Apple’s latest acquisition is an education-focused startup
Apple went on a major shopping spree last year, acquiring a handful of startups from different fields — depth-sensing cameras, speech technology and more. But it doesn’t look like the company’s had enough. As Bloomberg reports, Apple has purchased LearnSprout, a firm with an education service which lets academic staff members analyze student data. While LearnSprout’s website doesn’t offer many details beyond this, it does mention that its tools are being used in more than 2,500 schools in the US.
In a story from 2014, TechCrunch said the startup allows educators to understand many key areas of student trends, including attendance, college readiness and health information. Although we don’t know what exactly Apple plans to do with LearnSprout, there’s a chance it could be related to iTunes U, iBooks — or, why not, maybe something entirely new.
We reached to out to Apple for confirmation of the acquisition and will update this article when we hear back.
Source: Bloomberg
Netflix is bringing ‘House of Cards’ back for S5 in 2017
The Frank Underwood 2016 campaign doesn’t kick off until March 4th, but Netflix is already announcing that its flagship original series House of Cards will be back again in 2017. There is a major change in store for season five, as it will be without creator, writer and showrunner Beau Willimon. As Willimon’s Twitter profile explains, he’s been working on HoC for the last five years, so it could be that this is just to take some time off.
Still, around Engadget’s virtual offices we didn’t find the last season or two as exciting as when it debuted, so it could be time for some new blood at the top. Netflix and the show’s production company, Media Rights Capital have not announced a replacement yet, saying they “owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Beau Willimon for his strong narrative vision for House of Cards over the show’s first four seasons.”
We’re not done yet. pic.twitter.com/GlegXjbKdX
— House of Cards (@HouseofCards) January 28, 2016
With the show’s creator leaving, are you still in for House of Cards season five?
LG just fixed a bug that left 10 million G3 smartphones vulnerable
Last Thursday, Cynet revealed that their researchers, in collaboration with BugSec, had discovered a pretty serious vulnerability affecting LG G3 smartphones. They let LG know about the issue prior to publicizing it, and the company reacted quickly. A patch is now available that closes the data-theft hole, and LG is encouraging all G3 owners to update their devices as soon as possible.
The bug resides in a particular app called Smart Notice that comes pre-installed on LG G3 smartphones. The notification platform serves to ferry a variety of relevant information to users, but what it failed to do was vet data before presenting it. Researchers discovered it was possible to manipulate data in such a way that malicious code could be executed remotely.
See also: LG wants to replace all your credit cards with White Card, coming at MWC
“The vulnerability can easily lead to authentic phishing attacks and to a full denial of service (DOS) on the device,” wrote Cynet. Since the app is pre-installed, the number of affected devices is estimated to be a staggering 10 million worldwide.
For those interested, Ars Technica has composed a more comprehensive write-up detailing the workings of this exploit and the two ways researchers were able to compromise devices through the bug. In the meantime, if you’ve got an G3 or know someone who does, better get that thing updated pronto.
What are your thoughts regarding this vulnerability and the way LG handled it? After the (false?) scare with the Linux bug earlier this month, it’s always good to hear about patches that make our devices and sensitive information safer and more secure. As always, let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
Reddit’s official Android app just began its closed beta test
In the internet equivalent of a State of the Union address, site founder Steve “spez” Huffman revealed that the closed beta for the official Reddit Android app will be starting today. Applications for the beta opened in December, but we haven’t heard much news about it since then. Only a few thousand candidates were selected to take part in the test, but we look forward to seeing what comes of this app. An iOS beta is also slated to begin soon.
Historically, users have had to rely on third party applications like Reddit is Fun, Baconreader, and Slide. Although access through a mobile browser is possible, the nature of Reddit’s content and organization make a mobile-optimized app a much more convenient option. Since the only options to date have been third party, there have always been hiccups and difficulties when Reddit makes any changes. Having an official Reddit app may make any transitions much smoother.
See also: The 10 Commandments of Notifications, as revealed to Reddit
However, the opposite could also wind up being true. Many Twitter users, for instance, eschew the official app in favor of more powerful third party creations. Depending on the kind of functionality Reddit’s official app will have, it could become the go-to choice like Facebook’s app, or it might just become one of the competition.
There’s no details yet on what this official app will look like, so we’ll have to wait around to see what functions and aesthetics it will offer. If you’re a part of the beta squad, and there’s no agreement preventing you from disclosing your experience, feel free to let us know what it’s like in the comments! In the meantime, what app do you use to browse Reddit? Think you’ll switch to the official one when it comes out?
Patent filing reveals possible workings of Google’s upcoming drone delivery
A patent filed by Google gives some new insight into its upcoming drone delivery service — known at the moment as Project Wing — might deliver your packages.
The patent was actually filed in 2014 but only recently was granted. In it, Google details plans for mobile delivery receptacles — effectively mailboxes on wheels — that communicate with the drones and when they sync up, the drone delivers the package to the receptacle, which then takes it to a holding facility.
Though the filing didn’t say for sure, the likely next step is that the customer will either pick up the package or it will be delivered to their address by local ground service.
Dave Vos, the head of Project Wing, said recently that the drone delivery service is still on track to launch sometime in 2017, assuming all regulatory obstacles are cleared.
Via: Fastcompany
Come comment on this article: Patent filing reveals possible workings of Google’s upcoming drone delivery
Tesco, Sky, Xbox testing Twitter Promoted Moments in UK
Twitter has extended its test of Promoted Moments to the UK following its test in the United States.
Grocery chain Tesco, Internet and TV provider Sky and Xbox UK are among the brand partners selected to test promoted moments in the UK.
From Twitter’s blog:
“While Sky’s campaign will be announced in due course, Xbox will use Promoted Moments to launch Quantum Break, the latest exclusive title in their ‘greatest games lineup in Xbox history.’”
Tesco has used Promoted Moments to help create and release the Feel Good Cookbook.
Twitter calls the UK test of Promoted Moments the “first step” to discovering how brands can use Moments in their marketing activities.
Source: Twitter Blog
Come comment on this article: Tesco, Sky, Xbox testing Twitter Promoted Moments in UK
T-Mobile accused of deceptive advertising, other bad business practices
Several labor unions are accusing mobile provider T-Mobile of unethical business practices.
A complaint was filed with the Federal Communications Commission Wednesday by a group called Change to Win Retail Initiatives asking the FCC to investigate the mobile carrier. The group is backed by three unions — the United Farm Workers of America, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Service Employees International Union.
Since 2013, T-Mobile has added nearly 27 million customers, but Change to Win Retail Initiatives is claiming that growth may be due in part to signing customers up for services they did not order, such as device insurance. Additionally, the complaint alleges that T-Mobile’s advertising does not make it clear that customers who sign up with T-Mobile’s no-contract plan are required to buy a phone on an installment plan or lease one through T-Mobile and if the customer cancels the service, they will still be on the hook for the cost of the phone. In those cases, the unpaid cost of the phone could potentially be more than the service termination fee.
Change to Win reportedly conducted a survey of over 5,500 customer complaints between January 2013 and September 2015. The group claims to have found a pattern of complaints from people who said they were signed up for things like unlimited data plans or device insurance without their knowledge or consent and then had problems canceling the services.
Though the complaint has been filed, no federal agency has taken any action against T-Mobile.
Via: CNET
Come comment on this article: T-Mobile accused of deceptive advertising, other bad business practices
Wells Fargo and Bank of America to Add Apple Pay Support to ATMs
Bank of America and Wells Fargo are working on implementing Apple Pay into their ATMs, reports TechCrunch, citing a source with knowledge of the project. Both companies are said to have engineers working on the technology that would likely allow Apple Pay to be used at an ATM in place of a physical debit card.
When questioned about the possibility of Apple Pay at ATMs, Wells Fargo head of ATMs Jonathan Velline suggested the information was accurate and that Wells Fargo was working on adding support for mobile wallets that would meet all of its customers needs.
Wells Fargo’s head of ATMs Jonathan Velline implied Apple Pay would come to its ATMs. He confirmed that “We’ve been working on the technology that allows us to hook to digital wallets, leveraging NFC on mobile phones to replace the card at the transaction at the ATM. Right now the wallet that we support is Android Pay.” […]
“But we’re also looking at lots of different mobile wallets and evaluating which ones are going to be appropriate for our customers. We’ll likely add more mobile wallets throughout the year.”
Bank of America was less forthcoming about its plans, but told TechCrunch the company is developing a cardless ATM solution that would let customers use NFC technology on their smartphones to authenticate and complete transactions at Bank of America ATMs. The company would not confirm which phones it will work with.
Bank of America plans to begin rolling out its cardless ATM solution starting in late February at ATMs in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Charlotte, New York, and Boston before a wider rollout set to take place in mid-2016. Wells Fargo did not provide information on when it plans to implement its NFC-based card replacement feature.
Apple Pay at ATMs would be a big win for Apple, given their prevalence across the United States. Wells Fargo has more than 12,800 ATMs, while Bank of America has more than 16,000.
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Verizon lays out details of its new Verizon military discount program
If you’re a military veteran or a current member of the armed forces, listen up! Verizon is instituting a new military discount program that will put some money back in your pocket. Starting today, you can get a discount through Verizon, good for up to 15% off of your monthly bill and up to 25% off select accessories.
Joining is quick and simple: active duty military members submit military issue email address or paystub. If you’re retired you’ll need DD form 214, Veteran’s ID card, Military Retiree Account Statement, or VetRewards card.
You may want to check your statement before you go through the application process because Big Red says they plan to automatically apply this discount to about 100,000 people they already feel meet the qualifications.
Check out these 10 phones you should consider for Verizon Wireless
Easier to qualify
This program has existed for a while, but you had to meet certain minimum plan requirements and those restrictions are no longer in place. Verizon says that this plan will now be expanded to more current military members and retired vets; it applies to post-paid accounts with no minimums.
In Verizon’s FAQ for this program they do point out that you cannot receive this discount on data-only lines, so if you have a line with a tablet or MiFi, those will probably still be full price.
You can head over to Verizon’s military discount page to submit your proof, and start saving today.
Source: Verizon Wireless
The post Verizon lays out details of its new Verizon military discount program appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Merged! is the latest title from the studio behind 1010!
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As far as addictive games go, 1010! by Gram Games is one of the more addictive one – my fiancée will attest to that. If you were (or are) hooked on 1010!, you may be interested to hear that Gram Games is back with a new title called Merged!. The concept is simple: join three identically-numbered squares together in any orientation, and they will combine to create a square with the next number up. To facilitate this, the squares on the board look like the top side of a die. Check out the trailer below to get a better idea of how this all plays out in the game:
As you can see, Merged! has been created with a unique flair and art style, from the brightly coloured blocks to the flowing transitions when you connect-3. Gram Games’ press release is keen to emphasize that the studio developed Merged! (and 1010!) thanks to their “environment of creativity”, and that they had as much fun making it as we’ll presumably have playing it. There’s only one way to find out – if you’re interested in trying out Merged! (and note that it’s completely FREE), then hit the Play Store link provided below:
http://playboard.me/widgets/pb-app-box/1/pb_load_app_box.js
What do you think about Merged!? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Merged!
The post Merged! is the latest title from the studio behind 1010! appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
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