Google hires the lead for Tesla’s semi-autonomous driving tech
Apple and Tesla aren’t the only two tech companies grabbing each other’s staff to fulfill their automotive dreams — Google has quietly hired Robert Rose, the lead for Tesla’s semi-autonomous Autopilot program. It’s not clear what he’s working on besides software at Google Robotics, but it won’t be surprising if he’s working on self-driving cars. He’s unlikely to be working for Boston Dynamics, whose staff are relatively independent from the Google mothership. One thing’s for sure: Tesla will notice his absence. Rose was the lead engineer for some of SpaceX’s earlier rocketry and reported directly to Elon Musk while at Tesla, so this clearly wasn’t a trivial move.
[Image credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Via: 9to5Google
Source: LinkedIn
Latest batch of Clinton emails may contain classified intel
The State Department announced on Monday that it will release an email from former-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email server that, according to members of the intelligence community, may contain classified information. The email is part of a nearly 8,000-page document dump scheduled for Monday. The State Department has already unveiled around 30,000 pages (of an estimated 54,000) since the scandal erupted in March.
Via: Politico
Source: State Department
Vintage Electric’s latest e-bike gives you more retro power
Vintage Electric drew a lot of attention when it unveiled its retro e-bikes a couple of years ago: it managed to fuse the classic look of early 20th century board track racers with a decidedly modern electric motor. Well, it’s back for another year… and it’s clear that the company has learned a lot in a short space of time. Its newly launched 2016 Tracker ups both the performance and the nostalgia quotient. It’s 15 percent more efficient than last year’s Tracker, but produces 20 percent more torque and carries a larger 70 watt-hour battery good for 35 miles of real-world travel. At the same time, you’ll find clever new touches like stainless steel accents and pewter badging.
Source: Vintage Electric
More Chinese manufactures are making their own chips
It seems like every manufacture is making their own chips now a days. It used to be just the biggest manufactures like Apple and Samsung making their own chips, but now more and more Chinese manufactures are getting in on the action.
ZTE has just recently received CNY2.4 billion (US$73.8 million) from China’s National IC Industry Investment Fund. This money will be used to help accelerate their mobile chip development.
Xiaomi is another China based manufacture that will be partnering with chip designer Leadcore Technology to co-develop ARM-based SoCs for Xiaomi’s 2016 device line up.
Finally, Huawei already provides chips to many smartphone vendor’s phones. However, they are doing so well that they are becoming a real problem to mainstream chip companies like MediaTek and Qualcomm.
Source: DigiTimes
Via: Pocketnow
Come comment on this article: More Chinese manufactures are making their own chips
Samsung’s mobile division may see some rearrangement in the near future
As most of you know, Samsung has been experiencing some difficulties matching the sales it had back in 2012. A new report suggests that this decline may result in a rearrangement of management.
J.K. Shin, the leader executive of Samsung, might be forced to step down. With what began with Samsung’s largest mobile prosperity at Shin’s hiring, has now begun slowing and analysts are predicting that even more declines are ahead for the Korean tech giant. Samsung’s mobile division remains on top of the global scale to date, however, profits are sinking and marketshare is slowly slipping away. Samsung Group Vice Chairman Lee Jae Yong (pictured above) is being forced to make a decision on whether to fire Shin or force him to move down.
The decision may be coming faster than we all think as the future of Samsung’s mobile division depends on it. Based on a report last week, Samsung may partner with Google to further stabilize and cutback on the company’s Touchwiz interface, which could ultimately better sales. Additionally, Samsung has a new strategy up its sleeve that brings flagship features to mid-range models. Whichever transition Samsung makes, it’ll be a major factor in keeping the company on track.
Source: Bloomberg
Come comment on this article: Samsung’s mobile division may see some rearrangement in the near future
AT&T to Raise Price of Grandfathered Unlimited Plans From $30 to $35
AT&T will raise the price of its grandfathered unlimited data plans from $30 to $35 in February of 2016, reports CNBC. The upcoming rate change is detailed on a page on AT&T’s website and is the first price hike the unlimited plan has seen in seven years.
Though AT&T no longer offers unlimited data plans to customers, a small number of customers continue to hold unlimited data plans that were purchased before AT&T discontinued them in 2010. AT&T’s current $30 unlimited data plan allows customers to use an unlimited amount of data, but AT&T does throttle with excessive data usage.
As of February 16, the $30 price tag, which is in addition to voice costs, will rise to $35. The price hike comes just a couple of months after AT&T announced changes to its throttling practices. AT&T previously throttled customers on congested networks after 5GB of LTE data usage, but that cap was increased to 22GB in September, making unlimited plans more valuable.
AT&T plans to notify customers who will be impacted by the price increase. Customers who wish to cancel their wireless service because of the pricing increase will have early termination fees waived for affected lines. Price changes will take effect during each customer’s February billing period.
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BlackBerry pulls out of Pakistan after refusing the governments demands for unrestricted data access
Even though Pakistan remains an important mobile market, BlackBerry has announced that they will be formally withdrawing from the country. This development has come about as a result of Pakistan’s government insisting that BlackBerry grant them backdoor access to encrypted services earlier this year.
BlackBerry is a company that touts the value of security pretty vocally. The CEO even said that the BlackBerry Priv was given its name in-part because it was short for “Privacy.” In an era in which companies seem more than willing to fold on their values for financial gain, it’s encouraging to see BlackBerry’s unconditional refusal. The company has taken a firm stance on the side of their users’ personal privacy, and the Pakistani government wasn’t thrilled.
See also: NSA can no longer collect info on your phone calls
When BlackBerry refused to comply, Pakistan Telecommunications Authority commanded carriers in the region to shut down BlackBerry’s Enterprise Service by the end of 2015 for “security reasons.” The ultimatum is that Pakistan will allow service to continue only if the government gains free access to emails and BBM messages flowing through Enterprise.
What happens when an unrelenting force encounters an immovable object? The answer is: a lot of very disappointed Pakistani BlackBerry users. BlackBerry says that, while they would be willing to grant limited access to law enforcement agencies for use in investigations, what the Pakistani government is demanding is a bridge too far.
With the NSA recently ceasing bulk collection of data from US smartphones, this is a second win for privacy in as many days. A change in the winds, perhaps? We can all hope. As information becomes more and more available and valuable, security and freedom from government surveillance are both becoming issues of immense import.
What are your thoughts on this? A financial mistake on the part of BlackBerry, or an important statement to their user base regarding their commitment to privacy? Let us know in the comments!
The CardNinja replaces your wallet with your phone (Review)
Our smartphones seem to be slowly and surely replacing our wallets, and with tap-to-pay options like Android Pay becoming more widely used and accepted, carrying a wallet around is becoming less necessary. If you are like me, you love the idea of using your phone to pay for everything, but you are still not comfortable leaving all of your cards and cash at home. For me, there are not enough places where I live that accept wireless payments so I have to carry cards with me, and I always keep some cash on hand because you never know when a company’s card reader will start messing up. The CardNinja from Cubi is a simple solution to this problem that allows you to carry some cards and cash with you but still leave your phone at home.
Design and Application
CardNinja is an elastic pouch that attaches to the back of your phone with adhesive. This allows you to fit several cards and some folded up bills into the pouch and keep everything you need to pay with on your phone. The CardNinja comes in a variety of colors, and I went with the Steel Grey option.
I normally keep a case on my Nexus 6, and although the CardNinja claims to work with most cases, I decided to take the case off and give the CardNinja a try just on the back of my phone. The CardNinja itself isn’t thick at only 2.5mm, but once you start adding cards into it, it definitely adds some thickness to the back of your phone.
There is 3M adhesive on the back which keeps it securely attached to your phone, and you should be careful when applying the CardNinja because the adhesive is extremely strong and is a pain to remove if you make a mistake. I was worried that the CardNinja would not like the curved back of my Nexus 6, but the adhesive is strong enough to hold it to the curve even with cards in it.
Make sure when you apply the CardNinja that you avoid any sensors or microphones on the back of your device. I almost covered up the microphone on the back of my Nexus 6 because I wasn’t paying attention.
Using the CardNinja
I have been using the CardNinja for over a week now on the back of my Nexus 6, and I must say that I am impressed. I included my four most important cards (driver’s license, school ID card, debit card, and Google Wallet card) along with a couple of twenties, and the CardNinja had plenty of room for them and even more cards. Cubi claims that there is room for eight cards, and I believe it! One thing that was slightly annoying was that the CardNinja added thickness to one end of my phone which made it awkward to place flat on a table. If you are used to using your phone when it is face up on a table, the CardNinja will make that more difficult. After a few days, I was used to it and it actually does not bother me anymore. 
I found getting cards in and out of the CardNinja extremely easy, and I believe it was actually simpler to use than a wallet because all of your cards and cash are right there. I was worried that the added thickness would make it difficult to use Android Pay, but I experienced no problems whatsoever. I used AndroidPay at several different retailers, and each transaction went perfectly.
One unexpected bonus is that it actually made my phone easier to hold and use with one hand. I have a tendency to drop my phone which is why I keep a case on it, but the entire time I have been using the CardNinja, I have never had my phone slip out of my hand. It also adds some extra grip on the back which makes the phone easier to hold.
The only real negative that I found with the CardNinja is that the added thinkness makes wireless charging basically impossible with stuff in the pouch. That being said, if you have cards with magnetic strips, I would not recommend using wireless charging with them on the back of your phone anyway since there is the possibility of the wireless charging messing up the cards. If you still wish to use wireless charging, you can easily take the cards out first as the CardNinja does not interfere with it when empty.
After using the CardNinja for over a week, I can say with absolute certainty that I did not miss my wallet one bit. I enjoyed only carrying the cards and cash I needed and being able to pay with everything from my phone. In fact, I do not plan on returning to using my wallet any time soon. The CardNinja does everything I need it to do.
I believe that the CardNinja could replace wallets for the majority of people who only need a little cash and a few cards on them. It may not be a solution for everyone, but if you are looking to ditch your wallet, you would be wrong to not give CardNinja a try.
For under $10, the CardNinja is a great stocking stuffer or gift for family members of all ages. You can pick on up in any of the 6 colors at Amazon (with Prime shipping) or at the CardNinja website.
The post The CardNinja replaces your wallet with your phone (Review) appeared first on AndroidGuys.
LG Urbane 2nd Edition Watch: One of the best Android Wear watches you may never get to own (Review)
The LG Urbane 2nd Edition Watch was an Android Wear watch that sold on the market for less than one week and was pulled off the shelves due to a manufacturing issue with the watch. LG representatives have been rather ambiguous as to what the exact problem is, but nonetheless, I am one of the fortunate/unfortunate few to get my hands on one. And I can tell you AT&T has come calling for me to return this 2nd Edition Urbane Watch, and has even given me a $100 credit against my bill to ease my suffering. Regardless, I still have been using the first Android Wear LTE connected device for the past few weeks, and I really don’t want to give it up.
Design
The LG Urbane 2nd Edition Watch is a big watch, but not so big that it feels uncomfortable – at least for a person with average sized wrists. I had a few of my female friends try the 1.38″ wide and 14.2mm thick watch and it looked rather ridiculous. There is a clear inability or lack of effort in designing these watches to be smaller for women’s wrists, but packing in all of the technology into such a small space must be rather difficult(an assumption based on many manufacturers are not making smaller Android Wear devices and women make up a significant portion of the wearable market). Sure Moto has a women’s version of the 360 2, but it is still big at 42mm.
Despite is rather large size, it isn’t much bigger than the Huawei Watch or the Moto 360. More importantly it actually fits much better and is actually comfortable with the rubberized watch band provided with the watch. The watch band is not replaceable, so if LG never releases this watch again, I will be out of luck if the current watch band breaks. The band actually houses the antennae which receives and sends LTE signals, so a typical replacement band simply will not work. I happened to buy the black version and it feels no different than wearing a CASIO G-Shock watch. It looks uncomfortable but once it is on, it is very comfortable to wear.
LG Urbane 2nd Edition in the back and the Huawei Watch in black in the front.
The case is made from stainless steel and it really does look like a watch. With a best in class, 348ppi, the P-OLED display looks better than even the Huawei Watch’s display which also has similar display technology, just lesser pixel density.
The most unique feature this Android Wear watch arrived on the shelves with, is the ability to connect to cellular networks to send text messages and make phone calls. There have been other wearables that have been able to make calls or access the internet independently of a Bluetooth connection to a smartphone, but no other Android Wear watch has yet to release an LTE version.
Speaker slot.
It also comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, 4GB of memory and 768MB of RAM. This is more than enough power to keep the 2nd generation Urbane running smoothly and offers enough space for me to store a couple hundred songs from Google Play Music. A couple hundred songs is more than enough music to make it through any of my exercise activities.
Overall this is one of the best designed Android Wear watches to date.
Daily Usage
Apparently, “under extreme conditions” the LG Urbane 2nd Edition display has issues. I don’t necessarily know what that means, as “extreme” can mean a wide variety of things to different people. I happen to think 40 degree weather is extremely cold(I live in San Diego), and someone from Wisconsin will call me a wuss as -80 is extremely cold to them.
I don’t plan on using my Urbane in “extreme” conditions as I have a relatively not “extreme” lifestyle. I go to work in a chemistry lab which is environmentally controlled, I walk and hike outdoors with my dog, and I exercise in a gym. My display has not shown one issue with its display quality(knock on wood), and there have been several instances where people have noticed my watch and made compliments. A couple of people asked me if I got a new watch, on different days, because I switched the watch face and they thought it was a brand new analog watch. The pixel density is high enough to actually make it look like a real watch face. My original Moto 360 and Asus Zenwatch 2 were more obvious to onlookers as a smartwatch, but I got many compliments on how good the LG Urbane 2nd Edition Watch looked.
From the day I purchased this watch to today, I have been enamored at how much I enjoy using Android Wear. There still isn’t a ton of functionality with Android Wear, but it’s a watch. People really need to put the notion of a smartphone replacement behind them. You aren’t going to be watching movies or playing full fledged games from a smartwatch. But you can listen to wireless music, make phone calls, check the weather, get your heart rate, send texts, get notifications, track activity levels, heart rate, and check the time.
It’s been a few years since I wore a watch on a regular basis – the smartphone replaced my need to wear a watch. But since I have been wearing a smartwatch on a daily basis again, it really has become apparent to me that checking the time on my wrist really is a lot more convenient than pulling out my large Nexus 6P. It really can be rude to pull out your phone just to check the time when you’re around company, as many people assume you’re checking more than the time, and in many cases you are. Checking the time around company isn’t necessarily any less rude, but it is much easier to check the time on your wrist than your giant smartphone.
Another nice feature I have grown to enjoy is accessing “OK Google” from the Urbane. I have been sending texts while I drive, setting timers and alarms, checking my calendar and getting navigation all from my wrist. Like checking the time, accessing these voice controlled commands is much easier from my wrist than from my pocket.
Over the past few months I have also been trying really hard to get back into improving my health. I have been using the pedometer feature on my smartphone, but there are many times when I leave it behind or set it down on the counter. And that means I am not keeping accurate track of my daily activities. With the Urbane, or any other Android Wear watch for that matter, it counts my steps. It knows if I am running or walking and it logs it within the Google Fit app. And when I see a lack of activity, I make sure to get moving again.
The LG Urbane 2nd Edition Watch comes with a large 570mAh battery. The battery is almost twice as large as the 300mAh battery found in the Huawei Watch, and it performs the best of the watches I have been using – the Asus Zenwatch 2, Samsung Gear S2, Huawei Watch, and first generation Moto 360. With such a large battery I don’t even think twice about checking the power reserves until the following afternoon or evening after pulling it off the charger. I even have the display set to “always on” where it shows a watch face with the time all of the time. The battery life is actually one of my favorite features about the Urbane and LG knew smart watches have to last longer. 24-hours just isn’t good enough and the Urbane 2nd Edition easily makes it through two full days of usage.
Having the ability to make phone calls without my smartphone is a huge blessing. I am very busy, and sometimes when I am on a hike or working out, I really don’t want to bring my phone with me. The Nexus 6P, as much as I love it, is big and I don’t like bringing it with me when I am active. I had my mother call me on my watch on a night she needed to tell me something urgent, and I was so happy I didn’t miss the call( I was out walking my dog without my phone). It came through loud and clear. I also made a call into work when I was on a hike while being four miles away from my truck and my smartphone. It’s a feature I hope Android Wear builds into more smartwatches in 2016 and beyond.
Summary
For $299(AT&T), I bought the first and last(so far) Android Wear watch with LTE. Due to a manufacturing defect, AT&T and LG have given me a $100 dollar credit on my next bill so it really turns out this watch cost me $200. I have seen the LG Urbane 2nd generation smartwatch listed on ebay from $500-1000 and I can understand why people should want this watch. There’s probably not more than 1k of them in the wild, and they really are limited. I won’t sell mine, and I probably won’t return it to AT&T and hope that it works for at least a year. And as of right now, there is no plan that anyone is aware of for LG to re-release the Urbane 2nd Edition Watch.
With the ability to use Android Wear, make phone calls, send texts, stream music, check the time and more, this LG Urbane 2nd Edition is a watch I wish everyone could experience. I truly hope LG manages to fix the problem with the Urbane 2nd Edition because it really is one of the better smartwatches. It is fast, has incredible battery life, and had a great starting price at $299.
If you are/were interested in purchasing the LG Urbane 2nd Edition Watch, send LG a note and let them know you would love to see it re-released.
From left to right: 1. Asus Zenwatch 2 2. Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 3. LG Urbane 2nd Edition 4. Huawei Watch 5. Moto 360
Specs
| OS | Android Wear |
|---|---|
| Case | Stainless Steel 316L, Brushed Metal Finish 45.5 mm Diameter; 14.2 mm Thickness |
| Chipset | 1.2 GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 400 |
| Display | 1.38″ Full Circle P-OLED (480×480, 348 ppi) |
| Memory | 768 MB / 4 GB eMMC |
| Battery | 570 mAh |
| Connectivity | LTE / 3G, Bluetooth® Version 4.1; Wi-Fi® Connectivity and Offline Music Play |
| Sensor | 9-Axis (Gyro/Accelerometer/Compass) / Barometer / PPG (Heart Rate Sensor) |
| Protection | IP67 Certified; Waterproof for up to 1 meter for 30 minutes |
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Adobe releases Adobe Premiere Clip into the wild
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Some people use their phones for everything – for those that use their phones for video editing, Adobe now has a new option for you. Adobe has just released Adobe Premiere Clip onto the Google Play Store, which boasts drag and drop functionality to arrange your photos and videos into the desired clips. Premiere Clip also boasts the ability to match the tempo of your video/slideshow with any given music file. That all sounds great, but the only downside is that you’ll need to sign into an Adobe account to use the app – this might not be a problem for Adobe power users but for the casual user this is a bit of a nuisance. Regardless, if Premiere Clip sounds like the app for you, you can download it for free at the Play Store link below:
Adobe Premiere Clip Play Store link
Features:
AUTOMATIC VIDEO CREATION
Simply choose a soundtrack and select the pace — Clip artfully sets your images to the beat of the music. Your video is immediately shareable, or you can move into the Freeform editor to customize further with powerful editing features.POWERFUL VIDEO EDITING
Drag and drop clips and photos in the order that you like, trim out the parts you don’t want, and add visual polish with lighting adjustments, transitions, and slow motion effects. Sync to Music lets you edit to the beat of your music like a pro.
What do you think about Adobe Premiere Clip? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: TalkAndroid
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AIVAnet 