Mobiles News

Beginning June 1 All New Apple Watch Apps Must Use the Native watchOS 2 SDK

2016-04-25T11:07:00.002+01:00

Here shortly, Apple will officially end support for the original Apple Watch apps, and apps put together with the original watchOS SDK.
Late last night, Apple officially announced that, beginning June 1, all new applications developed for the Apple Watch must use the watchOS 2 SDK (or later) to be supported by the wearable. This is a way to set a minimum standard moving forward for all apps on the Apple Watch, and, for users of Apple’s most personal device to date, it should hopefully mean faster apps on the device across the board. Original Apple Watch apps use the connected iPhone to handle all of the computational muscle, and then stream those results over-the-air to the Apple Watch, causing a bit of a delay.

Apple’s announcement includes the addition that all Apple Watch apps need to be developed with the watchOS 2 SDK or later, which is fitting considering the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is scheduled to run between June 13 and June 17, where it’s expected they will unveil watchOS 3, which should include plenty of additional improvements.
Are you still using your Apple Watch?
[via Apple]

U.S. Government Drops Case against Apple to Unlock iPhone in New York Drug Case

2016-04-25T11:06:00.003+01:00

The second courtroom battle between the U.S. Justice Department and Apple over the unlocking of an iPhone in a New York drug deal case has ended in the same way as the first one. The government dropped the case on Friday and said in the courtroom that it managed to unlock the iPhone “late last night” by the passcode that it had obtained from one of its sources.

Since the iPhone is now unlocked, the government no longer needs Apple’s help in this matter and is thereby dropping its case. For safety reasons, the U.S. law enforcement agency will not be revealing the name of the source who provided them with the passcode.

“As we have said previously, these cases have never been about setting a court precedent,” Emily Pierce, a Justice Department spokeswoman, said in a statement. “In this case, an individual provided the department with the passcode to the locked phone at issue.”

Apple had last week refused from helping the Justice Department in unlocking the iPhone in the Brooklyn case. It claimed that the government had not yet tried all other means of unlocking the iPhone, and that the government did not provide enough evidence to confirm that the method used to unlock Farook’s iPhone 5c in the San Bernardino shooting case did not work on the iPhone in question.
Had the case gone ahead, the Justice Department would have likely lost since the 50-page ruling by the magistrate judge supports Apple in the encryption debate.
This is the second time that a showdown between the Apple and the U.S. government has ended with the latter backing out at the last moment. If anything, it is leaving a bad impression of the U.S. government in the public eye.
[Via Bloomberg]

Analyst Believes the ‘iPhone 7’ Won’t Have ‘Many Attractive Selling Points’

2016-04-25T11:06:00.000+01:00

This year, following the launch of the iPhone 6s in 2015, Apple is expected to launch a new iPhone, rumored to be called the “iPhone 7,” and, if history is any indicator, the device should feature a physical redesign and new features.
Unfortunately for those trying to read the tea leaves months before Apple gets around to announcing their new flagship smartphone, the expectations are beginning to look a bit dour. At least that’s how it’s beginning to look to KGI Securities’ analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. According to a recent research note the analyst has published, Kuo believes that Apple’s 2016 could be less-than-great, and it’s possible the Cupertino-based company could ship fewer iPhones this year than the company did in 2014.

Specifically, in the “worst case scenario,” Apple could ship “only” 190 million iPhones this year. That would be lower than the 193 million that the company shipped back in 2014. However, in the “best case scenario,” Apple could ship 205 million iPhones this year.
It’s probably worth noting that other analysts have predicted Apple will ship between 210 and 230 million iPhones this year.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the research note is that Kuo believes Apple will not feature “many attractive selling points” in the iPhone 7. Kuo has echoed that he believes that while Apple will have some form of a redesign in 2016, it will probably not be a big one. And, indeed, early renders of the iPhone 7 suggest Apple is simply moving the antenna bands, but keeping the overall design the same.
More to that, Kuo has previously said that he believes Apple will launch an all-glass iPhone, with an AMOLED display, in 2017. That would coincide with another analyst’s claim that Apple has plans to launch an “iPhone 8,” instead of an “iPhone 7s,” in 2017, which will feature wireless charging (something folks are looking for), OLED display, and no physical Home button.
It’s sounding more and more like Apple is holding off on a major redesign, with plenty of new features, until 2017. Are you okay waiting another year and a half for a truly redesigned iPhone?
[via 9to5Mac]

This Woman Almost Filmed Her Own Death When This 2x4 Flew Into Her Windshield

2016-04-23T09:15:00.002+01:00

Wendy Cobb will probably never forget the 40 seconds you're about to see.

She was driving along a highway in Shelby, North Carolina, when she noticed that two cars in front of her were holding up traffic illegally. Carefully, she took out her iPhone and started filming it, probably with the hopes of reporting it later. That's when a piece of wood came careening through her car's windshield, nearly taking her life...

The two-by-four came dangerously close to Cobb in the car, but luckily none of the shattered glass really affected her.

A Reporter Spotted A Man As He Drove Into Floodwaters...His Reaction Is So Hilarious

2016-04-22T12:21:00.001+01:00

Houston has been ravaged by floods recently, and they are truly historic in nature. Six people have died and thousands more have been left without power. The rain totals are breaking records in the area, leaving the city reeling.
In the middle of his report on the weather, KTRK Houston’s reporter Steve Campion witnessed two cars drive straight into the flood waters. At the sight of the second car, Campion felt compelled to intervene and rescue the man driving. All of this during a LIVE BROADCAST! Have a look at this rescue and see Campion's reaction, which is priceless.

Wait...why are you doing that?

(via Jalopnik)

Kanye West’s Album, ‘The Life of Pablo’, is Now Available on Apple Music

2016-04-04T18:38:00.000+01:00

Never is a strong word, but apparently not strong enough to actually ring true when it comes to Kanye West and his newest album, “The Life of Pablo.”
Back in February, West released his latest album through the streaming music service, Tidal, of which he’s a major partner and public-facing figure. While Tidal was able to rocket up the App Store charts following the album’s release, it looks like West has “seen the light,” and decided that allowing even more people to listen to the album, and even buy it, is a good thing.

And sure enough, “The Life of Pablo” is now available through Apple Music, Spotify, and Google Play Music. What’s more, if you want to buy it, that’s now a possibility, too. The trick is you’ll have to head over to West’s official site to do that, because it’s not available for purchase through iTunes or other digital storefronts just yet. No, there isn’t any indication that West plans on adding the album to other storefronts to buy, but considering how this all went down, it doesn’t seem like it’s an impossibility, either.
The fact that “The Life of Pablo” is now available to buy, and through Apple Music, means that West completely reversed his position on this. Back in February, when the album dropped, West tweeted out that the album would “never never never be on Apple Music,” adding that it would “never be for sale,” too, just for good measure. Basically, West was drumming up support for Tidal — at least trying to, anyway. That started to change when, recently, West released a single track from the album on Apple Music, signaling this eventual outcome.
Kanye West’s “The Life of Pablo” on Apple Music

Siri Can Answer Even More of Your Baseball Questions Just in Time for Opening Day

2016-04-04T16:46:00.000+01:00

For many Major League Baseball teams, it’s Opening Day, which means the brand new season is about to get underway. Just in time for the first pitches, Siri‘s baseball knowledge has expanded in a big way.
As first reported by The Verge, Apple has officially updated Siri to answer even more of your detailed baseball-specific questions. That even includes asking the digital personal assistant queries that date back to the sport’s beginning. Siri will now offer up answers for career statistics of specific players, like Babe Ruth, and Siri can now give you feedback on 28 other leagues, including the Minors, too.

Apple expanded Siri’s functionality with sports scores way back in 2012, with the release of iOS 6. However, for the true fans of a particular sport, just asking what the score is probably isn’t enough. Apple giving Siri the ability to pull up records that go back many, many years is pretty great, and for anyone caught with a particular baseball trivia question, it sounds like Siri could come to the rescue.
However, as the original report notes, some of Siri’s responses are still not as full-fledged as others. For example, asking the digital personal assistant, “When was the last time the Yankees had a perfect game?” only brings up a general search query about the team in question, and not an actual answer. There’s still some work to be done, it seems, but Apple’s continuously working on improving Siri. In fact, the digital personal assistant is said to be a major tentpole feature in an upcoming version of OS X.
And this isn’t the first big news for Apple and MLB, as it was reported recently that Apple will supply team managers in their dugouts with iPad Pros.
[via The Verge]

iPhone 7 Plus to Exclusively Come with a Dual-Camera Setup

2016-04-04T16:45:00.003+01:00

In a new note issued to investors by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will keep the dual-lens camera system exclusive to the bigger 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus. Reports about Apple employing a dual-lens camera system on the iPhone due to be released later this year have been circulating since the last few months.

With iPhones now trailing Android smartphones in camera performance, Apple really needs to step up its game in the regard. The dual-lens camera system might just allow the company to do so, and make the iPhone a leader in smartphone camera performance once again.
The only difference in terms of camera between the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus is the lack of OIS on the former, but the lack of a dual-lens camera setup on the smaller iPhone 7 might force consumers to shift to a larger iPhone this year.
Ming-Chi Kuo says in his note that many other Android smartphones that will be launched before the iPhone 7 Plus this year will also feature a dual-camera system, though their first impressions might be underwhelming.
A report from February from this year claimed that Apple had already started receiving dual-lens camera components from its suppliers for testing.
Reports surrounding the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus indicate that both handsets will sport a waterproof design. To make the handsets even thinner, Apple will also be ditching the 3.5mm audio jack from them and instead present Lightning port as a replacement for it.
[Via MacRumors]

9.7-Inch iPad Pro Teardown Reveals Use of Copious Amount of Glue and An Almost Impossible To Repair Design

2016-04-04T16:45:00.000+01:00

The 9.7-inch iPad Pro went on sale in quite a few markets of the world last week, and today, courtesy of iFixit, the first teardown of the tablet is now live. The teardown reveals quite a few interesting tidbits about the smaller iPad Pro from Apple.
Just like its elder brother and unlike the iPad Air lineup, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro makes use of EMI shielding to protect the logic board from any unregulated radio interference. Apple has also used new antenna interconnect boards to provide further rigidity to the display of the new iPad Pro.

The iFixit team also notes that majority of the area inside the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is occupied by its 27.91 Whr battery, which is just a wee bit larger than the 27.52 Whr battery found inside the iPad Air. On the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the four stereo speakers occupied the most area.
In the end, the iFixit team gives the 9.7-inch iPad Pro a repairability score of 2 out of 10. This essentially means that carrying any in-house repair on the tablet is a recipe for disaster. The iFixit team notes that the fused front panel on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro dramatically increases the cost of a screen repair, and the chances of damaging the LCD when opening the tablet. Plus, the copious amount of adhesive used by Apple to hold everything in place does not help matters either.
[Via iFixit]

HP Says Its next Laptop Will Be Better than the MacBook

2016-04-04T16:44:00.002+01:00

HP will announce its next laptop on Tuesday, and the company is confident that fans will love it. In fact, it thinks it’s so good that it will replace Apple’s MacBook as “the driver of innovation.”
Speaking to The Wall Street Journal ahead of its event tomorrow, HP PC chief Ron Coughlin said that “for years, Apple has been seen as the innovator and the driver of innovation.” But with its new premium notebook, “HP is really taking over that mantle.”

Given how popular Apple’s laptops are — and the critical acclaim they get for being the best in the business in almost all areas — that’s a big promise to make. Not only will HP’s new notebook have to be prettier than Apple’s, but it will also need stellar battery life and premium features.
For years, Apple’s machines have been praised for their displays, keyboards, trackpads, and battery life. They’re also terrific performers; even the new MacBook with its fanless Intel Core M chip is capable of fulfilling the needs of most consumers.
HP has been following Apple’s laptops closely for a number of years. Some of its more recent releases — such as the Elitebook Folio that was announced at CES back in January — are very close to being straight up MacBook clones.
HP’s new machine is expected to be even thinner than that Elitebook Folio, which measures less than half an inch thick, and will cater to consumers who just want a laptop that’s a laptop — not a laptop/tablet hybrid like the Microsoft Surface Pro.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on HP’s event on Tuesday, and we’ll let you know whether we think HP really can take down the MacBook with its next notebook.
[Wall Street Journal via The Verge]

iPhone SE Undergoes Gruesome Hammer and Knife Test

2016-04-04T16:43:00.004+01:00

iPhone SE may look identical to 2013’s iPhone 5s, but its body has one big improvement. Like Apple’s latest iPhones, the new 4-inch model is made out of Series 7000 aluminum that should make it more durable. Does it work? Find out in the gruesome hammer and knife test below.
Serial smartphone destroyer TechRax wasted no time in subjecting Apple’s latest iPhone to a series of painful torture tests right after unboxing it. In the hammer and knife test below, he attempts to find out how well the Rose Gold model copes with impact and scratches.

TechRax starts by stabbing the device with a knife, leaving gauges in its aluminum unibody and smashing its sapphire crystal camera lens. The iPhone SE obviously doesn’t do too well in this test, but it does surprise us in the hammer test.
It takes dozens of blows and a fair amount of force to shatter the iPhone SE’s Gorilla Glass display. Being smaller, it’s obviously not as fragile as larger smartphones, which means you’re less likely to breat it when you drop it on the ground. It’s clear it’s not too difficult to damage its pretty Rose Gold finish, though, so we still recommend a case.

Apple’s Plan to Sell Used iPhones in India Faces Backlash

2016-04-04T16:43:00.001+01:00

Apple’s bid to increase its success in India by selling used iPhones hasn’t been well-received by local companies, who are concerned that the move will increase the amount of electronic waste and jeopardize their future. Industry executives are now fighting Apple’s plan.
Apple wants permission from the Indian government to import and sell used phones in the country. If it is granted that permission, it will be the first company that has been allowed to do business this way in India. But local mobile companies are hoping Apple won’t get its wish.

“A growing number of industry executives are fighting the move, warning government officials in private that it’ll open the floodgates to electronic waste, jeopardize local players, and make a farce of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India program to encourage local manufacturing,” reports Bloomberg.
Sudhir Hasija, chairman of Karbonn Mobiles, which sells around 1.7 million phones a month in India, says “Make in India could turn into Dump in India.”
Apple has become increasingly interested in selling the iPhone in India, the world’s second-largest mobile population, as growth slows in the U.S. and China. In fact, India has become a top priority as the Cupertino company looks to open its first retail stores there.
But locals are fighting to make things harder for Apple and prevent a potential threat to Indian companies. The Mobile and Communications Council, the main representative body for India’s electronics industry, is now opposing Apple’s application to sell used devices.
“Why even consider allowing import of used phones when import of other used goods such as cars are precluded by 300 percent duty levies?” asked chariman Ravinder Zutshi.
Apple has already had its application rejected once — back in 2015. But it is now under review again after the company resubmitted it with more details on its plans. As things stand, the application has gone to inter-ministerial discussion.
“That adds a layer of bureaucracy to a process that’s far from certain,” adds Bloomberg. “The government could go either way, though it’s encountering far greater local opposition than the first time around. The company declined to comment.”
One of the biggest concerns is that Apple’s plan will result in a deluge of used electronics imports, which would go against the prime minister’s localization drive. It could also have an environmental impact. “When destroyed, phones product toxic materials that India isn’t equipped to deal with.”
Apple already sells new iPhones in India through third-party retail partners, and although they’ve been doing okay, the company’s high price tags mean that it’s difficult to make a real footprint. Apple currently holds less than 2 percent of Indian smartphone market share.
Selling used devices could allow Apple to better compete with more affordable smartphones. Four-fifths of those sold in India cost less then $150 each, but despite that, Apple CEO Tim Cook still sees India as an “incredibly exciting” prospect.
[Bloomberg]

iPhone SE Survives an Hour Long Waterproof Test

2016-04-04T16:41:00.002+01:00

Like it happens with every new iPhone release, the iPhone SE has also been subjected to a waterproof test. Yes, Apple does not mention anywhere that the iPhone SE is a waterproof or a water-resistant phone, but that did not stop YouTuber Zach Straley from conducting a waterproof test.

For comparison, Zach also conducted the same test on the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6s alongside the iPhone SE just to show how much waterproof Apple’s latest 4-inch iPhone is compared to its predecessor and Apple’s flagship 4.7-inch iPhone.
All the three phones were submerged in three different boxes filled with water and their timer was switched on to time the whole process.

The iPhone 5s was the first iPhone to actually exhibit water damage around the 5 mins mark, but the iPhone 6s and iPhone SE continued to work fine even after being submerged in water for more than 15 mins.
Interestingly, the iPhone 6s and iPhone SE continued to work fine even after being submerged in water for an hour. The speaker on the iPhone SE did sound a bit muffled, but that was likely due to some water being present inside it, which should eventually automatically drain.
Now, the video above does not prove in anyway that the iPhone SE or the iPhone 6s are waterproof or water-resistant, so don’t go about dunking your new 4-inch iPhone in water. It should, however, give you some peace of mind to know that next time you accidentally spill some liquid on your iPhone SE, the phone should emerge unscathed from the accident.

9.7 Inch iPad Pro Features: 11 Things You Need To Know About Apple’s Smaller iPad Pro

2016-04-04T16:40:00.006+01:00

And it’s just as good on the Baby Pro as it is on the bigger iPad Pro. And thanks to the Baby Pro’s smaller form factor, you’ll be able to sketch comfortably even when there’s not enough space around.

12. USB 2.0 Transfer Speeds

At the event, Apple made a big deal about the Lightening to USB Camera Adaptor that lets users both charge the iPad and use a USB accessory at the same time. It’s a great accessory for photographers who want to use the iPad to edit photos and videos.
The only problem is that the new, 9.7 inch iPad will transfer files at USB 2.0 speeds while the faster 3.0 speeds are reserved only for the bigger 12.9 inch iPad.

But first, Do You Need An iPad Pro?

This article is quickly turning into a comparison between the Baby Pro and it’s big brother. So before going any further, let’s take a step back and decide, do you even need an iPad Pro? And if you do, what role will it fulfill?

First, if you’re looking at the iPad Pro as a replacement for your Mac, you’re mostly going to be disappointed. Not because it’s impossible to get work done on the iPad (far from it), but because iOS just doesn’t allow for the same flexibility as OS X. There’s no file system. So you’ll have to fake one by using Dropbox or iCloud Drive. This also makes transferring files between apps harder and computers. And depending on what your work is, you just can’t get some dedicated Mac and Windows apps on the iPad.
I for example, can’t get Sketch or Adobe’s upcoming XD app on the iPad Pro. While I’d love to switch to the iPad Pro as my primary computer (the Pencil for designing is really tempting), I just can’t, because the software isn’t there.
But that doesn’t rule out everyone. If you’re lucky enough that your work life depends on generic, barebone apps, you can certainly pull off the iPad Pro lifestyle. If all you’re going to be doing is answering email, doing research, writing, managing Excel spreadsheets or even some light video editing and some niche professional drawing/illustration work, the iPad Pro might be for you.
And its simplicities, in both the software and the hardware will free your mind and help you focus on more important things – like working.

So Which iPad Pro Is For You?

Now that you’ve read the above features and you know the differences between the 12.9 inch iPad Pro and the 9.7 inch version, you might be wondering, should you go with the smaller one? And looking at the features alone, it’s not an easy choice. So let’s look at it from the use case perspective.
If you’re going to be using the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement – your primary computer – I think you should go for the bigger iPad Pro. The extra screen real estate is great for multi-tasking, the extra performance will come in really handy as well.
If you’re going to use the iPad Pro more as a tablet, then you should opt for the smaller iPad Pro compared to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, it is not only more portable, it is significantly lighter (437 grams vs 713 grams 12.9-inch iPad Pro) which will make it a lot easier to hold for a long time.
Instead, if you’re not sure if the iPad Pro is going to be your only companion, and you just want to test the waters. Maybe try and shift some of the work to the iPad, bit by bit, the Baby Pro is the best way to do it. Pick the base model, the Pencil and Smart Keyboard if you can, and give it a shot.

Twitch++: Jailbreak Tweak brings a range of enhancements to the official Twitch app

2016-04-04T16:40:00.002+01:00

Twitch is a well known live streaming video platform that allows anyone to set up their own channel and start streaming a game they are playing. If you use the Twitch iOS app regularly to watch live streams, you might have encountered some aspects of the app that annoy you.
Twitch++ is a newly released jailbreak tweak that enhances the Twitch app by bringing a range of new features and getting rid of some limitations. With this tweak, you have the freedom to play and pause a live stream whenever you want, watch multiple video streams at once, get rid of all video ads as well as view the chat window even when in landscape mode.

To get started, you’ll first have to download the tweak from Cydia. It can be found in the following repo: http://beta.unlimapps.com/. After you’ve added the new source, search for Twitch++ package and install it on your iPhone.
Once done, you can launch the Twitch app and start enjoying the new features that the tweak provides. It also provides a settings pane which can be accessed from within the Twitch app. Open the sidebar and tap on the settings gear icon located in the top left corner. This opens the tweak’s preferences pane where you can enable or disable the features that it provides.

When watching a live stream, you’ll notice that there’s a new pause button in the bottom left corner of the video that allows you to play/pause the live stream whenever you want. You can also view live streams in landscape mode while having a view of the chat window.

To watch multiple live streams at once, you’ll first have to open a live stream. You can then tap on the button shown in the screenshot below.

This causes the video to be detached into a separate floating window which can be moved around freely. You can then switch to a different live stream and detach that one as well using the same method.

Twitch++ is a solid tweak for adding new features to the official Twitch app that you’ll find useful. If you’re interested to give it a try, it is available as a free package on UnlimApps repo. Make sure to let us know what you think about it in the comments section.

Some Users Experiencing iCloud Services Downtime

2016-04-04T16:39:00.003+01:00

Leading into the weekend, some iCloud users are experiencing some downtime in services attached to Apple’s cloud platform.
Some users have begun voicing their dissatisfaction with the downtime on Twitter and other areas, but, as it stands right now, Apple has not yet updated its system status page to reflect any type of outage in any of its services. For those affected, it seems to branch out into iMessage, as well as those that use iCloud email as well.
It’s worth noting that the developer behind Fantastical, the popular calendar app, Flexibits, tweeted out not too long ago that they’re aware of the outage, warning users that they might see a “status code 400” as a result.
Are you experiencing any kind of downtime?
[via 9to5Mac; Apple]

BEST FREE Traffic Exchange From Hitleap 2016

2016-03-30T18:22:00.000+01:00

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After signing up, you will submit all the websites you want to send traffic to.
Then you will earn free traffic by viewing other people's websites.
Alternatively, you could buy a traffic package from us.

It's simply the best traffic exchange on the market at the time of this writing. Excellent referral system. Lots of hits. Stable auto-surfing. Give them a try, you won't be disappointed.

to signing up : goo.gl/j0vkSo

President Obama says smartphones cannot be ‘black boxes’; taking ‘absolutist view’ will not work

2016-03-13T15:49:00.002+00:00

Speaking to Texas Tribune editor Evan Smith at SXSW, President Obama said that smartphones cannot be allowed to be “black boxes” that are not accessible by the government. He said that tech companies should work with the government to solve such issues, instead of leaving the matter for Congress to solve.

Obama further said that one cannot take an “absolutist view” on this issue, and that having strong encryption on your phone “no matter what” does not “strike the kind of balance we have lived with for 200,300 years.” After all, there are many places where American citizens have created a balance by trading their privacy for better security, like by allowing law agencies to use of warrants to search homes etc.

“The question we now have to ask is, if technologically it is possible to make an impenetrable device or system, where the encryption is so strong there’s no key, there’s no door at all, then how do we apprehend the child pornographer? How do we solve or disrupt a terrorist plot?” Obama said. “If in fact you can’t crack that at all, government can’t get in, then everybody’s walking around with a Swiss bank account in their pocket.”

President Obama also said that leaving this matter with Congress and other lawmakers will not be the right thing to do, as the end result would be “sloppy and rushed and it will go through Congress in ways that have not been thought through.”
The president further adds that a compromise between Apple and the government is definitely possible, and the two just need to figure out a way to make sure that the encryption and the key to unlock it remains as strong as possible, with access to the latter being given to a very few number of people.
Apple has received a lot of flak from government agencies for not following the court order and its fight against the FBI. The Department of Justice even accused Apple of being “false” and “corrosive” in its motion.
[Via Bloomberg]

A Reporter Spotted A Man As He Drove Into Floodwaters...His Reaction Is So Hilarious

2016-02-11T13:36:00.000+00:00

Wait...why are you doing that?

(via Jalopnik)

This Woman Almost Filmed Her Own Death

2016-02-03T10:12:00.000+00:00

Wendy Cobb will probably never forget the 40 seconds you're about to see.

The two-by-four came dangerously close to Cobb in the car, but luckily none of the shattered glass really affected her.

Samsung requests the U.S. Supreme Court take on the Apple patent case

2015-12-18T18:36:00.000+00:00

The battle between Samsung and Apple continues, as the former of the two levies its one last attempt to avoid paying out any damages.
According to a report published by Re/code, Samsung has appealed to the Supreme Court in the United States to take on the patent case it has been locked in with Apple for quite a stretch of time now. In the appeal, Samsung states that there’s an overarching problem with patent cases in general, especially when it comes to information provided to jurors, and that in its specific case, not enough information was provided to the jury for them to make an educated determination — because they couldn’t understand the patents.

“Samsung is escalating this case because it believes that the way the laws were interpreted is not in line with modern times,” it said in a statement. “If the current legal precedent stands, it could diminish innovation, stifle competition, pave the way for design patent troll litigation and negatively impact the economy and consumers.”

It’s an interesting step, but not all that surprising. Samsung, for its part, is simply making an attempt to get the money back it has already agreed to pay Apple in the beginning of December, which should be delivered to Apple at some point today, December 14. If the Supreme Court does grant Samsung’s appeal, and the decision goes in Samsung’s favor, then Apple would need to repay that $548 million back to Samsung.
So while it looked like it all might be coming to an end earlier this month, the case continues to rage on.
[via Re/code]

Google Photos gains shared albums; coming to iOS, Android and web today

2015-12-11T00:00:00.000+00:00

At its Nexus launch event in late September, Google announced that it would be bringing ‘Shared Albums’ feature to Google Photos later this year. True to its words and just before the holiday season, the company has started rolling out the feature to iOS, Android and web version of Google Photos.
The steps are pretty simple. You create a shared album, send the link to your friends and loved ones, they join the album and then they can start adding their own photos to it. Once new photos are added in an album, other people who have joined that album will automatically receive a notification about it.

Photos added by someone else in a shared album can also be added to your own Google Photos library.
Shared albums start rolling out on Android, iOS and the web for all Google Photos users starting from today.
[Via Google]

Prisoners in the UK could be getting iPads for education and to ‘video chat their families’

2015-12-10T23:30:00.000+00:00

The iPad is a powerful tool, especially when it comes to education, and a new proposal in the United Kingdom suggests prisoners should be taking advantage of the mobile devices.
According to a report published by The Telegraph, an adviser to the Ministry of Justice in the United Kingdom has made it clear that iPads should be a tool used in the prison system to help those detained with literacy and numeracy. On top of that, the prisoners should be able to keep in touch with their families from within their cells, utilizing things like FaceTime or Skype to “video chat their families.”

According to the former head of the prison service, having iPads in cells could make the time that prisoners spend within them more constructive:

“Prisoners spend a lot of time in cells, and we need to make that time more constructive. They should be meeting a tutor once a week, but doing work on literacy and numeracy on their own. We could look at giving prisoners iPads to work on in their cells.”

At the same time, Dame Sally Coates, a former headteacher in the area, is also conducting a review of education within the UK prison system, and is also considering the proposal. Coates says that if a prisoner doesn’t have the necessary skills to get a job after a stint in prison, then they are more likely to reoffend.
At the time of publication, Justice Minister Michael Gove is looking over the proposals, but a decision has not been made yet.
[via Gizmodo UK; The Telegraph]

Apple has reportedly been working on its own GPU for several years

2015-12-10T23:00:00.000+00:00

As Apple’s A-branded processors continue to get attention as high-powered chipsets in mobile products, another chip could be getting some of the limelight soon.
According to a new rumor, Apple has reportedly been working on its own in-house graphics chip for quite some time. Many years, in fact, and is still hard at work on developing its own GPU for its mobile devices. The report indicates that Apple has already been working on the GPU for several years now, but there’s no clear indication when, or even if, a finalized product ready for installation in iPhones and iPads will see the light of day anytime soon.

As it stands now, Apple utilizes a variety of PowerVR graphics chips that are designed by Imagination Technologies. If Apple can get its own in-house GPU off the ground and in its devices, it would mean Apple would not have to rely on IT from that point forward.
The report indicates that this new GPU will probably not be ready by the unveiling of the iPhone 7 in 2016.
[via GforGames; Fudzilla]

GoPro Apple Watch app lets you Start/Stop recording, preview camera angles, and more

2015-12-10T22:30:00.000+00:00

GoPro is one of the go-to brands when it comes to recording just about anything, especially when it comes to outdoor activities, like skateboarding. And now it’s getting even better.
Recently, GoPro updated its mobile app to support the Apple Watch, and bring with it some interesting use case features to the wearable, making it even easier to get that perfect shot without having to rely on your iPhone. GoPro officially showed off the new features in a video starring Mikey Taylor, a pro skateboarder, which you can watch below.

With the Apple Watch app, you’ll be able to Start/Stop recording, add “HiLighted” moments to your recorded clips, and even review clips. Users will also be able to preview an active camera angle, making it possible to double check an upcoming recording session’s angle before it kicks off right from your wrist.
The iOS app has also been updated to make it easier to pull still images from a recording, and even better filtering options as well.

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[via Engadget]