BlackBerry starts rolling out first stability update for the Priv
BlackBerry is in the midst of rolling out its first update to all unlocked variants of the Priv. The upgrade brings a truckload of improvements to the handset, including a number of tweaks aimed at improving the overall stability of the device, as well as several security enhancements based on Google’s latest patches.
Hit the break for the full changelog.
- An improved camera: We’ve implemented a number of tweaks that improve the speed of our camera app, and re-tuned it for better low-light image quality.
- Better performance: We’ve also tweaked the PRIV’s software to improve overall system performance
- Improved stability: The update further includes a number of adjustments designed to improve device reliability and reduce instances of crashing and freezing.
- Enhanced security: Lastly, the release includes December’s security patches – rest easy knowing your device is protected against the latest Android security threats.
As is the norm, this update is being distributed in stages. To see if it’s ready for your device head into Settings, scroll to the bottom and tap on “About Device”, hit “System Updates”, then select “Check for updates”. Alternatively, you can wait until you receive a push notification prompting you to install the update.
Come comment on this article: BlackBerry starts rolling out first stability update for the Priv
Step aside Gershwin: Computer-generated musical to premiere in London
Computers might be ideal productivity companions, but sometimes they need to express their creative side too. They produce music, design knitwear, create art and delicious recipes; even write news stories (*gulp*). But their next creative achievement is on an altogether grander scale. Commissioned by UK TV channel Sky Arts for an upcoming series, and debuting in the Arts Theatre in London’s West End early next year, Beyond the Fence isn’t your typical musical. In fact, the full-length stage production features a plot and score conceived principally by machines.
Source: Arts Theatre, The Guardian
Kinect sensors could lead to safer X-rays
You don’t want to stand in front of an X-ray machine for any longer than necessary, and scientists have found a clever way to make that happen: the Kinect sensor you might have picked up with your Xbox. Their technique has the depth-sensing camera measuring both motion and the thickness of your body to make sure that doctors get a high-quality shot using as little radiation as possible. That’s particularly important for kids, who can be sensitive to strong X-ray blasts.
Via: EurekAlert
The Moto 360 Sport goes on sale in the US in January
The new Moto 360 was a definite step up over the original model, but we found it wasn’t particularly well-suited to workouts. Motorola appeared to know that right off the bat, as the company announced it was working on a “sport” model specifically for the athletically-minded. Now, the company’s finally telling us when it’ll be available. The Moto 360 Sport will go on sale in the UK and France on December 18th and will follow in the US on January 7th. The $299 watch will also be available in Best Buy stores all around the US on January 10th.
Source: Motorola
Sony tempts gamers with two $300 PlayStation 4 bundles
Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be behind us now, but Sony wants to keep people’s shopping momentum going. The tech company today announced two PlayStation 4 bundles at a new low price: $300 each, albeit for a limited time. First up, there’s the The Nathan Drake Collection version, which includes a 500GB console and three remastered titles from the Uncharted franchise. Your other option is the Star Wars: Battlefront bundle, and this comes with the Standard Edition of EA’s newly released game, a code to download four classic Star Wars titles, as well as a 500GB PS4 model. If you missed out on deal these past few days, this could be your chance to save cash on Sony’s console. Both bundles will be available starting on Sunday, December 6th, through the 19th.
Source: Sony
Adobe Renaming ‘Flash Professional’ to ‘Animate’, Shifts Focus to HTML5
As part of its round of November Creative Cloud updates, Adobe announced plans to rebrand its Flash Professional CC software as Animate CC to acknowledge a growing shift away from Flash.
In a blog post on its website, Adobe explains that more than a third of content created in Flash Pro CC uses HTML5, leading the company to rename the software to “accurately represent its position as the premier animation tool for the web and beyond.”
Along with changing the name of Flash Professional CC, Adobe is working on major feature updates for the software, including improved drawing, illustration, and authoring support and integration with Adobe Stock and Creative Cloud Libraries.
While Adobe is rebranding to better focus on HTML5, it says the new Animate CC will continue to support Flash (SWF) and Air formats as “first-class citizens,” with work already underway on Flash Player 12.
The new Adobe Animate CC app will be available starting in January. Previous versions of Flash Professional will continue to be available.
Flash has been on its way out for several years now. Apple’s refusal to support flash on its iOS devices was a major blow to Adobe and declining use led Adobe to eliminate its Flash player for mobile devices in 2011. Major websites have largely transitioned from Flash due to never ending security vulnerabilities, with Amazon no longer accepting Flash ads and Facebook’s lead security engineer calling for the death of Flash.
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The Omate Rise is a tough, circular, 3G-connected smartwatch running Android
Omate is no stranger to producing wearables on the cheap, and that’s very apparent by the company’s lineup of smartwatches and other connected accessories. The Omate TrueSmart saw some pretty wide success over the years, only to be succeeded by the TrueSmart+, which launched back in September. Now Omate is launching another smartwatch that seems to fit right in to the company’s product portfolio.
The Omate Rise is a tough, circular, 3G-connected smartwatch running Android (not Android Wear). It sports a 1.3-inch touchscreen TFT display with 360 x 360 resolution, a strong sapphire coating on the display to protect from bumps and bruises, and supports interchangeable 22mm straps. It runs Android 5.1 Lollipop with Omate’s OUI 4.0 on top, and can be paired with any Android 4.3+ device or an iPhone running iOS 9. Powering this smartwatch is a dual-core 1.2GHz MediaTek MT2601 processor backed by 512MB of RAM. It also has 4GB of on-board storage, a 580mAh battery, and 1 ATM water-resistance.
See also: Best Android Wear watches
This is a 3G-connected wearable, so you can connect it to any GSM network of your choosing. It takes a Micro SIM card, and supports 3G bands 2100 or 1900, as well as 2G bands 850, 900, 1800 and 1900.
Want to get your hands on one? Not so fast – the Omate Rise will only be available for 48 hours on Indiegogo beginning Monday, December 7th. Super Early Birds (folks who take advantage of the pre-sale) will be able to score the smartwatch for only $199 instead of the $349 retail price. Early backers will also get a free Bluetooth heart rate monitor chest belt with their order.
If you’d like to learn more about the Omate Rise, check out the company’s website for all the details.
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[Deal] Extend the Cyber Monday festivities with CYBERMONDAY20
Cyber Monday has come and gone, but the deals are still rolling. Yesterday, we shared a great deal to save an extra 25% on any e-learning set of courses, which allowed some courses to be under $10. Today, we are continuing the education trend with the additional discounts that are being offered.
If you missed yesterday’s sale, you still have a great chance to save a ton of money on any of the e-learning courses that are available. Simply head over to the AndroidGuys Deals page, pick your poison(s) and use the coupon code ‘CYBERMONDAY20‘ and you’ll save an extra 20%. There’s always some type of catch with these deals, but this one’s not a major one. Due to the huge amount of money you’re already saving with this deal, you will not be able to use this coupon code for the ‘Pay What You Want’ bundles that are on the site.
Two e-learning courses that are being featured today are the Amazon Web Services Engineer Certification Bundle and the Ultimate Data & Analytics Bundle. With both of these bundles, you’re already saving upwards of 90%, but tack on an extra 20% and you can get these courses for dirt cheap.
Ultimate Data & Analytics Bundle
- Lifetime access to all 130+ courses
- Access to all future online data & analytics courses
- Access to experts via online academic support
- Courses on essential software used for business analytics & business intelligence
- Certificates of completion in SAS, R, Oracle & database courses
- SAS courses, including SAS Dataset, SAS Format & SAS Functions training
- R courses, including R Business Analytics, R-Studio, R Programming & Anova training
- Pinnacle data & analytics courses, including Hadoop, Cloud, Tableau, MongoDB & Informatica training
- Oracle & other database courses, including Oracle SOA Suite, Oracle SQL, RMAN, Oracle Database and Toad training
Amazon Web Services Certification Bundle
- Prep for the AWS Certified Developer certification exam w/ over 42 lectures & 9.5 hours of content
- Study the requirements for passing the Certified Developer certification
- Understand basic Python automation on AWS
- Get comfortable w/ AWS SDKs
- Optimize app performance
- Create secure & stable apps
So if these tickle your fancy, or any of the other plethora of courses, be sure to head over to the AndroidGuys Deals page, use the code ‘CYBERMONDAY20‘ and save loads of money. Let us know what you think of these deals in the comments below, and which courses you signed up for.
Drop us a line below and let us know what you think about this great deal, and whether you signed up for it or not. You can find this, and many other great tech bargains through our Deals page. Backed by StackCommerce, there are daily promos, giveaways, freebies, and much more!
AndroidGuys Deals: Take 20% off of almost ALL e-learning courses with “CYBERMONDAY20”
The post [Deal] Extend the Cyber Monday festivities with CYBERMONDAY20 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Spotify confirms this is Drake’s world, we just live in it
Drake’s unique dance moves may have grabbed the internet’s attention as of late, but the rapper’s popularity on Spotify spans all of 2015. The streaming service revealed its end of the year numbers today, and Champagne Papi is the most popular artist this year worldwide. However, Drake’s If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late wasn’t the most popular album of year around the globe (it was in the US) as that accolade went to The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind the Madness.
Source: Spotify
Engadget giveaway: Win a W Studio Micro courtesy of Definitive Technology!
While it can’t help you with your holiday waistline, this week’s giveaway could help slim down your home theater system. Definitive Technology’s W Studio Micro offers an ultra-slim sound bar measuring less than two-inches high and coated in brushed anodized aluminum. It’s paired with an eight-inch subwoofer to provide a 5.1 surround sound experience from its compact 3.1 setup when watching flicks. You can also wirelessly stream audio from your own collection or through services like Pandora, Spotify and a host of internet radio stations. It also has DTS Play-Fi on board, so you can add these and other compatible speakers to the Definitive Technology app (iOS, Android) to host a multi-room dance party or control each speaker individually. We have a W Studio Micro wireless sound system ready to ship out to one lucky Engadget reader this week. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning.
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