Android One will become more like Android because manufacturers want more freedom
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We love the idea of Android One – a standardized platform of smartphones, hardware and software, for emerging markets. Unfortunately, it seems manufacturers don’t see it that way and Google is having to change its stance on it. Previously, Google had mandated that components had to come from a list of approved vendors, however this is now being loosened so that manufacturers can use their own vendors. And while Google has tried to keep pricing relatively standard between manufacturers, Android One manufacturers are now also allowed to control the pricing of their devices.
If this is all starting to sound a bit familiar, let’s just add one more thing into the mix. Whereas Google had previously said that Android One would be getting updates straight from Google (because they all had the same hardware, hence this was possible), the change to the arrangement with manufacturers has meant this will change to updates coming from the manufacturers themselves. In case you haven’t caught on already, all these changes mean that Android One is now effectively the same as Android – and apparently this is what manufacturers want. If Google wants to change how devices are made for emerging markets, they may end up having to do it themselves with a low-cost Nexus range.
What do you think about these changes to the Android One program? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Wall Street Journal via Phone Arena
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Verizon kills affordable WiFi program for schools in Alabama
Less than a year after starting OmniLynx, a program that provided low-cost WiFi access to schools in Huntsville, Alabama, Verizon is cutting ties with it. As reported by WHNT-TV, the city’s education system recently sent a letter to customers notifying them of the network’s decision. “We regret to inform you that your wireless service will terminate effective November 30, 2015,” read the Huntsville school district’s letter. “This termination of service and any resulting inconvenience has resulted from the service provider, Verizon Wireless.” With OmniLynx, Huntsville residents would pay roughly $48 per month for unlimited data, powered by a free Verizon LTE hotspot which came included with the contract-free plan.
Via: Consumerist
Periscope adds rewinding and fast forwarding
We live in a fast-paced world and sometimes there are things that we miss. The folks over at Periscope understand this and so have added a rewind and fast forward function to the app. All you need to do is hold your finger down on a replay broadcast and it will minimize, allowing you to drag and drop at a timestamp you wish to start watching from. Currently the new features are available on the web version of the app and around half of Android user accounts. Not to worry, though, the company says it plans to release the updated app for iOS users and the remaining Android accounts in the coming weeks.
Via: The Verge
Source: Google Play
New Android adware reportedly “nearly impossible” to remove
Lookout has discovered a new form of adware that roots a device after the user installs it, then entrenches itself as a system application. This makes it impervious to any normal means of deleting it, even factory resetting the device.
This is a new, more sophisticated version of typical adware, which tends to make itself annoying by constantly pushing ads at the user. Since this form of malware has root access, it doesn’t need to annoy the reader, and most users probably won’t even know they’ve been infected. It’s effectively a family of trojan viruses.
Lookout discovered that this family of trojans hides inside legit apps like Candy Crush, Google Now, Facebook, NYTimes, Okta, Twitter, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and over 20,000 others. Infected versions of these applications are not available on the Google Play store and must be downloaded from third party stores. Since most instances of this malware leave the host app virtually unaltered, users may not notice the sneaky little culprit that snuck in on it.
Lookout reports that successfully embedded instances of this malware are “nearly impossible” to remove, and that the only solution for most users will be to purchase a new phone. Adware with this kind of power is obviously a security risk. Apps typically aren’t given access to files created by other applications, but root access bypasses this safeguard and could expose infected devices to fraud and identity theft.
Lookout has identified three different families of this form of trojan malware: Shuanet, Kemoge (or “ShiftyBug”), and GhostPush. These families have separate designers but share 77% of their code, meaning that even if those responsible for creating them are not working together, they are at the very least aware of each other. The highest rates of infection are in the United States, Germany, Iran, Russia, India, Jamaica, Sudan, Brazil, Mexico, and Indonesia.
So is this really that big of a deal though? While the situation might sound dire, in reality, the odds of being infected by such a trojan probably is pretty low. As already mentioned, these infected apps are found in 3rd party stores, so if you stick to official channels — you should have very little to worry about.
The PuzzlePhone is now on Indiegogo, prices starting at $333 USD
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A few weeks ago, we featured a story on the PuzzlePhone, a modular smartphone in the same vein as Project Ara but with fewer swappable parts. The Indiegogo campaign for the PuzzlePhone is now live and now we can see more details about the device. Spec-wise, the device is going to be using an unspecified octa-core ARM 64-bit processor, 3GB RAM, 16/32/64GB storage variants, 5-inch 1080p display and 2,800mAh battery. It will also run Android Marshmallow, and suggests it will be updated in the future.
In terms of pricing, as expected, the base device called the “1st Edition” will be available for $333 USD which will net you the 16GB version of the device. For reference, you’ll need to jump up to $546 USD to get the 64GB version, and if you’re particularly game, you can also get the Indiegogo Limited Edition for $777 USD which includes the 64GB version of the device, special copper detailing and an engraved special edition plate on the device.
One thing I was surprised to see as part of the introductory video was that the modules need to be secured with screws – I had assumed there would be a locking mechanism built into the modules. regardless, I’m interested to see whether the project makes it to the end – with 38 days left, the project has made $61,675 of its $250,000 USD target, however it has flexible funding meaning the project will get all money that is pledged to them regardless of making the target or not. If you’re interested, we have the campaign link for you below.
What do you think about the PuzzlePhone? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Indiegogo
https://www.indiegogo.com/project/puzzlephone-upgradeable-sustainable-incredible/embedded
The post The PuzzlePhone is now on Indiegogo, prices starting at $333 USD appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
PSY is finally getting the monument he deserves in Seoul
PSY’s “Gangnam Style” is so recognizable, the second it starts to play people know what to do. To commemorate the the track that broke YouTube’s view counter, the Gangnam District Office announced that it will be erecting a statue in PSY’s honor because, why the hell not? The structure will be two interlocking wrists symbolic of the song’s horse-riding dance move and will contain sensors in it that will trigger Gangnam Style to play when you’re standing under it. It will be built in the eponymous upscale Seoul district, so if you’re ever in the area make sure you stop by and check out a ridiculous statue commemorating an even more ridiculous tune.
Source: AFP
3RDi is the camera-enabled headband you didn’t ask for
So it turns out someone has developed a piece of wearable tech that manages to make Google Glass look understated and elegant. Introducing 3RDi — as the name suggests, this camera is supposed to act as a third eye so you never miss a photographable moment. You tap the side to take a photo or slide to record a video, and that’s it. Honestly, that’s all the garish headpiece does. The concept is justified but the execution is ridiculous and has an incredibly high Indiegogo goal of $250,000. It’s still in the development stages and company promises to expand on the very few features the 3RDi currently sports. If you decide to be an early adopter but feel too self-conscious to wear it around others, just save it as an accessory for your Halloween costume next year. You can either go as a futuristic princess or a terrible idea.
Source: Indiegogo
Google buys Fly Labs, Photos to get in-app video editing
The team at Fly Labs announced on Friday that Google had acquired their company and will be rolling their image-editing technology into Google Photos. “We’ll be pouring the same passion into Google Photos that we poured into Clips, Fly, Tempo and Crop on the Fly,” the company wrote in a blog post. Existing users should note that while Fly Lab’s existing suite of tools will remain free and available in the App Store for the next three months or so, there will be no more updates. Furthermore, if you’ve already downloaded the apps, they’ll continue to work even after this three-month grace period. You won’t, however, be able to re-download them once they’ve been removed from the App Store so make sure you don’t go accidentally uninstalling them.
Source: Fly Labs
Playdate: We’ve got the ‘Need for Speed’ on PlayStation 4
It’s time to kick some tires and light some fires, folks. The new Need for Speed, out this week, is awesome. More importantly, it shows exactly what can happen when a video game publisher (Electronic Arts, in this case) says that a developer can take a year off to work on a game rather than churn out sub-par sequels on an annual basis. Usually when the word “cinematic” is thrown around to describe a game, that means big explosions and scripted events — not usually the visual style. The team at Ghost Games doesn’t subscribe to that theory and rather than focusing on “water-cooler moments” that only happen once, it instead made Need for Speed look as much like a movie shot on film as possible. Need proof? At 6PM Eastern / 3PM Pacific Sean and myself are broadcasting two hours of the game on Twitch.
Google to talk AI ethics with top minds in the industry
To some it’s scary and to others it’s exciting, but the scientific consensus is that artificial intelligence will have a drastic impact on humanity, probably within our lifetimes.
What exactly that will look like is a debated range of sci-fi scenarios. Stephen Hawking made waves when he claimed that the development of AI could end the human race. While real-life Tony Stark Elon Musk and Microsoft’s Bill Gates chimed in with concerns of their own, other experts believe the threat of artificial intelligence has been exaggerated. What everyone can agree on is that developing intelligence is something we should be very, very careful with.
When Google purchased DeepMind to the tune £400 million, the London-based AI startup had some pretty firm ground-rules regarding the two companies’ relationship. Demis Hassabis, the DeepMind CEO, said that a condition to their acquisition by Google was for Google to form an internal ethics committee. DeepMind also refuses to allow any of their technology to be used for weapons or military interests.
What everyone can agree on is that developing intelligence is something we should be very, very careful with.
Hassabis has announced that he and many of the top minds currently working with AI research will be meeting in New York in early 2016 to discuss and debate ethical issues surrounding their work. Although no official list of participants has been released, big players such as Apple and Facebook will almost certainly have representatives present.
Since purchasing the AI company, Google has been using DeepMind’s technology in a wide array of implementations. Artificial intelligence has improved Google’s image recognition technology (if you remember when DeepMind’s “dreams” went viral earlier this year) and is also helping services like Google Now anticipate user’s needs more accurately. Talks like the one expected to occur in New York will likely serve to create ethical frameworks that will guide the development of this and other technologies.
What do you think about this development? Should scientific research not involving living creatures be fettered by ethical concerns? Is AI going to be the proverbial genie that won’t go back in the bottle? Are we going to throttle ourselves into a wasteland future that sees every human being wailing “What has science done?” under the authoritarian bootheel of robotic overlords? Let us know in the comments!
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