Google’s 2016 Nexus phones could feature a new launcher
While we’ve had early looks at Android Nougat for months, it appears Google may be saving other software tweaks for its next Nexus devices. Android Police has screenshots that it says show “in progress” evidence of the new software, with a replacement for the Google Search bar widget at the top, a new way to open up the app drawer and space for potentially revamped navigation buttons.
As some commenters mention, the slide-up app drawer shown in the pictures brings to mind the Android experience of we started with on the T-Mobile G1. Up top, the slide-out G button for searching and calendar widget look well-positioned for a focus on the new Google Assistant AI. As the calendar keeps turning, we’re getting closer and closer to seeing the new Nexus lineup, but even these leaks could change by then — stay tuned.
Source: Android Police
New Apple TV Remote app lets you control Siri on Apple TV from iPhone
Apple has released a new app, called Apple TV Remote, and it sort of replaces the previous Remote app.
Teased at Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference last year, the new Apple TV Remote app has been available for developers since June and was released to the public this afternoon. It basically includes support for some of the new features introduced on the latest Apple TV, although it’s still an early version and could do with another update that adds even more functionality.
The new Apple TV Remote app isn’t available as an iPad app yet, and it lacks Home Sharing features that would let you control iTunes on a Mac. Apple’s original Remote app for Apple TV, which is still available to download, works with iPad however (except for 12.9-inch iPad Pro units).
Here’s how Apple described the new app:
“Apple TV Remote is a great companion to Apple TV, delivering the best of the Siri Remote. With Apple TV Remote, you’ll never need to put down your iPhone to enjoy Apple TV. Control Apple TV with a swipe of your finger or use the keyboard to quickly enter text. And you can use the app along with the Siri Remote.”
Stand-out features include the ability to navigate Apple TV with touch gestures, quickly enter text, email addresses, and passwords using the keyboard, and of course ask Siri to find something great to watch, listen to, or play. Keep in mind this Siri capability requires the fourth-generation Apple TV. The app also lets you control the movie, TV show, or song that’s currently streaming.
You can even use the new Apple TV Remote app to play games (with your phone’s accelerometer and gyroscope) and enable on Game Mode for simplified game controls, according to Apple, which originally said it wanted to release the app “in the first half” of 2016.
Apple didn’t quite make that deadline – but it’s here now. Download it free of charge from the Apple App Store.
Amazon dreamed up these cool headphones that listen for your name
Amazon might be getting into the noise-canceling headphone biz – only its headphones are really smart.
The thing about noise-canceling headphones is that they let you block out all the sound surrounding you, letting you focus on the audio coming in from the two cans attached to your ears. They’re marvelous little things, but they’re also super inconvenient for those nearby who might want to get your attention, as you likely won’t be able to hear them as they call your name.
In an attempt to make this problem no more, Amazon has been awarded a patent for a new type of noise-canceling headphones that can actively listen for specific sounds – whether that be sirens or even someone yelling your name. When it detects one of these types of sounds, it’ll stop the noise-canceling aspect of the headphones, enabling you to hear the world around you.
Amazon’s patent describes a technology that can analyse noise for distinct triggers. Amazon is likely building off its existing technology, as it has already done a lot of work in voice-recognition through its Amazon Echo platform.
As always though, this is just a patent and may never come to fruition. Still, it’s cool to see what the company is dreaming up for potential future products.
What’s on your HDTV: Summer Olympics, NFL preseason
It’s time for the 2016 Summer Olympics, broadcast live from Rio (in HD, Ultra HD 4K with HDR and VR!), so you know what I’m watching this week. The tape-delayed Opening Ceremony kicks things off Friday night, but after that all the sports will be broadcast or streaming live. Football fans can rejoice as preseason action gets rolling, while gamers have several nice choices with Telltale’s Batman game on all platforms with Crowd Play, or Don’t Starve: Shipwrecked on consoles. Key & Peele’s Keanu is here on Blu-ray and Netflix is ready to premiere a new David Cross comedy special plus The Little Prince.
Blu-ray & Games & Streaming
- Batman: The Killing Joke
- Ever After High: Epic Winter (Netflix, 8/5)
- The Lobster
- Keanu
- Meet the Blacks
- Mother’s Day
- The Girlfriend Experience (S1)
- The Blacklist (S3)
- Blindspot (S1)
- The Knick (S2)
- Dead Island Retro Revenge (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
- Batman: The Telltale Series Episode 1 (Everything)
- Risk: Urban Assault (PS4, Xbox One)
- Battleship (PS4, Xbox One)
- This is the Police (PC)
- Don’t Starve: Shipwrecked (PS4, Xbox One)
- Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart (PS4)
- Overcooked (PS4, PC, Xbox One)
- Cannon Brawl (Xbox One)
Monday
- American Ninja Warrior, NBC, 8PM
- So You Think You Can Dance, Fox, 8PM
- WWE Raw, USA, 8PM
- The Fosters, Freeform, 8PM
- Meet the Donors: Does Money Talk?, HBO, 9PM
- I Am JFK Jr., Spike TV, 9PM
- Chris Harris on Cars, BBC America, 9PM
- Guilt, Freeform, 9PM
- Rizzoli & Isles, TNT, 9PM
- Angie Tribeca, TBS, 9PM
- The Making of the Mob, AMC, 10PM
- Major Crimes, TNT, 10PM
- Are You the One?, MTV, 10PM
- Unreal, Lifetime, 10PM
- Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, TBS, 10:30PM
Tuesday
- Difficult People, Hulu, 3AM
- Casual, Hulu, 3AM
- America’s Got Talent, NBC, 8PM
- Whose Line is it Anyway?, CW, 8PM
- WWE Smackdown, USA, 8PM
- Coupled (season finale), Fox, 8PM
- MADtv, CW, 9PM
- Zoo, CBS, 9PM
- Animal Kingdom, TNT, 9PM
- Deadliest Catch, Discovery, 9PM
- 60 Minutes Sports, Showtime, 9PM
- Scream, MTV, 10PM
- Feed the Beast (season finale), AMC, 10PM
- Tosh.0, Comedy Central, 10PM
- Wrecked, TBS, 10PM
- Not Safe with Nikki Glaser, Comedy Central, 10:30PM
Wednesday
- Beat Bugs (S1), Netflix, 3AM
- Chelsea, Netflix 3AM
- Penn & Teller: Fool Us, CW, 8PM
- America’s Got Talent, NBC, 8PM
- Unsung Hollywood: Charlie Murphy, TV One, 8PM
- Young & Hungry (season finale), Freeform, 8PM
- Big Brother, CBS, 8PM
- CMA Music Festival, ABC, 8PM
- Baby Daddy (season finale), Freeform, 8:30PM
- Suits, USA, 9PM
- American Gothic, CBS, 9PM
- Dating Naked, VH1, 9PM
- Kingdom (season finale), DirecTV, 9PM
- The Night Shift, NBC, 9PM
- Mr. Robot, USA, 10PM
- Tyrant, FX, 10PM
- Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons, HBO, 10PM
- Another Period, Comedy Central, 10PM
- The Real World/Road Rules Challenge, MTV, 10PM
Thursday
- Olympic Preview, NBC, 8PM
- Battlebots, ABC, 8PM
- Home Free (season finale), Fox, 8PM
- Greatest Hits, ABC, 9PM
- Big Brother, CBS, 9PM
- The First 48, A&E, 9PM
- Ripper Street, BBC America, 10PM
- Lip Sync Battle, Spike TV, 10PM
- Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, FX, 10PM
- Queen of the South, USA, 10PM
Friday
- David Cross: Making America Great Again!, Netflix, 3AM
- The Little Prince, Netflix, 3AM
- 2016 Summer Olympics, NBC, 7:30PM
- Masters of Illusion, CW, 8PM
- Killjoys, Syfy, 9PM
- Dark Matter, Syfy, 10PM
- Outcast, Cinemax, 10PM
- Ridiculousness, MTV, 10PM
- The Eric Andre Show (season premiere), Cartoon Network, 12AM
Saturday
- Summer Olympics, NBC, 8PM
- Sorority Nightmare, Lifetime, 8PM
- 2 Lava 2 Lantula, Syfy, 9PM
- Boston EMS, ABC, 10PM
Sunday
- Big Brother, CBS, 8PM
- Preseason NFL: Packers vs. Colts, ESPN, 8PM
- Hamilton, History, 8PM
- Celebrity Family Feud, ABC, 8PM
- Inspector Lewis, PBS, 9PM
- The Night of, HBO, 9PM
- Ray Donovan, Showtime, 9PM
- The Hunt, BBC America, 9PM
- Power, Starz, 9PM
- Naked & Afraid XL, Discovery, 10PM
- Survivor’s Remorse, Starz, 10PM
- Braindead, CBS, 10PM
- Motive, USA, 10PM
- Ballers, HBO, 10PM
- Roadies, Showtime, 10PM
- The Jim Gaffigan Show, TV Land, 10PM
- Murder in the First, TNT, 10PM
- Vice Principals, HBO, 10:30PM
- Tunnel, PBS, 10:30PM
- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, HBO, 11PM
(All times listed are ET)
Pokémon Go hits 100 million downloads
Pokémon Go is still going strong, despite privacy scares and feature bugs. According to a report by App Annie, it has now been installed over 100 million times, up 25 million from late July. While that number is from an analyst report and the actual number of downloads could be slightly different, it’s not that hard to believe. As TechCrunch noted, the game was downloaded 50 million times on Android within only 19 days according to previous estimates, whereas it took 77 days for ColorSwitch to get to that point.
App Annie also says that the game still earns over $10 million in daily revenue from both iOS and Android apps, over three weeks after it was released. Despite its success, it doesn’t seem to have an adverse effect on other applications. The analyst’s report mentions that other games saw their daily revenue drop for a few days after the app was launched, but they quickly bounced back. Further, it has popularized augmented reality apps and has given other developers an example of how to create engaging games.
“By now, it should be clear that Pokémon Go’s launch was a watershed moment for AR and its success has not come at the expense of other mobile games or apps,” the report concluded. “Instead, it has opened up new engagement and revenue opportunities for the entire app ecosystem by creating a model to close the online-to-offline (O2O) loop.”
Via: TechCrunch
Source: App Annie
Apple iOS 10 will add new emoji – like a water gun instead of a pistol
Apple has announced a new feature in its upcoming iOS 10 software, and it could be considered politically correct.
The Cupertino, CA-based company on Monday revealed that more than 100 new and redesign emoji characters will be available this autumn, with the consumer release of iOS 10 to iPhone and iPad users. The update, which is currently being tested by both developers and the public before it officially rolls out, will add more gender options to existing emoji, including new female athletes and professionals, according to Apple.
But one of the most obvious emoji changes is the removal of the pistol emoji. Apple has instead replaced it with a green water gun and has promised to work closely with the Unicode Consortium, a nonprofit organisation that governs the Unicode Standard and determines which emoji are accepted, to “ensure that popular emoji characters reflect the diversity of people everywhere”.
The pistol has long been a controversial emoji character. A French court even ruled that it could equal a death threat, sentencing a man to three months in prison for texting the emoji to his ex-girlfriend, according to The Telegraph. A group called New Yorkers Against Gun Violence also started a campaign last year to have Apple replace the pistol emoji, though Google, Facebook, and Twitter all use realistic pistol emoji too.
Apart from the toy gun, iOS 10 will introduce redesigns of the rainbow flag and more family emoji options.
Apple TV’s new iPhone remote control app talks to Siri
As promised, you no longer need to use the new Apple TV’s standard remote control to take advantage of all the media hub’s features. Apple has released a brand new Apple TV Remote app that drags its iOS interface into the modern era. You can not only use the same touch-based control as on the hardware remote, but talk to Siri — handy if you lost the physical controller between the couch cushions. It also supports motion controls for games, and there’s even a Game Mode that strips things down.
The new Remote app works with every Apple TV from the second-generation model onward, and you should only miss Siri and other hardware-specific features on those previous devices. It’s just as well, too. While the old app is still hanging around (at least for now), this is an entirely separate download. Apple appears to be making a clean break with this release, and you’ll only really want the original Remote if you use it to control iTunes on your computer.
Via: Bloomberg
Source: App Store
Frank Ocean’s long-awaited album is an Apple Music exclusive
Fans of Frank Ocean have been waiting for the singer’s followup album for years, and according to the New York Times, it is finally coming this week — if you have Apple Music. Following the likes of Drake and Future, the release will be a timed exclusive that releases on Friday, before coming to other outlets after a couple of weeks. Anticipation for the Boys Don’t Cry album has grown over the months and years with rumors and cryptic posts causing fans to think it would arrive on one date or another, including a website with an Apple logo. Now it’s confirmed, and a weapon in Apple’s battle with the likes of Tidal and Spotify over exclusives to attract subscribers.
Source: New York Times, Boy’s Don’t Cry
Apple drops the gun emoji for a friendlier water pistol
The news is awash in the shootings of police officers and unarmed black men, and individuals opening fire in nightclubs and public party events. In an effort to stop promoting gun violence, Apple is replacing its gun emoji with a friendlier-looking water pistol. In place of the old black and silver revolver is a bright green and orange water gun that looks very distinctly like a harmless toy.
Apple also led the decision to remove a rifle from a list of potential additions to the emoji library on all platforms, including Android. Unicode, the organization that handles the character standard, listened to the company’s request, and Microsoft agreed with this decision as well.
Apple has an additional one hundred new and redesigned emoji that will be available to iPhone and iPad users this Fall with iOS 10. These new emoji show women playing more sports and performing jobs that, before this update, only had male options. A few examples are a woman riding a mountain bike, lifting weights, and playing basketball. There will also be redesigns of popular emoji, a new rainbow flag, and more family options.
This is in an effort to bring more gender and race options to existing characters, and Google’s leading the charge. Apple, Unicode, Google, and other companies have the power to promote change, and making important tweaks to a popular way people communicate on their phones is one way to do it.
Source: Apple
Washington state sues Comcast over its ‘deceptive’ service plan
Comcast doesn’t have a stellar reputation for delivering what you pay for, and Washington state is taking the cable giant to task for that shoddy service… if not quite in the way you expect. It just filed a lawsuit against Comcast demanding more than $100 million over the allegedly “deceptive” nature of the provider’s Service Protection Plan. The $5 monthly package ostensibly saves you from technician fees when you ask for a non-essential house call, but the company conveniently didn’t tell most customers that the plan doesn’t cover cable wiring inside your walls — you know, the most common wiring there is. Customers reportedly lost “at least” $73 million in wasted subscription fees as a result.
It doesn’t end there. The state’s Attorney General office is also accusing Comcast of charging customers when they asked for necessary fixes that are supposed to be free (such as faulty cable cards and signal amplifiers). To top it off, Comcast conducted botched credit checks where it either hurt someone’s credit (through an unnecessary check) or made them pay a deposit even when they had an exceptional score.
Comcast defends itself by noting that it partnered with the Attorney General’s office to “address every issue they raised.” It was “committed” to further work, too. However, Washington says it filed the lawsuit because Comcast wasn’t acting quickly enough. While officials drew attention to the issues “over a year ago,” Comcast waited until just recently to do something about them.
The lawsuit is billed as the first of the kind in the US, and that could have significant repercussions for Comcast. If Washington state emerges victorious, it might encourage other states to act when telecoms tell customers one thing and charge them for another.
Via: The Verge
Source: Washington State Attorney General
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