Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
I Wrote This Post On SwiftKey's Fantastic New Android Keyboard
I’m sitting here, a grown adult human, ignoring the three full-sized keyboards within arm’s reach, choosing to write on a tiny two-year-old Android phone instead. And thanks to SwiftKey’s excellent Clarity beta keyboard, I haven’t had to throw it into the drywall yet.
Source: Gizmodo http://j.mp/1zbyqo4
This Guy Got a Cattle Tracking Implant to Prove a Point About Security
A security expert had a computer chip usually used to track cows implanted in his hand by an “unlicensed amateur” so he could show how hackers could use tools hidden underneath their skin to hijack devices.
Source: Gizmodo http://j.mp/1GCS1O2
Livescribe 3 smartpen now sends your notes to Android devices
Making good on its promise back in January, the Livescribe 3 smartpen now works with Android devices. A preview version of the requisite app is now available for download, ready to equip devices running KitKat and newer versions of Google's mobile OS...Source: Engadget RSS Feed http://j.mp/1zltY6K
China’s Tencent launches its own Android-based operating system, TOS+
Chinese internet conglomerate Tencent has launched a new open-sourced operating system, the aptly named Tencent Operating System, or TOS+ for short. TOS+ will run on a number of smart devices including TVs and smartwatches, and comes with a mobile payments system. The new OS will be free to use for manufacturers and developers provided they agree to share revenue with Tencent.
The Android-based TOS+ is the latest alternative to Google's services, which are not fully available in China. With its own operating system Tencent — which owns WeChat — can now compete against Alibaba (which has YunOS) and Xiaomi for a rapidly growing Chinese market. The success of TOS+ will depend on a number of factors, though, as competition is heating up in...
Source: The Verge - All Posts http://j.mp/1IkvOX2
Spotify, RunKeeper, and other Android apps get their own Google Now cards
Earlier this year, Google started allowing third-party Android apps including Airbnb, Lyft, Pandora, and others to generate Google Now cards. Like Google's own cards, the goal is to bring users relevant information precisely when it's most useful or important. And the list of third-party apps that can create Google Now cards is growing quickly. Today, Google announced that 70 new apps now have the ability to generate cards, and some big names have joined the effort.
Source: The Verge - All Posts http://j.mp/1zahzlG
Google Now pulls info from 70 more Android apps
Google Now started pulling details from third-party Android apps back in January, but today the folks in Mountain View added support for a truckload more. As expected, in addition to the collection of nearly 40 integrations announced a few months bac...Source: Engadget RSS Feed http://j.mp/1J6HZoy
Gaming company Ouya is reportedly putting itself up for sale
Embattled gaming company Ouya might be in even more trouble: according to a leaked memo, it's putting itself up for sale in order to cut back its debt. Fortune reports that Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman sent a memo to investors and advisers earlier this month, saying that the company had failed to satisfy one of its investors' conditions and that renegotiation over the debt had been unsuccessful. In order to make up the shortfall, Ouya would have to find a buyer quickly. "We are looking for expressions of interest by the end of this month," she reportedly wrote.
In 2012, Ouya ran a phenomenally successful crowdfunding campaign for its tiny Android gaming console, raising $8.5 million. The Ouya's sleek design, low price, and promised...
Source: The Verge - All Posts http://j.mp/1Jyk7ha
Google Turns On Google Now Cards For 70 New Apps
Google Now has been expanding the range and variety of its Google Now cards, with 40 third-party partners unveiled in January. 70 more are being added to the Google app on Android today, bringing the total pool of Now partners up to 110. Some marquee partners from the new group include Zipcar, which will now display upcoming end times for reservations so that you can remember to get it back… Read More
Source: TechCrunch http://j.mp/1P3iO86
A closer look at Microsoft's Apple Watch apps
Microsoft has its own Band fitness accessory, but that doesn't mean it's ignoring the competition. The software giant has been truly moving back to its software roots this year, with apps and services on iOS and Android. Microsoft's support of the Apple Watch is just the latest evidence of a company that is focused on ensuring its key apps and services are used by as many people as possible. "Excited about the Apple Watch? So are we!" Microsoft announced during its update of OneNote for the Apple Watch, before welcoming users "to the future."
While the usefulness of the Apple Watch is still debatable, that's not stopping Microsoft and many others from producing apps for the new wearable. It might seem surprising that Microsoft is quick...
Source: The Verge - All Posts http://j.mp/1DxLJut
Microsoft's Build 2015 event: start time, live blog, and where to stream
Microsoft's Build 2015 developers conference starts tomorrow, and it will provide the best look at Windows 10 and new Windows Apps. It's the biggest event of the calendar year for Microsoft, and the keynote alone will run for 2 hours and 30 minutes. We're expecting Microsoft to focus on Windows, Office, HoloLens, the cloud, and its continued plans for cross-platform apps on iOS and Android.
One of the biggest announcements will likely be Microsoft's plans for bringing native Android apps to Windows 10. Microsoft will unveil a series of ways it's using to make it easier for developers to bring their code to Windows universal apps from Android, iOS, or elsewhere. Part of that will include better tools for developers and new ways to...
Source: The Verge - All Posts http://j.mp/1DHXKyF