Linksys boosts the speed of its customizable WRT router
Linksys has launched a new router in its WRT lineup beloved by WiFi tweaking aficionados. The WRT3200ACM has more bandwidth for its Tri-Band 802.11AC tech, amping the max speed to 2.6 Gbps, double the last WRT model. At the same time, it offers open-source firmware support for OpenWRT or DD-WRT, and no parental controls or other bloatware. It also comes with up to 512MB of DDR3 RAM, eSATA and USB like the last model, making it easier to load and run custom firmware.
Those speeds won’t be useful unless you’re connecting multiple devices at once, as no single phone or laptop can even run at a third of that. However, that’s not the point — it’s aimed at folks who want to use custom firmware or own a purpose-built router with no fluffy features. To prove its pedigree, the router even carries the same blue and black color scheme of the original WRT54G. If you’re in Linksys’ target market, you probably already know that the WRT3200ACM doesn’t come cheap — it’ll arrive in the next week for $280.
Source: Linksys
Streaming to Periscope is no longer confined to phones
Twitter’s live-streaming service is moving beyond the phone. Today, Periscope CEO, Kayvon Beykpour, announced that Periscope will stream videos from, well anything. The new “Producer” feature is aimed at content creators who might not want to be limited to just streaming from their phone.
In the near future, users can point their live streams to the Periscope servers whether it comes from a handset, drone or other connected camera. Those videos then show up on a user’s account as if they were shot on a phone. The difference being that the video can originate from a high-end camera, computer or hardware encoder (which opens this up to gaming streams, too). If the images can be streamed to a URL, it can be sent to Periscope.
During a demo, Periscope user Alex Pettit showed how using OBS Studio (an open source video streaming app for macOS, Linux and Windows) he could add graphics, footage from his phone, and pre-roll to this Periscope feed.
In fact, Periscope noted that companies like TechCrunch, Disney, Louis Vuitton, CBS 12, Telemundo and others have been beta-testing Producer for the past six weeks. While power users like Pettit and content-creating companies will start using the feature, it’s unlikely your average streamer is going move away from the phone and start using higher quality equipment for streams.
Beykpour notes that those who use this new feature will be a very small subset of users. “There are far more people who are interested in sharing what is happening in the world with their phones,” he said.
This isn’t the first time the company has added support for something other than phone. GoPro cameras have been able to stream to the app since January.
Beykpour says the company thinks it’s about how viewers interact with live video that’s important. Today’s announcement is just an additional way to get that video onto Periscope’s platform. “It’s a natural evolution for us to cover as wide of a spectrum as possible,” Beykpour said.
The new feature will begin rolling out very slowly and interested users will initially have to fill out a questionnaire to be whitelisted and have the feature added to their app. No solid timeline on when the feature will be available to everyone. Plus at launch, it’s iOS only but engineer Sara Haider said that Android support was coming.
Source: Periscope
The foldable, fully-enclosed Passport drone is yours for $549
Foldability is all the hype in the drone world these days, as is the case with the GoPro Karma and the DJI Mavic. But before these two were announced, we already heard about Zero Zero Robotics’ Hover Camera 4K drone that is truly foldable and also fully enclosed — in the sense that you can grab hold it any way you want without getting cut by the propellers, plus you’re less likely to cause havoc in a room. That’s a rarity in today’s drone market. Today, we bring you the good news that this nifty little machine — under the new name “Passport” — is finally launching for $549.
For those who aren’t already familiar, the Passport is an ultra-lightweight and ultra-compact quadcopter powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Flight platform. It comes with a 13-megapixel still camera that can shoot 4K video, and there’s a foldable carbon-fiber enclosure for the propellers — the drone is about the size of a VHS cassette tape when folded, if you know what that is. Since the Passport only weighs 242 grams (it was originally aiming for 238 grams), it is not subject to the FAA’s Hobbyist Drone Registration.
There’s no controller; you’ll just be using your Android phone or iPhone to control it via WiFi — we’re told to expect a 20-meter range on a 5GHz connection, plus up to 10 minutes of hovering time per charge when there’s no wind. For the speed freaks, this machine can travel at up to 8 m/s or about 18 mph horizontally, but you’ll obviously want to keep a spare battery handy (the standard package comes with two batteries plus a dual-battery charger).
While $549 isn’t exactly cheap when compared to move conventional offerings, the Passport does come with some other handy features: It can automatically follow your face or body, orbit around a subject while filming it (similar to DJI’s Point Of Interest mode), and shoot a 360-degree panorama video. As before, the drone “takes off” by simply pressing the power button once while on standby, and then release it horizontally to let it hover right away; similarly, just grab it while it’s in mid-air and then point it downward to slow down the propellers, and then you can press the power button to stop it entirely. These are all made possible thanks to the Passport’s powerful processor, sonar, downward-facing camera plus other sensors.
For those who are willing to give the Passport a spin, you can place your order on the official website and take advantage of the $549 early-bird price; it’ll go up to $599 two weeks later. Meanwhile, stay tuned for our upcoming review.
Source: Hover Camera
Blue dye could help keep Ebola doctors safe
If you’re unfortunate enough to wind up in hospital with a dangerous infectious disease like Ebola, then keep an eye on what your doctors are wearing. If their hazmat suits are smeared with blue dye that gently evaporates as they work with you, you can rest easy. If they’re sporting the odd tint, it means that they’re taking proper precautions and keeping their biohazard gear nice and clean. It also means that they’re using Kinnos Highlight, a new wonder dye created by two students out of Columbia University.
Kinnos’ story began in 2014 at the height of the Ebola crisis, when Columbia University launched a challenge to look for solutions to the issue. Katherine Jin and Jason Kang looked at the transmission of the disease by medical professionals and found that there was a problem with the way doctors decontaminate. It’s current best practice to spray environment suits with bleach and wait 10 minutes before moving, but that’s fraught with problems.
First up, tired doctors weren’t waiting the full 10 minutes before deciding to disrobe. Secondly, bleach forms droplets when its sprayed, so it only covers around a third of the material. Thirdly, bleach isn’t exactly visible, so it’s hard for people to see if they’ve properly sprayed the clothing at all. Highlight is designed to resolve both of those issues, firstly by reducing bleach’s propensity to form droplets, ensuring greater coverage. Secondly, the blue dye is designed to gently oxidize with the air, evaporating over a set period of time.
It means that doctors have a very visual way of telling if their gear has been decontaminated properly before disrobing. That should help reduce their risk of catching a disease themselves or passing it on to other people. Each bottle costs less than a dollar and can be mixed with up to a gallon of bleach, so it’s not particularly expensive, either. The company is now working with bodies like MSF and the French Red Cross, and could be a small, cheap and rather elegant solution to a problem that’s dogged epidemic response teams for years.
Original PS3 owners can file claims in the ‘Other OS’ lawsuit
After more than six years, Sony agreed to pay out millions to settle the class-action lawsuit surrounding its removal of the “install other OS” feature from the PS3 in 2010. Now owners of the original version of that console can file claims. A settlement notice sent out this week states that PS3 “Fat” owners who made the purchase between November 1, 2006 and April 1, 2010 are eligible to do so.
Original PS3 owners who can submit proof of purchase and proof that they actually used the feature that allowed Linux to be installed on a partition of the console’s hard drive are entitled to a $55 payment. If you can submit only proof of purchase and state that you intended to use the tool, you’ll receive $9. Proof that you installed Linux can be submitted in the form of a screenshot/photo or documentation of communication between you and Sony or a third party. The installation would’ve had to be done before April 1, 2010.
Sony reached a proposed settlement with the plaintiffs this summer and received preliminary approval from a federal judge last month. The settlement is still pending final approval from the court. The deadline to submit a claim is December 7th. A hearing where the court will decide whether or not to approve the settlement is scheduled for January 24, 2017. If approved, payments will be sent out about 40 days after.
The “Other OS” suit was filed in 2010 after Sony pushed a mandatory software update to the PS3. That download forced users to nix the ability to install Linux or lose the ability to play online. The company said at the time that security concerns were the reason for change. Note that the PS3 “Slim” model that debuted in 2009 isn’t included in the litigation even though it debuted during the aforementioned time frame. The “Slim” never had the Linux feature, so that’s why owners of that console aren’t eligible to file a claim as part of this class-action.
Via: Polygon
Source: “OtherOS” Settlement Notice
Twitter teams with BuzzFeed for a live election night stream
Twitter doesn’t want its live US election coverage to stop with the debates. It’s partnering with BuzzFeed News on a show for election night, November 8th. Visit Twitter starting at 6PM Eastern and you’ll get a steady stream of results and analysis as the votes pour in. And you might have reason to tune in through the social network instead of resorting to TV. The two companies are working with volunteer data outfit Decision Desk HQ to make calls on election results instead of leaning on a single source, like conventional broadcasters.
Be ready for the occasional interruption. BuzzFeed and Twitter will roll “TV style” commercials in between segments, so you’re not quite escaping the usual election night experience. Nonetheless, this could be more than a little helpful if you want to keep up with the vote wherever you happen to be.
Source: PR Newswire, Decision Desk HQ
Questionable Claims of Apple’s Interest in Sonder’s Dynamic E-Ink Keyboard Technology Emerge
Yesterday, a Redditor with the username Foxconninsider posted about a new Smart Keyboard claimed to be a working prototype potentially coming to both iMac and MacBook devices sometime in 2018. Created by Australian startup Sonder and displayed at an event in Tsinghua University in Beijing, the keyboard uses an e-ink display behind the keys of the board to dynamically change the input of the device to the whim of the user, which could range from different languages to social network shortcuts and emojis.
Sonder’s own Bluetooth e-ink keyboard, launching this year
The post ties Sonder to Apple through a potential acquisition deal that would integrate Sonder’s technology directly into Apple products, which reportedly generated discussion throughout the event, and after it. An excerpt from the original post follows:
I work on Tsinghua university campus, it is like the Chinese MIT. It hosted a Foxconn event where I saw the new Macbook keyboard module design and Apple’s 2018 E Ink Magic Keyboard that’s a DFT model. (DFT is design for testing).
The startup Sonder makes a smart keyboard module, it has a new magnetic mechanical mechanism and a lit E Ink display which allows for swapping shortcuts and languages etc. I saw it swap between a few programs and languages (English, Japanese, Taiwanese layouts etc).
The Foxconn Innoconn Executive said Apple’s PBO (Procurement board office) was closing an acquisition for the startup company that is now registered in Hong Kong for a big return of investment for Foxconn International Holdings and E Ink Holdings.
Aside from the unverifiable nature of the post, the claim is questionable for a number reasons, which together originally led MacRumors to decline to cover the story despite multiple contacts from the source prior to their sharing it on Reddit.
Among the questionable aspects of the story is Foxconn’s and Sonder’s apparent willingness to confirm Sonder is in discussions with Apple about the keyboard technology. Such talks are typically covered by non-disclosure agreements which would preclude them from acknowledging the discussions.
Today, however, The Guardian is corroborating the story with a claim that “separate to the Reddit report, The Guardian can confirm the Apple CEO, Tim Cook, met with [Sonder founder Francisco] Serra-Martins in China on Wednesday.” Cook is currently touring both China and Japan, but The Guardian’s confirmation doesn’t give specifics as to whether the meeting was simply in passing, or specifically related to a potential acquisition deal.
Regarding the technology at the center of the story, the original Redditor claimed that they “couldn’t film the macbook or magic keyboard test units at the event,” so the early demo keyboard shown in the video above represents a variation on what was seen at the event. The event’s keyboard allegedly had a single e-ink screen for every key on the MacBook, along with a backlit lighting panel. The technology would seemingly be used in future MacBooks and integrated into the iMac’s Magic Keyboard lineup.
With so many unconfirmed factors swirling around the story, it remains possible that Sonder itself is attempting to generate interest in its own upcoming Sonder Keyboard, which packs in all of the previously detailed e-ink technology, along with Mac compatibility, at $199. The company expects the keyboard to arrive sometime in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Tag: Sonder
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Twitter Testing Out Expanded ‘Moments’ Tab Now Called ‘Explore’
Twitter is opening up a new “Explore” tab on iOS and Android to a select group of users of its service. The new section is aimed at “content discovery” and showcases trending topics and simplified search tools in addition to “Moments,” which the tab was previously dedicated to (via Mashable).
Moments launched a year ago this month with the purpose of showing users stories and conversations unfolding on the service in differing categories. The tab had sections like “Entertainment” and “Sports,” with individual Moments changing throughout the day as big events occurred.
Image via Mashable
Explore aims to expand Moment’s singular purpose with more useful data for users, as well as keeping the basic structure of Moments packaged into the tab. For those who have seen the Explore section show up on mobile, it appears various sections are highlighted at first, including “Trending Now,” “Today on Twitter,” and “Explore All.”
“As part of our continued efforts to make it easier to find what’s happening on Twitter, we’re testing a new tab for content discovery,” the company said in a statement.
With Moments recently expanding into a customizable user feature, the company’s future goals for Explore remain uncertain. It didn’t comment on whether or not Explore would become a permanent feature for all users on iOS and Android, either.
The company has gone through a hard time over the past few months, facing its slowest revenue growth in years amid talk of rocky waters at the social network’s headquarters because of uncertainty surrounding a potential buyout by other companies.
Over the summer, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey admitted that the service can be confusing for newcomers and even alienating to its install base of loyal users. In attempts to keep its users happy, Twitter has recently removed media attachments from the 140 character limit, and is trying to address harassment on the service with a new tweet moderation filter system.
Tag: Twitter
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Apple Poaches Imagination Technologies COO and Graphics Engineers After Passing On Acquisition
Earlier this year, it was reported Apple was in “advanced talks” to acquire British semiconductor designer Imagination Technologies, just one week after the chip maker announced job cuts. Apple subsequently confirmed the talks, but said it did not plan to make an offer to purchase the company at the time.
Nevertheless, over the past year, Apple has been recruiting talent away from the company, according to multiple LinkedIn profiles. Imagination Technologies COO John Metcalfe, for example, left the company in June and is now listed as a Senior Director at Apple, where he started in July.
Imagination Technologies engineers Dave Roberts, Jonathan Redshaw, and Benjamin Bowman are also now employed by Apple. Likewise, a fourth engineer Simon Nield joined Apple as a Design Manager just this month. A search of former Imagination Technologies employees now working at Apple yields 25 results.
Apple poaching employees from Imagination Technologies could be part of its efforts to build out an in-house graphics team.
Many of the employees continue to be based in the London, England area, although some have relocated to Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. An anonymous tipster informed us that Apple has established a new team in London to work on GPUs in house, but the information remains unconfirmed.
Imagination Technologies traditionally supplies the PowerVR graphics architecture found in Apple’s range of iPhones and iPads. Apple has been a licensee and stakeholder in the company since at least 2008, and it became a key investor in mid-2009 when it raised its stake in the firm to 10 percent.
In 2014, Imagination Technologies announced an extended licensing agreement with Apple, providing the iPhone maker with access to current and future PowerVR graphics and video IP cores as part of a multi-year deal. These technologies are incorporated into Apple’s own A-series chips like the A10 Fusion in iPhone 7.
Tag: Imagination Technologies
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Best Password Manager For Android
Keeping your passwords secure is rule one for security, and these apps help you keep it all safe.
Best overall
1Password
See at Google Play
1Password hits all of the features we expect from this sort of app: AES 256-bit encryption, password generation, fingerprint security, storage for all kinds of information and cross-device syncing. But 1Password does it with a great Android app, and includes a well-implemented Android keyboard that lets you quickly paste login and password details from your secure storage.
As is the case with the best password managers out there, 1Password gets really powerful when you pay to upgrade from the free version. For $2.99 per month (billed annually) 1Password keeps all of your secure information synced across devices — mobile and desktop — using top-end security and you don’t have to configure a thing. You can also upgrade to a Family or Team plan to share important information between multiple 1Password users.
Bottom line: 1Password isn’t cheap, but it is definitely the easiest to use and most full-featured password manager available.
One more thing: For teams or families that need to simply and securely share passwords, 1Password is definitely the best choice.
Why 1Password is the best
You get everything you need with a single service in 1Password.
1Password has become the gold standard for cross-platform password managers, and that starts for most of us with the Android app. The app is well designed and implements all of the features we want. That means you get easy ways to store logins and passwords, but also other personal information and notes securely. Everything is secured with top-end encryption, and synced across all of your devices — phones, tablets and computers — with no additional setup.
The app offers one-touch fingerprint login for compatible devices, and also offers a keyboard that lets you quickly paste login information right into apps without toggling over to the full 1Password app. It’s simple, and it just works the way you expect.
For many, 1Password is the best choice simply because it offers the best multi-user experience available today. For $4.99 per month everyone in your family can have shared passwords and access to specific information from other family members, which is invaluable for some. 1Password Teams does the same, but for businesses that need to store and share large numbers of passwords.
1Password rubbed many people the wrong way when it switched from an upfront charge for its apps to a monthly subscription across all platforms, but new users don’t have the choice now. The one thing you can point out here now is that 1Password is pretty expensive for a service in this realm.
With a simple, powerful app and great sharing options between families or large teams, 1Password really does it all — and that’s worth the price for many.
Best for less
LastPass
See at Google Play
LastPass is often mentioned in the same breath as 1Password when talking about the top password managers. It offers the same general set of features as 1Password, including secure encrypted storage of your information, fingerprint unlocking, auto-filling of logins for browsers and apps, and cross-device syncing if you upgrade to the premium subscription.
Where LastPass may win people over is its favorable pricing: at just $12 per year it’s far less expensive than 1Password, and still offers cross-device syncing with apps available on phones, tablets and computers. You have a simpler version of family sharing as well with LastPass’ “family folder” if you want that sort of feature.
Bottom line: For a full-featured password manager at a lower subscription price, LastPass should be considered.
One more thing: LastPass is a capable basic password manager for just your phone even if you don’t pay for the subscription.
Best for simplicity
Enpass
See at Google Play
Enpass is a simple app that follows the latest design guidelines on Android and nothing more, while integrating every single password manager feature you could ask for. There’s app auto-filling, a built-in browser, fingerprint sensor lock, password generation and the highest level of encryption.
What’s interesting about Enpass is that it never expects a monthly fee — you pay $9.99 for the premium version of the mobile app, and that unlocks full premium features including access to the free desktop and Chrome apps. It works this way because you store the password data on your own cloud service of choice, whether that’s Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or something else. Data is still encrypted before syncing, so everything is kept nice and secure.
Bottom line: Enpass is a great option for those who want to store passwords on their own cloud, without an additional monthly subscription.
One more thing: Enpass actually has a relatively functional free version if you want to cheap out for a bit before paying for the full feature set.
Best for free
Dashlane
See at Google Play
Dashlane Password Manager is a cross-platform password service that really checks all of the boxes. It offers industry-standard AES-256 bit encryption of your passwords, as well as secure cross-device syncing (Windows, Mac, iOS and Android) and on-device password generation. It’s also able to store other sensitive non-password data such as IDs, credit card info, addresses and secure notes.
Dashlane comes with its own browser that will auto-fill all of your accounts and passwords as you visit websites, but you can also elect to use its keyboard to easily insert passwords into other apps as well. Even if you just want to manually look at your passwords, Dashlane makes it easy to copy and paste them into any app or website. The app itself blocks screenshots, which is nice, and offers several security measures to keep the app safe from unwanted users.
The service is free to use for life with the most basic features, but if you want cross-device syncing and cloud backup you’ll be paying $39.99 per year for a premium account. The subscription is worth it if you’re going to go all-in with Dashlane.
Bottom line: Dashlane is the best choice for someone who wants to use a full-featured password manager on one device for free, and if you need more you can pay for premium features.
One more thing: When you download Dashlane you get 30 days of the premium features for free to give you a taste of everything it has to offer.
Conclusion
For those who want the absolute best password manager for their phone, tablet and computers, 1Password is the way to go. It has every feature you (and your family or company) want, and you pay a bit extra for that complete package.
Best overall
1Password
See at Google Play
1Password hits all of the features we expect from this sort of app: AES 256-bit encryption, password generation, fingerprint security, storage for all kinds of information and cross-device syncing. But 1Password does it with a great Android app, and includes a well-implemented Android keyboard that lets you quickly paste login and password details from your secure storage.
As is the case with the best password managers out there, 1Password gets really powerful when you pay to upgrade from the free version. For $2.99 per month (billed annually) 1Password keeps all of your secure information synced across devices — mobile and desktop — using top-end security and you don’t have to configure a thing. You can also upgrade to a Family or Team plan to share important information between multiple 1Password users.
Bottom line: 1Password isn’t cheap, but it is definitely the easiest to use and most full-featured password manager available.
One more thing: For teams or families that need to simply and securely share passwords, 1Password is definitely the best choice.
AIVAnet 