Tag: engadget

1 billion people used Facebook on Monday

What were you doing Monday? According to Mark Zuckerberg, it probably included using Facebook. He just posted that for the first time, the social network notched one billion individual users in a single day, calling it “just the beginning of connecting the whole world.” With that kind of scale, it’s no wonder the exec is focused on drones , lasers and satellites to connect the rest of the world to the internet ASAP, because he’s got an idea what they’ll be logging in to eventually. We just passed an important milestone. For the first time ever, one billion people used Facebook in a single day.On… Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday, August 27, 2015 We made this video to celebrate all you’ve done to help our community connect one billion people in a single day. It’s an amazing milestone. I hope you enjoy. Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday, August 27, 2015 [Image credit: AFP/Getty Images] Filed under: Internet , Facebook Comments Source: Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) Tags: activeusers, billion, facebook, MarkZuckerberg, video

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1 billion people used Facebook on Monday

Amazon Underground has completely free apps, including in-app extras

Free apps sometimes try to rope you into in-app purchases to make a profit. Not so with Amazon’s new approach to free software, though, as the online retailer is offering over $10, 000 in apps, games and even those in-app add-ons at no cost. Yes, it sounds too good to be true on the surface, but Bezos & Co. will compensate developers based on how long you use their apps. Amazon will shell out per-minute payments in exchange for developers nixing any fees, which means for the software is free to download and use. GdgtSpot reports that the company’s “Free App of the Day” promotion is no more, so it looks like Underground will replace it. Since Google Play’s rules don’t allow for apps that serve up other apps or games, you’ll have to download the Underground app directly from Amazon. And when you do, look for the “Actually Free” designation for items that are included in the new initiative. Filed under: Software , Mobile , Amazon Comments Source: Amazon Tags: amazon, amazonunderground, app, apps, mobilepostcross, software, underground

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Amazon Underground has completely free apps, including in-app extras

There’s a new Tesla Model S long-distance record: 452.8 miles

There’s a reason this guy’s so popular. Bjorn Nyland might be familiar to readers because he just earned himself a free Tesla Model X by successfully getting ten people to buy a Model S . He was able to promote the all-electric car so well because he’s been doing it for ages. He’s proven the capability of the S by taking it 233 miles on a charge even in the deepest, darkest Norwegian winter . He also knows how to wring a lot more miles out of an electric car when the weather’s warm. A little over 452 miles, to be exact. Decked out in a Model S with a “Slow” sticker on the rear end, Nyland and his friend Morgan Tørvolt drove for 18 hours and 40 minutes at an average speed of just 24.2 miles per hour (ouch) to get 452.8 miles out of their battery pack. They started and ended at the Supercharger station in Rødekro, Denmark. That’s an extreme bit of hypermiling that I think throws down the challenge gauntlet to Wayne Gerdes or anyone else who wants to see just how far a big EV with two people inside can go. Unsurprisingly, the duo did the drive in a P85D, which has an 85-kWh battery pack, the biggest Tesla currently sells. A P90D model is on the way , so we’ll open up the floor to comments to see how many miles you think can be be stretched out of an extra 5 kWh. Pure math would say Nyland and Tørvolt got 5.3 more miles per kWh, which would translate to 26.5 more miles. Somehow we think that’s a floor, not a ceiling. The previous record for hypermiling an 85-kWh Model S was set by the father-son duo of David and Adam Metcalf in last 2013. Their record was 423.5 miles . The Metron 7 team took their modified all-electric Mazda minivan 513.3 miles on one charge , but that was using a 108-kWh pack. Filed under: Transportation Comments Via: Teslarati Source: Bjørn Nyland (YouTube) Tags: autoblog, bjornnyland, hypermiling, ModelS, morgantorvolt, p85d, partner, syndicated, tesla, tesla p85d, video

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There’s a new Tesla Model S long-distance record: 452.8 miles

Microsoft’s prototype keyboard cover has an e-ink touchscreen

Tablets are becoming more useful for getting real work done. Looking to further bridge the gap between slate and laptop, Microsoft Applied Sciences built a prototype device it calls the DisplayCover: a keyboard cover that houses an e-ink touchscreen display. The 1, 280 x 305 resolution panel not only provides access to app shortcuts, but it can also handle touch gestures for navigation and accept stylus input. The stylus feature seems to make things like signing documents and scribbling notes a breeze, based on the demo video. In the case of an app like Photoshop where you need constant access to tool palettes, those items can be parked at the top of the keyboard so they don’t take up valuable space on the tablet’s display (in this case a Surface ). Why e-ink? Well, the team says the material was selected because it wouldn’t put too much added strain on battery life like a full-color touch panel would. Sure, the DisplayCover is a prototype that’s obviously far from finished. However, it’s interesting to take a look at what companies are doing to make efficient use of small screen sizes for maximizing productivity. [Thanks, Antonio] Filed under: Peripherals , Microsoft Comments Source: Microsoft Applied Sciences Tags: cover, displaycover, e-ink, keyboardcover, microsoft, surface, tablet, touchscreen

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Microsoft’s prototype keyboard cover has an e-ink touchscreen

ASUS makes a Zenfone 2 with a whopping 256GB of storage

Smartphones with more than 128GB of storage are still extremely rare , but they just became a little more accessible… if you live in Brazil, at least. ASUS has unveiled a Delxue Special Edition of the Zenfone 2 that includes a cavernous 256GB of storage. You won’t be hunting for a microSD card any time soon if you pick this up, folks. You’ll also have the choice of carbon fiber- or crystal-like backs instead of the more pedestrian shells of the usual Zenfone 2. This special run arrives in Brazil this September. There’s no mention of it reaching other countries, but here’s hoping that it does — cloud storage and streaming media will only go so far when you want lots of apps and videos at your fingertips. [Image credit: ASUS Fanaticos ] Filed under: Cellphones , Mobile , ASUS Comments Via: CTimes , Android Police Source: ASUS Fanaticos (translated) Tags: android, asus, brazil, mobilepostcross, smartphone, zenfone, zenfone2, zenfone2deluxespecialedition

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ASUS makes a Zenfone 2 with a whopping 256GB of storage

PSA: Apple will replace your iPhone 6 Plus’ wonky camera

Did you buy an iPhone 6 Plus sometime between last September and this January? Do you notice that your shots taken with its back camera come out all blurry? Yeah, it’s not just you . Turns out, a limited number of these phones shipped with a manufacturing defect. However, Apple is aware of the issue and has already begun issuing replacements for the iSight camera. If you think that you have one of these borked units, go to this website and type in your phone’s serial number. If your unit is part of that bad batch, Apple will replace the camera (not the entire phone) at no charge. Also, if you’re rocking one of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6’s , don’t worry; none of those units suffered from the defect. [Image Credit: Getty Images] Filed under: Cellphones , Cameras , Wireless , Mobile , Apple Comments Via: 9to5Mac Source: Apple Support Tags: apple, iphone, iphone6, iphone6plus, isight, mobilepostcross, PSA

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PSA: Apple will replace your iPhone 6 Plus’ wonky camera

Chatroulette users stumble into a live-action zombie shooter

Chatroulette often brings surprises, but usually not good ones. However, several users were recently greeted with an amazing real life, live-streaming Doom-style first person shooter ( FPS ) game complete with undead characters and a creepy graveyard setting. To play, they talked the hero character through the scenes, giving commands like “Run! Run, fat boy, run!”, “Go for the head shot!” or “Check what’s in that pot!” The “game” was replete with sound effects, blood and guns, including a “rhino turret” and rocket launcher. The reaction of the players was beyond hilarious, with many adapting surprisingly quickly to the scenario (“Hit him again to make sure he’s dead!”). The UK production team from Realm Pictures released a companion making-of video, and it’s hard to believe they only spent £900 (about $1, 450) on the whole thing. There were video and sound effects experts who did their stuff on-the-fly, along with makeup people, a gun touch-up painter (they used nerf guns), and a cosplayer. The main actor wore a motorcycle helmet with a GoPro camera, light and Teradek HDMI transmitter. 30 intrepid extras from a nearby town played the zombies. The producers added plenty of on-the-nose FPS touches like overly-dramatic gun-cocking, comic health avatars and useless hand gestures. The show’s director, who also played the hero witih a Batman-style voice, tried to lead players into making the correct decisions. Many didn’t catch on, resulting in a gruesome death, but those with some experience in the genre eventually got to the final scenario, an encounter with the “Boss.” You’ll definitely want to see how that plays out below. Filed under: Gaming Comments Via: Reddit Source: Realm Pictures (YouTube) Tags: Chatroulette, FirstPersonShooter, FPS, live-action, livestream, omegle, RealmPictures, video

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Chatroulette users stumble into a live-action zombie shooter

‘Final Fantasy VII’ lands on iOS with built-in cheat codes

If you can’t find your old PSOne discs, don’t want the PC version and don’t have a PS4 , there’s now one more way to play Final Fantasy VII : on your iPhone . Today Square Enix launched the classic jRPG for devices running iOS 8.0 and up. At its core, this release is a simple port of the PC version of the game, but developers have made a few minor tweaks to the title palatable on the small screen. Leveling up won’t be an issue on the mobile version of the game, for instance: the iOS version has a “max stats” command that instantly raises your character’s levels. Your all-powerful party won’t have to deal with time-sucking random battles, either — they can be turned off. Finally, Square Enix has decided not to give the game a customized touch-friendly menu as it has with some of its other mobile Final Fantasy ports, opting to overlay the screen with a virtual joypad instead. Final Fantasy VII for iOS launches today, but it’s on a slow rollout: at the time of this writing, it only seems to be available in New Zealand, for $19.99 NZD (which converts to about $13 in greenbacks). Check out the New Zealand product page here or hit up Square Enix’s official YouTube channel to watch the trailer. Filed under: Gaming , Mobile Comments Source: YouTube , iTunes (1) , (2) Tags: finalfantasy, finalfantasyvii, gaming, ios, iPhone, mobilepostcross, Square-Enix, squareenix, videogames

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‘Final Fantasy VII’ lands on iOS with built-in cheat codes

Chrome add-on helps you watch Netflix with friends

If you’ve ever wanted to watch Netflix with someone not in the same room as you, here’s your chance. Thanks to a new Chrome extension called Showgoers , people can now share a viewing experience from afar by linking their Netflix accounts. It works fairly simple: once the users’ info is entered, you click the Showgoers button and it sends an invite to whoever you want to watch a movie or TV show with in real-time. The person on the other end then receives a URL, clicks and, in a matter of seconds, the synced programming will begin automatically — you can play, pause or start something else anytime. Keep in mind that Showgoers is a public beta, so you may encounter some hiccups along the way. Still, the developer says “it generally works great.” According to Showgoers, you must follow these steps for the extension to work smoothly: Be signed into their Netflix account before opening the invite URL. Have installed the Showgoers Chrome extension. Open the invite URL in Chrome. [image credits: AFP/Getty Images] Filed under: Home Entertainment , Internet , HD Comments Via: BGR Source: Showgoers Tags: hdpostcross, movies, Netflix, streaming, streamingvideo, TVshows, videostreaming

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Chrome add-on helps you watch Netflix with friends

NASA’s LADEE confirms the moon’s atmosphere has neon

NASA’s LADEE ran out of fuel and crashed into the lunar surface in 2014, but not before it collected the data needed to answer some decades-old questions about the moon. One of those is confirming that our natural satellite’s atmosphere contains neon — the same gas used to light up signs in Vegas. Astronomers have been speculating about its presence since the Apollo missions, and now LADEE’s Neutral Mass Spectrometer (NMS) instrument has proven that it exists. It’s even relatively abundant, though the moon’s atmosphere is too thin (it’s actually called “exosphere” due to that reason) to turn it into a glowing orb in the sky. NMS has thus proven that the lunar exosphere is composed mostly of helium, argon and neon. Their main source is solar winds, and they fluctuate over time, as well as exhibit peak times throughout the day. LADEE’s data shows, however, that some of the gases in the exosphere come from the moon itself: The decay of radioactive potassium-40 found in lunar rocks gives rise to argon, while thorium and uranium produce helium. As NASA’s Goddard’s Mehdi Benna said: The data collected by the NMS addresses the long-standing questions related to the sources and sinks of exospheric helium and argon that have remained unanswered for four decades. These discoveries highlight the limitations of current exospheric models, and the need for more sophisticated ones in the future. [Image credit: NASA Ames/Dana Berry] Filed under: Science Comments Source: NASA Tags: ladee, moon, nasa

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NASA’s LADEE confirms the moon’s atmosphere has neon