Apple’s AirPods get a $10 tether (so maybe you won’t lose them)
Apple’s incoming AirPods are a technical marvel, cramming a load of tech into the same teeny tiny earbud cases that have been packaged with iPhones for years. While we wait to test a pair out for ourselves, accessory makers have wasted no time in correcting possible design faults in Apple’s new headphones. Spigen has taken it upon itself to announce a ten-dollar tangle-free strap to keep the ‘phones together — and, well, un-wireless them.
The AirPods Strap is already listed on Amazon and — patent pending — is set to ship October 17th, when you’ll maybe already fear misplacing one half of the $150 pair. It is very much simply a glorified tether: there’s no electronics or wiring inside, but it really does defeat the purpose of the darn things. Almost like a headphone converter.
Via: CNET
Source: Amazon
Over 70 Galaxy Note 7 phones have overheated in the US alone
When Samsung first issued an official statement about the Galaxy Note 7’s battery issue, the company said there were 35 cases of phones overheating from around the globe. Well, we’re way past that number now. According to the Canadian government, the company has received over 70 reports in the US alone. See, Samsung teamed up with Health Canada to help it get the recall ball rolling in the country. In an effort to convince consumers to return their shiny new phones that might suddenly explode, the government agency added that tidbit in the report.
Those 70-plus cases include a few high-profile ones you may have seen in the news lately. A man in Florida said his Jeep Cherokee went up in flames after a Note 7 exploded inside, while a six-year-old boy from Brooklyn suffered burns when a Note 7 blew up in his hands. Although 70 cases may not seem like that many, the Consumer Product Safety Commission already issued an official warning asking people to stop using the device. Various airlines all over the globe also banned passengers from using the phone on their planes.
Swapping your Note 7 for a loaner phone or a new one that’s been declared safe really sounds like the best option at this point. If you haven’t looked it up yet, check out Samsung’s explanation on how recalls will work within the US and ask your carrier what your choices are.
Via: The Verge, Android Police
Source: Healthy Canadians
iMessage App Store adds stickers and games to iOS 10 texting
iOS 10 beta users can now explore a whole new world of add-ons for iMessage, according to 9to5mac. Cupertino has launched its new iMessage App Store for iOS 10 beta, and you can use it to download games and apps like OpenTable and SquareMoney. You can also download sticker packs from the store — hey, it won’t be complete without cute stickers in the mix — some of which come from big-name companies like Disney, Bandai Namco and Sanrio. Some of the apps are tied to ones you’ll have to get from the main App Store, but others are completely independent. If you’re not a beta tester, don’t worry: check your Settings app’s Update section tomorrow, September 13th, to download and install iOS 10.
[Image credit: 9to5mac]
Source: 9to5mac
Twitter reportedly set to extend character limits on Sept. 19th
You’ll soon be able to pack more content into each of your tweets, according to a report from The Verge. The new changes, which should activate on September 19th, will no longer count media attachments such as gifs, pictures, video and polls against the message’s 140-character limit. What’s more, user names at the start of the message will supposedly not count against the limit either, though it will be interesting to see just how long of a canoe you’ll be able to construct if that is indeed the case. The Verge report does not specify whether all of these features will be implemented at the same time or gradually rolled out beginning next Monday.
Of course, this isn’t the first time that we’ve heard these sorts of rumors. Last September, news broke that the 140-character limit would soon be nixed in a new product offering (it wasn’t). And in May of this year, Twitter itself announced that it would soon ease the character-limit rules, though it did not set a specific date for implementing the change. We reached out to Twitter for confirmation but the company declined to comment so we’ll just have to wait until Monday to find out if the rumors are true.
Source: The Verge
Text ‘Call Me Maybe’ to your crush with Genius Lyric Messages
Genius is where the internet turns for rap lyrics (mostly) and song annotations, and tomorrow you’ll be able to send those to your pals without leaving iMessage. The way the press release describes it, the process sounds fairly simple. And even a bit GBoard-like with its card structure. “Users can create Genius Lyric Messages for any song available on Genius, regardless of artist, genre, language, year or chart popularity,” the press release reads. From there you can customize the card’s background image and send it to whoever you want, be it via iMessage or your preferred social apps. Don’t use iMessage? You can send lyrics from within the iOS-exclusive (for now) Genius app itself.
This wouldn’t be possible had Apple kept iMessage a closed ecosystem. But with tomorrow’s impending iOS 10 update, that’s all set to change. Just try your best to not accidentally shoot Grandma a selfie with the lyrics to Snoop Dogg’s “Ain’t No Fun” laid over the top. Trust me.
Source: Genius
Twitter can tell you when friends and celebs start livestreaming
Twitter is all about live content on this fine Monday morning. First up, Twitter has added a new notification option that alerts users when someone they follow shares live video in a tweet. To enable the function on mobile, navigate to the page of someone you follow and tap the new notification icon next to the follow icon. Then select the final option, “Only tweets with live video,” and you’re all set. The next time that account goes live, a red alert bar will pop up along the bottom of your feed, allowing you to tap and start watching.
Don’t miss a live moment! Turn on notifications to join in when someone you follow shares live video on Twitter. pic.twitter.com/dddk81GuCH
— Twitter (@twitter) September 12, 2016
Second on Twitter’s totally live Monday to-do list is a partnership with Cheddar, a news network that specializes in live technology and business coverage. Twitter has the live broadcasting rights to Cheddar’s Opening Bell and Closing Bell shows, which are hosted daily from the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ MarketSite. Both shows break down the daily markets and business news, alongside interviews with CEOs and in-depth earnings coverage. Twitter will be the only place to watch these shows live for free.
“Twitter is the fastest way to find out what’s happening in the world and to engage in the live conversation about it,” Twitter CFO Anthony Noto says. “Partnering with Cheddar will give people on Twitter another way to watch and discuss the day’s top stories as they unfold live all on one platform.”
Excited to partner with Twitter on live video @anthonynoto pic.twitter.com/rVS8rtAEhX
— Cheddar (@cheddar) September 12, 2016
Last week, Twitter rolled out an update that makes it harder to creep on your friends’ live Periscope broadcasts and another that essentially turns DMs into a chat app.
Source: @Twitter, PRNewswire
ZTE wants your help bringing crowdsourced ideas to life
When ZTE launched its Project CSX challenge to crowdsource ideas for a mobile device, it was hard not to wonder which of those grandiose visions would make the cut. Well, now we know: ZTE has unveiled the three ideas that made it to phase two of the competition, where people will submit product concepts that translate those ideas to reality. Each of the winners is rather unusual, but just realistic enough that ZTE could put it into production.
One is a self-adhesive smartphone that sticks to most any surface, and uses eye tracking to help you scroll through books without touching the screen. There’s also a Power Glove-style wearable that guides you through high-dexterity tasks like playing the piano or typing. Lastly, an augmented reality diving mask would give you digitally enhanced experiences both underwater and on solid ground.
You have until September 30th to submit a product concept based on these ideas, and voting will run between October 1st and October 10th. The grand prize voting (which decides what ZTE will build) will take place between October 12th and October 19th. You won’t see a physical product until sometime in 2017, but you now have an inkling of what to expect.
Source: ZTE (eye tracking), (glove), (diving mask)
Facebook Messenger chatbots now support payments
The latest version of Facebook Messenger adds a new feature to the 30,000 or so chatbots that currently inhabit its platform. Starting today with version 1.2, those Messenger bots can now accept payments directly in the chat without sending users to an external website.
The feature was announced today at TechCrunch Disrupt by Facebook’s Messenger chief David Marcus, who noted that the payments system will support most credit cards and payment services including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Stripe, PayPal and Braintree. From the consumer side, users will see “Buy Now” links popping up in relevant chats. Tapping the link will bring up a quick payment confirmation tab that automatically defaults to whichever credit card a user has tied to their Facebook or Messenger account. The feature is currently available for certain developers as a closed beta, but businesses and devs can still apply to be included in the test run before it rolls out to all developers.
In addition to the speedy new payment system, the latest version of the Messenger Platform also allows developers to pull in additional UI elements like quick responses, shipping notifications or flight updates, as well as the ability to make Newsfeed ads point directly to Messenger chats. Finally, there are some new share features that allow users to forward individual chat messages or invite friends to start their own thread with a particular bot.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Facebook Newsroom
Google’s VR camera app comes to the iPhone
One of the biggest challenges facing virtual reality is a matter of creation. If you have lots of cash, you can make things happen, but it’s been a bit more challenging for people whose best camera is their smartphone. Google’s working on changing that — last December, it released the Cardboard Camera app for Android, and today it has arrived for iOS.
While it might not let you shoot highly involved VR video, Cardboard Camera still manages to make some pretty excellent creations. Using it is similar to shooting a panorama photo, something most smartphone owners are used to at this point. In this case, you’ll shoot in full 360-degrees, turning consistently to your right until you’ve gone around a full circle. The app also gives you the option of recording audio to add the ambience of the scene to your finished creation.
Once done, you can view the photo in Google’s Cardboard VR viewer. Unfortunately, the app doesn’t have you capture what’s above or below you, so the “VR” aspect of this isn’t nearly as robust as it could be. But still, in a pinch, it’s a fun way to create and share more immersive photos. In fact, Google has added better sharing features so that you can send and receive VR photos created in the app. You can share individual photos or galleries through Google Drive, and the recipient will be prompted to download and install the Cardboard Camera app if they don’t already have it.
HP buying Samsung’s printer business for $1.05 billion
Samsung’s board has approved the sale of its printer operation to HP for $1.05 billion “to concentrate on its core business areas,” it said in a press release. It plans to spin off the printer division into a separate company as of November 1st, then sell it its US rival, pending shareholder approval. Samsung’s printer business employs 6,000 people and sold 2 trillion won ($1.8 billion) in printers in 2015.
In its own news release, HP said that the deal is the largest print acquisition in its history. The US company sees it as an opportunity to “disrupt and reinvent the $55 billion copier industry, a segment that hasn’t innovated in decades.” It aims to basically to replace copiers completely with multi-function printers. “Copiers are outdated, complicated machines with dozens of replaceable parts requiring inefficient service and maintenance agreements,” it said.
Samsung says it will “source printers from HP and continue to market [them] in Korea under the Samsung brand.” For its part, HP has a long term deal with Canon to sell its printers and copiers. The US company recently launched “Multi Jet Fusion” 3D printing tech, and plans to release 3D printers this year starting at what is a apparently a relatively low $120,000.
HP will get Samsung’s 6,500-strong patent portfolio and 1,300 engineers and researchers. Samsung Vice-Chairman Jay Y. Lee — heir apparent to Chairman Kun-Hee Lee — will also take a seat on HP’s board of directors. HP mentioned that the acquisition will bring “cost synergies,” which is often a codified way of saying “layoffs.” There’s no word on how severe those could be, but the company is hosting a press conference in a couple of hours, so we’ll update this article if need be. The deal is expected to be finalized within a year.
Via: The Verge
Source: HP
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