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Thursday, February 27, 2014

drag2share: Google+ for Android learns even more photo editing tricks from Snapseed

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/27/google-plus-android-app-snapseed/

Google+ has been taking cues from Snapseed ever since the company snapped up the app, and this refresh for Android is no different. The update introduces tools like crop, rotate and one-touch filters. It also comes with Snapseed-like enhancements, including HDR Scape, which made its debut on the web interface early this month.

While the update brings these familiar features onboard, you'll also come across something entirely new: "non-destructive editing in the cloud," which gives you the power to edit photos on one device and pick up where you left off on another. Finally, you can now see every photo you've saved on the device and in the cloud (arranged by date) on the new All tab. Since people upload more than a billion images a week on Google+, this definitely won't be the last photo editor upgrade you'll see. We just hope whatever the social network comes up with in the future is a lot better -- and a lot less cheesy -- than its Valentine's Day stunt.

Filed under: Cellphones, Misc, Tablets, Mobile, Google

Source: Todd Kennedy (Google+)

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drag2share: LEGO: We Will Continue To Dominate The Global Toy Market

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/lego-we-will-continue-to-dominate-the-global-toy-market-2014-2

The Lego logo is seen at the entrance to Legoland theme park near the corporate headquarters in Billund February 1, 2008. REUTERS/Bob Strong

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Denmark's Lego increased sales and operating profit by 10 percent in a sluggish global toy market in 2013 and said it expected to continue to outperform the market by launching new products and expand in emerging markets aided by a successful movie.

Strong performance by its Chima, Friends and City brands helped Lego, mostly known for its colorful bricks, to increase sales to 25.38 billion Danish crowns ($4.65 billion) in 2013.

This puts the unlisted Danish toymaker ahead of United States' Hasbro <HAS.O> which sold for $4.08 billion in 2013, but still far behind the $7.1 billion revenue of Mattel <MAT.O>, the U.S. maker of Barbie dolls and Fisher-Price.

Lego said that in the coming years it expected to grow "moderately ahead" of the global toy market, which is expected to grow by a low single-digit percentage annually.

"We are getting very strong feedback from the market and from our customers and from the children," chief executive Jorgen Vig Knudstorp said at a presentation.

He said that in order to fulfill the ambition "to take the bricks all over the world", Lego has established major sites in Singapore, Shanghai and London, besides its existing hubs in Connecticut, U.S. and in Billund in western Denmark.

Knudstorp said Lego aims to increase its sales outside the developed countries, and that the global success of its "The Lego Movie" could help to strengthen its brand there.

"We are, of course, noticing a very considerable amount of excitement surrounding 'The Lego Movie', even in places where Lego is not so well known," Knudstorp said.

The animated film that depicts a world based on the colorful toy blocks has led the United States box office charts for three consecutive weekends. ($1 = 5.4600 Danish crowns)

(Reporting by Teis Jensen; Editing by Stephen Powell)

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drag2share: Google wants its Project Ara modular smartphone to cost $50

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/26/project-ara-price/

How much will a modular smartphone set you back? If Google gets its way, about $50 -- assuming you forgo all of the bells and whistles. The team behind Project Ara wants to launch what it calls a "grayphone," a barebones customizable exoskeleton that comes with little more than a screen, a frame and a WiFi radio. That wouldn't be much of a phone, of course, but its only the bait. Google's Paul Eremenko told Time Techland that users would customize their underpowered husks at special kiosks outfitted with tools to help customers build the device that's right for them.

Sounds bold? It is, a little; the team admitted to Time that it hasn't actually reached its price target just yet, and between the FCC and public opinion, it still has more than a few hurdles to leap before its modular cellphone is ready for market. That said, Eremenko says the focus is to make Ara great, not profitable -- a statement that adds to the nebulous handset's allure. Skip down to the attached source for Time's full rundown of Project ARA, Google's ATAP group and Eremnko's thoughts on redesigning the smartphone.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Source: Time Techland

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drag2share: Honeywell's evohome puts a smart heating system in every room, is now available in the UK

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/26/honeywell-evohome-uk-launch/

You don't need Google to tell you that fancy, net-connected and smartphone-controllable heating setups have caught on, blazing a trail for other home automation tech and the mysterious internet of things to follow. UK energy merchant British Gas launched its own wireless thermostat not too long ago, and now Honeywell's upping the stakes with its evohome multi-room system (a bigger, badder version of an old evohome product sold for "specialist installations."). In addition to the main controller that pairs with your boiler, you can also pimp your radiator valves with wireless nodes to create up to 12 different "smart zones" that can be managed independently.

As you'd imagine, this means you can concoct some pretty elaborate schedules using the tablet-like touchscreen remote or via the Android and iOS apps. The system will also learn things about your crib, like how it long it takes to heat up and cool down, so you're only using energy when you need to. And, if you've left a window open, any nearby radiator module will know as much and shut itself off in protest of your wastefulness. Available in the UK from today, the basic Connected Pack (sans valve nodes) will set you back £249 without installation, which can't be any more complicated than rigging up a Sonos, can it?

Filed under: Household

Source: Honeywell

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Wednesday, February 26, 2014

drag2share: Boeing Is Working On a Self-Destructing Phone For Spies

Source: http://gizmodo.com/boeing-is-working-on-a-self-destructing-phone-for-spies-1531827562

Boeing Is Working On a Self-Destructing Phone For Spies

Government employees who rely on Blackberry's famously secure encryption might have another phone to choose from some day soon: Myce reports that Boeing has quietly filed papers with the FCC for a phone that self-destructs if you tamper with it. It's called the Boeing Black, of course.

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drag2share: It's Ridiculously Easy to Troll Google Maps With Fake Listings

Source: http://gizmodo.com/its-ridiculously-easy-to-troll-google-maps-with-fake-l-1531646581

It's Ridiculously Easy to Troll Google Maps With Fake Listings

Trust the listings you find on Google Maps? You shouldn't, because it's dumb easy to fake them. That's what Google Maps exploiter Bryan Seely demonstrated for me this morning. And while trolling politicians with dick jokes is never not funny, there's also a whole sub-community of scammers turning Google Map's little bugs into cold, hard cash.

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drag2share: A Contagious Computer Virus That Spreads via Wi-Fi

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-contagious-computer-virus-that-spreads-via-wi-fi-1531496826

A Contagious Computer Virus That Spreads via Wi-Fi

It's sort of your worst nightmare: a computer virus as contagious as the common cold that avoids detection and infects every computer on a given wi-fi network. You just pop into your local coffee for a latte and a little internet surfing, and you leave with a virus. This is scary!

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drag2share: Boeing's extra-secure smartphone finally reaches the FCC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/26/boeing-extra-secure-smartphone-finally-reaches-the-fcc/

Boeing smartphone at the FCC

Boeing said way back in 2012 that it was working on a high-security Android smartphone. Almost two years later, it appears that the company is finally close to a launch -- the hardware, identified as Black, has just passed through the FCC. It's built for AT&T's LTE and HSPA networks, and will be rare among American phones in carrying dual SIM slots. We're not expecting it to be a media powerhouse when the label dimensions hint at a mid-size device, though. Boeing hasn't formally revealed Black yet, but it's doubtful that you'll find it at your local carrier store. This is more likely to be a direct-order device for corporations and the military, and it may carry a premium over the more consumer-oriented Blackphone.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, AT&T

Source: FCC

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drag2share: IBM wants to put the power of Watson in your smartphone

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/26/ibm-wants-to-put-the-power-of-watson-in-your-smartphone/

Watson, IBM's Jeopardy-conquering super computer, has set its sites on mobile apps. Not long ago, the recently created Watson Business Group announced that would offer APIs to developers to create cloud-based apps built around cognitive computing. Now IBM is launching a competition to lure mobile app creators to its new platform. Over the next three months the company will be taking submissions that leverage Watson's unique capabilities like deep data analysis and natural language processing to put impossibly powerful tools to the palm of your hand. IBM is hoping for apps that "change the way consumers and businesses interact with data on their mobile devices." It's an ambitious goal, but considering the way Watson spanked Ken Jennings, it seems something that is well within its reach. The machine has already changed the way we view computers and artificial intelligence, not only by winning Jeopardy, but by making cancer treatment decisions and attending college. Now it wants to make your smartphone smarter than you could ever hope to be.

Filed under: Software

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drag2share: Hands-on with Gionee's super slim, octa-core Elife S5.5 smartphone (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/26/gionee-elife-s55-video/

It's only been a week since Gionee debuted its super thin Elife S5.5 Android phone in China, but luckily for us, the company also brought it along to MWC. After playing with the 5.55mm-thick device for some time, we were left very impressed with its build quality. The aluminum frame was nicely machined and felt solid, whereas the Corning glass back panel added an extra premium feel, despite leaving fingerprints behind. We still struggled to believe that there's a 1.7GHz octa-core SoC inside such a slim device, let alone a 2,300mAh battery and two nice cameras -- 5 megapixels on the front and 13 megapixels on the back. It should be noted that the rear imager and its LED flash do stick out a little, but it's not that noticeable in the corner. The S5.5 will come in several colors, with our favorite being the white and gold combo.

We managed to have a quick chat with Gionee's president William Lu, who was amused by how folks from Sony, Samsung and Nokia kept going back to his booth to inspect his company's masterpiece. Well, if they don't mind splashing out about $375, they can grab one for themselves in China come March 15th; but the phone will eventually arrive in other countries (though the US is definitely not on the list). Meanwhile, feel free to check out our hands-on video after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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drag2share: Eat Mushrooms That Grow Off the Top of This Living Lampshade

Source: http://gizmodo.com/eat-mushrooms-that-grow-off-the-top-of-this-living-lamp-1530012184

Eat Mushrooms That Grow Off the Top of This Living Lampshade

The most I can harvest from my lampshades is a thick layer of dust, so I am simultaneously impressed and completely grossed out by these MYX fixtures made from mycelium. They're grown into form, and edible mushrooms can actually be reaped from the top before they're hung in place.

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drag2share: United activates ViaSat's blazing fast satellite WiFi on select 737s

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/26/united-satellite-wifi/

JetBlue's Fly-Fi satellite internet has been online since November, but while a handful of United's 737s have been equipped with the necessary components to launch its own version of the service for the same period of time, that legacy carrier has kept passengers in the dark. Until this week. According to travel blogger Wandering Aramean, United has since flipped the switch on its latest WiFi effort. But unlike the Gogo available on its transcontinental 757s and the Panasonic satellite-based service aboard select A319, A320 and 747 aircraft, this latest version connects to the ultra-fast ViaSat-1 satellite, letting you surf at 30,000 feet with speeds you'd normally only find on the ground. We t! ested th e same connection aboard a JetBlue A320 in November, and unlike United's existing connectivity options, which are often sluggish and spotty, this service flies.

Unfortunately it's not clear where to find the Ka-band equipped aircraft today, but if you're on a United 737 with DirecTV, there's a small chance it'll also have ViaSat satellite WiFi onboard. We're also not sure of pricing -- JetBlue is charging an introductory rate of $9 per hour for faster service, with basic connectivity available for free for the next few months, but United has yet to confirm its own fee structure. Based on the airline's current satellite WiFi pricing, we'd expect the new service to run between $10 and $15, depending on the length of your flight. We're of course eager to get onboard, so if you happen upon a United 737 with super-fast internet, please mark the tail number and give us a holler.

Filed under: Transportation, Wireless, Internet

Source: Wandering Aramean, United (Twitter)

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drag2share: Samsung details the Exynos processors inside the Galaxy S5 and Note 3 Neo

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/25/samsung-exynos-5422-and-5260/

Samsung Exynos 5 Octa 5422 processor

Samsung has been hinting at new Exynos processors for both a Galaxy S5 variant and the Galaxy Note 3 Neo, and today it's detailing the two CPUs in earnest. The GS5's expected chip, the Exynos 5422, is primarily a speed bump of the eight-core Exynos 5 Octa we saw last July; it boosts the clock speeds of the Cortex-A15 and Cortex-A7 cores to 2.1GHz and 1.5GHz respectively. The processor also delivers support for running all eight cores at once, and can handle both 2,560 x 1,600 displays as well as 4K video recording.

The Exynos 5260 (aka Exynos 5 Hexa) destined for the Note 3 Neo isn't quite so glamorous, dropping to two 1.7GHz Cortex-A15 cores and four 1.3GHz Cortex-A7 cores. However, it still has many of the features of its bigger sibling -- it can run all six cores at once and use the same screen resolutions. Not surprisingly, it doesn't have the horsepower to record 4K video. Both of the new Exynos designs are either in production or will be by the end of the first quarter, so you can expect to see them in shipping smartphones relatively soon.

Samsung Exynos 5 Hexa processor

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

Source: Samsung Tomorrow

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drag2share: Samsung's new Gear watches are now open to third-party support

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/26/samsung-gear-sdk/

Among the many frustrations we had with Samsung's first smartwatch, the Galaxy Gear, was the limited number of apps available for it. While the company offered premium access to select partners, it never came out with a software development kit (SDK) for anyone and everyone to submit their own app. When the Gear 2 was announced earlier this week, Samsung also promised that it would deliver an SDK for its latest series of wearables. At the company's developer keynote at MWC this morning, that's finally changed -- Samsung has announced the "immediate availability" of kits for the Gear 2, Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit, as well as another SDK for S-Health.

There's a bit of a difference between the Gear and the Gear Fit kits, however. The Tizen-based Gear SDK will make it possible for developers to create applications that run on both Gear 2 watches (using both Android apps and web apps), while the Gear Fit version offers an emulator and the ability to control the device from an Android app. We'll continue to update you as we get more information at this morning's keynote.

Update: we're not seeing the kits live on the site quite just yet, but Samsung just stated that it'll be available today.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Samsung

Source: Samsung Developer Portal

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drag2share: Goophone took just two days to rip off the Galaxy S5

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/26/goophone-s5-galaxy-knock-off/

Goophone's a bit like a covers band that just happens to make knock-off smartphones. Not content with just plundering better artists' catalogs, the company has apparently managed to copy the Galaxy S5 in under two days. The Goophone S5, yep, has a 5-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 display, paired with a 2GHz octa-core MediaTek chip and 2GB RAM. Keep looking, and you'll find 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, dual-SIM slots, 32GB storage and a 2,800mAh battery, in addition to 13-and-5-megapixel rear and front cameras. It's available in white, black, gold or blue and is priced at $300, making it the ideal companion for your Lucci bag, Tammy Hilfinger shirt and Seanheiser headphones.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

Source: Goophone

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