Uber Begins Testing Color-Coded Rider Pickup System ‘SPOT’ in Seattle
Uber yesterday announced SPOT, a new initiative to make sure drivers and riders experience less hassle finding one another in dark or crowded areas. The technology will allow someone calling for an Uber to designate a specific color so that their driver can easily spot them when arriving at the pickup location.
SPOT is the latest experiment in our ongoing effort to make Uber pickups as seamless as possible. When riders and drivers can easily find each other, we’re able to trim down wait times, which is a win for everyone. We hope you’ll have a chance to experience SPOT in the coming weeks.
Beginning exclusively in Seattle, the new program will give Uber drivers a small “SPOT Device,” attached to their windshield. When a user requests a SPOT-enabled vehicle, they’re asked to pick a specific color within the app while waiting. When the app prompts the rider that the vehicle is driving up, they can take the app out and display their color to the driver, or simply look for their chosen color in the windshield of the car.
The company didn’t give any mention if, or when, SPOT would make it to other cities after its test run in Seattle. Those that have yet to do so can download Uber from the App Store for free [Direct Link].
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iPhone Remains Flickr’s Most Popular Camera in 2015 Ahead of Canon, Nikon and Samsung
Flickr has published a 2015 Year in Review that again crowns the iPhone as the most popular camera, used for 42% of photos uploaded, based on EXIF data analysis. iPhones finished ahead of the Canon EOS, used for 27% of uploaded photos, and the Nikon D, used for 16% of uploaded photos.
The photo sharing website’s cameras page lists the iPhone 6 as the most popular camera in the Flickr community, trailed by the iPhone 5s, Galaxy S5, iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 5. Apple is the most popular camera brand on Flickr overall, ranking ahead of Samsung, Canon, Nikon, Sony, Motorola and LG.
iPhones have been the most popular smartphone cameras on Flickr for several years, which is largely unsurprising since DSLRs and some point-and-shoot cameras cannot be carried around as easily. In January 2015, Apple eclipsed Nikon to become the second most popular camera brand on Flickr.
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Next Android update will add new emoji to Nexus devices
Hiroshi Lockheimer, Senior VP of Android, Chrome OS, and Chromecast at Google, has tweeted that a new set of emojis are coming to Nexus devices with the next Android system update.
Based on Unicode 8.0, eligible Nexus devices will gain access to emoji such as a lion, a crab, and a unicorn. These are the three new emoji spotted in the screenshot tweeted by Lockheimer. The latest version of Unicode includes the taco emoji, which was recently adopted by Apple in the iOS 9.1 update.
Lockheimer replied to his own tweet with some more information, saying that the upcoming system update for Nexus devices features a new keyboard, new font, and new code. It could be that there’s more to this system update than what’s been already revealed. Either way, we’ll find out by next week once the update arrives for Nexus devices.
Look! New emoji coming to #Nexus next week. Fonts and tech details shared with OEMs to include in their updates too. pic.twitter.com/GwvKw2d67p
— Hiroshi Lockheimer (@lockheimer) December 3, 2015
In the tweet, Lockheimer has made it clear that only Nexus devices will be gaining access to the new emojis soon. Owners of Android devices by other OEMs will have to wait for an official update. Google has already shared the font and tech details with OEMs, so its entirely up to them now to choose when to update their existing lineups. OEMs will decide their own update schedules, Lockheimer added by replying to a query on his tweet.
Hopefully, more Android devices gain access to taco sooner than later.
Back in October, Lockheimer had tweeted that they have started work on adding new emojis to Android. He just didn’t say when. Looks like his team took only a little over a month to get the update ready for rollout. The announcement was made shortly after the iOS 9.1 update rolled out, which brought in a slew of new and cool emojis. Going back in time just a bit further, we had written about how Google & Apple were working together with Unicode to add new emojis to the standard.
What about you, are you a emoji addict who can’t wait for these new ones?
T-Mobile giving AT&T customers up to 50% off accessories for the holidays
T-Mobile has been giving its customers tons of free goodies this holiday season. From unlimited data for its Simple Choice postpaid customers to an extra $200 bill credit for Sprint customers who switch, I think we can all agree that it’s a pretty good time to be a T-Mo customer. Today the Un-carrier is unwrapping another gift, this time for AT&T customers.
T-Mobile is offering up to 50%, or up to $125, off many of the financed accessories in its online store for AT&T customers who switch. This includes big savings on UE Boom and JBL Bluetooth speakers, Fitbit fitness trackers, headphones and much more. The carrier is also discounting the Apple Watch, and giving AT&T customers a 128GB iPhone 6s for the price of the 16GB model. I know that deal isn’t at all Android-related, but it’s still a pretty big savings on one of the most expensive phones out there.
For a full list of accessories, visit T-Mobile’s website.
Every AT&T, GoPhone and Cricket customer is eligible when they switch to a Simple Choice postpaid plan. This also allows customers who switch to become eligible for T-Mo’s Carrier Freedom, which will pay up to $650 per line to cover ETFs or balanced owed on a smartphone. Interested? This deal kicks off Friday, December 4th (tomorrow) and runs through Sunday, December 13th.
Stay tuned for more deals from T-Mobile this holiday season – the carrier says Verizon is next.
Engadget giveaway: Win a TS-251+ two-bay turbo NAS courtesy of QNAP!
If you’re dealing with stacks of digital content for your home or small office, it helps to have a centralized place to store and access it 24-hours a day. QNAP’s TS-251+ two-bay turbo NAS is more than just basic storage, though, it can wirelessly stream multimedia files via DLNA, AirPlay or Bluetooth and supports movies in Full HD with 7.1 surround sound through HDMI. There’s a remote, too. On top of that, it can run multiple virtual machines with Windows, Linux, UNIX or Android-based software and serve as a Surveillance Station recorder. We’re giving away a TS-251+ NAS 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.
Sometimes silence speaks louder than Twitter
On November 13th, when a group of terrorists murdered 130 people in Paris without justification, I said nothing. Their aim was to provoke fear and chaos in the western world, and to cause tensions between otherwise peaceful peoples to spill into violence. And in response, I said nothing. The attack unfolded in front of near-constant background chatter from the peanut gallery that is the internet, but still I said nothing. I wanted to — I wanted to join in, help out, and say something useful or comforting or meaningful. But in the end, I decided to say nothing at all.
Google makes big clean energy purchase to power data centers
Powering Google’s online empire takes a lot of energy, and the company wants to use all clean sources to run its data centers by 2025. The company announced the next step towards that milestone today with word that it purchased 842 megawatts of renewable energy on three continents. The purchase includes solar and wind power in locales that range from North Carolina to Chile and Sweden, doubling what it had bought so far. Google says today’s announcement is the largest purchase of clean energy by a non-utility company ever.
Source: Google
Google’s latest app can turn Android phones into VR cameras
While we’re big fans of Samsung’s Gear VR, Google’s Cardboard is still the cheapest and easiest way to get your feet wet with virtual reality. With just a piece of cardboard, velcro, a couple of lenses and your handy smartphone, you can set foot on Mars or be immersed in a Paul McCartney concert. But what about capturing VR? You’d have to cough up huge amounts of cash for a crazy GoPro setup or something much more expensive. Or maybe not, thanks to Google. The Mountain View giant has democratized virtual reality once again with a new Cardboard Camera app that promises to turn your ordinary smartphone into a VR camera.Slideshow-345497
Source: Google Play
Remix Mini Android PC now available on Amazon for $69.99
The Remix Mini, the world’s first Android-powered PC, is now available to buy on Amazon for $69.99. The device originally hit Kickstarter back in July, and was successfully funded with over $1.6 million in donations.
As a quick refresher, the Remix Mini comes in two models. Both have a 1.2GHz Cortex-A53 CPU in tow. The bigger difference is that one comes with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage while the other totes 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. The one being sold on Amazon is the latter unit, intended for business professionals who need some more substantial hardware.
There isn’t any word on when the 1GB RAM/8GB ROM model will be available to buy on Amazon yet.
If you’re starting up a business, it’s certainly a way to cheapen the cost of purchasing computers to use, though you’ll still need to get the monitor, keyboard, and mouse. It’s also not a bad mini PC for everyday use, whether that be streaming movies or browsing the web.
Anyone plan on picking one up?
[Amazon]
Come comment on this article: Remix Mini Android PC now available on Amazon for $69.99
Play god live on Twitch in ‘Legend of Dungeon: Masters’
Livestreaming sites like Twitch and YouTube Gaming are driving developers to rethink the way their games are played (and watched). One studio in particular has embraced this spectator-focused industry, and it’s pushing the boundaries between player and audience member. Robot Loves Kitty is the husband-and-wife studio responsible for Legend of Dungeon. Its latest spinoff, Legend of Dungeon: Masters, allows Twitch viewers to drop helpful items or dangerous foes into the games played by their favorite streamers, live. It’s almost like playing God, but in a dark, hellish dungeon — perhaps “playing Lucifer” is a more correct phrase.
AIVAnet 