New iPhone, iPad, or AirPods? Get Extra Apple-Certified Lightning Cables for Just $6
For those lucky enough to find a new iPhone, iPad, or AirPods under the tree today, now is the perfect time to outfit your home, car, work desk, bedside table, or elsewhere with extra Lightning charging cables.
Apple charges $19 for its 1-meter Lightning to USB charging cable, but you can save yourself $13 by purchasing an Apple-certified 0.9-meter Anker Lightning to USB charging cable for just $5.99 on Amazon.
The cable qualifies for free two-day shipping in the United States for Amazon Prime members. Without a Prime membership, free standard 6-8 days shipping in the U.S. is available on orders over $49 in total.
While counterfeit Apple cables and chargers on Amazon are common, and potentially dangerous, Anker claims its cable is certified by Apple under its MFi Program. MFi-certified products have been certified by the developer to meet Apple performance standards. The Wirecutter, owned by The New York Times, said Anker has the best Lightning cable.
This article is not affiliated with Anker, but MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon and may sometimes get paid if you click one of the above links.
Discuss this article in our forums
‘Star Citizen’ switches to Amazon’s game engine
Star Citizen is still far from being ready, but it now has a more solid underpinning. Cloud Imperium has revealed that it has switched both Star Citizen and Squadron 42 from Crytek’s CryEngine to Amazon’s Lumberyard engine as of Star Citizen’s just-launched Alpha 2.6 release. It was an “easy and smooth transition” due to Lumberyard’s CryEngine roots, but both secures the “long term future” of the games and promises some distinct advantages. It taps directly into the cloud through Amazon Web Services, for instance, and makes Twitch streaming easy.
The studio has already been collaborating with Amazon for “over a year,” so this isn’t a panicked response to Crytek’s financial woes. The timing is more than a little convenient, mind you. It gives Cloud Imperium more of a safety net if Crytek ever has to stop its own development — it won’t have to switch engines while it’s in panic mode. It’s easy to imagine frustration from backers at the thought that the Amazon switch might delay Star Citizen even longer, but that might be better than risking the entire project.
As it stands, Alpha 2.6 is a big step forward: it’s the first release with Star Marine, the game’s first-person shooter component. You now have two competitive multiplayer modes (everyone-for-themselves and a Battlefield-style capture-and-hold mode) for those times when you just want to fight friends instead of exploring the cosmos. Numerous other parts of Star Citizen have received some polish, too, such as first-person animations and third-person cameras. Although this is still no substitute for a finished game, it at least shows that Cloud Imperium is getting a handle on some of the many, many features it has been promising over the years.
Via: Polygon
Source: Roberts Space Industries (1), (2)
Louis CK’s app gives you direct access to his comedy shows
Louis CK helped prove that artists can make good income by selling videos directly to fans, but getting his comedy shows to your phone can be a bit of a headache if you’re unfamiliar with the intricacies of local file syncing. As of this week, though, you don’t have to bend over backwards. The entertainer has released apps for both Android and iOS that let you buy, watch and listen to shows right on your device — there’s no sideloading required, and no third-party studios getting in the way. As Louis explains in a newsletter, this is really a mobile version of his website, just optimized to make your life easier.
The pricing is the same $5 per show (less for most Horace and Pete episodes), and anything you’ve bought before will be available the moment you sign in. You’ll also get notifications for new shows and tour dates.
There is a question about how the app works on iOS: is Louis giving Apple a cut of in-app sales like other developers, or raking it all in? We suspect the former (at least if he wants to abide by App Store guidelines). If so, it might be best to buy that stand-up special on the web if you want to make sure that Louis gets his full share.
Source: App Store, Google Play
Astronaut and climate scientist Piers Sellers dies at 61
It’s sad when humanity loses pioneering astronauts who claim important firsts, but it’s equally tragic when we lose those astronauts who quietly accomplished a lot both in orbit and on the ground. And unfortunately, we just lost one: Piers Sellers, a NASA astronaut and climate scientist, has died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 61. You may not have heard of him, but the UK-born explorer was a major force in NASA for decades.
He first built his reputation at NASA as a scientist, studying the relationship between the living world and the atmosphere for the better part of two decades starting in 1982 — first through computer modeling and later through leading the Terra satellite team. He only flew to space for three missions in 2002, 2006 and 2010, but he spent a sizeable 35 days in space that both had a meaningful impact (he helped build the International Space Station, for instance) and influenced his work back on Earth. From 2011 until his death, Sellers oversaw NASA climate and weather researchers with a strong sense of advocacy. After seeing how “fragile and infinitely precious” Earth was, he pressed for efforts to minimize global warming and preserve the planet.
Sellers sadly didn’t fulfill his goal of seeing fundamental answers to climate change within his lifetime. However, he’s leaving a large legacy behind him, including more than 70 papers and other work that helped scientists understand the Earth. Also, he’s a point of pride for the British. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, and was one of the UK’s most prominent spacefarers ahead of Tim Peake’s 2015 launch. It’s clear that the world will be poorer without him.
[Thanks, Kristy]
Via: The Star
Source: NASA
Firefox will support Windows XP and Vista until September 2017
Numerous web browsers have already stopped supporting Windows XP and Vista, but not Firefox. To this day, Mozilla’s latest software can work with your decade-old PC. However, even that team has its limits — it’s phasing out support for XP and Vista starting next year. Mozilla will start by moving users on these operating systems to the Extended Support Release in March 2017, limiting them to feature updates that can be “several cycles” behind the curve. And while the company plans to unveil a final support end date in the middle of that year, it’ll effectively cut the cord in September, when it stops delivering security updates.
This doesn’t mean that Firefox will stop working on XP or Vista in September, of course. But when security flaws are hard to avoid, it’ll be impractical to keep using Firefox on those platforms when you could remain permanently vulnerable to exploits. There aren’t likely to be many people who both run a 10-year-old operating system and care enough about their web experience to use a recent browser, so the impact may be limited. However, it’s still a big deal if you’re stuck on a work PC or otherwise haven’t had a chance to upgrade to a newer version of Windows. Like it or not, you’ll probably have to consider a new OS (or a new PC) if you want to experience the modern internet next year.
Source: Mozilla
AsteroidOS review – the future of Android Wear?
With Android Wear 2.0 being delayed until the next year, and seemingly no new smartwatches planned from OEMs like LG, Motorola, and Huawei, things in the Android Wear universe has come to a standstill. If you can’t wait for the Android Wear 2.0 update, or are just looking to breathe some life into your smartwatch, you might want to give something new a try. Currently compatible with a limited number of devices, including what was the first Android Wear smartwatch to be launched, the LG G Watch, here is a quick look at AsteroidOS!
AsteroidOS has been created by Florent Revest, a French computer science student, and is a completely standalone linux-based wearable OS that is not based on Android Wear in any shape or form. It is also entirely open-source, which will allow other developers and manufacturers to freely modify it as they see fit.
Before diving into the review, something to keep in mind is that AsteroidOS is still in the alpha stages of development, so understandably, not everything will work perfectly. You will notice a lot bugs and freezes, but it does run well enough for you to get an idea of what this new take on the wearable operating system has to offer.
There is an app you can download from the AsteroidOS website, that will allow you to manage certain functions and pair it to your smartphone for notifications. So far, the smartwatches that AsteroidOS can be ported to include the LG G Watch, the LG Watch Urbane, the Sony Smartwatch 3, and the ASUS Zenwatch 2, but that list should continue to grow.
Bluetooth pairing works only with the LG G Watch however, and even then, it can be quite finicky. The connection isn’t always stable, and notifications tend to disappear after a few seconds, with the watch going back to saying that you have no new notifications. So far, there isn’t a way to interact with, or even read, notifications either.
When the watch is connected to the phone, you have several options within the app itself. You can change the weather to the city of your choice, locate your watch, take a screenshot, and tinker with the notification settings. The weather settings and the find my watch options are currently the only features that work for now. The app also tells you the remaining battery life of your smartwatch, but it isn’t accurate at the moment, so you are better off checking the device’s battery life on the watch itself.
Since it is touch based, all the navigation is done via swipes. If you swipe down on the display, you will get access to some quick shortcuts for screen brightness, Bluetooth, and enabling or disabling vibration, and you can also see the remaining battery life here. If you tap on the lock icon, it will put the watch to sleep, and a double tap on the display will wake it up.
Swiping to the left will show you your notifications, assuming that notifications work properly. Swiping right works like a back key, unless you are already on the main home screen , in which case a swipe to the right will take you to the Recent Apps screen. Here, you can quickly jump between apps, and easily close these apps with a long press on them, and tapping the x that appears.
No third party apps are available at the moment, but there are a few basic applications that are pre-installed that you can access by swiping up on the screen. These include a calendar, calculator, alarm clock, timer, stopwatch, a music player, and a weather application. All the apps are simple and minimalistic, with white text and graphics, and colorful backgrounds.
You can also access all the watch settings here, which has all the basic functions that you would expect, like the time, date, language, Bluetooth, screen brightness, and the options to power off or reboot the watch. There are also some customization options here for wallpapers and watch faces, and it comes pre-installed with a surprisingly decent amount of them, given that it is such an early build.
So, there you have it for this quick look at the AsteroidOS! If you are looking to install this new wearable operating system, you can find all the information you need here. Keep in mind though that the installation process isn’t easy, and some amount of technical prowess is definitely recommended.
Another thing to consider is that this isn’t daily driver material just yet. Instead, what you will get instead is a fair idea of what the experience is like, and what to expect going forward. It doesn’t overwrite Android Wear either, so you can easily go back to the regular OS by simply rebooting the watch. Asteroid OS is a wearable operating system that looks like it has a lot of potential, and is definitely worth keeping an eye on to see where it can go from.
Fitbit drops its attempt to ban Jawbone device sales
For once, the he-said-she-said legal fight between Fitbit and Jawbone appears to be simmering down. Jawbone tells us in a statement (below) that Fitbit has dropped its US International Trade Commission patent case, which sought to ban sales of Jawbone devices in the country. If you ask Jawbone, this ends “baseless” allegations that were meant solely as a “burden.” This doesn’t mean that the company will respond in kind (its accusations of trade secret theft will see trial in 2017), but it’s one less battle to worry about. But why did Fitbit change its mind?
We’ve asked Fitbit for comment and will let you know if it can offer its own statement. However, its ITC filing suggests that Jawbone isn’t exactly scoring a resounding victory. Fitbit says it’s dropping the case because, for all intents and purposes, Jawbone is no longer a significant threat. Jawbone’s shares are “worth nothing,” Fitbit claims, and the company has supposedly either filed for bankruptcy or is defaulting on its debts.
Jawbone maintains that it has no plans to declare bankruptcy. However, there’s no doubt that it’s hurting between its smaller market share and reports (however flawed) that it’s having trouble making payments. Simply speaking, Fitbit isn’t concerned that Jawbone is about to stage a comeback — its market lead isn’t about to disappear any time soon.
“Fitbit has moved to drop its patent case against Jawbone, which had been set for trial in the International Trade Commission in March. By dismissing this action, Fitbit is no longer seeking to block importation of Jawbone devices, including Jawbone products in development. Jawbone believes this case — involving patents already found once to be invalid — should have been dismissed long ago by Fitbit. Fitbit’s pursuit of these baseless claims for so long was to burden Jawbone– an issue to be raised in Jawbone’s antitrust claim against Fitbit. Jawbone’s trade secret case in California state court against Fitbit will move forward to a jury trial in 2017.”
How to use Google Home to call an Uber
Google Home is supposed to be a digital assistant, so why not use it to call a car?
One of the first integrations announced with Google Home was Uber, meaning you can use your new smart connected speaker to seamlessly call a car to get you and your friends where you need to go. The problem, as is always the case with voice-activated interfaces, is that you don’t know how this all works until you try it — and when it comes to Uber, you don’t want to be messing around with calling actual people in actual cars to come pick you up.
That’s why we did the work for you. Here’s what it’s like to call an Uber from your Google Home, and what you need to be ready for when you do it for the first time.
In order to use these third-party app integrations, you’ll have to start the process on your phone.
Make sure you have the Uber app installed, an account created and a payment method linked to your account
Open the Google Home app, go to Devices, then Google Home settings
Tap on More, then Services and scroll down to find find Uber
If your Uber account isn’t already linked, tap Link account
A browser window will open asking for your Uber account and password
Once you accept the integration, your account is linked to Google Home
Once you’re done with that setup, you’re back to using your voice. To start the process, you can say either “OK Google, get me an Uber” or “OK Google, request an Uber” and you’ll be handed off to an Uber-specific voice interface. The first time you use it, it’ll ask you to confirm your pickup address. Then, it will note how far away the nearest UberX driver is, and as you whether or not you want a pickup — if surge pricing is in effect, you’ll be informed before you confirm your pickup.
Does Home make calling an Uber any easier than the app? Not really.
Since the Uber interface on Google Home doesn’t ask you for a destination, you’ll have to then open up the Uber app to enter your destination before your pickup time. Depending on how far away the Uber driver is, this could be a tight timeline or a leisurely one.
Once you’ve successfully called the Uber, there are two follow-up requests you can make with your voice — “OK Google, where’s my Uber” will give you information on approximately how far away it is and “OK Google, cancel my Uber” will cancel out the trip. Remember that Uber has a 5 minute window after requesting in which you can cancel without penalty.
One last thing to look out for when requesting an Uber from Google Home is your payment methods. The Uber integration doesn’t seem to handle multiple payment methods well, so if you’re running into issues consider dropping unused cards from your account.
Google Home
- Google Home review
- These services work with Google Home
- Google Home vs. Amazon Echo
- Join our Google Home forums!
Google Store Best Buy Target
These are the Yule Log videos to put on your Chromecast this Christmas!
Yule needs a Yule Log, does it not?
There have been Yule Log DVDs around for as long as there have been DVD players, but let’s face it, these all suck. That’s a DVD you have to store all year long that always has the same boring music and the same low quality video year after year. We can do better! We have the technology! With a Chromecast in your big-screen, skip the boring old DVDs and cast one of these excellent Yule Logs instead!
Vader Yule Log
Is this a five hour video of a son burning his father’s dead body? Yes, yes, it is. Is that a really morbid thing to put on your digital fireplace this Christmas? Yes, yes, it is. Is this still a really cool, really nerdy Yule Log?
Why yes, yes, it is.
BB-8 Yule Log
Sphero, makers of the adorable BB-8 toys that we all wanted so badly last Christmas, has released a Yule Log so that we can get nerdy without, y’know, desecrating a corpse. BB-8 moves his head about and chirps happily as he sits warm by the hearth, apparently resting atop a- is that a wookie pelt?
Marvel Fireplace Series
Marvel teamed up with Coca-Cola to help put superheroes on your hearth all through the holiday. They have five Yule Log videos from Captain America and Thor to the Guardians of the Galaxy. You even get two lovely views: a more traditional Close Up Yule Log loop or a more detailed home view. Each loop has its own details, sounds, and quirks, from vintage carols on Cap’s to technological chirps on Iron Man’s.
Nick Offerman’s Yule Log
You may know Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson from NBC’s Parks and Rec. He and Lagavulin got together and produced both a Christmas Eve Yule Log video and a ‘New Year’s Eve’ Countdown that feature Nick Offerman being Nick Offerman, sipping some lovely single-malt scotch, and staring in the general direction of the camera for a ridiculously long amount of time. Each video has its own quirk, but seeing an entire party going on behind the New Year’s Eve video, complete with singing and fireworks is pretty ridiculous.
Hulu’s Streaming Wonderland
Want to go beyond the fireplace? Hulu is here for you with other cute, festive videos to place on your big screen instead. Watch syrup drip out of a maple tree, Santa get stuck in the chimney, or best of all: watch a gorgeous stnading rib roast cook to tender, mouth-watering perfect, in an old-fashioned gas oven, no less.
Hulu’s Streaming Wonderland
Google Play Music Chromecast Fireplace Visualizer
Want a fireplace Yule Log without hearing music you hate? Google Play Music’s got you covered. You can make any song a Yule Log with their Chromecast Fireplace Visualizer, which replaced the ultra-zoomed and usually awful album art with a roasting fire. This is a yule log you can use all year round (and I do).
How to enable Google Play Music Chromecast Fireplace Visualizer
Warner Brothers Classic Christmas Yule Log
Dont’ want to hassle with building a playlist for your log? You just want some holiday songs and a crackling fireplace? Okay. We can do that, too. Warner Brother’s two-hour loop is as modern as it is classic, with songs from Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Idina Menzel.
PBS Newshour 4K Yule Log
You don’t even want music, just a nice, crisp, crackling fire? PBS has got you covered. No ads, no muss, no fuss. Fine.
Whatever Yule Log you use, have a happy holiday, and celebrate as much or little as you want. Save me a piece of fudge!
Chromecast
- Chromecast and Chromecast Audio review
- Chromecast Ultra vs Roku
- Chromecast vs Chromecast Ultra: Which should you buy?
- Join the discussion in our forums
Chromecast:
Google
Best Buy
Chromecast Audio:
Google
Best Buy
Chromecast Ultra:
Google
Best Buy
Goodbye CyanogenMod, hello Lineage Android
CyanogenMod is shutting down, but the Lineage Android Project is poised to keep its spirit alive.
CyanogenMod is no more.
In a post on the official CyanogenMod blog, we’re told that the current state of everything Cyanogen means it’s no longer feasible to continue and that the best path forward requires change. Nobody should be surprised after recent events within the Cyanogen Inc. parent company and today’s announcement that it has reached the end of the road and will shut down operations.
The puts some hurdles in front of the community-driven CM that can’t be jumped while holding on to the legacy name and structure. Servers and infrastructure are going to soon disappear, nobody is at the helm to direct the way forward and the very name Cyanogen itself is available to the right bidder. CyanogenMod depended on Cyanogen, Inc. A void at the very top isn’t going to work.
However, CM has always been more than the name and more than the infrastructure. CM has been a success based on the spirit, ingenuity and effort of its individual contributors – back when it was Kondik in his home, to the now thousands of contributors past and present.
But the ideas behind CM aren’t dead. The latest version has been released and updated to the current Android Security Bulletin patches, and mountains of source code are in the process of being forked into something new — the Lineage Android Distribution.
Lineage Android will use everything that CM has made to build a better grassroots alternative to the software from phone manufacturers. Even more important than the code and assorted software eight years of CM has built is the spirit of people who want to make something different and better. And it lives on under a new name with a new future.
Seeing CM say goodbye is hard. They’ve been here in one way or another since the beginning and we’ve watched them reach both the highs and lows that accompany any long journey. They embody the spirit of what Android is once you strip away the dollar signs and corporations and make it about us. The users, the builders, the dreamers. We are CM. We’re losing a small part of ourselves today.
But we can look forward to the future with the Linage project, and do everything we can to keep those dreams and that spirit alive. To everyone involved, We wish you the best. Let us know how we can help.
AIVAnet 