HTC to launch next flagship smartphone on March 25th
The HTC One was one of our favorite smartphones of 2013, so naturally we’re incredibly curious to see its inevitable successor, codenamed M8. According to an invite that just landed in our mailbox, we’ll likely get that opportunity on March 25th at a launch event taking place simultaneously in New York and London. While the invite doesn’t call out the phone by name, this falls in line with HTC Chairperson Cher Wang’s promise that we’d see invitations for this specific event before February 24th. We aren’t in the dark about what it’ll look like, if prior leaks prove accurate, but there’s still no word on its official name; we just hope it isn’t called the HTC One Two.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, HTC, Google
The Tonight Show relaunches with Jimmy Fallon, and of course it has companion apps
The post-Jay Leno Tonight Show era starts (again, sorry Conan) shortly on NBC, and with the arrival of Jimmy Fallon the show is also getting an updated tech focus. Companion apps have arrived for iOS and Android devices, with video games, and the ability to view full episodes or clips the day after they air. Interaction with the show includes social media contributions to the hashtag segment, and submissions for video challenges. Second screen TV apps have had an uneven going as of late (GetGlue got acquired and relaunched as TVTag, Yahoo shut down IntoNow to roll it out as a feature in other products and Dijit has also been acquired), we’ll see if NBC’s latest effort fares any better than The Million Second Quiz did last year. If the apps don’t attract attention, there’s always The Roots, and hopefully Fallon maintains his penchant for including new gadgets among the usual lineup of guests.
You guys, we’ve got such a great first show tonight!! Will Smith, @U2 and lots of surprises. I’m so excited. Gonna be fun. #FallonTonight
– jimmy fallon (@jimmyfallon) February 17, 2014
It all goes down #Tonight. #TSJF @FallonTonight
– Questlove Jenkins (@questlove) February 18, 2014
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Apple, Google
Source: iTunes, Google Play, The Tonight Show
SlickLogin acquired by Google for sound-based authentication
Security is always a topic of hot discussion, and more so with a company like Google who host a lot of your information under one roof when it comes to Google+ and Gmail. It’s also of no secret that passwords are not secure, despite popular belief – every password can be brute-forced/guessed eventually.
With Google’s recent acquisition of SlickLogin, it seems Google are trying to move away from traditional passwords in an attempt to make logins and the information they protect more secure.
SlickLogin is a two-factor authentication system for your computer that uses your smartphone as the authenticator using inaudible tones to identify who you are. Your computer will play a series of tones that the human ear cannot distinguish, but your phone can, in order to authenticate you. Your device will analyse these tones and send back an authentication token back to the computer to proceed with the login.
Today we`re announcing that the SlickLogin team is joining Google, a company that shares our core beliefs that logging in should be easy instead of frustrating, and authentication should be effective without getting in the way. Google was the first company to offer 2-step verification to everyone, for free – and they’re working on some great ideas that will make the internet safer for everyone. We couldn`t be more excited to join their efforts.
Whilst this is not a move away from passwords completely – and it’ll probably be a while before this fully happens – it does show Google is taking security seriously and trying to find alternative ways of authenticating a user by using an additional secure peripheral.
I have a feeling security is going to play a big part in the next released version of Android 5.0.
The post SlickLogin acquired by Google for sound-based authentication appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Weekly Roundup: Comcast acquiring TWC, the Galaxy S 5 and more!
You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Google’s Nest acquisition is official
The deal is done! The FTC cleared Google’s $3.2 billion purchase of Nest and now the company’s founders Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers are free to shift their focus back to making home automation consumer friendly. Follow the link for details.
Comcast and TWC merger
Earlier this week, Comcast announced plans to acquire Time Warner Cable. The proposed deal must gain approval from the FCC and Justice Department first, but what would the $45 billion merger mean for its 30 million combined subscribers? Read on and find out.
Samsung on the Galaxy S 5
Samsung’s next-gen handset, the Galaxy S 5, is just weeks away from being announced. We actually already know quite a lot about what to expect from the unveiling. Click the link for the latest on the company’s “back to basics” handset.
Creating GoPro’s media empire
Thanks to GoPro, footage of some of the world’s most extraordinary activities and events live on the internet, ready to entertain, inform and inspire the masses. Read on for more about the company’s 10-year journey from simple action stills to a blossoming media empire.
Filed under: Misc
Google buys SlickLogin, looks to swap passwords for inaudible sound waves
If Google’s latest acquisition is anything to go by, entering a password on a website could soon be as easy as placing your smartphone near your computer. Israeli startup SlickLogin confirmed today it has become the latest company join Mountain View’s ranks (although it’ll work from Google’s local offices), bringing its patented sound-based smartphone technology with it. While neither party has disclosed much information, Google’s intentions seem clear: the company already offers its two-factor authentication tech free to everybody, but it can be a pain to enter a six-digit authentication code (which changes every minute). SlickLogin’s system, however, requires no additional technology, just place your phone near your computer and inaudible sounds played through the speakers take care of the rest. The Israeli team says Google is already “working on some great ideas that will make the internet safer for everyone,” except maybe from your dog, who could hear all of your future passwords.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Mobile, Google
Via: TechCrunch
Source: SlickLogin
Windows Phone, Chromecast and YouTube get together thanks to Tube Cast
The past few weeks have seen a ton of activity on the Chromecast front, and now some of that excitement is extending to Windows Phone. With the Tube Cast app, you can link your Redmond handset to Google’s HDMI dongle and search, select and play YouTube clips to your flat-screen. As WMPoweruser notes, it’s pretty simple (much like Chromecast features on Android and iOS) but it can’t pause or stop playback. While the general idea is great, hopefully the next set of apps gives just a touch more functionality. After all, not being able to pause a goat screaming like a man can be awkward if the wrong person walks in the room.
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Microsoft, Google
Via: WMPoweruser
Source: Windows Phone Store
In-App Purchases Show Themselves on Web Based Play Store, Finally
It has taken some time for Google to get with the times and start helping people discover if the “free” app, or even paid app, they are about to get has in-app purchases or not. I know it was rather frustrating at times for me when I would install something that looked great to find out that progression would require money spent through the app.
Google made in-app purchases found in apps pretty easy to identify when browsing and installing through the Play Store on your device, but until now it wasn’t something showcased on the web version of the Play Store. Now, as you can see above, there is a nice little bit of bold text that clearly and easily identifies apps that offer such a thing.
Here is where I find myself in conflicting arguments with myself over the obviousness of displaying that a game or app has in-app purchases. Take the Angry Birds Star Wars II for example. Yes, it has in-app purchases. However, the game is completely playable without spending a penny. Here is the issue that I know fight with in my twisted brain, will more people skip great games because of the in-app purchase branding and move on to a different app, or will the general populous be smart enough to read the description and the comments to find out if the in-app purchase are too extreme and make the game unplayable?
What do you guys think? Are you more apt to skip a game, no matter how many stars and how many downloads if you see that it “Offers in-app purchases”?
Via AndroidAuthority
Google deems Android ready for more Chromecast apps, let the floodgates open
With Google’s latest update to Play Services, it shouldn’t be long before the Chromecast section of its app store gets a little more lively. Now that the Android SDK has support for the HDMI dongle baked in, developers can add the functionality to virtually any app they want, at-will. Google opened access to the streaming stick’s inner workings earlier this month, but, as Phandroid tells it, the search giant asked devs to hold onto their releases until the public’s phones and tablets had the framework, too. Now that it’s out, swaths of cast-capable apps could start hitting the Play store relatively quickly. It may have taken longer than some expected, but Google’s plan to embed the casting tech across an array of devices has finally come to fruition — and the users stand to reap the rewards.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Peripherals, HD, Mobile, Google
Via: Phandroid
Source: Android Developers (G+)
Chromecast’s Fireplace Visualizer hopes to set hearts aflame on Valentine’s
Hey, loverboy/gal, Don Juan called to let you know that listening to Sinatra during a steak dinner isn’t enough to set the mood for Valentine’s. You need a roaring fire to induce some serious cuddling time, and that’s where Chromecast’s seasonal fireplace mode (that’s just been redesigned for V-day) comes in. Thanks to the media player, you don’t need to chop firewood to woo the person of your dreams: simply enable Fireplace Visualizer on the Google Play Music page and watch the faux flames flicker on your TV while music plays in the background. Sure, you can’t roast marshmallows in it, but it still might heat up your lovelife — assuming your date doesn’t find fake fireplaces as tacky as gas station greeting cards, that is.
PS: It’s not just the Chromecast team that’s going all out for V-day at Google’s HQ. Google+ is also celebrating the event by taking user images with people kissing in them and turning them into (shudder-inducing) GIFs replete with animated hearts.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Google
Source: Google Play (Google+), Erik Murphy-Chutorian (Google+)
Daily Roundup: LG G Pro 2 announced, Comcast acquiring TWC, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Canon’s PowerShot G1 X Mark II
Meet the G1 X Mark II, Canon’s latest flagship PowerShot. This $800 camera packs a 24-120mm f/2-3.9 zoom lens, DIGIC 6 processor and a 1.5-inch sensor. Click on through and watch Engadget’s Zach Honig take the shooter for a spin.
Comcast and TWC merger
Earlier today, Comcast announced plans to acquire Time Warner Cable. The proposed deal must gain approval from the FCC and Justice Department first, but what would the $45 billion merger mean for its 30 million combined subscribers? Read on and find out.
Alternatives to Google’s Android apps
Engadget’s own Matt Brian investigates some alternatives for Google’s native mail, messaging, calendar and photo apps. Who knows, newfound productivity might only be a click away. Follow the link and learn more.
The LG G Pro 2
LG’s newly announced G Pro 2 smartphone doesn’t have a price tag or release date just yet, but we do know it packs a 5.9-inch screen, an upgraded knock-to-unlock feature and a 13-megapixel, 4K capable shooter. Click the link for additional details.
Filed under: Misc
AIVAnet 