Google makes it easy to find lost phones and access My Account
Back in 2015, Google launched a feature that displays a map showing your Android phone’s current location when you search for “find my phone.” Now, the big G is introducing another way to look for missing devices that sounds especially useful for absent-minded users. In the near future, searching for “I lost my phone” will take you straight to a portal called “Find your phone.” If you have an Android device, you can ring and locate it straight from the page. You can still remotely sign out of a Gmail account if you have an iPhone, but the page instructs you to visit iCloud.com to find it.
The tech titan is also rolling out new features that make it quicker to access your account hub. That’s the same page that shows your security settings, personal info and account preferences in one place. If you’ve already updated your Google app, saying “Ok Google, show me my Google account” takes you straight to the hub. In the future, searching for your name while you’re signed in will return a link to that hub at the top of the results list, as well. The company didn’t say when the feature will become available, but you can always access the page by going to myaccount.google.com.
Source: Google
Up close with Lian Li’s PC-hiding standing desk
Standing desks are the latest trend in office furniture and for good reason; sitting for hours a day can be pretty bad for your health. Lian Li, a case manufacturer that has built PCs into desks in the past, has taken that idea and incorporated into the DK-04, a PC chassis / desk combo that can be lowered and raised for both sitting and standing positions.
We had a chance to take a look at it here at Computex 2016, and like Lian Li’s previous PC-desk combinations, the DK-04 will house your PC components in the aluminum tabletop (It essentially doubles as the computer’s chassis). There are even vents on the rear of the desk for the hot air to dissipate. This particular one on the show floor has eight expansion slots, up to ten hard drive bays, four USB 3.0 ports and measures around 120cm wide. The top of it is a piece of tempered glass, which lets you admire your water-cooled PC rig from the outside.
Next to the USB ports and the dials are the adjustable height controls, which are very similar to other sit-stand desks. You can have it as low as 67.5 centimeters or as high as 116 centimeters. I tried it out for a few minutes and the desk does go up and down as promised, and at a pretty decent speed. I also really liked the look and feel of the desk-based PC in general — not having messy wires everywhere makes for one of the cleanest and most minimal desktop PC designs I’ve seen.
That said, the DK-04 is quite spendy, starting at $1,499 just for the barebones desk. Still, it makes for a pretty compelling option for those who want a DIY gaming rig that has potential health benefits too.
Tinder is helping Brits understand the EU referendum
Nothing gets a Tinder match swooning like a well-informed political debate. Quite fitting, then, that the dating app has added a new, temporary feature for UK users to help them to brush up on EU referendum issues when they’ve exhausted their daily Super Like allowance. In collaboration with non-profit Bite the Ballot, Tinder has created a true-or-false quiz covering key topics such as benefits and human rights — with the idea being you swipe your way to a better understanding of the key issues ahead of the referendum vote on June 23rd.
Once you’ve completed the quiz and have been labelled a commoner or crowned a King based on your score, you can get more info on the topics covered and even register to vote via the app. The new politically powered feature follows a similar experiment that debuted in the US a few months back, where users were matched with presidential candidates based on their stances towards various points of debate. So… are you in or are you out?
Via: Wired
Source: Tinder
Wanna hang out in zero gravity with George Takei?
We may not be living in the future that Star Trek promised us, but there are still perks available to us that the kids of the ’60s would have killed for. Like this opportunity to fly in a private version of NASA’s Vomit Comet with Captain Hikaru Sulu in Las Vegas this August. George Takei, along with Roddenberry Adventures, is offering 20 fans the chance to zoom through the skies of Nevada, completing 15 parabolic arcs offering up to 30 seconds of weightlessness a pop.
Creating a zero gravity environment is possible within the confines of Earth’s atmosphere, but it is pretty intensive. A plane is required to fly up at a 45-degree angle for 20 seconds before drastically topping out, at which point everything begins to float. You’re more likely to be familiar with the concept thanks to the fact that portions of Apollo 13 were shot using this method. More recently, OK Go used a Russian airliner to shoot the music video for Upside Down and Inside Out.
The event will take place on August 4th during the Las Vegas’ big Star Trek convention to celebrate the show’s birth back in 1966. If you can confirm the location of your wallet and confirm the existence of $6,825 within, then you should head over to Zero-G and book your flight. As part of the deal, you’ll meet Rod Roddenberry, get to keep your flight suit and get to mingle with George before and after the event.
Via: GeekWire, CNET
Source: ZeroG, Roddenberry Adventures
ICYMI: AI earbuds, 3D-printed casts and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: A Kickstarter project to give you artificial intelligence in earbud form is out in the world and we couldn’t help but make just a little bit of fun. A startup wants to create 3D-printed casts for the broken-boned masses, since previous versions have been too expensive for all but the most elite professional football players. And a new drone would have you up your selfie game in a way you didn’t even know you wanted.
As always, please share any great tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
NYPD’s smartphone program is shortening crime response times
The NYPD Mobility Initiative is paying off in spades for Gotham’s police. The force’s Deputy Commissioner for Information Technology Jessica Tisch recently revealed that thanks to the initiative that puts smartphones and tablets in police hands, response times to crimes in progress are down 12.6 percent. Gotham’s 36,000 officers are able to arrive at crimes in progress within 4 minutes and 26 seconds. According to a report by the New York Daily News, that’s the lowest the responses have been in more than half a decade. That expediency extends to 911 call responses as well. With a dedicated app, the police are able to start moving toward a crime scene before a dispatcher even contacts them.
In fact, Tuesday alone saw around 7,000 officers clicking on 29,000 emergency 911 alerts and performing 26,000 investigative queries, according to the News. Combined with the Hudson Yards neighborhood, upgrades to public WiFi and parking meters, America’s first city is becoming one of the country’s smartest
Source: New York Daily News
Tesla CEO Expects No Apple Car Before 2020, Calls it ‘Missed Opportunity’
Apple’s rumored electric car is unlikely to hit full-scale production or be ready for shipping before 2020, according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Musk offered his prediction to Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher at the Code Conference, where he claimed that Apple’s ambitions, while admirable, were falling behind in a fast-paced industry.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk interviewed yesterday at the Code Conference (Image: Asa Mathat)
“I think it’s great they’re doing this, and I hope it works out,” said Musk. “It’s just a missed opportunity. It’s a couple years… they’ll make a good car and be successful.”
In September 2015, it was reported that Apple had spent more than a year investigating the feasibility of an Apple-branded car and given permission to leaders of the project, code-named Titan, to triple its 600-person team to facilitate development in anticipation of a possible shipping date in 2019.
Musk’s comments suggest that the 2019 date might realistically indicate the point at which engineers confirm the main features of the product, and would seem to corroborate earlier rumors that fixed on a 2020 timeframe for the car’s launch.
Q&A with Tesla CEO Elon Musk at the Code Conference.
During the wide-ranging Code Conference interview, Musk also claimed Tesla’s Model 3 would hit its prospective 2017 launch year, by which time his company aims to fulfill more than 325,000 pre-orders for its lower-priced model.
Musk said the car’s design would be finished in about six weeks’ time. “Almost all of the Model 3 design is done, and we’re aiming for pencils down basically in six weeks, complete pencils down. And we’re tabling — you know, if there are ideas for future cool things, we’ll have it in version 2, version 3,” he said.
Musk also expressed his doubts that Google will release a car, despite its years of testing self-driving electric vehicles, and instead he expects the company to license its technology out to existing automotive manufacturers.
The bulk of Apple’s car research and development is thought to be taking place in secretive buildings in Sunnyvale, California, where late night “motor noises” have been heard.
You can watch the full interview with Tesla CEO Elon Musk here.
Related Roundup: Apple Car
Tags: Tesla, Code Conference, Elon Musk
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Facebook Messenger for iOS Gains 1,500 New Emoji Characters
Facebook has announced that it is adding 1,500 new emojis to its Messenger app in order to cater for the diversity of its users.
The new emojis follow Apple’s bulk addition of new emoji characters to iOS last year, but Facebook claims that Messenger is the first platform to feature a female police officer, runner, pedestrian, surfer, and swimmer, and notes that more are to come in the near future.
Facebook also notes that it is making changes to how emojis are displayed in the app.
Previously, some users would see replacement emoji characters that were native to their device, but now all users will see the same ones, irrespective of how they access the service. The company says that this will ensure that no one will see “broken-looking black boxes or emojis that just don’t make sense.”
Additionally, Facebook announced the addition of a new emoji picker for all platforms, located in the iOS app at the left of the composer.
Facebook Messenger is a free download for iPhone and iPad on the App Store. [Direct link]
Tag: Facebook Messenger
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Dashlane Introduces Revamped iOS App With Improved Navigation
Dashlane today announced a revamped version of its iOS app that will allow for streamlined navigation to make finding passwords and other secure information “easier than ever.” Notably, the overhaul encompasses all of Dashlane’s current Apple apps, including the ones for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
Users can expect the usual services from Dashlane’s new app — like Password Changer and Password Sharing — in addition to a list of new features, including a new accessibility option that brings font adjustment to the app. The iPad version of Dashlane is also finally getting the Password Changer feature, letting users easily change weak passwords on Apple’s tablet.
“Today Dashlane offers the most innovative and user-friendly password management solution across Mac, iOS, Android and PC devices,” says Emmanuel Schalit, CEO of Dashlane. “Apple users gravitate toward the platform’s easy-to-use interface and clean design – and we’re excited to announce our new Dashlane app continues to deliver the best-in-class password manager experience for Apple users.”
The improvements to navigation include a Quick Search function, a tabbed-bar menu, easier sharing with a new “Contacts” view, and a “Recents” tab so users can quickly jump into the passwords and information they check frequently. The company has also improved Safari integration to offer a better experience when auto-fill and auto-login options are available.
Apart from these upgrades, Dashlane hasn’t altered its payment structure: the experience is free when limited to one device, while a Dashlane Premium subscription ($39.99 per year) is required once users want to sync data across “an unlimited number of devices.”
Anyone interested can download the Dashlane app for free from the iOS App Store [Direct Link] and Mac App Store. [Direct Link]
Tag: Dashlane
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Apple Launches 2016 Back to School Promotion, Offers Free Beats With Mac, iPhone, or iPad Pro Purchase
Apple today launched its annual Back to School promotion in the U.S. and Canada, offering a free pair of Beats Solo2 Wireless Headphones to qualifying students, parents of students, educators, and select others that purchase an eligible Mac with education pricing, including the iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac Pro. As usual, the Mac mini and refurbished Macs are excluded from the deal.
Apple is also offering a free pair of Powerbeats2 Wireless Headphones with the purchase of an eligible iPhone or iPad Pro with education pricing, including the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and both the 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Those who purchase a qualifying iPhone or iPad Pro can also upgrade to the Beats Solo2 Wireless Headphones for $100, or $110 in Canadian dollars.
Apple will apply an instant credit in the amount of $299.95 in the U.S., or $329.95 in Canadian dollars, to cover the full cost of the Beats Solo2 Wireless Headphones in Black, Blue, Red, White, Gold, Rose Gold, Silver, Space Gray, Blue Active, Red Active, or Yellow Active. Apple will similarly apply an instant credit of $199.95, or $219.95 in Canadian dollars, for the Powerbeats2 Wireless Headphones in Red, Black, Black Sport, White Sport, Red Active, Yellow Active, or Blue Active.
Apple has outlined the full eligibility requirements for the program in its terms and conditions for the U.S. [PDF] and Canada [PDF] on its website.
Apple’s Back to School promotion runs from today through September 5, 2016 at Apple retail and campus stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada. The deal is also available on Apple’s online store or by calling 1-800-MY-APPLE. Apple has not yet officially announced the promotion in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, or other European countries where it is typically offered.
Tags: Beats Electronics, Back to School promotion, Apple retail
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