Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Friday, November 01, 2013

Firefox Beta brings new 'Home' design to Android, desktop version gains Firefox OS app manager

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/31/firefox-beta-android-desktop-update/

Firefox Beta brings new 'Home' design to Android, desktop version gains Firefox OS app manager

Early adopters know that Firefox likes to put new features through the paces via beta versions of its browser. Accordingly, Firefox today announced some fresh goodies for both mobile and desktop. On the Android side of things, the app has been redesigned with a panel-based layout called "Home," which lets users have easy access to stuff such as browsing history, bookmarks, favorite sites and Reading List. There are also search improvements in tow, including being able to select Bing or Yahoo as the default engine -- the only caveat is that this particular tidbit is limited to folks in the US, Canada and France, at least for the time being.

Meanwhile, Firefox Beta added "Click to Play Plugins" on Linux, Mac and Windows, meaning that "most" plugins (Flash is an exception) will no longer be activated on their own. Firefox says providing the option to choose the ones you would like to enable was key, as outdated plugins are a big source of security vulnerabilities. Rounding things up on the desktop is the Firefox OS app manager, a novel tool for developers to test and tinker with those HMTL5 apps straight from the Firefox browser. All that sound good? Then follow the source links below, where you'll find a way to download each variant of the experimental application.

Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software, Mobile

Source: Firefox (1), (2), Google Play

Tech giants ensnared by NSA spying petition Congress for surveillance reform

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/31/aol-apple-fb-google-ms-yahoo-letter-to-congress-nsa/

In the months since information about the NSA's bulk surveillance efforts began to leak, many of the tech companies named in documents have been unable to even discuss their involvement. Those blinds have been pried back a little with the release of a few transparency reports, but today Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, Apple and AOL (the corporate parent of Engadget) sent a letter to Congress encouraging it to do more. Mashable posted a copy of the letter (embedded after the break), which is addressed to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and specifically references the recently-introduced USA Freedom Act as an "important contribution" to the discussion.

That particular bill seeks to end the NSA's "dragnet" security programs while "requiring greater oversight, transparency, and accountability with respect to domestic surveillance authorities." According to the companies, greater transparency would clear up "erroneous reports that we permit intelligence agencies "direct access" to our companies' servers or that we are participants in a bulk Internet records collection program." As the Washington Post points out, the companies listed may take issue with other bills circulating like the FISA Improvement Act because they don't address surveillance of non-US citizens, creating suspicion and problems for said companies setting up services for users internationally.

Filed under: Internet, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook

Source: Washington Post, Mashable, The Guardian, Politico

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Android 4.4 KitKat lets you say 'OK Google' to activate touchless search

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/31/android-kitkat-nexus-5-Google-Now-Search/

"Okay Google." Those Touchless Controls aren't just for the Moto X anymore -- they're now part and parcel of the Nexus 5. With today's unveiling of Google's (terribly leaked) Nexus 5, we're getting a first look at Android 4.4 KitKat on the handset, and that OS update comes with some significant tweaks to Search and Now. For starters, Nexus 5 users will have the ability to set hot keywords as a means of activating or "waking up" Now voice search. So, presumably, this means you'll be able to link any word you'd like to start barking voice commands at Now. Just don't be surprised if Now talks back to you: KitKat also apparently allows for a dialogue of sorts between users and the handset to refine search queries. This could be especially useful when directing Now to access contacts by first name. For example, saying "Text Jennifer" could result in it asking you to specify, "Which Jennifer?" It's smart control made smarter.

But that's just the tip of the improvements Google's made to its Now and Search product. Overall, speech recognition is said to have been made 25% more accurate and manual access to Now can be triggered by a swipe to the left (Nexus 5-only, for now) -- no longer a swipe from the bottom of the screen up. Now has also been outfitted with a wider array of "contextual cards." It's yet another step in making Google's digital assistant even more prescient, as it will now display information based on a user's current activity, like Fandango for ticket listings if you're at a theatre, or even updates on a favorite TV show you've searched for previously. And going even further, Google Now will also provide "deep links" to applications you've installed on the handset. In the use case Google provided, this means that a recipe search won't just display link results, but will also ping up the AllRecipes app or even OpenTable, if you're on the hunt for a restaurant. Though all of these Search tweaks are bundled into the Nexus 5 for now, they should soon rollout to other Nexus devices as Android 4.4 KitKat is made more widely available.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Google

Google debuts new wireless charging pad with support for Nexus 5 and 7

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/31/google-wireless-charging-pad/

Google debuts new wireless charging pad with support for Nexus 5 and 7

Last year, Google unveiled a new wireless charging pad alongside the Nexus 4 and Nexus 10, and the company has taken advantage of 2013 to come up with another one. This new charging pad has been announced in tandem with the Nexus 5, and will include support for it and the Nexus 7. It's supposed to go on sale in the Play Store today, though pricing is still an unknown. So what's different this time around? The new pad, which should work with any device that offers Qi compatibility, has been completely redesigned (it's shaped like a square instead of a hockey puck) and now features magnets that will make it easier for devices to stick on it -- provided those phones and tablets in question have magnets built in as well. We'll have more information about the chargers as we get it, so stay tuned!

Nicole Lee contributed to this post.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Google

HTC: Android 4.4 KitKat coming to the One within 90 days, Google Play edition within 15 days

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/31/htc-one-android-kitkat/

Now that we know which of Google's Nexus devices will be eligible for an update to Android 4.4 KitKat, other manufacturers are starting to speak up about their rollout plans as well. Jason Mackenzie, president of HTC America, confirmed to us in an interview that the company is going to aggressively push out the latest version of Android to the HTC One. The Google Play edition will be updated within the next 15 days, the Developer edition and unlocked versions will get it within 30 days, and the remaining SKUs in North America (including all carrier variants) will have it in 90 days or less. With the exception of the Google Play edition, HTC plans to keep its signature Sense UI at version 5.5 (which has been available on global devices running Android 4.3); and although Mackenzie couldn't go into details on how the new KitKat features will be implented in Sense, we expect to see plenty of them make an appearance in the update in some way.

HTC is still working on a rollout plan for the other devices in its portfolio, such as the One max and One mini, but Mackenzie assures us that the company will have a statement concerning those other phones in the near future. He also reiterated HTC's commitment to rapidly pushing out updates, telling us that "we're not going to [roll out updates] in a lazy fashion. We're going to make it a priority to have every dot release out on the One within 90 days."

Since Mackenzie spoke to us on behalf of the company's North American branch, we're still awaiting word on HTC's plans for its global devices. Given the fact that US operators are set to push out updates in the next 90 days, we'd be surprised if it doesn't arrive sooner on One units around the world.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, HTC, Google

A Future Internet Might Not Use Servers

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-future-internet-might-not-use-servers-1455828554

A Future Internet Might Not Use Servers You'd think that given how pervasive the internet is, we'd be stuck with the fundamental architecture it uses: servers that many devices connect to for their information fix. But a team of Cambridge University scientists wants to shake things up—and remove servers altogether.

Intel's first modem with 2G, 3G and LTE is ready to roll in tablets, phones and laptops

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/31/intel-lte-modem-xmm-7160-ships/

You might see more (good) phones and tablets with Intel inside, now that the company has started shipping its new LTE-capable XMM 7160 chip to manufacturers. We say "new," but it's actually been a long time coming -- the company first revealed the radio in early 2012 and officially announced it in February this year. Since the modem supports not only 15 global LTE bands, but also 2G, 3G and voice-over-LTE services, it could potentially give Intel the boost it needs to start fulfilling its mobile ambitions. The chip's already begun its journey within the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 in Europe and Asia, and it'll come with other Bay Trail tablets in the future.

Filed under: Mobile

Source: GigaOm

Panasonic officially quits plasma TVs, blames Lehman Brothers even after all this time

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/31/panasonic-quits-plasma/

We may compare Panasonic to the character of Michael Myers way too often, but this Halloween the analogy is particularly relevant given news the company is officially killing plasma TV production. Manufacturing of plasma panels will end in December this year, earlier than the most recent rumor suggested, with the last remaining factories going dark in March 2014 at the same time sales efforts will cease. It's a strategic decision to free up resources, the firm claims, citing low demand for plasma and the impact of LCD development as reasons for its exit. "Severe price competition" as a result of the Lehman Brothers collapse way back in 2008 is also blamed, so when you're left wanting the warm glow of new Panasonic plasma next year, you know who to shake an angry fist at.

Filed under: Displays, HD

Source: Panasonic (PDF)

Google Fonts now lets you experiment with typefaces in a free app

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/31/google-fonts-now-lets-you-experiment-with-typefaces-in-free-app/

Google has a lot of free fonts on offer, but it's hard to know how they'll look on a website without putting them into HTML code or buying a preview tool. It's now much easier to experiment with typefaces, however, as Google Fonts has just integrated a typography app. Designers can click a link to test a given font in a free, lightweight version of Monotype's Typecast; from there, they can try out new color combos, effects, sizes and weights. Those happy with their work can export code and save images, and they can subscribe to Typecast's $29 per month premium service if they need to create style guides or offer live web previews. Page creators only need to visit Google Fonts to start tinkering with their text.

Filed under: Internet, Google

Source: Typecast, Google

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

BIG NEWS: Teens Are Officially Leaving Facebook

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/teens-are-officially-leaving-facebook-2013-10

Teens texting

We learned some big news from Facebook's earnings report: Teens are officially leaving Facebook.

We already knew that Facebook was no longer the most popular social network for teenagers, but we now have confirmation from the company itself.

Facebook CFO David Ebersam said that although youth engagement on the social network is hard to measure, there was definitely a decrease in daily users among younger teens in Q3.

"This is of questionable significance," Ebersam said, "But we wanted to share this with you now because we get a lot of questions about teens."

Ebersam added that Facebook remains "close to fully penetrated" among teens in the U.S., meaning just about every teenager is already using Facebook there.

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How a Simple Circuit Breakthrough Could Double Your Bandwidth

Source: http://gizmodo.com/how-a-simple-circuit-breakthrough-could-double-your-ban-1454762873

How a Simple Circuit Breakthrough Could Double Your Bandwidth

As we all desperately claw after more bandwidth to sate our unquenchable thirst for data, there may yet be an oddly affordable solution; a simple piece of circuitry and software that can double bandwidth in the blink of an eye.

This Sensorless Flying Robot Is Like a Drunken Speeder Bike Orb

Source: http://gizmodo.com/this-sensorless-flying-robot-is-like-a-drunken-speeder-1454790834

This Sensorless Flying Robot Is Like a Drunken Speeder Bike Orb

After putting its rovers on Mars, Nasa's Jet Propulsion Lab showed the world that billion dollar hardware isn't always the answer. And researchers at the EPFL are taking the same technology-on-the-cheap approach with a low-cost autonomous flying drone that simply bumps and crashes into everything in its path instead of relying on expensive sensors and software to avoid obstacles.

The Dark Mail Alliance Wants to Reinvent Email as We Know It

Source: http://gizmodo.com/the-dark-mail-alliance-wants-to-reinvent-email-as-we-kn-1455074428

The Dark Mail Alliance Wants to Reinvent Email as We Know It

In the wake of the Edward Snowden leaks, we've seen at least two encrypted email services close shop in the face of government scrutiny. They're not giving up on the mission, however. In fact, these freedom fighters now say they're coming back twice as strong and twice as committed to shutting out the NSA.

Cisco plans to open-source H.264 code, widen support for web-based video chat

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/30/cisco-plans-to-open-source-h-264-code-for-webrtc/

WebRTC promises plugin-free video chat in our browsers, but it has been stuck in limbo due to format squabbles -- some companies want royalty-free standards like VP8, while others insist on the wider support of H.264. Today, Cisco is proposing a truce between the two camps. It's planning to open-source its H.264 codec without passing on the royalties it pays to MPEG-LA, effectively making the standard free when used in web conversations. Mozilla is endorsing the strategy; although it still prefers open video technologies like VP8 and Daala, it believes that Cisco's move would let both Firefox clients and Firefox OS use H.264 for more tasks. Nothing is set in stone at this point, however. Industry members will pick WebRTC's video standard on November 7th, and there's no guarantee that their choice will dovetail with Cisco's plans. If all goes well, though, we won't have to fret much over the apps and devices we use for our video discussions.

Filed under: Internet, Software

Source: Cisco, Mozilla

Steam now 65 million users strong as Valve makes a push for the living room

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/30/valve-steam-65-million-users/

Valve's Steam service for PC distribution and sales has over 65 million users playing its over 3,000 games, the company announced this afternoon. That's a 30 percent increase (15 million accounts) over the last 12 months -- not too shabby! -- putting the service's userbase well above that of Microsoft's Xbox Live (which has 48 million, according to MS). Not quite the 110 million that belong to Sony's PlayStation Network, but not too shabby.

The new Steam number comes ahead of Valve's planned hardware beta, which intends to test the three main components of the company's big living room push: SteamOS, Steam Controller, and Steam Machines. The first of those components, SteamOS, is a Linux-based navigation solution for gaming PCs in the living room. While in can be installed on any PC (and it's free), it'll come installed on the physical Steam Machines that Valve ships to 300 beta participants (alongside the aforementioned Steam Controller). That said, at 65 million users, you have 0.0005 percent chance of being chosen for the beta. Best of luck with that!

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Laptops, Software, HD

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