HTC, Under Armour partnership seemingly still alive as connected scale appears
HTC and Under Armour were quick in 2015 to announce a partnership that would bring together technology and athletics. The first product after joining forces would be the Grip, an activity tracker that has been delayed repeatedly and is currently expected to be released sometime in 2016. So things have been off to a rocky start for HTC and Under Armour, but the two companies seemingly aren’t ready to give up. A filing discovered within the Bluetooth SIG’s database indicates that a new product is on the way. And this one isn’t a wearable.
The filing reveals that HTC and Under Armour are working on something identified as the UA Scale, likely a name that will not be attached to the possible final product. Its description reads that this is “a Bluetooth scale to measure weight and body fat.” So we’re looking at something that will send data to devices synced with the Under Armour Record platform. Fitbit and Withings are already doing this with their respective connected scales.
Chances are we’ll see the UA Scale at CES 2016.
Source: Bluetooth SIG
Via: TechnoBuffalo
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Motorola running soak test for Marshmallow on the Moto X Pure Edition
Motorola has been teasing that Marshmallow is on the way for Moto X Pure Edition owners, and it looks like that’s finally about to happen. Last week, users could sign up for a soak test for the carrier-free Moto X, which is turning out to be Android 6.0.
The update should bring all of the new features that Google introduced in the latest version of Android, including things like Doze that are designed to extend battery life. Motorola isn’t one to tamper with Android too much, so the official update shouldn’t be too far off from this soak test.
Anyone gotten an update yet?
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Samsung announces a web browser for virtual reality, complete with voice recognition and video support
Samsung has announced a brand new way for you to browse the internet, and it involves a virtual reality headset. Yep, the company has developed a VR web browser that allows you to completely immerse yourself in whatever it is you’re looking at, complete with intuitive ways to navigate the web and support for 360-degree and 3D video, plus the standard HTML5 content that’s all over the web.
The internet application lets users glance at menus to open them, and there’s a full on-screen keyboard and voice navigation option. Samsung really didn’t pull out any stops in making this the best available virtual reality browser, but it’s hard to say if this will actually translate well into day-to-day usage.
The app is available on the Gear VR if you own any of Samsung’s Gear VR-compatible smartphones.
source: Samsung
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Samsung is said to be skimping on design changes with the Galaxy S7
Approaching the new year means that reports, rumors, and leaks regarding Samsung’s next flagship are coming. Samsung actually understands and has already revealed the processor to be found inside of the upcoming Galaxy S7; however, the company has yet to comment on the recent revelation that the handset will usher in the return of the beloved microSD card slot. On Tuesday, a new report out of Korea claimed that Samsung will be focusing on internal upgrades rather than design with the Galaxy S7.
Here’s what a source told the Korea Times:
“As the S6 and S6 Edge represented progress, the S7 will have improvements both in picture quality, performance and other some new features.
The key point is can consumers enjoy content with enhanced viewing quality and boosted processing speed.”
Samsung allegedly wants to save on design so that it can funnel the extra cash towards specifications. So it won’t be surprising if the Galaxy S7 ends up resembling the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy Note 5 while the processor and camera are way ahead of its predecessors. This could all be what leads to the handset carrying a lower price tag.
There has been some chatter that the Galaxy S7 will be revealed in January at CES 2016, but, historically, Samsung tends to debut its flagship in February at MWC in Barcelona. It doesn’t hurt that Evan Blass has stated AT&T is currently testing the Galaxy S7. For now, I think it’s best to assume that the Galaxy S7 will launch at MWC 2016. If Samsung wants to do it earlier, we’ll be receiving invites for an event at CES in Las Vegas next month.
Source: The Korea Times
Via: G for Games
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What’s on your HDTV: ‘Rainbow Six: Siege,’ Bill Murray
The holiday season is upon us. While college football’s regular season wraps up, we’re looking forward to the newest Tom Clancy game, Rainbow Six: Siege, and the season finale of Doctor Who. NBC is planning to air The Wiz Live and Netflix’s big holiday special features Bill Murray. Hulu has treats too, with the season finale of Casual and the premiere of its new RocketJump series. On Blu-ray, there’s a new Amy Winehouse documentary and Zoolander. Look after the break to check out each day’s highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
WSJ: Yahoo may sell itself off
Yahoo’s attempt at turning around its fortunes hasn’t gone that well: on top of sagging profits and departing execs, it’s still heavily dependent on both its Japanese business as well as its stake in Chinese internet giant Alibaba. And now, it sounds like the company might want to hand over the reins to someone else. Sources for the Wall Street Journal understand that Yahoo is holding a “marathon” number of board meetings where the possibility of selling the company’s core business is on the table. It’s not certain how serious the web pioneer might be, but private equity firms are reportedly taking a peek.
Source: Wall Street Journal
IRS promises to get a search warrant before spying on cellphones
The IRS will no longer use “Stingray” cellphone-tracking devices unless the agency receives a search warrant supported by probable cause, in accordance with the Department of Justice’s Policy Guidance, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen says in a letter. The agency’s use of Stingray surveillance devices went public in October, though at the time it was unclear how (and how often) the IRS used the technology. Stingray devices mimic cell towers to trick nearby phones into connecting to them, allowing the user to track locations, record calls and access text communications.
Via: The Hill
Source: Senator Ron Wyden
New AI ‘Gabriel’ wants to whisper instructions in your ear
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are building an AI platform that will “whisper” instructions in your ear to provide cognitive assistance. Named after Gabriel, the biblical messenger of God, the whispering robo-assistant can already guide you through the process of building a basic Lego object. But, the ultimate goal is to provide wearable cognitive assistance to millions of people who live with Alzheimer’s, brain injuries or other neurodegenerative conditions. For instance, if a patient forgets the name of a relative, Gabriel could whisper the name in their ear. It could also be programmed to help patients through everyday tasks that will decrease their dependence on caregivers.
Source: Popular Science
Apple Shares New ‘Ridiculously Powerful’ and ‘Hey Siri’ iPhone 6s Ads
Apple tonight shared two new iPhone 6s ads on its YouTube channel, highlighting the Hey Siri feature and the speed of the device at tasks like opening messages, browsing Safari, using Messages, playing games, and using the camera.
The first video, “Ridiculously Powerful,” focuses on the speed of the iPhone’s A9 processor and shows it being used for Apple Pay, games, taking photos and video, and more. “Not much has changed, except it’s ridiculously powerful, which makes everything faster,” says the opening narration.
The second video, “Hey Siri,” focuses on the always-on Hey Siri feature of the iPhone 6s. With older iPhones, Hey Siri could only be activated when the iPhone was plugged in, but with the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus, hands-free Siri voice activation is available at all times.
These two latest videos are part of Apple’s iPhone 6s “The only thing that’s changed is everything” campaign, a tagline and concept Apple CEO Tim Cook first introduced when the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus debuted in September to highlight their revamped internals. Apple has released several advertisements using the wording, focusing on the iPhone’s camera, Siri, and 3D Touch.
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Music Freedom expansion gives T-Mobile customers more free streaming
T-Mobile brought Music Freedom to its customers way back in June 2014 with a handful of supported services. Music Freedom expanded in August and November of that year before another batch of music streaming services joined earlier this year. Now, with Binge On handling the video side of things quite well, T-Mobile is ready to give attention back to Music Freedom.
Aud.io, Dash radio, DatPiff, Jango, KCRW, Noon Pacific, Radio Danz, SomaFM, Spinrilla, StreamOn, and TuneIn Premium are the eleven music streaming services now covered by Music Freedom. The standout from the list is TuneIn Premium since it now offers access to a wide range of content that includes NFL games. T-Mobile customers can utilize any of these services and the others to their heart’s desire without having to worry about affecting the amount of 4G LTE allotted monthly.
Hit the break for the full press release.
Eleven More Music Services Join T-Mobile’s Music Freedom Revolution
1 in 4 New T-Mobile customers say they switched because of services like Music Freedom — now, the Un-carrier is expanding the list … again!
Bellevue, Washington — December 1, 2015 — T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) today announced another upgrade to Music Freedom™ – one of its most wildly popular Un-Carrier® moves. Starting today, 11 new music streaming services – including SomaFM, Spinrilla, Aud.io, TuneIn Premium and a slew of services from hip hop to ambient chill – will join Music Freedom. All this music will stream without ever using up your high-speed data for T-Mobile Simple Choice customers on T-Mobile’s blazing-fast nationwide LTE network.
Today’s news is the latest in a continuing series of upgrades to Music Freedom, which now includes 44 music streaming services, up from 7 when the revolutionary program launched last year – a more than 500% increase. Music Freedom’s services cover more than 95% of all music streamed today, and T-Mobile is adding new services all the time. As always, Music Freedom is available at no extra charge to customers and is completely free and open to any and all music streaming providers that want to participate.
“The carriers tax and toll every note that their customers stream, and consumers know it. Nearly 40% of US wireless consumers avoid streaming music on their phones and over half of them do it because they worry about ridiculous overage fees and bill shock,” said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile. “Those guys see another way to gouge their customers, and the Un-carrier sees another way to give you more freedom! With Music Freedom, our customers stream all the music they want – unlimited and unmetered. The way music is meant to be!”
Music Freedom has been a huge hit with Un-carrier customers who now stream more than 196 million songs daily − up an amazing 311% from when Music Freedom was first launched. If AT&T customers streamed that much music, they could be paying upwards of $2.2 billion a year—and that’s not even factoring in data overage penalties.
Not surprisingly, Music Freedom has also become a major draw to switch to T-Mobile. In a survey of U.S. wireless customers, 1 in 4 said that Music Freedom is a key reason they’ve switched or would switch to the Un-carrier1.
New services added today include:
- Aud.io High-fidelity internet radio
- Dash Radio DJ-driven radio, zero commercials, 24/7
- DatPiff Mixtapes, hip hop music, videos and underground
- Jango Internet radio that plays music you’ll love
- KCRW Music discovery, NPR news, cultural exploration and informed public affairs
- Noon Pacific A weekly mixtape of the best songs hand-picked from the best music blogs
- Radio Danz The world’s pure dance channel
- SomaFM Ambient, downtempo and chill beats from well-known and unknown artists
- Spinrilla Hip-hop mixtape downloads and streams with no downloading limits
- StreamOn Streaming music services powered by StreamOn. Next-level streaming products for the next era of radio
- TuneIn Premium Access to every NFL, MLB, and Barclays Premier League game, over 600 commercial-free music stations, 40,000 audiobooks, and 16 language learning programs
T-Mobile is on a mission to add every lawful music streaming service to Music Freedom. Any music streaming provider can join for free by applying through T-Mobile’s open submission process. And, if your go-to music streaming service isn’t part of the program, tweet us your favorite service @TMobile, along with the hashtag #MusicFreedom.
To learn more about Music Freedom, and see a full list of music services that are a part of Music Freedom, please visit t-mobile.com/musicfreedom.
1 Based on Ipsos SMX consumer insights poll of U.S. wireless users (commissioned by T-Mobile U.S., October 2014)
Music streaming not counted towards data allotment on T-Mobile’s network; downloads, video content, & non-audio content excluded. See http://www.t-mobile.com/offer/free-music-streaming.html.
About T-Mobile
As America’s Un-carrier, T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is redefining the way consumers and businesses buy wireless services through leading product and service innovation. The Company’s advanced nationwide 4G LTE network delivers outstanding wireless experiences to more than 61 million customers who are unwilling to compromise on quality and value. Based in Bellevue, Washington, T-Mobile US provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile and MetroPCS. For more information, please visit http://www.t-mobile.com.
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