Report: Next Apple TV might be an Amazon Echo competitor
It seems Apple is finally gearing up to make Siri useful. Following a report from earlier this week about Apple developing a smart Bluetooth speaker similar to the Amazon Echo, now VentureBeat is reporting that the next Apple TV could also have the Echo in its sights. “They want Apple TV to be just the hub of everything,” a source told the site. Siri was a big part of the recent Apple TV, but it also requires holding down a button on the remote. The next Apple TV will supposedly be redesigned to include a speaker and microphone of its own, so you could conceivably just shout commands without hitting any buttons.
That same source says Apple has also given up on the idea of building a Bluetooth speaker to focus on its next set-top box, and it’s also considered upgrading the current Apple TV with more Siri smarts. I wouldn’t count out an Apple speaker just yet — it makes plenty of sense for it to dive into that burgeoning market, and it could also co-exist with a new Apple TV. A speaker could also be an easy way to bring Siri into your bedroom (ahem) without having an Apple TV nearby.
All of these rumors could have some truth to them. The most likely scenario is that Apple is working hard to bring expanded Siri capabilities to all of its devices, just like Google is planning to do with its Assistant. Since most people will likely end up relying on only one virtual assistant, it’s important for Apple to be just as ubiquitous as the competition.
Source: VentureBeat
‘Minecraft’ players can battle each other next month
Minecraft is about to get a whole lot more competitive. Mojang, 4J Studios and Microsoft have teamed up to introduce a special new PvP mini game for Minecraft: Console Edition, and it’s called simply Battle.
Battle is the first of several planned mini games and it’s rolling out in June, a simple way for players to create competitions with custom rules and settings without having to worry about frustratingly tedious preparations and time-wasting setup. It’ll rely on randomly-generated resources in chests placed on special PvP maps and death matches between players to crown victors, all the while spectators can view the carnage.
Matches will support up to four players via split-screen mode and 8 players online with Xbox Live. There’s also an in-game matchmaking component to find players for your own personal battle royales.
The free update will be released later in June for anyone who owns Minecraft on Xbox One and Xbox 360 and other consoles as part of an update with three additional maps.
Source: Microsoft
Android doesn’t infringe on Oracle copyrights, jury finds
Google emerged victorious in court this afternoon, after a jury found that its use of Java APIs in Android doesn’t infringe on Oracle’s copyrights. The two companies have been battling it out over the past few years: Oracle originally sued Google back in 2010 because of how Java was integrated into Android. Oracle had a point though, as Google basically lifted entire portions of Sun Microsystem’s original Java code for Android. Google, meanwhile, argued that it was free to use the Java code since it was open to developers for many years. Another jury also ruled in Google’s favor back in 2012, but a federal court reversed that decision in 2014.
Basically, Oracle believes it deserves a slice of the mobile operating system’s profits. Had the trial gone the other way, Oracle could have asked for as much as $9 billion in damages, Ars Technica reports. The key with today’s decision is that the jury found Google’s implementation of Java to be “fair use,” which is good news to other developers working with open platforms.
Oracle didn’t waste any time commenting on the ruling, and it also says it’ll be appealing the decision:
“We strongly believe that Google developed Android by illegally copying core Java technology to rush into the mobile device market. Oracle brought this lawsuit to put a stop to Google’s illegal behavior. We believe there are numerous grounds for appeal and we plan to bring this case back to the Federal Circuit on appeal.”
And here’s Google’s take:
“Today’s verdict that Android makes fair use of Java APIs represents a win for the Android ecosystem, for the Java programming community, and for software developers who rely on open and free programming languages to build innovative consumer products
The Wirecutter’s best deals: 20 percent off Samsung’s SmartThings Hub
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. Read their continuously updated list of deals at TheWirecutter.com.
You may have already seen Engadget posting reviews from our friends at The Wirecutter. Now, from time to time, we’ll also be publishing their recommended deals on some of their top picks. Read on, and strike while the iron is hot — some of these sales could expire mighty soon.
Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader
Street price: $32; MSRP: $33; Deal price: $20
This recently expired deal is back and once again matches the low price we saw set in October. It tends to be stubborn about staying right near the MSRP with brief drops to the $20 range every few months.
The Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader is our pick for the best card reader. The Wirecutter staff wrote, “The folks at Camera Memory Speed got read/write speeds above 250 MBps, a feat no other card reader could match in their tests. By comparison, the cheapest USB 3.0 model they tested, the SD-only Transcend RDF5, managed an average of just 93 MBps. The Lexar can copy from both card slots simultaneously and supports UHS-II and UDMA 7 card protocols. It comes with a 42-inch USB 3.0 cable and a five-year warranty—most of its rivals have coverage for only one or two years.”
Patagonia Lightweight Tote
Street price: $80; MSRP: $80; Deal price: $63 with code MAY20
Make sure to use the code MAY20. There’s a small “Promo code” option inside your shopping cart page. It drops this tote down to $63 and you get 2-day shipping for free as well. The code only works on a single item, so you won’t be able to get discounts on the rest of your order.
The Patagonia Lightweight Tote is our packable daypack pick in our travel gear guide. We said, “This Patagonia Tote works great as a tote but makes no compromises in backpack performance. It has all the padding and straps you’d expect on a normal daypack.”
Samsung SmartThings Hub
Street price: $100; MSRP: $100; Deal price: $79
We just published our smart hub guide and already we’re seeing a solid deal. This Samsung hub has dropped to $79 once in the past, prior to us tracking it, but has consistently been in the $100 range otherwise.
The Samsung SmartThings Hub is our pick for the best smart hub. Jon Chase said it’s “a polished, powerful option for tech-savvy DIYers who have a desire for an integrated smart home but lack the budget for or interest in a professionally installed system. It’s easy to set up on your home network, and pairing it with other smart devices is largely seamless.”
SONOS PLAY:5
Street price: $500; MSRP: $500; Deal price: $500 with $50 gift card
This is the first time we’ve seen a good deal on this pick, though you’ll still be paying $500 initially. You’ll receive a $50 gift card with one-day or free Prime shipping afterwards. This is part of a sale on multiple Sonos items, and while we’ve seen a better price on the Sonos Play:1 before, this is also the first time we’re seeing a sale on the Sonos Playbar, which also includes a $50 giftcard.
The SONOS PLAY:5 is our “bigger sound for larger rooms” pick in our best multiroom wireless speaker system guide. Chris Heinonen said, “The Sonos PLAY:5 uses six drivers and amps to easily fill large spaces with full-range, detailed sound. They also sound great paired.”
Deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go to The Wirecutter.com.
‘Mirror’s Edge’ TV show in the works from ‘Big Brother’ studio
Mirror’s Edge, the cult-classic video game franchise from EA, is set to become a television series from the makers of Big Brother, The Biggest Loser and Hell on Wheels. Endemol Shine Studios acquired the TV rights to Mirror’s Edge and is working with EA to transform it into a female-centric action series (much like the game itself). Deadline originally reported the deal and EA confirmed its existence to Engadget.
“We are excited to be working with Endemol Shine Studios to explore a potential Mirror’s Edge project for television,” an EA spokesperson said.
The original Mirror’s Edge hit the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2008. It’s a rapid-fire first-person game starring Faith, a freerunner, as she battles a dystopian government across a sleek, futuristic city. It was heralded for innovative gameplay mechanics yet criticized for not presenting a deep enough story to satisfy many couch-bound freerunners. Its long-awaited sequel, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst, is due to land on Xbox One and PS4 on June 7th, and it promises to showcase a larger storyline and bigger city to explore.
Endemol Shine Studios is the scripted division of Endemol Shine North America, meaning any Mirror’s Edge TV show won’t be a reality series (although, watching Faith freerun around the Big Brother house would be infinitely amusing).
“We clearly see Mirror’s Edge as a franchise for the global TV audience,” Endemol Shine Studios president Sharon Hall said, according to Deadline. “It has a strong female protagonist, a wildly rabid fan base and a worldwide brand that Electronic Arts and EA DICE have done an amazing job establishing.”
Apple’s Rumored Amazon Echo Competitor Could Be a Next-Generation Apple TV
Earlier this week, The Information said Apple was actively developing an in-home hub that would compete with the Amazon Echo and the Google Home, and now VentureBeat has shared new details on the product and its prospective features.
Citing an unnamed source, VentureBeat says rather than developing a new product, Apple could add Echo-like features to a revamped version of the Apple TV. The Amazon Echo, for those unfamiliar, is an in-home personal assistant device with a built-in speaker and a robust AI system. The Echo is able to perform a wide range of functions, from giving weather reports and answering queries to controlling smart home devices.
A future version of the Apple TV may gain a dedicated microphone and speaker, along with deeper Siri integration to allow it to function like the Echo. Processing queries and serving up results is said to require additional computing infrastructure, which Apple is working on. It is not clear what extra computing infrastructure is needed as the fourth-generation Apple TV includes the same A8 processor that was used in the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, two devices more than capable of processing Siri inquiries.
The company will build on its enhancements to the Apple TV announced last year, which brought the Siri virtual assistant to the set-top box. A new version of the Apple TV will solve problems with the existing box and remote control, a source familiar with the matter claims.
“They want Apple TV to be just the hub of everything,” the source told VentureBeat.
Apple reportedly considered several options, ranging from a more comprehensive Siri implementation in the Apple TV to an improved Siri Remote to a standalone Echo-like product, but the standalone option was dropped in favor of furthering development on the Apple TV.
VentureBeat’s report does not include details on when a next-generation Apple TV box with the aforementioned features could be released, but a late 2015 rumor from DigiTimes suggested Apple was already at work on a fifth-generation Apple TV with a new CPU and redesigned heat-dissipation solution to go along with it.
Turning the Apple TV (or another hardware product) into an Amazon Echo competitor will require more robust Siri capabilities, which could come as soon as iOS 10. Apple is said to be working on a Siri SDK, allowing third-party developers to build Siri support into their apps.
Related Roundup: Apple TV
Tags: Siri, venturebeat.com, Amazon Echo
Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)
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VirnetX Asks for More Money From Apple, Calls on Court to Shut Down FaceTime and iMessage
VirnetX, currently embroiled in a patent dispute with Apple over FaceTime and iMessage, today asked the judge presiding over the case for additional damages and an injunction to block Apple’s popular messaging services.
According to Law360, VirnetX argues that an injunction is appropriate because Apple’s infringement on VirnetX’s patents, which relate to virtual private networking (VPN) protocols, has caused irreparable harm to the company. The Nevada-based patent holding company also called Apple the “poster child” for unreasonable litigation tactics and asked the court to increase its damages award by at least $190 million.
At a post-trial hearing Wednesday, Texas technology company VirnetX argued that although an injunction blocking Apple’s popular video chatting and messaging features, along with a virtual private network on demand feature, may seem like a harsh remedy, it is necessary because of the irreparable harm Apple’s infringement caused the company.
Apple is currently appealing a February ruling that awarded VirnetX $625 million in damages, and VirnetX likely wants an injunction put in place to speed along the appeal process and force Apple into paying royalties. Apple has filed for a mistrial on the basis that VirnetX “blatantly misrepresented” the testimony of Apple’s witnesses and used “arguments outside the evidence.”
If an injunction is granted, Apple will be forced to shut down key features in Messages and FaceTime or find a workaround to avoid using functionality patented by VirnetX.
Tags: patent trials, VirnetX
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How to take a screenshot on the Raspberry Pi – CNET
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Taylor Martin/CNET
So you have Raspbian installed on your Raspberry Pi, maybe you’ve even installed Minecraft and are busy building and modding. Now you want to take a screenshot of your setup to show some friends, but how?
You use Scrot, which is short for screenshot. Clever name aside, you’ll need to install Scrot on your Pi and then familiarize yourself with its commands.
To install Scrot, open LXTerminal and type: sudo apt-get install scrot
Scrot doesn’t offer any sort of dedicated app such as Skitch does on a Mac. Instead all screenshots are taken using LXTerminal commands.
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Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
To immediately take a screenshot of your entire screen enter the command: scrot
Scrot saves files as a PNG in the current direct, which if you’ve just opened LXTerminal and started issuing commands would be in /home/pi.
Of course, there’s more to Scrot than that. You can set a timer to take a screenshot at a specific time, trigger a selection tool to only capture a section of the screen or even indicate you want Scrot to capture only the currently active window.
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Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
For example, to take a screenshot of the active window with a 10 second delay, you would enter: scrot -u -d 10
The “-u” tells Scrot to capture the active window, while “-d” activates a timer with the number just after it indicating where to start the countdown.
If you don’t want Scrot to save a screenshot into the current directory, you can tell it where to save it and even name the file when you give the command.
A command such as: scrot /Desktop/test.png will take a screenshot and save it to your desktop with the name “test.png.”
You can view all of Scrot’s commands by entering: scrot -h
How to toughen your LinkedIn account’s security in light of hack – CNET
You could add an extra security step to your LinkedIn account.
Justin Sullivan, Getty Images
Those of you who use LinkedIn might want to beef up your security.
On May 18, the professional-networking site said that more than 100 million members’ email and password combinations hacked during a 2012 data breach had just been posted online. In the same breach, hackers stole and publicly released a separate set of 6.5 million encrypted passwords that year.
On Wednesday, LinkedIn emailed its members to explain what it’s doing and what its members should do. The company said member email addresses, hashed passwords and LinkedIn member IDs (an internal identifier LinkedIn assigns to each member profile) from 2012 had been compromised. In response, LinkedIn invalidated the passwords of all accounts created prior to the 2012 breach in which the password had not been reset since that year.
Cyberattacks against websites are nothing new but have ramped up in recent years as hackers find new ways to exploit security holes. Hackers often sell stolen customer data on the black market, and hacked sites are forced to acknowledge and upgrade their vulnerable security methods. Users have to change their passwords and worry about personal data ending up in the wrong hands.
LinkedIn users can take steps to beef up their account security by setting up a strong password and implementing two-factor authentication, which provides an extra level of protection. Here’s how to do both via LinkedIn’s website:
Change your password
Log in to your LinkedIn account (if you’ve forgotten your password, click on the ? next to the password field, and LinkedIn will send you a link to change it).
After you’ve signed in to the site, hover over your thumbnail photo in the upper right corner, and a menu called Account & Settings should pop up. At that menu, click on the Privacy & Settings option.
Your account page should appear. Click on the option to Change password. Type your current password in the first field, then type your new password in the second and third fields.
Try to use a strong password. You can use an alphanumeric password with both letters and numbers. You can use a short multiword phrase, such as “There’s-no-place-like-home.” Another option is to purchase a password generator such as RoboForm or LastPass, which automates the process of creating, remembering and applying passwords.
Click the Save button. You’ll now use your new password to sign in to LinkedIn.
OK, let’s say you want to take security a step further and set up two-step verification. This security method uses verification codes sent to your mobile phone, which you then enter at the website.
Set up two-step verification
From your LinkedIn home page, hover over your thumbnail photo in the upper-right corner, and a menu called Account & Settings should pop up. Then, click on the Privacy & Settings option.
At your account page, click on the Privacy category at the top. Scroll down to the Security section and click on the option for Two-step verification.
Add your phone number if requested. Enter your password. Then type the verification code you receive on your mobile phone and click on Verify.
Go back to the Privacy section and again scroll down to the Security section and click on the option for Two-step verification. Click on the link to Turn on. Again, enter your LinkedIn password. And again, enter the verification code sent to your mobile phone and click on Verify.
Each time you sign in to your LinkedIn account, the site will send a verification code to your phone. Simply enter that code at the Two-Step Verification page to log in.
Using a strong password and two-step verification may be cumbersome steps, but they can help protect your account credentials from being used by the wrong people.
Wallhub – Tempting Wallpapers (Review) (Updated)
(Update) The developer has since patched the app to fix the problems. Review has been updated to reflect this.
Overview
Wallhub is a wallpaper archive app with a search and filter option for finding the perfect image for your device..
Developer: Mindsparkk
Cost: Free ($4 premium version)
Highlights
- Material design
- Puzzle game for added fun
- Has potential if it works
Impressions
Wallhub – Tempting Wallpapers is useful for finding a new look for you phone or tablet. Despite some issues initially, the app has since been fixed and is now functioning correctly.
Wallhub has a nice pseudo-Material design to it, that makes for an attractive interface, and a nifty animation for opening the menu. Beyond that, it is essentially just a grid of photos sorted into a few categories with a tag and search function. Pretty standard fare.
The images on offer are decent, if a bit limited in scope. Many of the pictures featured have a bit of a geeky flavor, with a lot of anime and gaming inspired art, along with some more diverse content. They have a good number of quality high-resolution photos, and a simple method of delivering them to your device. It can automatically set your wallpaper, download the image, or share it to another app or contact.
Wallhub features a search function, as well as a filter system to sort by resolution size, so you can find the image you want in the size you want, which is handy.
The app also includes a puzzle game, which is a nice touch to make the app have some character. You assemble a puzzle based off of a randomly selected wallpaper image. I do wish it was more prominently displayed, as its hidden in the menus.
Conclusion
There isn’t much else to say about Wallhub. When I initially reviewed the app, it was in an unusable state. It is now functioning fine but is still a rather average wallpaper app. The premium price is still too steep for what the app offers, and the free version does enough to make it unnecessary. It does some things well, and has a nice added puzzle game for some flavor, but there are certainly better options out there for wallpapers.
Download and install Wallhub from the Google Play Store.
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