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19
Nov

Google Play will soon begin telling you if an app has any ads


alcatel-onetouch-idol-3-4.7-google-play-store-taGoogle is updating their Play Store policies that will require developers to list whether or not their application features any in-app advertisements, which is actually already required for any apps listed in Google’s Designed for Families category. This policy change will affect every app on the Play Store and will begin to be enforced in January, 2016.

Developers will have to list this info by January 11th, and it includes just about anything that anyone would consider an advertisement. In-app ads, ads in a news feed, and banner ads all qualify, and Google checks the SDK to tell whether or not you’re deploying any kind of ad service in your app.

Would any of you refuse to install an app if you knew it contained ads?

source: Google

Come comment on this article: Google Play will soon begin telling you if an app has any ads

19
Nov

CalDigit Announces Two New USB-C Docks, USB-C Adapters and More


Today at Inter BEE 2015 in Japan, CalDigit announced two new lines of USB Type-C docks, two new USB-C adapters and more. The new accessories give owners of USB-C computers like the new MacBook more flexibility in how they use their device.

usbcdockCalDigit USB-C Dock

The USB-C Dock comes in five colors and features a silicon cover that CalDigit says adds a layer of protection to the dock’s aluminum case. The dock includes 2 USB-C ports, 2 USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a Display Port, an Ethernet port, Audio in and out and AC power. The dock allows users to charge their computer while connecting all a user’s devices at the same time.

The smaller USB-C mini Dock has 2 USB-C ports, 2 USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a VGA port and a Gigabit Ethernet port. Unlike the larger dock, the more portable version does not charge the computer at the same time. Instead, it draws power from the computer.

CalDigit also announced the FASTA-6GU3 Plus, a dual interface PCIe card that adds 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A and 2 eSATA ports to any Mac desktop computer. Finally, the company also announced USB-C to HDMI and USB-C to VGA adapters.

usbcminidockCalDigit USB-C mini Dock

All the new products are available for pre-order on CalDigit’s website. The USB-C Dock has a special pre-order price of $149.99, but will retail for $159.99 and ship in February 2016. The mini Dock has a special pre-order price of $89.99, but will retail for $99.99 and ship in late January 2016. The FASTA-6Gu3 Plus also ships in January 2016 and will retail for $169.99. Both adapters will ship in December 2015, with the HDMI adapter retailing for $29.99 while the VGA adapter will retail for $24.99.

Tags: USB-C, CalDigit

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19
Nov

This new security checkpoint could keep the TSA out of your bags


At the top of the list of “things that piss off air travelers” is, far and away, the hassle of having a bunch of TSA clownholes rummage through their bags at security checkpoints. However, a new bag-scanning system from Qylur could speed that process up significantly.

Via: Wired

Source: Qylur

19
Nov

Oppo embraces near-stock Android to sell more phones beyond China


Oppo's Project Spectrum in action

It’s relatively easy to buy Oppo’s smartphones in many places around the world. However, it’s still obvious that they were originally designed for Chinese buyers, who tend to favor heavy customization — how is Oppo supposed to make a name for itself abroad? By stripping things down, apparently. The company has released a beta version of Project Spectrum, a firmware release that gets much closer to stock Android. You’ll still find signature Oppo features like a custom camera app and screen-off gestures, but you’ll see much more of Google’s original interface (specifically, Lollipop). It’s only available to download for the Find 7 and Find 7a at the moment, but there are plans for both broader hardware support and a Marshmallow upgrade in the months ahead.

Via: The Verge

Source: Oppo Community

19
Nov

DARPA wants your crazy robot pitches


DARPA is known for its amazing tech and scary robots. But it knows that somewhere out there, others are thinking of sweet automatons to help the Department of Defense. To that end, it has teamed up with Open Source Robotics Foundation for the Robotics Fast Track (RFT) program to give people outside the government the chance to pitch their robot idea. While it’s happy to accept pitches about land and air devices, what it’s really interested in is space and maritime hardware. According to DARPA program manager Mark Micire, building for both those environments is incredibly difficult. So, if you have a sweet submarine that can track other objects underwater without cracking under extreme pressure, you might want hit them up.

Source: RFT

19
Nov

Expansys offering big savings in Pre Black Friday deals


Grab the Nexus 5 for $200 in limited-time deal

Looking to pick up a kick ass Android smartphone but wanted to hold off until Black Friday or Cyber Monday? What if we told you that there were some incredible promotions happening right now?

Expansys is selling a handful of Android phones, Chromebooks, tablets, and other goods as part of a Pre Black Friday promotion. There’s also a bunch of savings to be had on Windows-based devices, accessories and more.

We’ve scooped up a few that were passed along to us so definitely check ’em out!

Android

LG-V10-02

Chromebooks and All-in-Ones

The post Expansys offering big savings in Pre Black Friday deals appeared first on AndroidGuys.

19
Nov

OPPO launches a near-stock Android experience to appeal to western markets


OPPO has long been an inventive player in the Android market, adding tons of customization to its own skin. In a change in direction however, they are now releasing a version of their ColorOS that brings users a stripped down version of Android that is much closer to stock.


oppo find 7 review aa (9 of 20)See also: Oppo Find 7 review16

In the markets of China and India, heavily customized operating systems are preferable, as they bring regional variations that appeal to buyers. However, the western market is increasingly irritated with excessive ornamentation and prefers a simpler, less regionally-specific Android experience. OPPO is responding to this difference in opinion with aplomb by releasing Project Spectrum, a version of ColorOS that maintains a few of the operating system’s key features while stripping away anything that may be considered bloatware.

Project Spectrum is immediately available for Find 7 and Find 7a devices, and can be downloaded here. OPPO is planning on making Project Spectrum available on many more of its devices going forward.

ColorOS is effectively a heavily modified Android ROM that has garnered a wide fanbase worldwide. The enhancements it brings to Android include imaging and audio enhancements and off-screen gestures. In response to feedback from their community, OPPO has designed Project Spectrum to maintain these key features of ColorOS,while making the devices feel much more like an un-customized version of Android.

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For those not familiar, OPPO is a leading technology brand in the global market. They’ve reached an audience that spans fifty countries and lean heavily on their philosophy of listening to consumers in a particular region and designing products tailored to their specific needs and preferences.

For now, Spectrum remains an option, but has yet to find its way to any devices out-of-the-box. If the effort is well received however, it is certainly conceivable that OPPO could eventually preload the software on handsets intended for the sale in the western market. What do you think of the move? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Show Press Release
Shenzhen, Nov 18, 2015 – The ever-evolving global smartphone brand OPPO is rolling out a near-stock Android alternative to its popular ColorOS that will allow users of key devices to choose a clean-cut Android experience without sacrificing ColorOS’ most beloved customizations. Available as a direct download from the OPPO Community website, the new operating system, called Project Spectrum, continues OPPO’s commitment to listening closely to users’ needs and will allow OPPO to even better connect to consumers in Western markets.

Starting in 2013, OPPO included ColorOS, a highly customized Android ROM, on all of its smartphones. ColorOS’ robust set of features as well as its sleek and friendly design have been well received by users around the world. But OPPO prides itself on listening to what users really want, and there is a significant group of smartphone enthusiasts, particularly in Western countries, who prefer software that stays closer to Google’s original vision for Android. It is with their enjoyment in mind that OPPO is expanding the software options for key devices.

With Project Spectrum, users will experience all the oft-cited benefits of near-stock Android: speed, lean design and faster updates. But they also won’t lose the most widely loved ColorOS features, including industry-leading imaging and audio enhancements (PureImage 2.0+, MaxxAudio) and screen-off gestures. OPPO users will have a wider spectrum of choice, and whichever path they choose will bring a full spectrum of features.

The widely loved Find 7 and Find 7a are the first devices to receive the Project Spectrum option, with a version based on Android 5.1. Find 7 and Find 7a users can directly download Project Spectrum from the OPPO Community website, and then follow a few simple steps to install it.

Versions of Project Spectrum for the R5 and R5s, also based on Android 5.1, will follow soon. Meanwhile, a version of Project Spectrum based on Android Marshmallow is expected to be released for other key devices in early 2016.

Warranties for devices sold over oppostyle.com or Amazon in Europe, which mostly serve Western customers, will not be affected if users choose to switch to Project Spectrum. Customers who bought their phones anywhere else, such as offline stores in Asia, Africa or Latin America, should consult their local resellers for more information about warranty policies.

As always, OPPO product managers expressed their encouragement for community engagement, and said that Project Spectrum will make incorporating user feedback into future software updates even easier. Meanwhile, for users who prefer a superb, hassle-free experience straight out of the box, ColorOS will continue to be supported as the default system for all OPPO phones.
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About OPPO

OPPO is a leading global technology brand dedicated to providing consumers across the Americas, Africa, Europe, Oceania, and Asia with pioneering products that never fail to inspire and excite. At OPPO we design, manufacture, and promote our own products, combining innovative technology with unique design, to ensure our customers always receive the best.

Founded in 2004, OPPO quickly proved itself in the market with its intense obsession to details. Each OPPO product encompasses a carefully selected array of attributes to specifically cater for users, combining impressive features with elegant designs. After entering the mobile phone market in 2008, OPPO quickly expanded into overseas markets a year later. OPPO mobile phones are currently available in over 20 markets and offered for online purchase in over 50 additional countries, with the brand already registered in 116 countries as of April 2015.

But OPPO doesn’t stop there. Using our passion for design and commitment to new technologies, OPPO has made a big impact in the audio-visual market by offering world-renowned, premium Blu-ray players in the United States and across Europe. For more information, please visit http://www.oppo.com/en/.

19
Nov

Congress approves space mining, minus regulation


NASA's depiction of a spacecraft visiting an asteroid

American companies now have the all-clear to pursue their dreams of mining in space. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have passed the US Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act, a measure that lets US companies own any non-organic resources they harvest from asteroids and other space objects. This doesn’t give them sovereignty, but it does let them return to Earth without worrying that officials will confiscate their goods.

Source: Wired

19
Nov

Doctors can now grow human vocal chords in a lab


Chris Cornell and Outernational Perform at the Vogue Theatre in Indianapolis

Used to be that if you damaged your vocal chords and needed a new set, doctors would have to shoot you full of immunosuppressants to keep your body from rejecting the cadaver-sourced replacements. Not anymore. Researchers at University of Wisconsin Medical School have published a preliminary study in the journal Science Translational Medicine wherein they successfully cultured 170 sets of vocal chords in the lab. These organs do not require the course of immunosuppressants that conventional transplants require. “We never imagined that we would see the impressive level of function that we did,” study senior author Nathan Welham told Buzzfeed.

Via: Buzzfeed

Source: Science Translational Medicine

19
Nov

Telegram blocked 78 ISIS messaging channels this week


As details emerged after ISIS’ coordinated, deadly attacks on Paris and Beirut last week, one name stood out in conversations about communications channels: Telegram. ISIS operatives use Telegram and other encrypted messaging services to communicate — a fact that was apparently news to Telegram. In response, this week the company blocked 78 ISIS-related channels in 12 languages. “We were disturbed to learn that Telegram’s public channels were being used by ISIS to spread their propaganda,” the company writes. Telegram found and blocked the channels based on user-submitted reports.

Source: @Telegram (Twitter)