ISIS’ online presence reportedly includes a 24-hour ‘help desk’
The terrorist group known as ISIS has ramped up its online outreach efforts in a big way over the past year, including establishing a 24-hour help desk that teaches members how to use encryption and other secure communications tactics, NBC News reports. News of the help desk comes from Dr. Aaron Brantly, a cyber fellow at the Combating Terrorism Center with the US Military Academy at West Point. According to Brantly, ISIS has “developed a series of different platforms in which they can train one another on digital security to avoid intelligence and law enforcement agencies for the explicit purpose of recruitment, propaganda and operational planning.”
Source: NBC News
Pushbullet’s ‘Pro’ syncing service is stuff that used to be free
Pushbullet, the mighty app that lets you sync notifications, links, photos and SMS between your phone and computer, has just announced that it will be offering a Pro tier. But here’s the kicker: paying $4.99 a month or $39.99 annually doesn’t actually buy you anything new (other than supporting its developer’s needs for things like food and shelter). A blog post announcing the changes tried to justify the move, but its explanations seem oddly close to threats. “We could have kept Pushbullet completely free, following the path of many free services by showing ads and selling data to make money. We don’t want to do that.” And we certainly hope they don’t have to!
Source: Pushbullet
Todoist is bringing its popular productivity app to Windows 10
Todoist’s take on the to-do list is handy for keep your daily agenda organized, and now it’s available for Windows 10 users. The free productivity app is available for Microsoft’s operating system as a preview, syncing those important tasks across mobile and desktop devices. And yes, it will update across operating systems too, in cause you need to tuck your Surface Pro 3 away and check your to-do list on your iPhone or Android handset. Many of the tools are held over from desktop, iOS and Android versions of the app including setting due dates, managing tasks and collaborating with your colleagues. Just like the add-on for Gmail, there’s an Outlook extension that allows you to turn emails into tasks with a click or tap. For larger screens like the Surface tablets, Todoist offers a three-pane view to help keep things organized and easy to find. While the app supports Live Tiles now, it’ll also play nice with Cortana in the near future. If you’re looking to give it a shot, the Todoist preview is available in the Windows Store now. Slideshow-341591
Source: Todoist, Windows Store
Gameloft announces Sniper Fury for December 3rd launch
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Gamelofts next potential smash hit, Sniper Fury, finally gets an official release date of December 3rd. The title, originally announced in October, was boasted as using the same gaming engine that was behind Modern Combat 5: Blackout. That title is free and definitely worth the install if you have the space and time for it. As for Sniper Fury, you play as an expert sniper that is dropped into hot-zones in various locales like hot and steamy jungles and frozen tundras. The title looks like it could be a real winner in the sniper shooter genre. Take look at the Sniper Fury developer diary to get some insight to the game its self and how it has been shaping up.
Gameloft states that Sniper Fury is geared towards a wider audience than any other title they have done before. I am not exactly sure what they mean. I can’t see puzzle match and words with friends only players grabbing a sniper riffle to save the world, but who knows. If you pre-register for the title Gameloft will be dishing out some perks to you upon launch. Things like additional spotter uses, slow time, piercing bullets, elite battlepack and a gold alloy exoframe sniper riffle. I like free extra stuff, don’t you?
I assume the title will launch as a freemium game with in-app purchases to get the largest audience adoption. I could be wrong, either way, Sniper Fury is set land for iOS, Android and Windows Phones on December 3rd.
The post Gameloft announces Sniper Fury for December 3rd launch appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Apple Pay goes live in Canada, but only for American Express customers
Apple Pay has been available in locales outside of the US already, and now our neighbors to the north are getting in on the action. Cupertino’s mobile payments tech is now available in Canada, so iPhone and Apple Watch users can pay for goods with those two devices at a smattering of retail locations. There is a catch, though: Apple Pay in the land of poutine only supports American Express right now. If you have one of those cards in your physical wallet, you’ll now be able to add it to the Wallet app on your iPhone in iOS 9.1 for use at places like McDonald’s and Tim Hortons (mmm, doughnuts). Bank-issued AmEx cards won’t work right now either, just the ones issued directly from credit card company. This means that most debit cards and bank-issued credit cards won’t be compatible as a lot of Canadian banks use Visa or MasterCard. As was the case in the States and other countries, we’d surmise you can expect the list of participating banks and cards to expand in the weeks to come.
[Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Via: MacRumors
Source: @iBry83 (Twitter), Moneris
ICYMI: Translation megaphone, live-caption headwear and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: A crowdfunding campaign to help the hearing impaired pairs a Google Glass-like head display with a mini-computer to create real-time closed captioning. International travelers who are impaired after a 14-hour flight will get some love at Japan’s Narita International Airport with a megaphone that can translate Japanese messages into Chinese and English. Finally, gym rats will probably be into this Kickstarter for a towel (The Towell) which will give you a towel with a pocket and a magnet and that’s about it, all for about $40 US.
Apple Pay now supports TSB and Tesco Bank in the UK
Apple Pay is now firmly established in the UK, but since the service went live in July, a handful of banks have bided their time and left customers waiting for smartphone payments. Luckily, two more can be ticked off the list today after TSB and Tesco Bank confirmed they have enabled Apple Pay support for their payment cards.
Source: TSB, Tesco Bank
OnePlus Android Marshmallow update is coming in Q1 2016
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Seems like today is a good day to announce your plans for an Android software update – after ASUS announced their plan, OnePlus has chimed in to say that their OnePlus Android Marshmallow update is coming in Q1 2016.
Detailing their plan, OnePlus says OnePlus 2 owners can expect their update to Android Marshmallow to include the standard API for fingerprint scanning that Google has cooked up, getting rid of the method that OnePlus included in OxygenOS at launch.
For the OnePlus One, OnePlus will be releasing a Cyanogen OS update in the Q1 window, but won’t be releasing an OxygenOS update until “time allows” – that’s kind of a bummer for people who have come to love the even more stock feeling of OxygenOS.
However, that’s not as much of a bummer as owning a OnePlus X. Despite being OnePlus’ latest device release, the OnePlus X wasn’t given a timeline in OnePlus’ forum post, with the only promise of this being “we will update you on a time frame at a later time”. At the very least, OnePlus is on the case, so keep your eyes and ears open for more news in the near future.
What do you think about OnePlus’ strategy for rolling out Android Marshmallow updates? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post OnePlus Android Marshmallow update is coming in Q1 2016 appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Microsoft uses ‘Minecraft’ to teach your kid how to code
You can get kids to do a lot if you promise them Minecraft… just ask parents who’ve watched their children race through chores to get some building time. And Microsoft knows this, too. It just released a tutorial for Code.org that uses Minecraft to teach the basics of computer programming. Instead of pointing and clicking to smash your way through the landscape, you construct a string of commands using code-like snippets such as “turn left” and “destroy block.” This hopefully shows your young ones how programming can be both fun and relevant — it’s not just some boring thing you do to make money. Many students will try this when the next Hour of Code kicks off on December 7th, but you can visit the website today if your kids can’t wait to give it a shot.
Via: GeekWire
Source: Code.org, Microsoft in Education Blog
ASUS announces which ASUS devices will get the Android Marshmallow update
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As the end of the year approaches, there are still quite a few manufacturers that have yet to announce their intentions to update their mobile devices to the new Android Marshmallow software – lucky for ASUS owners, you can now tick your company off the list. Earlier today, ASUS announced exactly which ASUS devices will get the Android Marshmallow update, a list which includes:
- PadFoneS (PF500KL)
- ZenFone2 (ZE550ML/ZE551ML)
- ZenFone2 Deluxe / Special Edition (ZE551ML)
- ZenFone2 Laser (ZE500KG/ZE500KL/ZE550KL/ZE600KL/ZE601KL)
- ZenFone Selfie (ZD551KL)
No timeline was released for the update, but presumably we’re looking at a few months before we see it – longer if your device was procured through a carrier. Astute readers may also notice that ASUS has only announced updates for its smartphone range – whether this is intentional or a separate announcement will be made for tablets remains to be seen, but keep your fingers crossed for now.
What do you think about the list of which ASUS devices will get the Android Marshmallow update? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: ASUS via TalkAndroid
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