Yahoo Answers Comes to iOS With New App
Yahoo recently debuted Yahoo Answers Now, a native app version of its popular Q&A site. The app has secretly been in the App Store for months under a different name, according to TechCrunch.
The app allows Yahoo Answers users to post and answer questions on the go. They’ll also be able to more easily craft rich media responses to questions and get matched up with questions they might be able to answer. Like the website, users can build followings based on their answers.
Answers Now secretly made its way onto the App Store as “Yahoo Hive” in June, giving the company a way to tweak the app in relative quiet. The app is part of Yahoo’s larger goal to translate its popular websites, like Yahoo Finance, Fantasy Football, and Yahoo Weather, into apps.
Yahoo also updated the app yesterday with new features, adding the ability to search for questions and answers, search the web for links to source answers, edit questions, answers and profile information, and click on hyperlinks.
Yahoo Answers Now currently requires an invite code to use. Those interested in using the app can request an invite code by emailing yan-invites@yahoo-inc.com.
Yahoo Answers Now is available in the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Tag: Yahoo Answers
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New 10.9-inch Apple iPad might ditch Home button, have slim bezels
Apple is thought to be working on a new iPad Pro, or maybe updating its iPad range for early next year, and a new report has indicated the new tablet will ditch the Home button.
Ah, that old rumour. It seems like for the last couple years we have heard every few months or so that Apple is considering removing its Home button from various devices. But now Japanese site Makotakara, which is often reliable, has claimed that a new 10.9-inch iPad is coming in early 2017, and it will have the same footprint as the current 9.7-inch iPad Pro but will lack the Home Button.
Remember, Apple is rumoured to be drastically overhauling the next iPhone, likely called iPhone 8, with a Home button that’ll be embedded in the display, which may or may not be OLED and possibly curved. You can read our rumour round-up on that device here. As for the new iPad, it’s supposed to have reduced bezels, with the top bezel containing a FaceTime camera. And it’ll be thicker.
- Apple iPad Pro 10.5 tipped for early 2017, could have A10X processor
The thickness of the new model will be increased to 7.5mm, which is the same thickness as the iPad Air. If you’re doubting the legitimacy of these rumours, keep in mind we first heard in August from KGI that a 10.5-inch iPad was coming, and then again from Digitimes last week, which said Apple is preparing an all-new 10.5-inch size for its iPad Pro line for the first quarter of 2017.
That means both a 10.9-inch screen and a 10.5-inch screen have been previously rumored. At present, Apple has the 7.9-inch iPad Mini 4, plus 9.7- and 12.9-inch iPad Pro tablets. The 9.7-inch iPad Air 2 is also still sold.
A 10.5-inch model, whether it’s a Pro or standard iPad, would bridge the size gap. And if it ditches the Home button, it might attract new customers to Apple. But that’s a whole lot of ifs and mights and unknowns.
PowerPoint brings real-time collaboration to your slides
It’s not much fun to plug away at a presentation, but Microsoft might have found a way to make the experience more bearable for Office 365 subscribers. It’s updating the Windows version of PowerPoint with real-time collaboration that helps you share the workload. You can see who’s editing specific slides, and see typing as it happens. You’ll need to be part of the Office Insider program to use this right away, but don’t be surprised if it’s available more broadly in the near future.
Microsoft’s updates will also let you know what’s going on when you’re away from your desk. Both Android and iOS users are getting notifications that let you know when someone is offering or working on a shared Excel, PowerPoint or Word file. Ideally, you won’t be caught off-guard when a coworker starts editing a team report. You’ll have to be patient if you think these would be useful, however. You need to be an Office Insider to get these notifications on Android at the moment, and you’ll have to wait for the December updates before they show up on iOS.
Source: Office Blogs
Google timelapses offer a 32-year look at Earth’s history
As static as it may seem, Earth is a lively planet that changes almost constantly — and Google just offered a clever way to see that development with your own eyes. In a partnership with Time, it’s introducing a dramatically improved version of Google Earth Timelapse that provides animated satellite imagery covering 32 years, going back to 1984 (4 years earlier than before). It uses the higher-resolution maps you saw in June to provide a look that’s both more detailed and more seamless than before, with fewer abrupt changes in color and quality. There’s also more to look at in the first place thanks to both added legacy satellite data and info from newer orbiters.
The resulting views help illustrate activity on Earth in a way that isn’t apparent just by staring at static maps. You can see glaciers retreat in Antarctica, rivers reroute in Tibet, and tar sand mining expand in Canada. It’s easy to see cities grow, too. Is this pure eye candy for most people? You bet. However, the hope is that this could also shine a light on environmental issues like climate change and urban sprawl. If you can witness humanity’s long-term effect on Earth in a matter of seconds, you might be more inclined to do something about it.
Source: Google Earth Blog, Time
FDA approves new trials using MDMA to help treat PTSD
MDMA, the pure form of Ecstasy, is usually only mentioned when partygoers get busted for holding the Schedule 1 restricted drug. But medical researchers have been quietly testing its potential medical applications, like treating terminally ill patients and assisting patient therapy for PTSD. The results from the latter have been promising enough for the FDA to commission Phase 3 trials, which is the last step before MDMA’s possible approval as a prescription drug.
Initial studies had patients under 12 weeks of psychotherapy along with three 8-hour sessions in which they took MDMA. After taking the drug, they lay on a futon surrounded by candles and flowers while soothing music played in the background — a calming environment amid the euphoric effects of the substance.
This combination of drug-assisted sessions mixed into scheduled therapy could help PTSD patients who have not been helped by current methods used to treat the illness. Other researchers wrapped up the first MDMA treatment trials in Canada days ago and found the drug to have a significant impact on the study’s six patients.
“The biggest thing was there was a very increased level of trust,” Dr. Ingrid Pacey, the study’s principal investigator, told the Toronto Metro News. “They were really able to talk about painful material from the past that they were never able talk about before in their life — they’d been so frightened they’d block it. With the MDMA, they’d be distressed and crying, but they could talk it through and come to understand it in a way they couldn’t before. The trauma became a more manageable part of their history and they could go forward with their lives.”
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a nonprofit that’s advocated for medical use of psychedelics since 1985, funded six Phase 2 studies of PTSD treatment using MDMA. It will also help pay for Phase 3, which will include up to 230 patients.
There are, of course, members of the medical community concerned that federal approval of treatment would cause users to acquire the drug illegally and self-medicate, as many have done recently with opioids. But the Phase 3 trial researchers are optimistic enough to apply for breakthrough therapy status, which would accelerate FDA review. If approved, the drug could be available by 2021.
Source: The New York Times
Apple Music Student Pricing Expands to 25 More Countries Around the World
Apple today began offering Apple Music Student Memberships in 25 additional countries around the world, cutting the cost of an Apple Music subscription by approximately 50 percent for students enrolled in a college or university. The discounts provided to students vary based on country.
Apple Music Student Membership plans appear to be available as of today in Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Finland, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Switzerland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates.
Student pricing was already available in the United States, Australia, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom following the May 2016 debut of the student program. Student Memberships are now available for Apple Music subscribers in a total of 32 countries.
Apple Music student pricing in France
Student Memberships are validated using UNiDAYS, a student validation service. UNiDAYS confirms that Apple Music subscribers are enrolled in a degree-granting college or university before allowing customers to get the discounted subscription price.
Customers who subscribe to Apple Music with a student subscription will need to confirm their status on a regular basis through UNiDAYS. Subscribers who are no longer students or who have had student pricing for 48 months will be switched over to a full price individual Apple Music subscription.
Tag: Apple Music
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Google Featured Photos puts those Chromecast screensavers on Macs
Ever get lost staring at those screensavers on Chromecast?
Now you can get them for your Mac. Google has launched a new app that surfaces popular Google+ on your unused display. These are the same photos that grace the Chromecast, Pixel, and Google Fiber devices when they’re not in use. The app only pulls from publicly shared, high-resolution photos, and they’re often breathtaking landscape shots. Each shot also includes the photograph’s name, so you can follow him or her.
- Google is now letting you see the entire world in VR from home
The app is called Featured Photos. You can download it from here. Once you do, you’ll find the new screensavers available under the screensaver option in the Settings app on your Mac. If you’re an Android user, Google’s existing Wallpapers app will also now let you get access to the same set of popular photos for your home or lock screen. Google also detailed how you can get your Google+ photos in its screensaver collection.
All you have to do – to increase your chance of being considered – is join the Google+ Create program.
Facebook Messenger lets you play instant games like Pac-Man: Here’s how to find and play them
To keep you on Facebook longer or at least using its chat app, Facebook has launched an Instant Games feature for Messenger.
The feature lets you instantly play titles within the chat app itself, and like FarmVille and other Facebook games of the past, you’ll be able to share your achievements to your News Feed, so that your friends can immediately jump in and try games. Here’s everything you need to know.
- 17 Facebook Messenger tips and tricks you likely didn’t know
- Facebook Messenger bots: What are they and how can you find them?
Facebook: What is Instant Games?
Instant Games is Facebook’s new HTML5 gaming platform that lets Facebook users play games in Messenger and from the News Feed, without the need to download anything. Instant Games are cross-platform, so they’ll work on the web and all mobile devices.
Facebook: What games can you play?
At launch, there are 17 games: Pac-Man, Galaga, Arkanoid, Space Invaders, Track and Field 100M, Shuffle Cats Mini, Words with Friends Frenzy, Hex, Everwing, Endless Lake, Templar 20148, The Tribes Puzzle Rush, 2020 Connect, Puzzle Bobble, Zookeeper, Brick Pop, and Wordalot Express.
Facebook: How does Instant Games work?
In the latest version of the Facebook Messenger app, open a conversation with a friend or friends, tap on the game controller icon just below where you type your message (or tap the more icon, where it might be buried under), and choose a game to start playing right away. When you finish a round, your friends in the conversation will see your score and have the chance to play their turn.
Facebook said you can also discover games within the Messenger search field, or in Facebook News Feed, where you can play solo or challenge friends back in Messenger. Keep in mind this isn’t the first time instant-like games have been playable in Messenger. During March Madness earlier this year, for instance, Facebook hid a secret basketball game in its messaging service.
The main Facebook app will also include a dedicated bookmark, so you can find games you’ve already played right from there. And if you want to play from your computer, simply go to Facebook in your browser, then open a chat with a friend or friends, and click the game controller icon. Just like you can in the Messenger app, you’ll be able to browse titles and instantly play.
Facebook: When will the games be available?
Facebook launched this new feature on 29 November in a closed beta. The social network said it will first roll out to 30 countries, but it’s limited to the web and newer iOS and Android operating systems.
Want to know more?
Watch Facebook’s promo videos above, or check out its blog post.
NY Governor Cuomo signs bill outlawing online scalpers
Getting tickets to Beyoncé and Hamilton is already hard enough but it can be nearly impossible if you’re competing against the automated purchasers used by 21st century scalpers. These so-called “ticket bots” are specifically designed to get around the strict per-customer purchase limits on sites like TicketMaster and LiveNation, allowing a small handful of individuals to buy a lion’s share of a show and then offer them on the resale market for a massive profit. But that’s no longer the case in New York where, governor Andrew Cuomo recently signed legislation banning these robots.
“It’s predatory,” Governor Cuomo said at a press conference yesterday. “It’s wrong and, with this legislation, we are taking an important step towards restoring fairness and equity back to this multi-billion dollar industry.”
The new law opens up the definition of what constitutes a “ticket bot” to include basically any automated system used to quickly amass legally sold tickets. Using a ticket bot — even just maintaining a financial interest in the botnet — will now constitute a Class A misdemeanor, subject to fines and imprisonment. What’s more, it is now also illegal to resell tickets, even if they’re sold for face value, if you know that they were obtained using one of these systems. It will be interesting to see how this law is enforced and whether other states follow New York’s lead.
Source: Office of the Governor of New York
Religion and gambling have the same effect on your brain
Finding Jesus can feel a lot like falling in love, winning an award or getting high because all of these events activate the same reward circuits in the brain, according to a new study from the University of Utah. Researchers studied fMRI scans of 19 devout Mormons as they were exposed to prayer, scripture and sermons designed by the LDS Church to evoke spiritual feelings, and found reproducible activation in the nucleus accumbens, a region in the brain associated with reward and pleasure.
Brain regions that handle focused attention and the perception of importance or novelty also lit up during the fMRI scans. However, the connection between spiritual experiences and the brain’s reward circuits suggests that religious training may be a form of classical, or Pavlovian, conditioning, senior author Jeffrey S. Anderson told ResearchGate.
“Association of positive feedback, music and social rewards with religious beliefs or doctrines may lead to these doctrines becoming intrinsically rewarding,” Anderson said. “These same mechanisms may help explain attachment to religious leaders and ideals. …It may be that a Lutheran woman in Minnesota and an ISIS follower in Syria might experience the same feelings in the same brain regions for completely different belief systems, with very different social consequences.”
It’s likely that some people are more prone to finding pleasure in religion than others, Anderson said. However, this particular neurological response isn’t limited to spiritual folks. Anderson said he expected non-religious people would experience similar brain activation in response to patriotic imagery, peaceful nature scenes or while contemplating profound scientific ideas.
“We know that similar regions are activated during appreciation of music, experience of romantic and parental love, and winning at gambling,” he said.
University of Utah scientists were careful not to diminish the complexity of religious fervor in the brain. They note that descriptions of religious experiences are varied, and suggest a comprehensive study of the entire brain during spiritual activity to more fully understand the systems powering this apparent Pavlovian response.
Source: Taylor & Francis, Researchgate
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