LifeProof Launches Waterproof FRĒ Case for iPhone 6s Plus
LifeProof has announced that its popular waterproof FRĒ case is now available for the iPhone 6s Plus and iPhone 6 Plus. The case retails for $89.99 and is available in six colors: Black, Avalanche, Bonzai Blue, Sunset Pink and Crushed Purple. LifeProof is accepting pre-orders now for the black version, with an estimated in-stock date of December 11.
LifeProof’s FRĒ is a rugged case that is designed to withstand the elements, with a protective shell that is waterproof, dirt-proof, snow-proof and drop-proof. The case also has a built-in scratch protector that still allows access to iPhone 6s Plus features including 3D Touch and True Tone front-facing flash.
The case can be paired with LifeProof’s LIFEACTÍV lineup of active lifestyle accessories:
Pair FRĒ with LIFEACTÍV accessories so iPhone 6s Plus can capture and stream through any adventure. From the dashboard to the handlebars and anywhere in between, LIFEACTÍV accessories mount iPhone 6s Plus simply and seamlessly with the magnetic QuickMount system.
LifeProof unveiled the “FRĒ Power” waterproof battery case for iPhone 6s in late October.
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New Apple TV Shown Streaming Steam Games From PC Using Unofficial Client
Developer Kevin Smith, who previously demonstrated a version of the MAME emulator running on the new Apple TV, has now made some tweaks to existing open source tools to allow game streaming from a PC to the new Apple TV. Smith took advantage of the Moonlight iOS open source project based on NVIDIA’s GameStream, modifying it to run on tvOS.
Using this modified version of Moonlight iOS, Smith was able to stream games from Steam on a PC directly to the Apple TV. Without the need to run directly on the Apple device, streamed games can appear as high-quality as the source computer allows, with obvious Wi-Fi and streaming strength limitations taken into account when used without a wired Ethernet connection. In the video below, Smith tests the Moonlight client out on the new Apple TV with popular open-world game Grand Theft Auto V.
Caution: Gameplay audio includes profanity
With the launch of the new Apple TV at the end of October, Apple took its first significant steps into the world of couch gaming, thanks to a full App Store for third-party apps included on the new tvOS operating system for the platform.
Although the Apple TV supports wireless gaming controllers that account for a few exceptions, most of the gaming apps that function best on the Apple TV remain as iOS-like side-scrollers and platforms rather than more sophisticated console-level games.
While it is still in the early days for the new Apple TV, momentum does appear to be building. For example, Facebook last week announced a new SDK for developers to “build immersive social experiences” on Apple TV with a number of features including a confirmation code login system that can bypass the cumbersome text entry of the Apple TV.
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The EFF claims that Google spies on school kids
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has filed a complaint alleging that Google is being a bit creepy when it comes to school kids’ personal information. The search engine stands accused of data-mining the users of the Chromebooks that are handed out in schools as well as those using Google Apps for Education. It’s doubly galling because, if true, Google has broken a promise that it made in January to not to exactly that. The firm, along with many others, signed the Student Privacy Pledge, barring it from vacuuming-up student data that wasn’t for educational purposes.
Via: WSJ
Homeland Security will hack you if asked nicely
With how many data breaches companies have suffered as of late it makes sense that the Department of Homeland Security is starting to do its own whitehat hacking work. It’s done at the request of “critical infrastructure” outfits, and based on a report from KrebsOnSecurity it all sounds pretty thorough too: operating systems, databases and web apps are all apparently targeted by the DHS’ Risk and Vulnerability Assessment service. But that’s not all.
Source: Krebs On Security (1), (2)(PDF)
Beloved ‘Super Smash Bros’ mod Project M is finished
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is a staggering game packed with imaginative characters, stages and modes, but some players still prefer older instalments in the franchise. Super Smash Bros. Melee for Gamecube is one of the most popular, especially in the competitive scene, and for years a mod known as “Project M” has been retooling the Wii version, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, to play more like its predecessor. It’s been worked on for years by a community group called the Project M Development Team (PMDT), which, to many fans’ dismay, has now decided to stop and move on.
Source: Project M
Samsung Gear VR now available to purchase in the UK for £80
The Consumer Edition of Samsung’s Gear VR is rolling out globally, and the next region to get is the UK. The virtual reality headset in Frost White is selling on Samsung’s own online store for just £80. The Korean tech giant also noted that O2 will carry the headset starting in early 2016.
Samsung in partnership with Oculus is bringing the Consumer Edition of the Gear VR to the market, saying that it’s 19% lighter than the Innovator Edition. The Consumer Edition also comes with some other minor bells and whistles, such as better padding and improved navigation.
Keep in mind that to use the headset, you’ll need one of Samsung’s more recent flagship devices to act as the screen, such as the Galaxy S6 Edge+, the Galaxy S6 Edge or the Galaxy S6. Virtual reality is still in its infancy, but there’s still some neat things you can do with it. And it’ll only get better from hear on out. That said, it might just be worth picking one up.
source: Samsung UK
Come comment on this article: Samsung Gear VR now available to purchase in the UK for £80
Samsung’s updated Galaxy A5 passes through TENAA
It looks like Samsung could be preparing to launch an updated version of its Galaxy A5 smartphone, according to a new filing at TENAA. China’s telecommunications equipment certification center certified the device, and it’s sporting model number SM-A5100. It passed through the FCC only days before.
The listing from the Chinese regulatory board shows that the new handset is equipped with a 5.2-inch OLED display, a 1.7GHz octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and microSD support up to 128GB. On the software side of things, it’s running Android 5.1.
It shouldn’t be long before Samsung gives its new line of Galaxy A devices the official unveiling. We’re not sure when that’ll be exactly, but given that the A3, A7, and now A5 have all been certified, it shouldn’t be very long from now.
Any Galaxy A fans looking forward to an updated model?
Come comment on this article: Samsung’s updated Galaxy A5 passes through TENAA
Apple Announces 2015 ‘Hour of Code’ Workshops for Students
Apple has announced that it will once again be participating in “Hour of Code” this Computer Science Education Week on December 7-13, hosting free workshops and special events for kids ages six and up at Apple Retail Stores throughout the U.S. and around the world.
Apple will be hosting an “Hour of Code” free one-hour introduction to the basics of computer programming on December 10, supporting Code.org‘s initiative for the third consecutive year. Additional “Hour of Code” partners include Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and many others.
Apple has also featured six global special events to be hosted by Code.org co-founder Hadi Partovi, and other developers and organizations, in Brussels, Chicago, New York City, Tokyo, San Francisco and Sydney. Each will have a focus on app development or computer science education.
Hadi Partovi, Code.org
Apple Store, SoHo, New York
Monday, December 7, 6:00 p.m.
Join Hadi Partovi, cofounder and CEO of Code.org, as he discusses the need for computer science education across the world. Learn about the journey of Code.org and how it’s helped over 100 million students through initiatives like the Hour of Code campaign.
Koji Sugiyama, LoiLo Inc.
Apple Store, Ginza, Tokyo
Monday, December 7, 7:00 p.m.
Koji Sugiyama is CEO of LoiLo Inc., a company that creates intuitive educational apps for kids. Hear him share his passion for developing apps that enable children to express themselves, and learn how LoiLo is innovating in the world of education.
Grant Hosford, codeSpark
Apple Store, San Francisco
Tuesday, December 8, 4:00 p.m.
Cofounder and CEO Grant Hosford shares how his young daughters inspired codeSpark’s award-winning game, The Foos. Kids and parents will get involved as well by solving coding puzzles, making their own games, and learning the “ABCs of computer science.”
Andy Sum, Crossy Road
Apple Store, Sydney
Wednesday, December 9, 5:00 p.m.
Why did the chicken cross the road? Find out the answer to this and other secrets as developer Andy Sum walks through the universe of Crossy Road. Join a multiplayer station to compete with friends, unlock your favorite characters, and even challenge Andy himself.
Jacqueline Rossi, J’s Flashcards
Apple Store, Brussels
Wednesday, December 9, 5:00 p.m.
Teenage entrepreneur Jacqueline Rossi created J’s Flashcards to help her fellow students build and master their vocabulary. Join her as she discusses the development of this educational app and how it can prepare you for standardized testing.
Danny Yaroslavski, Lightbot
Apple Store, Lincoln Park, Chicago
Saturday, December 12, 11:00 a.m.
Join Danny Yaroslavski, founder and CEO of Lightbot, as he shares how kids of all ages can learn the fundamentals of coding. He’ll discuss what got him started in the world of programming and showcase Lightbot’s puzzle games, which you can try out for yourself.
“Hour of Code” is an initiative sponsored by non-profit website Code.org, which hosts a variety of tools for learning and teaching programming. Each year, the site hosts a global movement aimed at reaching millions of students through a free workshop that teaches basic programming techniques.
Registration is now open for the workshops and special events on Apple’s website.
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Apple Pay Usage Declined on Black Friday Over Last Year Per New Study
In a new study performed by InfoScout, nearly half as many possible Apple Pay customers used the mobile payments system on Black Friday in 2015 as they did in 2014 on the same sales-laden holiday (via Quartz). The study polled a total of 300,000 people to gather the information, discerning the time around March 2015 as Apple Pay’s peak, with another understandable resurgence in the fall surrounding the launch of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
The research organization found that Apple Pay was used for only 2.7 percent of total possible Apple Pay-eligible transactions on Black Friday this year. This is opposed to 2014, where new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus customers used Apple Pay in 4.9 percent of eligible transactions. As InfoScout points out, simple early adopter curiosity — Apple Pay was barely a month old at the time — could have helped in the service’s early-on surge in numbers.
InfoScout‘s survey didn’t track in-app payments made on Black Friday through Apple Pay, however, so customers who shopped on mobile devices in apps like Target and Best Buy were not included in the results. 300,000 participants is a large sample size, but given the popularity of mobile and online shopping, there’s a good possibility that a large swath of Apple Pay’s numbers were subsequently excluded from the poll.
Despite the tepid usage of Apple Pay on Black Friday this year as reported by the survey, Apple has been in full force behind the year-old service. With its launch in new countries like Canada and Australia, the company has continued to educate its customers on Apple Pay’s various features with new guided tour videos. Other stores have launched loyalty rewards support and the service is available at more places than ever thanks to Square’s $49 NFC and Chip reader.
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Amazon wants augmented reality to be headset-free
Augmented reality (AR) isn’t all headsets and funny glasses. Amazon wants to turn it into something that you can interact with in your living room, judging by a couple of the company’s recently approved patents. The “object tracking” patent shows how a system of projectors and cameras could beam virtual images onto real objects, and track your hand while you interact with them. The other, called “reflector-based depth mapping,” would use a projector to transform your room into a kind of holodeck, mapping the depth of objects and bodies in a room.
Via: Bloomberg
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