Google’s Vulnerability Reward Program paid Android researchers over $200,000 last year
Google started their Vulnerability Reward Program all the way back in 2010 as an incentive to encourage researchers to take on the hard work of finding possible exploits. 2015 saw two new major features added to this program. First, Google added Android to the program. Second, the company began offering Vulnerability Research Grants, which are lump sums paid to researchers before investigations even begin, thus ensuring that researchers are paid for their work even if no vulnerabilities are found.
These changes resulted in Google paying out over $200,000 to Android researchers over the course of the year, with the largest single payment being $37,500 to an Android security researcher. The award for most prolific researcher, however, goes to one Tomasz Bojarski, who found 70 bugs on Google in 2015… including one on their vulnerability submission form! All told, the Vulnerability Reward Program as a whole paid out over $2 million last year.
See also: LG just fixed a bug that left 10 million G3 smartphones vulnerable
One name you may remember is also included in this figure. Sanmay Ved, the man who bought google.com on Google Domains, reaped an award of $6,006.13 for stumbling across this vulnerability. The figure roughly reads as “Google” if you squint at it. Ved, who saw this discovery as happenstance rather than investigative work, donated the prize to charity.
All in all, the Vulnerability Reward Program has been a success for both Google and researchers alike. Those doing the hard work of tracking down obscure bugs are being amply rewarded, and Google is more than happy to pay for more security across all of their platforms, including Android. The search giant is planning on expanding the program through 2016, so we can expect even more money to go to bug hunts this year.
What are your thoughts of the Vulnerability Reward Program? Make you interested in getting into the vulnerability research business? Concerns about data security are only going to increase in the future, so this line of work is expected to get more lucrative as time goes on. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Next: 15 best antivirus Android apps and anti-malware Android apps
Blu Vivo XL review
Blu Products is an American-based (Miami, FL.) smartphone maker who has been around since 2009. With a primary focus on Android and Windows handsets, the company’s bread and butter is unlocked and less expensive alternatives to other, more familiar manufacturers.
As of today, Blu — Bold Like Us –splits its smart phones into three distinct series. The Dash is the most affordable of its models while the Studio is the mid and upper tier stuff. The Vivo line is where you’ll find the high-end and more polished designs.
The Vivo XL Excel, first introduced at CES in early January features a 5.5-inch display, a 13-megapixel rear camera, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Powered by an octa-core Mediatek processor, the phone packs 16 gigabytes of storage (ROM) with two gigabytes of memory (RAM). It is not a groundbreaking device by any stretch, however it is a package which most typical smartphone users might consider looking into.
We recently spent a few days with the Vivo XL and have put together the following review for you. Please read on for our impressions and takeaways.
First Impressions
The first thing you notice about the phone is actually the box that it comes in. It’s gold and made of a bit thicker construction than most cardboard boxes. Coupled with a striking black print, the box sets the tone for a more premium smartphone experience.
Upon taking the handset out we notice that it was thinner and lighter than expected. In terms of overall footprint, the phone is pretty close to what you’ll get with the Nexus 6P. At 5.5-inches it’s just a smidge shorter than the Google handset.
After inserting the battery and putting the back case on, the phone feels not unlike the Samsung Galaxy S3. Although people are often quick to call this material a plastic design, it is actually more of a polycarbonate or synthetic material. Indeed, the battery cover has some give and bending in it, but the honeycomb print on the inside helps keep it from cracking.
Handing the phone off to a couple of people for a quick reaction, the first things typically said were that it was a “nice feeling phone”, that it “looked more expensive than it is”, and it was “comfy”. Before going further, I should point out here that the retail price of this phone is only $150. Yep, that is without a contract. And, as if that weren’t enough, the phone supports two SIM cards so you can bounce around from carrier to carrier or mix business and personal lines.
The gold finish on the front somewhat reminds us of the matte gold on the Nexus 6P and it almost borders on the rose gold that you’ll find with the iPhone. The model we reviewed was the Liquid Gold so we imagine the Rose Gold version is even more in line with the Apple counterpart. Other colors offered include Chrome Silver and Midnight Blue.
The battery cover has a pattern printed on it however it is not physically textured. While it certainly looks as if it would have a grip, it is smooth to the touch. Another quick impression before turning on the phone was that this battery cover was quick to pick up fingerprints and smudges. The front however was more forgiving.
But, whereas the rear of the Vivo XL easily picks up finger traces, it is also very easy to wipe down. A simple swipe against a shirt or pant leg and we’re back in business. Were you to put this into a protective case there might be nothing to discuss here — this is somewhat of a non-starter of an issue.
General Details
Powering on the phone we found that it offered up bright and sharp display that was easy on the eyes. Although enthusiasts and early adopters might scoff at the bezel around the display, we’ve seen worse and we are quick to remember the value proposition. Remember, we are not dealing with a phone that runs $500 to $700. It would be unfair to compare the traits and hardware materials to something in that realm.
As mentioned before, the Vivo XL supports two SIM cards. It is worth noting, however, that you will have to remove the battery if you want to swap in or out a SIM card in the first position. The second position is more on the side and is accessible simply by removing the battery cover.
The phone supports a micro SD card for expansion. Should the 16GB of storage not be enough, simply add your memory card to increase it.
The power button is on the right hand side just about half way up with the volume buttons slightly higher up the phone but still on the right. The headphone jack is on the top of the phone and is set off to the left about 25% of the way. On the bottom we find the USB Type C port.
Display
With a resolution of 720 by 1,280 pixels, the image looks better than it sounds on paper. Once you get into that 5 inch and five and a half inch space, anything below this is going to look very pixelated. And, while this doesn’t look nearly as sharp as a 1080p or 2k screen, we had no problems reading text and images we’re still very clear.
The display is very bright with a decent amount of contrast. Also, it is possible to adjust the LCD effect from neutral to cool or warm. What this does is slightly tweak the picture by adding or removing a small degree of color. It is a minimal change, going from one to another and is not something that adversely impacts anything you might do on a daily basis.
As expected, there are options to adjust the brightness level manually. Additionally you can set adaptive brightness to dim and lower light settings or brighten itself when outside or in a place where it is called for. In a related note, there’s also an option to adjust economical backlight which automatically adjusts — wait for it — backlight to save power. Toggling on and off you can see what it does for you in different environments. Do know that messing with these sort of settings can have an impact on your battery life, good or bad.
Performance
The Vivo XL draws power from the MediaTek octa-core processor and 2GB RAM. While not a top-tier device by 2016’s standard, we found that this model still punches above its weight. As devices are treading deeper into the 3GB and 4GB realm of memory, we are sometimes quick to want that from our phones. Maybe it comes from trying to future-proof ourselves with desktop computers or laptops, however we should remember that the average user does not necessarily need that much performance.
To test general usage, we installed a handful of applications and games that a typical smartphone user might enjoy. Examples include various social media apps and casual games. We did not find that the phone was necessarily laggy or unresponsive even when we opened up multiple apps at a time. Moreover, hopping from one app to another went as smoothly as we would expect, and the overall performance was actually better than we had hoped for out of a phone at this price point. In other words, don’t let the 2GB RAM deter you.
We had erroneously anticipated becoming frustrated with the experience. It was thought that at some point during testing we would find a flaw or something specific in its performance to point out that says, “see, this is why the phone only cost this much.” Alas, we did not. There were some quibbles, of course, but nothing that pushes the phone out of its price range.
When it comes to the topic of speakers and sound, the phone could be a touch better. There are no stereo speakers to be found here. Should you play music or a video, your sound will come from the back of the phone.
The speaker grille is just below the battery and, while it puts out a reasonably loud sound, it did have a little bit of tin to it. Again, we have to give the benefit of the doubt because of the price. We are not paying for dual front facing speakers; we have heard worse on phones in the past and have been content.
Battery lasted us well into a second day of usage, which is what we’d hope for in a 3,150mAh unit. Once the 6.0 Marshmallow update is pushed out and the Doze feature is added we would expect to squeeze out even more. The USB Type C charger replenished the battery at an average rate – adding roughly 25 percent juice in an hour’s charging.
Camera
One area where the phone comes up a little short is in the aspect of the camera. Although there are plenty of software features and customizations to be found, the overall quality leaves a bit to be desired.
In testing the camera, we notice that it doesn’t handle range as well as other models. But, this is where we remind you to consider the cost of the phone. Bearing that in mind, it still performs as expected. Truth be told, we know people who have smartphones with much better cameras that ultimately take bad photos. For whatever reason, they are content with poorly shot images with blurry subjects and terrible lighting. This wouldn’t fare any worse than what they’re currently putting on Facebook.
Click here to see an entire gallery of photos taken with the Blu Vivo XL (Google Photos)
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As you can see from the gallery of images the camera blows out the white. Even in using the HDR and/or playing with the flash, we found that white edges in lighting and on the edge of items don’t look as clear or sharp as we want. This is not to suggest you can’t clean them up or run them through a photo program for sharing on social media or messages. Let’s be honest here, we are not printing out our photos or hanging them on a wall. If that is the type of using you plan to be, then you certainly do not want to look at this phone.
Generally speaking, the camera captured the subjects quickly and without too much time to focus. We were particularly impressed with the speed in which the phone captured and saved photos and HDR mode.
As far as overall options are concerned, the Blu Vivo XL offers more than you’d expect out of a budget-friendly phone. There’s plenty here to play around with (see below) when it comes to filters and settings for unique images.
We could spend paragraph talking about images, however it ultimately comes down to use your preference. If you look at the gallery and think to yourself hey this is sufficient for me, then there you go. But, if your first reaction is to point out picture flaws and where it comes up short, then this is not for you.
Software
Powered by Android 5.1 Lollipop out of the box, Blu promises this will be upgraded to at least 6.0. We don’t know when that will happen so keep that in mind if you are expecting the latest version of Android. Yes, there are handsets coming out with the newer version of Android, but we venture to guess the target demographic doesn’t really know or care that much about the different versions of Android.
As someone who has spent time with all versions of Android, we have become reliant on some of the features that come with marshmallow, but that is just a personal preference and experience. If you need the latest and greatest, then we lost you a while back.
What we like about this phone is that it is essentially a stock Android experience with no major UI customization. The first time you use the phone you will find a home screen configured with some shortcuts, folders and widgets. Noticeably, the phone does come with Opera installed as a browser option. The app is prominently displayed on the home page right next to the phone, camera, and messaging icons.
Interestingly enough, there is no button to open up any sort of app tray. Instead, your apps and games are accessible by swiping the home screen. For those of you who have spent time with other brands or versions of Android this may feel a little awkward at first — and maybe a nuisance.
We like to install a custom launcher on our devices so our experience is uniform and tailored to suit our specific needs. It helps us when jumping from one model or device to another on a regular basis.
If you prefer a minimal or clean desktop, you may find yourself a little put off by the Blu way of doing things. Download a lot of apps and you potentially have pages or screens full of icons.
The phone does come with Google Mobile Services which means you get all of the standard applications including Gmail, Maps, YouTube, Drive, Hangouts, and the Play Store. This is an important distinction that not all lower price manufacturers offer.
Look around a bit and you’ll discover there are knock off brands and very inexpensive models on the market. On the surface they may appear to be the phone you want, but play with the software and you see where corners are often cut. Rest easy knowing that with the Blu Vivo XL you can get into the Play Store and download all the titles you expect.
In addition to the Google suite of applications, we found the phone was preinstalled with a couple of Amazon titles including the standard Amazon app, Kindle app and one designed to install other apps and games.
Other preinstalled applications worth noting include an FM radio which works when you plug in headphones, a compass, “Torch” (flashlight), and Yahoo weather. McAfee security comes pre-installed on the phone as well and is designed to keep a watchful eye on your mobile experience. If you don’t like it, you can remove it.
In terms of keyboard the phone is set up to use TouchPal 2016 as the default. This means that you can theme your keyboard or customize it with a wide variety of settings. Some of the options here include toggling word gesture, a dedicated number row, auto-correction, and auto-capitalization. You can also switch the keyboard to learn from your messages and import contact names. This is helpful if you have friends or family or the occasional email with a contact that has a unique name. We’re more of a Google keyboard lover, however this was not that difficult to get used to.
The Chameleon application is pretty cool if you are looking to create a custom or handpicked theme. Simply point the camera at an object or room and you’ll be able to select color droplets based on what’s seen. These colors, once applied, will change your wallpaper as well as the various menus and setting screens.
Along the same lines there is a Theme Park application which lets you choose from a variety of wallpapers including static images and live wallpapers. There are also a half-dozen themes to choose from which are essentially bundles based around a common design.
Digging around a little deeper in some of the settings, you will find options to adjust gestures notifications and other personal preferences. It is also possible to set separate ringtones and message tones for the different SIM cards.
Although the Android OS is pretty much untouched, there’s a little bit here that adds to the overall experience. Nothing that should slow down an Android update from rolling out, mind you, but enough to help it stand out from a pure stock build.
Conclusion
We were impressed with the total package of the Vivo XL. It was not all that long ago that we paid double for lesser phone and felt okay about it.
As more users become acclimated to the concept of buying a phone and then selecting the carrier, devices such as these will stand out. As much as we like a flagship experience like a Samsung Galaxy S6 or LG G4, it is sometimes hard to justify paying that much money every few years. This goes double if you are on a prepaid carrier and do not have the luxury of equipment installation pricing. If you are looking to pay for your phone up front, then you want to get as much bang for your buck as possible. A phone like the Vivo XL truly is bang for the buck.
Unlocked is the way to go. You need to get used to that concept as soon as you can. Blu, one of the emerging brands to watch in this space, only concerns itself with GSM-ready devices free of any carrier influence.
There is peace of mind knowing that you can leave your carrier behind and still use the same phone when you go across the street to a different provider. Tossing the secondary SIM card here and there’s added flexibility for international travel or multiple phone lines.
Also in its favor is the fact that it’s pretty much untouched Android. That’s a big win for people who don’t like custom UI’s or excessive skinning and preloaded applications. Blu hasn’t necessarily proven to be incredibly adept at pushing out software updates, but that could be a non-issue for Average Joe types. As long as it’s supported with security updates and patches any vulnerabilities, we’re okay recommending the 5.1 Lollipop release.
There is peace of mind knowing that you can leave your carrier behind and still use the same phone when you go across the street to a different provider. Tossing the secondary SIM slot and you have flexibility for international travel or multiple phone lines on the same device.
The Vivo XL is thin, sharp looking, and offers a big display at a small price. For a lot of people, that’s all that matters. The camera could be better and the sound could be more robust, but we could also be looking at a $200 phone instead.
In thinking about the target demographic, we feel that this is more than sufficient enough to get the job done. Heck, there’s even a little bit left over, too.
Where to Buy
Launching today (January 29), the Vivo XL can be had at Best Buy for a downright incredible price of $99. While that’s a $50 savings off its normal cost of $150, it’s only a short time promotional rate. Look for a wider retail and online seller availability in the coming weeks.
The post Blu Vivo XL review appeared first on AndroidGuys.
ZTE Grand X3 arrives on Cricket for $129.99
The ZTE Grand X3 was first announced earlier this month at CES 2016, where we had the opportunity to go hands-on with the device. At the time we knew it was destined for Cricket, and now it has arrived both in-store and online for $129.99.
As the low price tag would suggest, this is very much an entry level handset, as further evidenced by the Snapdragon 210 processor that powers the Grand X3. While the processor is less impressive than we’d like to see, the phone does have some positives including 2GB RAM and a sizable 3080mAh battery that should provide pretty solid battery life.
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Other specs include a 5.5-inch 720p display, 16GB storage with microSD, and Android 5.1 Lollipop. The Grand X3 also stands out as being one of the few Android devices with a Type-C USB port, and about the only one at this price range as far as we are aware.
The Grand X3 certainly won’t impress anyone, but it’s really not too bad for the price. Even better, if you’re a new Cricket customer that is porting a line from a competitor you can get your hands on the phone for just $79.99.
What do you think of the phone? Worth the money, or is the weak processor too much of a deal breaker?
Next – best cheap phones
The only video game developer in Mississippi
Mathew Weymouth lives one hour away from the birthplace of the blues, that humid, fertile swampland known as the Mississippi Delta. He grew up along the state’s southern coastline, and over the years he absorbed tales of legendary local artists including “The Mad Potter,” George E. Ohr, and the painter Walter Inglis Anderson. The Delta fertilizes creativity like it spawns towering cypress trees, and Weymouth is a product of his environment. He’s an artist, but with a technical twist.
Weymouth is a self-taught video game developer with big plans for his local community. He wants to build a “gaming incubator” in southern Mississippi, a creative haven for the area’s youth, artists, musicians, filmmakers and programmers. It’s basically a high-tech neighborhood center where people can work together to create video games and other works of art. But there’s one major problem with this idea: He might be the only serious video game developer in the state.
“Here, it’s literally just this dead zone in the middle of the United States for technology,” Weymouth says.
Birds fly over Mississippi’s Lake Ferguson. (Via Flickr/Jimmy Smith)
He holds out hope that there are other developers quietly working away in Mississippi, but he’s been on the programmer prowl for about a year and hasn’t found much. He founded a Facebook group, Mississippi Video Game Developers, in August, and so far it has two members: Weymouth and one other guy who plays around with GameMaker software. Weymouth’s company, War Room Studios, is registered with Mississippi, and he’s working on a Super Smash Bros.–style brawler called Vellum Wars, though both his artist and musician are out of state. He calls Mississippi a wasteland for technical prowess.
“That’s what it feels like to be a game developer or even just a creative person in this area,” he says. “You live in your own little bubble, and that’s not how creativity flourishes … This is a real industry, and it’s not going anywhere, and the fact that our state is not capitalizing on it is just a travesty. There’s people in Florida doing it, there’s people in Louisiana and Alabama. Why are we this dead zone in the middle of all that?”
The dream
Despite Mississippi’s digital deficit, Weymouth has hope for the state’s technological future, because he believes in the people of Mississippi. He knows artists and sees opportunities for education, training, entertainment and creative expression everywhere — even in run-down, closed-up buildings.
Parts of Mississippi are still recovering from the carnage that Hurricane Katrina dumped on the region in 2005. Weymouth says rental fees are high in his town because of inflated insurance rates since the storm, resulting in rows of vacant storefronts. He passes these empty buildings every time he drives down Gulfport’s main highway, and they fuel his drive to do something, anything, to help his community recover and create something beautiful.
Google Maps captured one abandoned building along a Gulfport highway.
“It just drives me nuts,” he says. “I’d love to be able to remove the wall for anybody who wants to be creative, even if it’s just a local band that just needs to use sound equipment. A video game studio has that.”
Weymouth thinks big. He imagines an incubator outfitted with computers (complete with major game-engine licenses), sound equipment, a physical-art space, experts-in-residence from a range of fields, and, grandest of all, a motion-capture studio. He wants to host game jams and tournaments at the studio, and he’d encourage schools to bring students on field trips. He dreams of a community hub for creativity and collaboration.
The incubator wouldn’t just be a place to learn and create — it would be a lifeline for Gulfport’s vulnerable youth. It certainly would have helped Weymouth when he was a kid. He comes from a large family, and he left home as a teenager so his kin could afford to live a better life. It was a “one less mouth in the house” kind of thing, he says. As a young adult, he floated between the streets and stable housing, and he met other young people in similar situations along the way.
Another potential home for Weymouth’s gaming incubator, captured via Google Maps.
“I’ve just seen all these people go through this horrible stuff, and I’m like: That person was a beautiful artist,” he says. “If they just had a place to paint, they might not have gone down that terrible route. They could have seen a future.”
Weymouth had a leg up in terms of job placement. He loved video games from an early age, and that interest put him on a technical path. He taught himself how to program and eventually ended up fixing computers at a “big blue box” retailer. He’s 29 now, married and with a three-year-old daughter.
“There needs to be more business here for creativeness, gaming, entertainment in general,” Weymouth says. “If you don’t want to go to a casino or go to a bar around here, as a young adult, you really don’t have much else to do.”
The gaming incubator could be that business. Weymouth isn’t all talk; he’s been trying to sell the idea to potential investors in groups and at private dinners for a year at least. In his pitch, the gaming incubator offers an affordable monthly subscription that provides access to the studio’s tools and experts. The program helps burgeoning developers create and publish video games, and then takes a slice of the profit to keep itself afloat.
No one has bitten yet. Weymouth says investors have typically responded with things like “No one cares about video games in Mississippi,” and “There is no game industry in the state — for good reason.”
Weymouth says Vellum Wars is like Super Smash Bros., but you won’t need a Wii to play it.
He attempted to secure small-business loans and funding from banks, with similar luck. Interest rates were too high (“financial suicide,” as Weymouth puts it), and other complications blocked those avenues. That’s one reason he’s working on Vellum Wars, his party brawler for PC. If he proves that video games can be financially successful, his incubator pitch might carry more weight.
“I decided, Well, I’m going to have to do it the hard way,” he says. “I decided to sit down and create a game with as much inner resources that I could. Everyone’s always told me my whole life that I don’t do things simply. I always go over the top on things, and here I am doing it again.”
The reality
Weymouth’s incubator idea is mired in red tape, but it isn’t completely unheard of. Rock Band Blitz and Dance Central co-developer Fire Hose Games launched an incubator program based out of Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2013, with the goal of helping new developers create and sell their first games. So far, the studio has brought Chris Chung’s cat simulator, Catlateral Damage, to PC, Mac and Linux, and it’s working with Batterystaple Games on the action platformer 20XX, which is on Steam Early Access.
Embody a feisty feline in Catlateral Damage.
These are two of Fire Hose’s successes, though its first incubator game, Let’s Quip, didn’t do so hot, according to studio co-founder Eitan Glinert. Fire Hose eventually removed that one from the App Store.
“Two out of three? That’s pretty good!” Glinert says.
Even though Glinert calls Fire Hose’s incubator (or “accelerator”) a success overall, he advises caution for someone like Weymouth, who’s attempting to start a program from scratch in a tech-barren region of the country. Glinert correctly guesses that it will be difficult for Weymouth to find both developers and investors in Mississippi.
“No sensible investor wants to invest in video games right now — it’s a horrible industry to invest in at the moment, at least on the small or indie scale,” Glinert says.
Weymouth’s biggest issue may not be funding, though. Glinert says that the most problematic aspect of running an incubator is actually finding talented teams that can keep the business running. Searching for these developers takes time, and supporting their efforts takes money, and it’s best to invest only in those that will churn out profitable, attention-grabbing games.
20XX is on Steam Early Access and it’s already selling well, Glinert says.
“I didn’t expect how hard it would be to do this when I started,” Glinert says. “Plus, you’re limited largely by region — it’s hard for us to compete with accelerators on the West Coast, so we’re really only looking at folks on the Eastern Seaboard.”
A new accelerator would work best if it’s tied to an existing source of quality developers, such as the Independent Games Festival, IndieFund or even a university with a gaming program, Glinert says. That last part might be difficult for Weymouth, since there are no video game–specific programs in Mississippi universities, according to The Art Career Project.
Plus, Glinert says, it’s nearly impossible to find funding for these things. Fire Hose ended up bootstrapping its own accelerator.
“I think your best bet to fund an incubator, if you don’t already have the money, is to find successful or rich game devs who understand the industry, believe in you and what you’re doing, and want to back you,” he says.
Overall, Glinert says an incubator can definitely be profitable, but it’s a long road packed with massive, money-shaped potholes.
Limbo
All of this may not be terrible news for Weymouth.
He isn’t interested in working only with the top developers in the nation; he wants people from his area to have a place they can express themselves and network with other creative types. His incubator is community-focused; it includes plans not just for video game development, but other forms of art, too. He hasn’t explored all of his funding options, and alternative routes like Kickstarter are still on the table, even though Weymouth says he has a problem taking money from people before he has an actual product to deliver. He even likes the idea of running a nonprofit business. Still, he’ll have to figure out some way to keep the lights on.
Finding an investor will be incredibly difficult, but Weymouth already knew that. Besides, he doesn’t want just any investor to throw money at this project. He wants someone who cares about Mississippi.
“The investor who is in the state is doing it for the people here,” Weymouth says. “If I get somebody from out of state, they’re not going to feel the same as I am about the local people here.”
Vellum Wars should be ready to brawl in about six months, Weymouth says.
Weymouth wants to build a hub for future video game developers, filmmakers, musicians and artists to flourish. He wants young people to be proud of their home state, and, in turn, he wants Mississippi to be proud of its creative pioneers. Weymouth wants to show his neighbors, family and friends that there’s a bright future in Mississippi’s gaming and art scene, if only it’s allowed to take root.
“You deserve a future,” he says, speaking to the hypothetical artist at his incubator’s door. “You have talents and skills that you’ve acquired through hard work. You deserve a future. You’re not lazy. You just have struggles — and we all have struggles. It would be cool to just be able to remove the wall and allow creative prowess to get some exposure and a future.”
Weymouth’s dreams are immense, potentially naive, and maybe impossible to achieve. But he’s been dreaming big all of his life. Why stop now?
“I’m not in this to make money,” he says. “If I wanted to make money, I’d go get a nine-to-five where the money is guaranteed. I’m in this for a future where I’m not a cog in a machine. I’m doing something to help people.”
Spotify video is now on Android and iOS
Spotify’s new video content section, dubbed Shows, hit Android devices this week. And though the feature wasn’t supposed to make it to iOS devices until sometime next week, there is a way for you to access it right now. You won’t be able to access it from the Browse page, as you would on an Android. Instead, iOS users will need to first navigate to the Your Library page and look for the Shows listing under Playlists. That’s it. Once you’re in the Shows page, you’ll be able to browse and search through video content from more than a dozen providers including the BBC, Comedy Central and ESPN.
[Image Credit: Getty]
Source: Techcrunch
Apple reportedly has a huge, secret VR team
Earlier this week during Apple’s earnings call, CEO Tim Cook responded to a question about virtual reality by saying this: “In terms of VR, I don’t think it’s a niche. It’s really cool and has some interesting applications.” Well, it turns out that he could know more than he let on. Today, the Financial Times reports that Apple has already assembled a “secret” team that’s solely dedicated to working on augmented and virtual reality. And yes, this means that Apple is supposedly also looking into making actual VR hardware.
The team apparently comprises talent that was poached from the likes of Microsoft’s Hololens team as well as the folks who worked on Lytro’s light field camera. Additionally, the Cupertino firm also recently acquired an augmented-reality startup called Flyby, which worked with Google in developing the 3D positioning tech for Project Tango. We should also note that Apple recently hired Doug Bowman, who’s one of the world’s leading researchers in virtual and augmented reality tech. Plus let’s not forget that Apple did buy PrimeSense, the originators of the 3D motion-sensing tech behind Microsoft’s Kinect, and that could factor into this whole secret project as well.
It’s not clear on how far along Apple is in its AR and VR efforts. But seeing as its Silicon Valley rivals are already making headway with projects like the Oculus Rift and Google Cardboard, it’s not surprising to see Apple at least experiment in the space.
Via: The Verge
Source: Financial Times
Must-have Android apps for your new device [2016]
There are so many Android apps out there that it can be difficult to tell which one is a necessity for your new smartphone or tablet. We here at Talk Android have taken the liberty of scraping through the Play Store in search of some of the best applications you should download on your smartphone first. Take a look after the break!
If you’ve never felt quite ready to enter the world of facebook, now is the time. Connect with family and friends all over the world, never losing touch with your parents in Germany or your son who is away at college. Facebook opens the lines of communication for everyone, making it easier than ever before to keep up with your favorite celebrities, TV shows, businesses, and more. Have a loved one near a tragic disaster? Facebook enables a Safety Check for those near the disaster location to let their family and friends know they’re okay.
Nova Launcher
Nova Launcher is an app that will essentially let you customize what your home screen looks like! You can change your app icons, how you want your apps displayed, as well as adding more screens to fit more apps. Make your smartphone absolutely unique by changing the colors, too. Nova Launcher is free, but for just a few dollars, you can purchase the Prime version, which opens up things like more scrolling and notification options.
Sometimes a handful of words makes a greater impact than a thousand, and with Twitter, we see that in action every day! Share your thoughts or wisdom with the world, or read someone else’s. Keep up with world news and see what’s trending right now, as well watch your favorite celebrities live-tweet special events. Don’t miss out on another giveaway, author-rant, or Q&A. Discover the world of hashtags, and even create your own. Some say the 140 character-limit is limiting, but we think it opens up a whole new world of consolidated thought!
Spotify
Are you use to using your favorite genre-station app, having to skip all of the songs you don’t like, and eventually running out of skips? We know that can be frustrating! With Spotify, you add your favorite songs into a playlist and press play! Yes, it’s that easy, and with minimal commercials. The best part? Spotify is free. Say goodbye to CDs and limiting radio stations. Spotify puts you in charge of what you listen to.
What did the world ever do before Instagram? With Instagram, you document your life, through pictures. You can choose to let the world see your gallery, or just your friends—and you’re not just taking pictures, but you’re taking memories. Your vacation to Cancun, your engagement ring, your dinner at Club 33, or maybe a picture of your kids at the park at sunset—whatever you decide to document, Instagram will save it in their cloud which will protect your memories from the scrapbooks getting wet or your phone dying for good.
Angry Birds 2
It may have took Rovio years to offer a true sequel to the original hit title, but Angry Birds is truly back in Angry Birds 2, and better than ever! In Angry Birds 2, you’ll get the opportunity to choose which bird you use to overcome the bad piggies. There are boss challenges, new power-ups, more dynamic levels, and an option to play against other people. Angry Birds 2 may be free, but they sure didn’t compromise the quality.
SwiftKey Keyboard
Is your Android keyboard too tiny, too boring, or too challenging to adjust to? Make sure to grab SwiftKey Keyboard from the Google Play Store! Swiftkey offers an endless amount of amazing, colorful keyboard designs, as well as incredible adaptive features. Swiftkey gets to know how you type, eliminating your most frequent typos, preparing the next word you’d likely say, and much more! SwiftKey is fluent in over a hundred languages, making it the best keyboard for you, no matter where you are on the map.
Snapchat
Don’t think Snapchat is just for the kids! Far from it. Whether you have a business or you’re just trying to advertise your personal brand, Snapchat is for you! Show your followers your “story” by taking snaps of your everyday life and adding a caption, text, emoji, filters, and even current-location stickers! You can send snaps directly to your friends and even include a time limit on how long the photo can be viewed before it self-destructs. Just remember, whatever pictures you send can easily be saved by a simple screenshot.
ES File Explorer
ES File Explorer is a file manager, and one of the best available today. Easily access or share smartphone files to your computer, and vice versa. With a cloud available for file storing, you’ll never run out of space! You can protect specific files with a password, and you can even use it to view pictures, listen to music and watch movies.
Google Keep
You know the Monday feeling. The one where you bolt out of bed realizing you missed your alarm. As you make coffee, a thousand things you need to remember for the day are running through your head: Don’t forget the meeting at noon. Remember to grab eggs at the store because the Smiths are coming for dinner. Don’t forget the Redbox movie on your way out the door. With Google Keep, you can quickly set reminders and take fast notes at any time! You even have the option to color-code them or share them with others. I can’t count all the times I’ve forgotten to grab a notepad for a meeting and Google Keep has come through.
Zedge
The name says it all. Zedge offers every ringtone imaginable, whether that’s your favorite song or maybe a customized ringtone for each of your contacts (yes, even your boss!). Zedge has a variety of stunning, eye-catching wallpaper, along with a collection of live wallpapers. See the northern lights, motivational quotes, or your favorite emoji every time you pull out your phone. The Zedge app is free and a breeze to use. Definitely an Android-essential!
The Weather Channel
With The Weather Channel app, you can track the temperature wherever you are, as well as stay alerted of any major storms. The app will also notify you of severe weather alerts in your area, so that you can be well prepared. Check on road conditions and pollen levels to make sure your travel route is safe. This app also includes a “Rewards” section, where you can earn mPoints by following and tagging The Weather Channel on social media, playing games, and more!
Anything you come across on the internet, you can save to read later with Pocket. Spend time accumulating your to-read list by saving articles to the app, and pull it up when you’re in the waiting room or on lunch break. Pocket works great for articles you want to finish but are too long to read immediately. Take everything in smaller doses with Pocket, eliminating the dreaded tl;dr syndrome.
LastPass
Lastpass is a secure way to save all of your passwords and personal information in one place. If you find yourself constantly reviewing old emails, out of ideas for strong passwords, or searching tirelessly for a little scrap of paper where you wrote down your password or other piece of information, this one’s for you! When you download Lastpass, it’ll be the last password you lose.
Candy Crush
Candy Crush is all the rage, and we can see why. With so much candy, and so many levels and challenges, Candy Crush is addicting! The developers are always adding new content, providing new opportunities for you to beat you and your friends’ high scores in this candy palooza.
Closing
And that wraps up what we think are the best applications to download after getting a new Android smartphone or tablet! However, it can be difficult deciding which of these applications should go on your smartphone. After all, there are a lot of high-quality Android apps here, but you may not be interested in all of them.
If you’re looking for a quick and fun game to play, Candy Crush might be right up your alley. But maybe you’d rather spend your time on social networks. In that case, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram are all great choices. Need a safe place for sensitive information like account and Wi-Fi passwords? Then LastPass will suit you well!
Whatever the case, there’s something for everybody on this list. And with that, we’d like to turn the mic over to our readers. What are your favorite applications that you might recommend for someone who’s just starting out with Android? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
Come comment on this article: Must-have Android apps for your new device [2016]
Get smart with new Google Calendar update
Google is rolling out an update to the Calendar app on both Android and iOS devices that make the app just a little bit smarter than it has been. That is a good thing for users as they can access new holidays, new languages and adding events has a new workflow available to make it a little bit quicker.
The big change with the update is a new feature called “smart suggestions” that is supposed to help make it easier and quicker to add an event. When a user starts typing the title for a new event they are adding, Google will suggest possible matches in a list that appears below the data entry field. Users can click on one of those to finish populating the title or just keep typing if it is something new.
The enhancements do not stop with the title though. If users keep typing “at…” or pick it from the list that appears, they can quickly add a location. Google will again provide options to selection a location from a list based on what is being typed. Users can continue with the “with…” option to add people – though this does not send an invite – and they can type “on…” to pick a date, time and duration. The last option is only available for English language users. The other features are available in several languages.
Along with the enhancements to the suggestions routine, Google added over 30 languages – I count 41 in the list although some are variations of the same language – that support the smart suggestions feature and the Calendar app in general. Google also added 54 new country-specific holiday calendars that can be activated by users by going to Settings -> Holidays. This brings the total number of country-specific holiday calendars to 143. Those join four religious holidays calendars covering Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Orthodox holidays.
Finally, Google also made it a bit easier to delete calendar entries by tapping on the overflow button and selecting the Delete option without having to do a full edit job.
You can get the Google Calendar app from the Play Store using the link below.
source: Google
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Gear S2 Classic continues global rollout with the United Kingdom
A few days ago the Gear S2 Classic began its global rollout with China. Today, the Gear S2 Classic made way to the United Kingdom.
The Gear S2 is now up for pre-order on Mobile Fun in the United Kingdom. The retailer is selling both the 18k rose gold and platinum colored versions for £399.99, which is equivalent to roughly $570 USD. This is a large sum of money for a smartwatch, but if it fits your tastes, go for it.
Both versions are definitely a step up from the standard Gear S2. These provide a luxurious exterior and include either an ivory leather strap or a black leather band depending on the model you choose. These are some of the best smartwatches on the market right now if you’re willing to pay for it. Whether you’re looking to replace an older smartwatch, or buy a smartwatch for the first time, you can’t go wrong with the Samsung Gear S2 Classic.
Source: Mobile Fun (Rose Gold, Platinum)
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Wileyfox Swift now comes in white at Amazon UK
The Wileyfox Swift has been available on Amazon UK for some time now, but the smartphone just today became available in white.
The Wileyfox Swift is an affordable and off-contract smartphone. And while they’re might be a stigma against such cheap smartphones in the public eye, Wileyfox has done a phenomenal job creating a great package with the Swift.
As a quick reminder, the Wileyfox Swift sports a 5-inch 720p IPS display, a Snapdragon 1.2GHz 410 processor and 2GB of RAM. There’s also 16GB of internal storage, a a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. The Swift operates on 4G networks and has a removable 2,500mAh battery.
On the software front, the Swift uses CyanogenOS 12.1 and boasts of enhanced privacy and security features.
Amazon UK has the smartphone up for sale at £135.39 with free delivery available in the UK. For those interested in picking it up over in the US, Amazon UK offers a “AmazonGlobal Priority” shipping method. Alternatively, there are some decent listing on eBay for the smartphone.
Have you gotten a Wileyfox Swift? What do you think of it? Be sure to sound off in the comments below!
Come comment on this article: Wileyfox Swift now comes in white at Amazon UK
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