Test the Google Glasses.... on your phone!

You want to try saying "Ok Glass" and see what happens? It is possible thanks to DEV and Xenologer that developed some applications for it!

For this you just need to download the following applications:

     Home: http://zhuowei.github.io/Xenologer/glasshome-modded.apk
     Camera: http://zhuowei.github.io/Xenologer/glasscamera-modded.apk
     Maps: http://zhuowei.github.io/Xenologer/glassmaps-modded.apk
     Hangouts (only works with Android 4.2 devices) http://zhuowei.github.io/Xenologer/glasshangouts-modded.apk

The Home Glass works as a alternative launcher.

Even though, it is limited (just the camera and navigation), the application responds very well to the voice and we cannot but wonder why there are not more applications to trigger the device by voice ... Because it seems to works very well.

A smart ball for the next football season!

Technology in sport mainly revolves around one aspect, optimizing performance. Sometimes so obscure and sometimes in a rather simple way. Adidas is an excellent example with its miCoach device. They persist and sign with a new ultra-connected football.

The new Adidas smart ball comes with its own application and show you a myriad of information.The speed of the ball, the number of rotations, the distance, and  the direction, to name a few.

All these movements are examined under a microscope with a variety of sensors, the official specs have not yet been disclosed. But what we're sure of is, that it is able to transmit these information in real-time.

Adidas has been working on such products for a long time, and FIFA has selected one of these devices in 2014. Therefor, the amount of data at the next football season will be ridiculously large.



Source : Engadget.

Google, Facebook and Twitter violate Kim Dotcom's patent

Kim DotCom announced that Twitter, Facebook, Google and other sites violate one of its patents by using a two-stage identification system. The announcement comes just days after Twitter has implemented this system on its website.

Recently, it had become possible to add another level of security to your Twitter account. In addition to the traditional couple( username / password), the site can use the mobile phone of the user, by sending an SMS to confirm that he is the right person. If this system is new on Twitter, other sites such as Google and Facebook, are already adopting it  for some time. But the inventor, Kim Dotcom, says that the two-stage identification is subject to a patent owned it since 1997.

He has published a link to the patent in question, registered under his name, which describes the use of a "transaction authorization number" that must transmit the user to another device from which it tries to connect. Therefor the patent seems to belong to him, and it is hard to ignore the irony with Kim DotCom being considered a hacker and an enemy of the United States while the people behind Twitter, Google and Facebook are considered the Superheros of this century.

I innovated two-factor-authentication (MonKey), connected cars (MegaCar), automated stock trading (Trendax) & cloud storage (Megaupload).
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) May 23, 2013

Google, Facebook, Twitter, Citibank, etc. offer Two-Step-Authentication.Massive IP infringement by U.S. companies. My innovation. My patent
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) May 22, 2013

I never sued them. I believe in sharing knowledge & ideas for the good of society. But I might sue them now cause of what the U.S. did to me
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) May 22, 2013

Google, Facebook, Twitter, I ask you for help. We are all in the same DMCA boat. Use my patent for free. But please help funding my defense.
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) May 22, 2013

The next Xbox has already been snubbed by Sony!

It hasn't been unveiled yet and already largely snubbed by Sony: this is the fate of the next Xbox that, according to rumors, it's said to have an AMD Jaguar-based 1.6GHz CPU, and at a retail price of 299$. The new Xbox might be called "Xbox infinity" and not Xbox 720. It will be officially presented by Microsoft tonight at 19h and available for customers around Christmas 2013.

Sony has made its move yesterday by distributing a teaser focusing on the design of the PlayStation 4. As Microsoft prepares to unveil its new Xbox, and some of the games that make up the line-up, Sony cares, Sony and troll.

Besides its seeder disorder video, the manufacturer has not failed to laugh at Microsoft on Twitter, posting the following tweet:

Also - If you haven't seen our #PS4 teaser video, where have you been?! As it's a slow news day... here it is: bit.ly/12oYGG7
— PlayStation Europe (@PlayStationEU) May 21, 2013

The first smartphone with a watercooling system

Desktop computers are often equipped with a water-cooling system, to support overclocking and/or intensive operations for extended periods. Our smartphones always demanding more power they are also subjects. NEC has developed the first smartphone with water-cooling.

X Medias N-06E, will be the first smartphone to benefit from a water-cooling system.
 

Why? Simply because the quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro that drives the device can be boosted up to 1.9 GHz, and in these cases, the temperature rises rapidly.

If however decided to keep the processor at 1.7 GHz (and therefore a water-cooling benefits should not really be felt), the owners of the X Medias N-06E, mainly Japanese (expected release in late June NTT Docomo) will have in their hands a smartphone equipped with two heat pipes.

A Blu-Ray that smells like pizza

As part of a marketing campaign launched in Brazil, the fast food chain Domino's Pizza has partnered with some Blu-Ray rental shops.
 
The idea is to edit some special Blu-Ray versions, which will be leased by customers.  
Covered with a fragrant black film, that by heating in the drive will wipe ink and scent the room with the smell of pizza. Once the film is completed, the disc will have then the appearance of a pizza with a message written on it: 

"Did you like the movie? The next will be even better with a hot and delicious pizza from Domino's. "

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) will be available on Android and iOS

Yesterday, at a conference held in Orlnado, BlackBerry has announced that its instant messaging, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), would arrive soon on the Android and iOS smartphones.

Until now reserved for BlackBerry, BBM was one of the main strengths of the brand. It allowed to communicate between BlackBerry devices, receive acknowledgments and reading, sharing media files, start discussions or spend several videos. As complete as it is, the system has gradually been overtaken by other companies offering the same kind of service as iMessage on iPhone and most importantly, other services compatible with multiple operating systems like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.
 

From the Blackberry conference on Tuesday 15/05/2013 in Orlando

To revive its messaging service, the Canadian company has decided to make BBM available on Android to version 4.0 and higer and iOS to version 6 and higher. 
   
"Different applications should be available this summer on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. We'll begin with messaging and groups, and later we will bring voice, screen sharing and other services" - Thorsten Heins, CEO of BlackBerry.
 

Making the service available to many other platforms might sound like a good idea but it also presents some disadvantages. First, you might agree with me that this move is a bit late, after Whatsapp and Facebook messenger dominated the market and it would be hard for someone to choose the BBM service over any of those mentioned, and secondly, according to a poll on the Blackberry blog :What Do You Do on Your BlackBerry Smartphone? 30% of 8000 voters chose the instant messaging service and 20% went for social networking, and as well know some people buy Blackberry just to profit of it's famous BBM.
So we cannot but wonder: is making the BBM service available on other platforms going to give Blackberry users the push to finally quit using Blackberry devices and switch to Samsung, HTC or Apple?

Samsung announces 5G

Samsung Electronics has successfully tested a mobile network to the  5G standard _ that will hit the market in 2020 at the earliest_ for ultra high transmission speeds.

The South Korean giant has announced that it managed to transmit data at a speed of 1 Gbps over a distance of two kilometers between two terminals while current 4G networks transmit at 75 Mbps, and download movies in a second.

"Users will benefit from a wide range of services such as 3D movies and playing games and streaming (live) content in ultra high definition (UHD)," Samsung stated in a report.

The new technology uses extremely high frequency bands (EHF) but still doesn't comply with any recognized international bodies telecom standard.

Source : AFP.

Two quick tips for bloggers!

These two tips are for those of you who use the Blogspot(Blogger) platform.

1. Replace the Blogger sharing widget:
   
   If you are on Blogger you must agree with me, of how ugly and small the sharing widget is, it's almost impossible to see it, for someone who visits the blog for the first time.
   This is what I'm talking about:
   
   Now, I always found the sharing widget provided by po.st very nice and you have a variety of designs you can go with.
   
   To get it you only have to sign up, choose the design you want and get the code.
   
   Now to replace the Blogger's default widget:
   
   • Go to Dashboard > Layout > Edit (Blog posts) > Uncheck the "Show share buttons" box.
   • Go to Template > Edit HTML > Expand Widget Template.
   • Search for and insert the code of the new sharing buttons(copied from po.st) just under it.
   • Save and enjoy it.
     
     
2. Add JS-Kit Rating to Blogger:
   
   Add a rating bar like this to each of your blog posts.
   
   Widget Code:
   
   <div style="float:left; margin-right:3px;"></div> <div class="js-kit-rating" expr:path="data:post.url" expr:permalink="data:post.url" expr:title="data:post.title"></div>
   
   
   • Go to Template> Edit HTML > Expand Widget Template.
   • Copy the code above.
   • Search for <data:post.body/> to insert the widget under the post body.
   • Search for <div class="post-header-line-1"> to insert the widget under the post title.

Before you edit the  HTML make sure to save a backup on your hard disk.

Google gives up on the Xphone!

The Google XPhone is no longer in development at Mountain View, which has abandoned this project forward to Motorola.
  It would be the first smartphone developed since the acquisition of Motorola Mobility. So many rumors have circulated about this mobile that would change the face of the industry. The high-tech enthusiasts were waiting for the powerful new camera _a ceramic design_ that this mobile "had to offer" ... 

Motorola will take care of the development of this new Smartphone while Google would prefer to focus on the 5th generation Nexus model.
Therefore the Google XPhone does not exist anymore, and will appear under the name Motorola XT1058.  
  

Sun Chang Xu, a renowned Chinese analyst gives his version of events. She explains that Google wanted to abandon the project due to lack of technology and innovation. The Mountain View company is no longer interested in the development unlike Motorola, which would take over the design.

And the only way to confirm this news is to wait for the Google I/O, that starts tomorrow to see if the XPhone will be absent.

Make every screen 3D-compatible with a simple plastic film

A team of researchers from Temasek Polytechnic and the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) has developed a new screen filter. It's not only a protector, but this filter allows you to view in 3D format without recourse to the famous glasses.

This plastic filter has been called revolutionary. Install it, simply to see with the naked eye 3D content on the screen of a phone. In fact, this screen protector is designed from the nanoimprint technology specially developed for this purpose. Boasting a thickness of less than 0.1 mm, this innovative accessory enables viewing in landscape and portrait mode. Meanwhile, the team is developing applications for iOS and Androidfor users to read 3D content. Even 2D images can be converted into 3D with a compatible application. Game developers will also have their share with the software development kit that transforms games into 3D.
 

5 privacy issues you probably didn't know about

1. Apple's IPhone is secretly tracking your movements and storing your data, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Learn more..
2. Facebook's app automatically tries to activate your GPS whenever it is launched. There's no setting or option to disable this.
3. Gmail reads your email. Google never said that it  reads our mail, however, it publicly acknowledges that it "processes personal information" via cookies and on its servers, so it can provide "our products and services to users," as well as to keep its service running well. Learn more..
4. Facebook Home: Facebook latest "innovation", is trying to be the gateway to your virtual world. It's a layer between the OS and the apps, it is the gateway to any data exchange. Which means, that Facebook will possess every bit of data passing through. The problem is that Facebook is going to use all this data not to improve our lives but to target better marketing and advertising messages at us.
5. Over than 24% of online time is spent on social networks. And a major social network site, according to Neilsen, will experience one major breach, which will expose a terrific amount of personal data.

Twitter has got your back!

Privacy in the digital age means a lot of things to a lot of people. From social networks to government surveillance, people always seem to be concerned.
But let's not kid ourselves. Complaining about privacy has become nothing but a way to express the "geek side" or an additional item to the black geek glasses to complete the "geeky look" . For all the complaining, no one is going to do much about it. Hence the sense of what is private shrinks.

However, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has posted its annual report (Who has your back?) on which Internet vendors do the most to help protect their users' private information.

The most privacy-oriented companies should comply with these policies:

1. Requiring a Warrant for Content
2. Telling Users About Government Data Requests
3. Publishing Transparency Reports
4. Publishing Law Enforcement Guidelines
5. Fighting for Users’ Privacy in Court
6. Fighting for Users’ Privacy in Congress

2013 Results

Although these results might not comply with your expectations, you must keep in mind that the report is about the government access to user's data.

"We’re happy to report that several of the companies included in last year’s report have significantly improved their practices and policies concerning government access to user data"
  
"Readers of this year’s annual privacy and transparency report should be heartened, as we are,by the improvements major online service providers made over the last year."

In the end,  EFF thinks that things are getting better among these vendors that deal with so much user data, and it seems that they're really happy with Twitter's improvement:

"This year two companies received all six possible stars: Sonic.net and Twitter. We are extremely pleased to recognize the outstanding commitment each of these companies has made to public transparency around government access to user data."

and a bit disappointed with Google's latest statement:

"We notify users about legal demands when appropriate, unless prohibited by law or court order."

To read the full EFF annual report: https://www.eff.org/sites/default/files/filenode/who-has-your-back-2013-report.pdf

New lithium-ion battery that recharges 1,000 times faster

This time, the innovation lies in its charge time. It is a microscopic battery developed by a team of researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.



  

Recharging mobile gadgets in seconds, is the main objective of this ingenious battery. The share of the traditional principle of the anode assembly, cathode and electrolyte, but in another form concept. This time the researchers rely on micro-structures consisting of 3D electrodes. To maximize the flow of ions and electrons, these mini-cells form a structure of microscopic polystyrene spheres.

The anode is formed by a mixture of nickel-tin whilst the cathode, is composed by an ore called manganese oxyhydroxide.  

In the end, this type of battery would be 2000 times more powerful than existing batteries. Better yet, with its smaller size, it is able to recharge 1,000 times faster.
This innovative battery will be submitted to testing by the end of the year.

For more details check out this link: http://www.extremetech.com/computing/153614-new-lithium-ion-battery-design-thats-2000-times-more-powerful-recharges-1000-times-faster

10 Free Android apps

To keep up with the description of this blog that imply that it covers news, tutorials and "apps", I thought of sharing ten Android applications I use or I have used.

Wheres My Droid. A find-your-phone app, it can make the phone ring so you can find it in the house. Or you can check Google Maps for its exact coordinates.

PhotoWonder. This app lets you edit photos on your mobile device.

Speedtest.net. Test Internet speeds with one easy tap to connect and test.

Flipboard. Create your own personalized news magazine. Select topics you are interested in, and Flipboard displays a beautiful news magazine for your phone or tablet featuring only those topics.

EverNote. Remember anything you need to remember across all devices. Store and organize reminders from all over the web.

Astro File Manager/Browser. This app keeps you connected with all the things you use in the cloud. Features include file management, cloud storage, Android file browser, file and/or app backup, image and text viewers, networking, Bluetooth, SFTP, Zip/ Tar, downloader, thumbnails, search files, application manager, task manager, attachments and more.

SmartActions. This intuitive app learns how you use your phone depending on where you are, and it automatically changes the phone to fit your environment and needs while there.

Poynt. Dinner? Movies? Friends? Shopping? Get Poynt and get there. The tiled dashboard allows you to easily tap what you need so the app can then point you to where you want to be.

Kakao Talk. Make free calls and send free messages, including group calls and group chats

Captain Oil Altough I found their Super Ninjas a bit uncreative, this new Puzzle/Adventure is a major time killer. It challenges the user to find the right angle and speed to shoot his ball and free the trapped Oileys. 


P.S: The fact that the title of this post doesn't include the words "top", "amazing", "best", and "great" doesn't make the apps above any less cooler.

Google to launch premium TV channels on YouTube this week.

Two months ago, I wrote a post about rumors about Google trying to make more money from YouTube, back then, we talked about a premium music service that Google is getting ready to launch this year.

And the we weren't completely wrong, Google is trying to make more money from YouTube but it seems that they are in a bit of a hurry since the premium channels are expected to arrive later this week.

Last week, Eric Schmidt announced that "The television is surpassed" while YouTube exceeded one billion unique users per month.
  

Google to replace TV

 

Many sources (including the Financial Times) agree on the fact that the channels on subscription arrive this week on YouTube. First, they will launch 50 channels, for a subscription fee of $ 1.99 per month.

Google could therefore present a serious competitor to Netflix (which is not available for many users outside the U.S).  
  
Moreover, rumor has it that Google was in discussions with a number of companies such as Warner Music Group with the idea of ​​offering a music subscription service.


 





More Money for Google 


YouTube is already extremely profitable for Google, even though its economic model was only turned around advertising. This new announcement will mean both the arrival of a lot more quality content on the video platform and the arrival of a lot more cash through the subscription model.
 


However, the question is, are you willing to drop a few dollars a month for premium channels on YouTube?

Comic Relief -VI-

"I understand that computers, which I once believed to be but a hermaphrodite typewriter-cum-filing cabinet, offer the cyber literate increased ability to communicate. I do not think this is altogether a bad thing, however it may appear on the surface"      - David Mamet


 

Paul Miller: One year without internet.

Last year, Paul Miller (a journalist at The Verge, a news and high-tech Web site) announced to experiment to live a year without internet. 

The 26 year old man (at the time) had to learn to work without using internet. The experience forced him to call people to meet, to consult library books to learn, not to have all the information he needed in a  moment.  
"I give up one of the five most important technological innovations of all time for a bit of peace and quiet." 

The experience was tracked on The Verge and allowed to follow its progress. Yesterday, May 1, 2013, the end of this year offline, was an opportunity for Miller to make an assessment. Surprisingly, it is negative. According to him, the experience left on a false premise: life without internet just was not his "real life" because internet took an important part in his "real life". Seeking to experience something different in another world, was impossible because his life and the internet were already bound.
 

He does not deny, however, some positive aspects as being able to focus on a text for a while, return to books... even his family said that he has become closer to others.
The big problem was that he was alone in this experience and the world around him continued to live connected. 

 "Internet is not an individual activity, it is something we do with each other. Internet is where the people are" 

"For this experience to an impact, it would probably take everyone participate, not a single man in a disconnected world" 

The only real conclusion is that internet isn't causing social distancing, but the use of it, as shown by the history of P.Miller. If you want to read the full story of the journalist is here.

Read the full article on The Verge.

IBM unveils "the smallest movie" of the story: "A Boy and His atom"

Scientists from IBM presented Wednesday "the world's smallest movie", a revolutionary work done with a very powerful microscope that shows the expanded atoms in movement.

This short film, which lasts about 1 minute and 30 seconds, is titled "A Boy and His atom." It tells the story of a little character who plays with an atom and follows his movements, dancing and jumping, a way to explain science in an educational manner.

"To shoot, position and shape the atoms to create an original animated film is an accurate and completely new science," said Andreas Heinrich, IBM Research scientist.

"At IBM we do not just read books on science, we create them. This movie is a fun way to share the world at the atomic scale" he added.

To make this movies, atoms were moved using a microscope developed some years ago by IBM, an invention that earned the Nobel Prize for its designers.

The unit does not look like a traditional microscope, since it weighs two tons and operates at a temperature of -268 ° C. It can enlarge objects placed on its plate 100 million times.

The device uses a very fine needle on a copper surface, to attract or repel the atoms and molecules to a specific location.

The movie has been certified by the Guinness Book of Records as "the world's smallest animation," according to IBM.

Enjoy it: