple way to bring Spotify into the car and on the dashboard so listeners can access their favorite music in a manner suitable for the driving environment.”
RockScout leverages Media Browser Service, a standard Android API, to make Android audio apps compatible with MirrorLink. MirrorLink compatibility means apps are driver-aware and controllable via touch and rotary-knob infotainment systems. The Android application can be enabled without further development or integration, and the solution is free and open-source.
“Spotify’s compatibility with MirrorLink is a great moment for both brands, based on Spotify’s undeniable popularity among music lovers and the sheer size of MirrorLink’s global install base,” said Alan Ewing, President and Executive director of the CCC. “In a larger sense, RockScout represents a major advance for MirrorLink by providing drivers with extended access to some of the most popular music and audio apps of all time.”
To download RockScout, click here. To download Spotify for Android, click here. For general information, please visitwww.mirrorlink.com.
About the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC)
The CCC is dedicated to cross-industry collaboration in developing MirrorLink® global standards and solutions for smartphone and in-vehicle connectivity. The organization’s 100 members represent 70 percent of the world’s auto market, 70 percent of the global smartphone market and a who’s who of aftermarket consumer electronics vendors. For further information, please visitwww.mirrorlink.com.
Contacts
Finn Partners for the CCC
Katrina Estrella, 415-692-3058
katrina@finnpartners.com
Come comment on this article: RockScout brings Spotify to cars with MirrorLink systems
RockScout brings Spotify to cars with MirrorLink systems
It is now possible to listen to your Spotify playlist in your car thanks to a new app called RockScout. With it, all MirrorLink-compatible in-car systems can now access Spotify.
MirrorLink lets you use you car’s dashboard buttons to control your phone. It is much easier to control your phone using the car’s buttons rather than trying to play around with your phone while driving.
Since RockScout works with MirrorLink systems, it will bring Spotify to many more car infotainment units. Spotify already works with Android Auto and CarPlay. If you have a MirrorLink system in your car and want to try it out, download RockScout for Android.
Press Release:
BEAVERTON, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Starting today, Spotify Android users can bring the Spotify mobile app to their dashboards via MirrorLink® RockScout, a simple download that makes participating Android music apps MirrorLink-compatible. The Car Connectivity Consortium, creators of MirrorLink, made the announcement as more and more apps become available in the MirrorLink ecosystem.
“MirrorLink provides a simple way to bring Spotify into the car and on the dashboard so listeners can access their favorite music in a manner suitable for the driving environment.”
“Spotify is obsessed with figuring out how to bring music into every part of your life, wherever you are, whatever you’re doing,” said Lawrence Kennedy, Sr. Product Owner for Automotive at Spotify. “MirrorLink provides a simple way to bring Spotify into the car and on the dashboard so listeners can access their favorite music in a manner suitable for the driving environment.”
RockScout leverages Media Browser Service, a standard Android API, to make Android audio apps compatible with MirrorLink. MirrorLink compatibility means apps are driver-aware and controllable via touch and rotary-knob infotainment systems. The Android application can be enabled without further development or integration, and the solution is free and open-source.
“Spotify’s compatibility with MirrorLink is a great moment for both brands, based on Spotify’s undeniable popularity among music lovers and the sheer size of MirrorLink’s global install base,” said Alan Ewing, President and Executive director of the CCC. “In a larger sense, RockScout represents a major advance for MirrorLink by providing drivers with extended access to some of the most popular music and audio apps of all time.”
To download RockScout, click here. To download Spotify for Android, click here. For general information, please visitwww.mirrorlink.com.
About the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC)
The CCC is dedicated to cross-industry collaboration in developing MirrorLink® global standards and solutions for smartphone and in-vehicle connectivity. The organization’s 100 members represent 70 percent of the world’s auto market, 70 percent of the global smartphone market and a who’s who of aftermarket consumer electronics vendors. For further information, please visitwww.mirrorlink.com.
Contacts
Finn Partners for the CCC
Katrina Estrella, 415-692-3058
katrina@finnpartners.com
Come comment on this article: RockScout brings Spotify to cars with MirrorLink systems
Apple already blocked the first malware for non-jailbroken iPhones
With certain exceptions, most iOS-focused malware targets jailbroken devices whose compromised security makes them easy prey. However, there’s been concerns that a recent strain of malware, YiSpecter, can attack even ‘pure’ devices running stock iOS. Do you have to worry about catching a bug online and losing control over your device? Probably not, if you ask Apple. In a statement to The Loop, the company notes that it not only fixed the vulnerability with iOS 8.4, but blocked the apps handing out the offending code. The victims downloaded apps from “untrusted sources” (that is, outside of the App Store) Cupertino adds. In short, Apple believes this is a non-issue as long as you install updates and stay cautious — and given that more than half of its users are already running iOS 9, it might be right.
Via: AppleInsider
Source: The Loop
Watch this: Inside Android’s Easter egg tradition
Google loves placing Easter eggs in its products. On Android devices, this has been a tradition since the Gingerbread days, wherein a zombie showed up on the screen after repeatedly tapping a menu’s setting. That’s still the case now, although the results have changed throughout the years to resemble the name of the platform — Android 4.1, for instance, made room for a bunch of cute, floating jelly beans that you could flick out of your sight. But what’s the story behind these Easter eggs? Now you can learn more about it thanks to Nat and Lo, a side-project started by two Google employees (Natalie and Lorraine) to give people an inside look at the company. In the video below, they sit down with Android Framework Engineer Dan Sandler, who shares some insight into Google’s long history of Android Easter eggs.
[Image credits: samthor/Flickr]
‘Destiny’ is getting microtransactions, but don’t panic yet
Destiny is getting microtransactions. Unlike item cool-downs or the obnoxious stuff that’s intrinsic to all those Facebook distractions that clog up your news feed, however, these purchases aren’t game-impacting. No, come October 13th they’ll take the form of emotes and other cosmetic items. Developer Bungie stresses repeatedly that these will not impact your performance in any way should you not buy them. “You won’t lose a Crucible (adversarial multiplayer) encounter or fail to clear a raid because you didn’t have the right” emote equipped, the blog post says.
What’s more, the former Halo-house is giving everyone some free silver — the new in-game currency used for microtransactions — to see what’s what. Bungie says that there’s going to be more of an emphasis on world events and feature requests moving forward as well. What’s more, Kotaku‘s sources say that instead of focusing on expansion packs like the developers previously have with “House of Wolves” and the recently launched “The Taken King,” we should expect to see more quests and missions doled out for free, with Destiny 2 (not 2.0) launching next fall. Those free updates should happen “every few months.” For a rundown of our experience with the last Destiny expansion, give the Playdate video below a spin.
Via: Kotaku
Source: Bungie
Slickwraps’ new Galactic Series skins will bring the force to your Android device
Interested in bringing some Star Wars flair to your Android smartphone? If so, Slickwraps‘ new Galactic Series skins may be of interest to you.
Slickwraps has teamed up with artist Justin Maller to bring two new Star Wars-themed skins to a number of different Android devices. The two available options include Darth Vader and an Imperial Stormtrooper. Each skin comes with a Certificate of Authenticity from Justin Maller as well as a downloadable matching wallpaper. Additionally, if you happen to mess up the skin during installation, Slickwraps will send you another skin for free within 30 days of your purchase date.
See also: Slickwraps Hero Series skins put your favorite superheroes all over your tech
The Galactic Series skins are available for the Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, Note 5, S6 Edge+, Google Nexus 6, LG G4 and HTC One M9. The skins will run you $24.95 a piece, and they’re even available for the latest gaming consoles, too. We know these aren’t the most inexpensive skins available on the market, but it’s certainly not a bad price to pay for one of these awesome limited edition covers.
If you’re interested, head to the link below to grab a Star Wars skin for your smartphone.
Apple Acquires Artificial Intelligence Startup Perceptio
Apple has purchased Perceptio, a small startup focused on artificial intelligence, reports Bloomberg. Founded by Nicolas Pinto and Zak Stone, Perceptio was developing technology that would let smartphone companies create advanced artificial intelligence systems “without needing to share as much user data” in the cloud.
Perceptio’s goals were to develop techniques to run AI image-classification systems on smartphones, without having to draw from large external repositories of data. That fits Apple’s strategy of trying to minimize its usage of customer data and do as much processing as possible on the device.
According to Bloomberg, both Stone and Pinto are established artificial intelligence researchers who specialize in creating image-recognition systems using deep learning. There’s little information available about Perceptio, but Re/code profiled the company last year.
The duo were working on privacy-based artificial intelligence, figuring out how to run complex neural network algorithms on smartphones. Before being acquired by Apple, they were working on facial recognition technology and had released an unrelated video sharing app called Smoothie.
Apple confirmed the purchase with its standard acquisition statement: “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”
Apple’s Siri personal assistant has lagged behind competing services like Google Now and Microsoft Cortana because of Apple’s strict privacy policies and its reluctance to collect and utilize user data. It’s possible the purchase of Perceptio will allow Apple to improve Siri without compromising on its dedication to user privacy.
Perceptio is the second Siri-related purchase Apple has made within the last few weeks. Apple also recently acquired VocalIQ, a UK-based startup that created a natural language API to allow computers and people to have a more natural dialogue.
YouTube iOS App Updated With New Design, In-App Editing Tools
After several months of testing and tweaking, YouTube has finally released the redesigned version of its iOS app, taking cues from its Material Design-inspired Android counterpart. The updated app also comes with in-app video editing tools to make videos.
The redesigned YouTube app makes it easier to find what you love. Now your recommended videos, favorite channels, and subscriptions can be accessed by tapping each icon or swiping your screen. You can also create fun videos on the fly with new in-app editing tools.
The new app is divided into three sections: Home, Subscriptions and Account. Home, like the YouTube web homepage, delivers suggestions and features videos from YouTube accounts that a user may have viewed recently. Subscriptions is a stream of videos from YouTube accounts a user may subscribe to and Account allows you to access History, Likes, the Watch later feature and Playlists.
While the app was updated today, it’s slowly propagating through the App Store.
YouTube for iOS is available in the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Winklevoss twins get approval to run their bitcoin exchange
After several months of waiting, the Winklevoss twins (they who claim to have invented Facebook) have the all-clear to run their Gemini bitcoin exchange. New York state’s Department of Financial Services has granted a license to Gemini that lets it run as a chartered trust when it launches on October 8th. This doesn’t make it a full-on bank, but it’ll have the authority to accept deposits, make loans and serve as an agent for the government across 26 states and Washington, DC. All told, this takes bitcoin one step closer to legitimacy — important when the virtual currency world still tends to be defined by scandals.
[Image credit: Noam Galai/Getty Images for TechCrunch]
Via: Reuters
Source: Department of Financial Services, Gemini
AIVAnet 