Facebook kills its little-known Notify app
Remember Facebook’s Notify app? No? Well then, it has gone into the ether before you even knew it. The social network is shutting it down after launching it merely seven months ago. Notify was designed to send notifications from a curated list of news sources — you could pick from its content partners, including Bloomberg Business, CNN and The New York Times — to your lock screen. You could even follow specific parts of a publication, such as the sports section, instead of the whole thing. In a statement the social network sent out, it said that it’ll begin integrating Notify’s features into other products like Messenger on Wednesday. It will also pull Notify from the App Store.
We’re guessing the company is talking about using Messenger’s chatbots to deliver the latest updates to users. Some pubs like CNN and The Wall Street Journal are already running their own bots, and more companies will surely follow. Unlike Notify, chatbots don’t need a standalone app, so all Facebook users can access them anytime.
Here are the full statement Facebook sent TechCrunch and the notice it blasted to subscribers’ phones earlier:
“Starting on Wednesday, we will begin integrating Notify functionality into other Facebook products, like Messenger, and will be removing Notify from the App Store. Since launching Notify, we’ve learned a lot about how to make notifications as timely and relevant as possible and we heard from people using the app that Notify helped them stay informed about things they cared about throughout the day.
With more than 900 million people using Messenger each month, we think there is a great opportunity for publishers to reach even more people interested in real-time updates from their favorite sources.”
Via: The Verge, TechCrunch
If you excel at ‘Hitman’ games, it’s because of repetition
If you’ve ever played a Hitman game, you’ve probably ended up at the end of a mission with a pile of bodies, your target dead in the center of a mansion, and errant guards prowling around to take you out. Nothing to be ashamed of. It happens to everyone. But how could you ever truly channel Agent 47, ruthless assassin as he is, when you can barely get the “stealth” portion of the game right?
It’s all part of some very clever game design on the part of Hitman’s developers, as explained in this engaging YouTube video by way of Mark Brown of Game Maker’s Toolkit. In the video, Brown delves into the very thread of how this feat can be accomplished: repetition, repetition, repetition.
If you’ve ever wondered how the game developers themselves took the seemingly impossible task of getting you into Agent 47’s psyche, the video is an interesting watch. Even if you’re only keen on getting into the developers’ heads by watching, you’ll definitely come out with a new sort of appreciation for what really goes on in Hitman, especially the latest release.
FIFA will test in-game video replays next year
It took FIFA, soccer’s governing body, years to bring goal-line technology into the sport. And even now that the system is approved, there are only a few leagues world taking advantage of it. Still, that decision showed the organization’s willingness to evolve and keep up with other sports. Today FIFA, along with the International Football Association Board (which sets the rules for soccer), is taking another step forward by approving tests of video replays to review controversial plays during matches.
According to IFAB, that includes helping referees with “game-changing” decisions such as penalty calls, direct red card incidents and, of course, goals. While trials are expected to begin early next year, FIFA and IFAB won’t decide if the Video Assistant Referees (VARs) system will be a permanent fixture until 2018 or 2019. What’s more, as part of the wider testing, live experiments are going to be conducted around the world.
Major League Soccer will participate in these tests (its wish came true), as is the case for Germany’s Bundesliga, Austria’s Hyundai A-League and several competitions under the Brazilian, Dutch and Portuguese football federations. Not a bad start.
Source: IFAB, MLS
Blue Origin and NASA team up to test new technologies in space
NASA has just added Jeff Bezos’ space travel company Blue Origin to its list of carriers approved for carrying new technologies to space. The partnership is part of the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), which allows other space travel organizations outside of the government to test new technologies in microgravity or zero gravity environments.
Blue Origin’s part in all this is its payload system that works something like a stack of miniature shipping containers, with each one wired with power, cameras, telemetry data and control systems to carry out and monitor microgravity research on its New Shepherd suborbital vehicle.
Experiments sent up on the New Shepherd will get about three minutes time in “a high-quality, microgravity environment” at a height of over 100 km. In the future, as Blue Origin gets closer to manned flights, researchers will eventually be able to fly along for hands-on space experiments. Until then, Blue Origin will sell a benchtop development unit that can be used to program experiments from the comfort of your own lab.
Rounding out the rest of NASA’s STMD roster are: Masten Space Systems, Near Space Corporation, UP Aerospace, Virgin Galactic and World View Enterprises.
Microsoft brings Outlook mail and calendar to HoloLens
You can’t get a Microsoft HoloLens yet unless you pony up $3,000 for the developer edition. But when a consumer version does become available — either through Microsoft itself or through companies that choose to use the Windows Holographic platform — you’ll easily be able to access your emails and schedule on the headset. Microsoft has released HoloLens versions of Outlook Mail and Calendar, so those who do have the developer version no longer have to load them on a browser.
The company explained that both apps were built on the Universal Windows Platform and can run on any Windows 10 device. Since its augmented and virtual reality platform is part of Windows 10, it was easy enough to bring the apps over. HoloLens users simply have to download them from the headset’s Windows Store, and we’re guessing that’s what you’ll also have to do on future Windows Holographic devices.
Via: VentureBeat
Source: Microsoft
Unclog your toilet with this one kitchen item – CNET
All you need to combat a toilet paper traffic jam.
Alina Bradford
There are times when all the plunging in the world won’t unclog a toilet. That’s when you need to bring in the big guns. Luckily, “the big guns” consist of something you have sitting in your kitchen: dish soap. Dish soap acts as a lube to make the clog slippery so that it will slide on down the sewage line.
To get things moving, squirt about 1 cup (8 ounces) into the toilet and plunge the toilet a couple of times to work the soap down into the clog. Let it sit for around 15 minutes.
Don’t be surprised if you hear the sound of flushing before the 15 minutes is up. It works pretty fast.
If it didn’t work, plunge the toilet a few times to see if you can work the dish soap into the clog a little better. The clog should pop out and make its way down to sewer town.
Now, this will only work if your clog consists of toilet paper. It won’t work if your toddler throws Legos in the toilet or if you’re trying to flush old photos of your ex after too many glasses of wine. In those instances, you may need to call a plumber.
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Samsung Gear IconX Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET
Getting fit usually means wristbands and watches, but a handful of companies are trying out ears. Samsung is now in the fitness earphone game with the Gear IconX, debuting later this year. They’re small buds that combine fitness tracking with Bluetooth earphones that also can store music locally.
Other companies have done this before, but Samsung’s buds are also completely, independently wireless. Two separate buds, no connecting wire or neckband necessary. They nestle in their own charging case, which tops off the battery life twice. The IconX battery life is estimated at 3-ish hours on its own as a fitness tracker and music player, or an hour and a half when paired and streaming from a phone.
Wireless charging case included.
Sarah Tew/CNET
I tried a prerelease prototype pair of IconX buds on for a few minutes, and they sounded pretty good. Samsung throws a handful of ear tips in the package, and they sounded better to me than other Bluetooth fitness buds I’ve recently worn. They also come with an ambient sound passthrough mode, which let me hear things around me.
We were worried about ours falling out, but you just have to pick the right tip.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Onboard heart rate monitoring tracks activity, and a touch button on the earphones can be used to start and end workouts. I wasn’t able to go outside for a run, but holding my finger down on the IconX’s earbud button gave me some audio feedback on how I was doing. I found it hard to navigate the menu with one-finger touch controls, though.
IconX earbuds will sync with Samsung S Health, but also pair with Endomondo, MapMyRun, Runkeeper and Strava as a Bluetooth heart rate monitor. They’ll work with anyone who has an Android 4.4 phone — sorry, no iOS support — but the music playback part of the Icon X is limited to storing MP3s, or streaming music from your phone.
Samsung Gear Fit 2, Gear Icon X. Too much gear?
Sarah Tew/CNET
At $199 in the US (equivalent to £138 in the UK, or AU$275), the Gear Icon X are not outrageously priced for what they offer. But the battery life definitely seems on the low end compared to other options. And if I’m already interested in fitness and Samsung products, I’d probably be more inclined to get the Gear Fit 2 and a standard (less expensive) pair of wireless headphones. But we’ll have a better opinion on them when they debut later this year. Samsung says “Q3,” which means sometime between July and September. We’ll get a better idea of how they work when we get a final review unit then. Working out without a screen isn’t easy, but the convenience of these little buds might be worth it.
Elevate your career with access: Over 1,200 courses in IT, project management, and more
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The Wirecutter’s best deals: Save $300 on a Moto X / Moto 360 combo
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.
Moto X Pure Edition 64GB + Moto 360 Sport Watch
Street price: $700; MSRP: $750; deal price: $400 with codes
This deal involves stacking two codes and results in a huge $300 savings. First, you’ll go to the Moto X Pure page and select the 64GB storage option. Once you add it to your cart, use the code CLASSOF2016. Then, you’ll add the Moto 360 Sport to your cart and use the code JUNEMOTO360. The final total should be $400. While the Moto 360 Sport wasn’t one of our top picks in our smartwatch guide, it’s certainly worth it in this combo deal.
The Moto X Pure Edition is our customizable phablet pick in our best Android phones guide. Ryan Whitwam said, “Motorola’s latest flagship phone offers a great Android 6.0 software experience with customization options that other phones simply can’t match. You can choose from different colors and materials for the back, pick a metallic accent color, and even customize the startup message. It’s more comfortable to hold than other phablets despite its big, 5.7-inch LCD, plus it has a slot for a microSD card. If you take a lot of selfies, we have still more good news: This phone has a front-facing flash paired with a wide-angle 5-megapixel camera.”
TomTom Spark Music GPS Watch
Street price: $190; MSRP: $200; deal price: $150
The best price we’ve seen on this watch, which we’ve never seen drop below $180 until this deal. This price is available on all sizes and colors.
The TomTom Spark Music is our music playback pick for the best GPS running watch. Jim McDannald said, “If you love listening to music on the run and want to leave your smartphone or mp3 player at home, the TomTom Spark Music could be worth the trade-off in accuracy, fit, and features. Along with gathering GPS data about your run, the Spark Music transmits your music wirelessly to Bluetooth headphones for playback.”
Apple Watch Stainless Steel
Street price: $450; MSRP: $550; deal price: $350
While we’ve avoided posting deals on the stainless steel model of the Apple Watch in the past due to the price, we felt this drop was low enough to post. It’s down to $350 for the first time, and while you’d still save a substantial amount buying the Sport, if you prefer the look and feel of the stainless steel, this is a significant savings over the street price.
The Apple Watch Sport is our favorite smartwatch for iPhone users. Dan Frakes and Kevin Purdy said, “the Sport’s fit and finish are impressive, and the watch is lightweight and comfortable. It can use any of Apple’s many watch bands, and it has the exact same features and components—including the same OLED display at the same resolutions—as the more expensive Apple Watch (stainless steel) and Apple Watch Edition (gold).”
Wren V5BT Bluetooth Speaker
Street price: $200; MSRP: $400; deal price: $160 with code DG16
Make sure to use the code DG16 to get this price. This is the best price we’ve seen on this particular speaker, though it’s only available on the bamboo finish.
The Wren V5BT is our alternate pick for a home Bluetooth speaker in our best gifts for audiophiles guide. We wrote this about the Airplay model, though it also applies to the Bluetooth one, “If your giftee prefers AirPlay over Bluetooth, the Wren V5AP is the AirPlay speaker that strikes the best balance between affordability and compactness, plus it sounds great for its $250 price. It gets our recommendation because it sounds as good as any AirPlay speaker we’ve heard under $400 and even better than some products in the $600 range.”
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.
Olympic athletes will sport Visa’s new payment ring in Rio
For those making their way to this year’s Olympic games in Rio this August, Visa will be the only card accepted at official venues — a pretty sweet deal for the credit provider. But, rather than be satisfied with exclusive access to the wallets of a half million tourists, the company is using the event to introduce a new ring that will let people pay with a wave of their hand: No phone, wallet or even battery needed.
The unnamed band is pretty simple in design. The interior contains a secure microchip from Gemalto and an embedded antenna; the exterior is simply a black or white ceramic loop. The addition of any kind of decorative metal or dye would interfere with the antenna. It also won’t be custom-fitted but, with 20 sizes available during its trial run, most testers should be able to find a good match. That initial group includes employees and partners, but most notably the 45 athletes sponsored by the payment provider, including swimmer Missy Franklin and fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad.
It was discussions with those Olympians that inspired the creation of the payment ring; wallets and standard wearables can be a real annoyance when you’re constantly changing in and out of uniform. Decathlete Ashton Eaton specifically told Visa he wanted something he could just integrate into his daily routine and forget about. So the ring was designed not only to be inconspicuous, but also be water resistant to 50 meters and never need charging. Instead, the ring draws a tiny bit of power from the payment terminal, just enough to enable the transaction. It doesn’t exchange as much data as Apple Pay or Android Pay, but it’s on par with swiping your card. Visa actually provides a card with the ring, for those instances when contactless pay isn’t available.
Rings have an annoying tendency to go missing, but Visa prepared for that situation too. The payment band can be deactivated from a smartphone, and thieves who find one won’t be able to get anything useful out of it thanks to tokenization. That means sensitive data is replaced by a digital identifier that can be used to process payments, but doesn’t actually contain any personal information.
At this point the ring is merely a prototype and won’t be available to the general public in time for Rio. Instead, the Olympic Village will be a testing ground to find out how well it performs in the field. The band I saw in New York looked and felt great, and the first time I used it on a payment terminal felt magical. I waved my hand and heard that telltale “beep” of a successful transaction.
But I was lucky: Subsequent attempts were hit or miss, and I was told this was a common problem thanks to the diminutive design of the wearable. The ring works best when the full ‘O’ of it is facing toward the terminal; if it’s held at a 90-degree position above the keypad, as it would be when you hold your palm flat, the reader doesn’t pick it up. I found that holding my hand at a 45-degree angle sometimes worked. Visa plans to encourage the athletes to try a different hand position, so don’t be surprised if you see a few of your favorite competitors trying out a “fist tap” the next time they need to pay for a Coke in Rio.
AIVAnet 