CDC: Nearly half of American homes no longer have landlines
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new survey Tuesday, showing that nearly half of all American households now use only cell phones rather than older landlines. In total, 47 percent of the 21,000 households queried were cell-only, 41 percent use both, just 8 percent use just a landline, and 3.4 percent have no phone at all. Accounting for demographics, the results are even more staggering — 71 percent of 24-34 year-olds use only their cells. Additionally, renters were far more likely to not have landlines than landlords and people living with non-family members went cell-only 85 percent of the time.
Via: The Hill
Source: CDC
2016 U.S. CarPlay Vehicles: Chevrolet, Honda, Volkswagen and More
Most carmakers in the U.S. are now clearing out 2015 models to make way for new 2016 vehicles, a growing number of which feature CarPlay for the first time since Apple introduced the software platform at WWDC in 2013.
Apple’s in-dash software provides hands-free or eyes-free access to Maps, Phone, Messages, Music, Podcasts and third-party apps including Spotify, Rdio, iHeartRadio, CBS Radio and MLB At Bat.
Volkswagen is one of twelve automakers supporting CarPlay on 2016 U.S. vehicles
CarPlay will be available in a wide range of 2016 vehicles from Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Honda, Volkswagen and other carmakers — many are available now, and others will launch in the coming weeks. The feature is standard for most U.S. models listed, but some carmakers have made the feature an upgrade by itself or as part of an entertainment package.
2016 U.S. CarPlay Vehicles
Buick
– 2016 LaCrosse
– 2016 Regal
– 2016 ATS
– 2016 ATS Coupe
– 2016 ATS-V
– 2016 ATS-V Coupe
– 2016 CT6
– 2016 CTS
– 2016 ELR Coupe
– 2016 Escalade/ESV
– 2016 XTS
– 2016 Camaro
– 2016 Camaro Convertible
– 2016 Colorado
– 2016 Corvette Z06
– 2016 Corvette Stingray
– 2016 Cruze
– 2016 Impala
– 2016 Malibu
– 2016 Silverado 1500
– 2016 Silverado 2500HD
– 2016 Silverado 3500HD
– 2016 Suburban
– 2016 Tahoe
– 2016 Volt
– 2016 Ferrari California T
– 2016 Ferrari FF
– 2016 Canyon
– 2016 Sierra 1500
– 2016 Sierra 2500HD
– 2016 Sierra 3500HD
– 2016 Yukon
– 2016 Yukon XL
– 2016 Sierra and Yukon Denalis
Honda
– 2016 Accord (EX, EX-L and Touring)
– 2016 Accord Coupe (EX, EX-L and Touring)
– 2016 Civic (EX, EX-T, EX-L and Touring)
– 2016 Sonata (Later Availability)
– 2016 Optima (Later Availability)
– 2017 Mirage (Launches Spring 2016)
– 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera (Launches 2016)
– 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera S (Launches 2016)
– 2016 Beetle (Excluding S)
– 2016 CC
– 2016 e-Golf
– 2016 Golf (Excluding TSI Coupe)
– 2016 Golf GTI
– 2016 Golf R
– 2016 Golf SportWagen
– 2016 Jetta (Excluding S)
– 2016 Passat (Excluding S)
– 2016 Tiguan (Excluding S)
– 2016 XC90
Other Carmakers
Apple lists several other CarPlay partners on its website, but some remain committed to their own infotainment systems in current U.S. vehicles. Select carmakers have disclosed their plans to support CarPlay in the future.
– Acura has not announced CarPlay support, but its parent company Honda has launched CarPlay in the 2016 Accord and 2016 Civic. Given that Acura is Honda’s luxury brand, its vehicles should eventually support CarPlay.
– Fiat Chrysler Automobiles brands, including Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, RAM and Abarth, will not support CarPlay in 2016 models, and the auto group has not announced future plans. Ferrari is the sole exclusion.
– Audi‘s website says CarPlay will be “available on some all-new Audi models arriving in U.S. showrooms by 2016,” possibly including the 2017 Audi A4 in late 2016. Select Audi models in Europe already feature CarPlay.
– BMW confirmed in a November 2015 earnings call that it remains committed to supporting CarPlay on future models, but did not specify a model year — the 2017 model year or later is probable.
– Ford, like Chrysler, is another “Big Three” U.S. automaker that does not appear it will support CarPlay on 2016 models, including its luxury brand Lincoln, but the company has suggested its SYNC 3 platform could eventually work with CarPlay.
– Jaguar, Land Rover, Mazda and Subaru have not announced CarPlay support for their 2016 vehicle lineups.
– Nissan has plans to support CarPlay for its 2016 vehicle lineup, but the 2016 Altima will not be one of those vehicles and support for other upcoming models remains unclear. It has not announced plans for 2016.
– Mercedes-Benz has demoed CarPlay in its 2015 C-Class sedan in 2015, and the 2016 A-Class supports Apple’s in-dash system, but the A-Class is not sold in the U.S. It appears increasingly likely that Mercedes-Benz will not adopt CarPlay in the U.S. until the 2017 model year or later.
– Toyota appears to have put its CarPlay commitment on hold for now. The world’s largest automaker instead reached a partnership with Telenav in July 2015 to use its Scout GPS Link technology for its in-dash systems.
Aftermarket Systems
Alpine, Kenwood and Pioneer each sell aftermarket CarPlay systems for installation in vehicles that do not come standard with the feature. The aftermarket systems generally retail for between $600 and $1,400 depending on the model, and can usually be retrofitted into older vehicles for relatively minimal costs.
Pioneer’s NEX systems are available at various resellers across the U.S., ranging in price between $700 and $1,400 depending on the model. Kenwood’s DDX9702S and Excelon DDX9902S retail for $900 to $950 each and allow seamless switching between CarPlay and Android Auto. Alpine’s system sells for as low as $600.
CarPlay is compatible with the iPhone 5 or later running iOS 8 or newer.
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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
Come comment on this article: HTC, Under Armour partnership seemingly still alive as connected scale appears
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?
Come comment on this article: Motorola running soak test for Marshmallow on the Moto X Pure Edition
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
Come comment on this article: Samsung announces a web browser for virtual reality, complete with voice recognition and video support
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
Come comment on this article: Samsung is said to be skimping on design changes with the Galaxy S7
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
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