Tag: script

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 back, Google displays info from 70 more inside the card-based repository. This means that you’ll be able to easily keep track of items like your Zipcar reservation return time and quickly snag directions back to the drop-off spot. We won’t run down the full list of new additions, but you can peruse the currently supported lineup right here — just know that Spotify, ABC News, RunKeeper, Jawbone and OpenTable all made the cut. To leverage the new functionality, make sure you’re device is properly equipped with the latest version of the Google app . Filed under: Internet , Software , Mobile Comments Source: Google (Inside Search Blog)

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Google Now pulls info from 70 more Android apps

Infrared implant brings practical sight to the blind

You can already get a retinal implant to restore some sight when you’re blind, but the quality is usually too poor to be useful for more than avoiding collisions. A better solution is close at hand, however: Pixium Vision has successfully tested an implant that should go beyond basic vision. The tiny chip sits just behind the retina and uses infrared light to both stimulate images in your brain and power the whole device. Tests in rats generate vision equivalent to 20/250. That’s still far from flawless, but it’d be superior to the 20/500 you can get now — good enough that you could read the largest letter on an eye doctor’s chart. The eventual system for humans, which will use goggles to send images, should manage 20/120 and put wearers above the US’ legal standard for blindness. Trial runs start in 2016, so you may not have to wait much longer if you’re eager to give the implant a try. Filed under: Wearables , Science Comments Via: IEEE Spectrum Source: Pixium Vision (PDF) , Nature

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Infrared implant brings practical sight to the blind

YouTube’s making ‘TV’ series and movies with its most popular creators

For many people, Netflix, Amazon Prime and those pirates episodes of Game of Thrones have all but replaced TV. YouTube’s another big draw for “cord cutting millennials, ” but since its videos are all user-submitted, it’s almost powerless to stop its stars being poached by TV networks and movie studios. For instance, Fred: The Movie was a flop, but YouTube must have been terrified to see one of its biggest stars wander off so easily. That’s why the site is now setting up TV-style production deals with some of its most popular creators, as well as entering movie production partnership with AwesomenessTV . The idea is that YouTube will bankroll four original series that it’ll own outright — in a similar way to how Netflix wants to lessen its reliance on its production partners . There are two scripted comedy shows, one from The Fine Brothers, the other from Smosh as well as a prank show from Prank Vs. Prank . Rounding out the list is an oddly described “murder-mystery reality series, ” which makes us hope beyond hope that it’s an ersatz remake of Unsolved Mysteries . At the same time, YouTube is teaming up with Brian Robbins, head of terribly-named studio AwesomenessTV and the figure behind Fred: The Movie . The deal will see Robbins’ outfit create “several feature-length films” over the next two years, all starring YouTube stars and premiering on the Google-owned video site. Let’s just hope that they all build into a Marvel Cinematic Universe-type situation, where Mamrie Hart leads a team of YouTube stars to fight an alien invasion led by The Gabbie Show . Filed under: Internet , HD , Google Comments Via: Deadline Source: Google

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YouTube’s making ‘TV’ series and movies with its most popular creators

Uber’s food delivery service launches in four cities

Uber’s experiments with food delivery in California and Spain must’ve been a resounding success, as the ridesharing outfit is making that on-demand dining a permanent option. UberEats has officially launched in four cities, including the Barcelona and Los Angeles trial areas as well as two new burgs, Chicago and New York City. As before, the service really just substitutes pickups for meals — you choose from curated restaurant menus, and an Uber driver will show up with your selections in a matter of minutes. This will seem very familiar if you’ve tried a restaurant delivery service before, but it’ll undoubtedly be handy if you already use Uber and find yourself craving sandwiches or salads. Filed under: Transportation , Internet Comments Source: Uber Blog

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Uber’s food delivery service launches in four cities

First home HIV test goes on sale in Britain

Although sexual health has become less of a taboo subject, ensuring that people get tested for STDs remains a big issue. The NHS now offers DIY kits for those worried they might have caught something from a partner and don’t want to get tested by a doctor, but home HIV screening has not been possible — at least until today. Britain’s first legally-approved HIV test is now on sale, promising 99.7 percent accuracy from three months after a person suspects they may have been exposed to the infection. It requires a drop of blood and can provide a clear result in around 15 minutes. It’s hoped that by offering the DIY test, Britons will help lower the risk of passing on the disease to other people. According to the National Aids Trust, almost half of the people living with HIV find out late, meaning they’ve carried the virus for at least four years. If the disease is diagnosed earlier, sufferers can receive treatment that makes it more manageable. Right now, the test is only available online for £29.95. Should a test show a positive result, it must then be confirmed with a professional health worker. Filed under: Household , Science , Alt Comments Via: AFP Source: HIV Self Test

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First home HIV test goes on sale in Britain

Every major US credit card will soon work with Apple Pay

The roster of credit cards that work with Apple’s mobile payments platform has always had one notable absentee. Thankfully, the folks at Discover have realized that there’s little to be gained from not being available to use on Apple Pay . That’s why the firm has signed a deal that’ll see its customers be able to buy goods and services with their iPads, iPhones and Apple watches, which will begin at some point in the fall. Naturally, users are afforded the same offers and protections that they would if they’d paid by card, including Cashback Bonus and Freeze It — now all we need is for Chipotle to join in and we’re all set. Filed under: Cellphones , Internet , Apple Comments Via: MacRumors Source: Businesswire

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Every major US credit card will soon work with Apple Pay

ESPN sues Verizon for custom FiOS TV plans

We knew ESPN wasn’t happy with Verizon’s recently announced flexible TV plans, and now it is ready to take legal action for it. According to CNBC , The Worldwide Leader in Sports is suing Verizon over the FiOS Custom TV offering, only days after letting it be known that it objected to it. Developing…. Comments Source: CNBC

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ESPN sues Verizon for custom FiOS TV plans

Ultrathin membrane makes plane cabins 100x quieter

While air travel is quicker and safer than driving, it’s also louder. The continuous low-frequency drone of the engines is why some people invest in noise-canceling headphones. To help reduce that non-stop hum, researchers at North Carolina State University and MIT have developed a thin membrane to be inserted into the lightweight honeycomb structure of planes and helicopters. “At low frequencies – sounds below 500 Hertz – the honeycomb panel with the membrane blocks 100 to 1, 000 times more sound energy than the panel without a membrane.” said Yun Jing, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State University. The 0.25mm-thick membrane would only add an additional six percent to the overall weight of the honeycomb structure of aircraft. While that doesn’t seem like much, every ounce counts to airlines trying to maximize flight costs . It’ll be on them to decide whether they’d rather save money on fuel or makes cabins a better place for passengers . Filed under: Misc , Transportation , Science Comments Source: NC State University

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Ultrathin membrane makes plane cabins 100x quieter

Russian hackers scooped up the President’s unclassified email

Russian hackers may have had more success in breaching the White House network than first thought. New York Times sources understand that intruders who got into the White House’s unclassified systesm managed to collect some of President Obama’s email. They didn’t compromise the account itself, and they didn’t snap up the classified messages passing through the President’s BlackBerry. However, these messages likely included some “highly sensitive” material, like policy dicussions, schedules and staff changes — the data could have been abused in the worst circumstances. Officially, the government isn’t acknowledging the email invasion. It’s reportedly trying to keep a lid on details to avoid letting the Russians know just what data escaped into the wild. However, the revelation shows just how much of a security issue the White House faces. Unless it can clamp down on vulnerabilities, it may have a hard time keeping the President’s activities under wraps. Filed under: Internet Comments Source: New York Times

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Russian hackers scooped up the President’s unclassified email

Latest Ubuntu hits the web with mostly minor refinements

Today’s release of Ubuntu 15.04 is yet another installment in the slow and steady march forward from Canonical. The company knows that not every OS release needs to be accompanied by fanfare and dramatic changes to your desktop. And this edition of the popular Linux distro perfectly epitomizes that philosophy. There are basically zero user-facing interface changes, except for the ability to set application menus to always show, instead of only popping up when you mouse over them. Otherwise most of the changes are under the hood. The OS should be faster and more stable, thanks to updates to updates to the underlying system, like the Unity desktop and Linux kernel. The default apps also got some minor version bumps, including Firefox and LibreOffice. Ubuntu 15.04, or Vivid Vervet, is almost like a placeholder release. This is simply Canonical biding its time and applying Band-Aids while working towards a more dramatic revision that will accompany Unity 8, the next generation of its desktop environment. Like Microsoft, the company is pushing to unify its OS across platforms. That means one core system and a consistent UI across phones , tablets and desktops . When that goal will be realized remains to be seen, but until that time expect your favorite Linux distro to simply tread water. Filed under: Software Comments Source: Ubuntu

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Latest Ubuntu hits the web with mostly minor refinements