Tag: src

Google launches ‘Works with Cardboard’ program for its VR headset

Google wants all apps developed for its Cardboard VR headset to work properly with, well, any version of its device. That’s tougher than it sounds, since the headset’s open-source, and a lot of companies and individual users are tweaking it to their heart’s content. To make it happen, Mountain View has launched the “Works with Google Cardboard” project, which gives headset makers the power to ensure their design plays nicely with apps made for the device. It doesn’t matter if they use metal or plastic, cut the materials out using any dimension or adjust the optic, so long as they input all those details into the Cardboard website to get a QR code to attach to their creation. Once they (or another user) scan that QR code using the headset’s app, all applications designed for Cardboard will be optimized for their viewer. Makers selling their headsets can also apply for a certification badge indicating their design is compatible with apps and games developed for the device. Mountain View has even put together a shop where people can get headsets that have both a “Works with Cardboard” badge and a QR code. Speaking of apps, Google has also launched a new set of design guidelines for developers, which focus mostly on how to make their creations usable. In addition, the company has released updated Cardboard SDKs for Android and Unity with better head tracking and drift correction. Users, on the other hand, can now find compatible apps more easily, thanks to the new Music and Video, Games, and Experiences Cardboard application categories. If you’re yearning for more significant updates than these, though, don’t worry — it looks like the company has big plans for the device. A team from the School of Engineering in Trinity College Dublin has just joined the Cardboard division, bringing their ambisonic surround sound technology with them. Google says it will use that technology to bring “immersive audio to VR” in the future. Filed under: Wearables , Google Comments Source: Google Developers , Get Your Cardboard

More:
Google launches ‘Works with Cardboard’ program for its VR headset

WikiLeaks lets you search Sony’s hacked emails (Updated)

When a group calling itself the Guardians of Peace hacked Sony Pictures in late 2014, thousands of private emails and information about top executives, actors and Hollywood hotshots hit the ‘net. The messages revealed pay discrepancies between male and female stars, and contained copies of films that hadn’t yet seen release. Some of these emails contained racist and derogatory comments from Sony Pictures staff, including co-chair Amy Pascal, who consequently left the company in February. Now, all of these emails are available in searchable form on WikiLeaks . Anyone interested in digging through Sony Pictures’ email archives can now search by specific term, sender, recipient, attached filename or email ID. Update: Sony is not pleased with WikiLeaks’ decision to host the emails and the company is currently weighing legal options, Variety reports. A Sony spokesman provided the following statement to the site: “This information was stolen from Sony Pictures as part of an illegal and unprecedented cyberattack. WikiLeaks is not performing a public service by making this information easily searchable. Instead, with this despicable act, WikiLeaks is further violating the privacy of every person involved.” Filed under: Internet , Sony Comments Source: WikiLeaks

Continue reading here:
WikiLeaks lets you search Sony’s hacked emails (Updated)

Etsy’s massive IPO puts big money behind small sellers

Selling handmade stuff on the internet is big business, and Etsy’s IPO shows just that. The online marketplace completed its initial public offering today, raising over $270 million towards a total valuation of more than $3.5 billion — not too shabby for a company that’s not yet profitable. If you’re not familiar, Etsy offers folks who deal in “handmade goods, vintage items and craft supplies” a place to sell their goods online. Sure, the site takes a cut , and it generates revenue from ads, shipping and payment processing . What’s more, it has attracted 1.4 million active sellers and 19.8 million active buyers (as of Decemeber) in its 10 years handling those sales. The company was clear about its history of losses when it first announced plans to go public, admitting that it may never turn a profit. However, as the popularity of handmade and unique wares continues to grow, eager sellers are likely to opt for the site’s community as a means for promotion as much as its e-commerce tools. It’s also poised to make a big splash in mobile, recently hiring one of Pandora’s top executives to lead that charge. [Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images] Filed under: Internet Comments Source: CNBC

Continue Reading:
Etsy’s massive IPO puts big money behind small sellers

Now Android devices can understand your chickenscratch

Tired of typing on your tablet? Sick of speaking to your phone? Well, if you’ve got Android 4.0.3 or higher, you are in luck because Google Handwriting Input for Android has just hit the Play Store. This utility app supports both printed and cursive writing styles, understands 82 languages and can even decipher hand-drawn emojis. What’s more, it doesn’t require you to use a stylus — though for languages not based on the Roman alphabet (like Japanese, Korean or Hindi), a writing implement definitely helps . I just downloaded this to a Nexus 6 and it understood my scrawlings reasonably well. The only issue of immediate concern is the warning that Google will be saving all of the input text — including any passwords and credit card numbers — so take care with what you write. Filed under: Handhelds , Tablets , Internet , Google Comments Via: The Next Web , The Verge Source: Google Play , Google Dev Blog

Original post:
Now Android devices can understand your chickenscratch

LA’s school board would like all of that iPad money back now, please

Look up the word bungled in a dictionary, and you’ll find the definition of the word, so if you want to see what it looks like in practice, head to L.A.. The state’s problematic program to get iPads into the hands of low-income students has backfired so spectacularly the school district is now looking for a complete refund. According to the L.A. Times , the state’s education board has been having secret meetings with lawyers and has already told Apple and Pearson that it won’t accept or pay for future deliveries of tablets and software. The $1.3 program has attracted plenty of controversy, and even the FBI has been called in to investigate if a dodgy deal had been made. The paper has also dished the dirt on an internal report from March made by program director Bernadette Lucas. She found that only two out of the 69 schools in the program used the software created by education partner Pearson. The company draws plenty of fire, and is accused of not producing enough content and giving little thought to students whose first language wasn’t English. Apple and Pearson may be the most notable names on the district’s shit list, but similarly nasty letters have also been sent to Lenovo and Arey Jones for similar projects. The paper’s report ends by saying that the school districts are hopeful that affordable and useful technology will make its way into education, but until that point, officials have just authorized the purchase of new mathematics textbooks. Filed under: Tablets , Apple , Lenovo Comments Source: L.A. Times

See more here:
LA’s school board would like all of that iPad money back now, please

Yup, there’s a Sodastream for cocktails

Our modern consumer age hasn’t been kind to SodaStream, since bottles of soda are cheap enough that you don’t need to make your own at home. Thankfully, the company has finally worked out that cola-addicted teens aren’t its future customers, but drunk adults who want something fancy for cocktail parties . That’s why the firm has teamed up with name-brand designer Yves Behar (he’s previously designed the SodaStream Source ) to develop the SodaStream Mix, which is one part CO2 injector and one part internet of things device. You see, Mix can’t be a buzzy new gadget unless it’s connected to the cloud (it is), and the company has also baked in Bluetooth and app compatibility as well. Touch the screen and cycle through to the alcohol section and you’ll be presented with a variety of recipes for you to follow. When done, insert the mix into the SodaStream and hey, the hardware will carbonate it. The company promises that the device can compensate for the differing fluid density levels of each drink, so it’ll ramp up (or down) the fizz for a drink with pulped fruit compared to a whiskey sour. There’s no word yet on how much this costs, or even if you’ll be able to buy it, but there’s one idea we want to leave you with: Fizzy Cocktails. Filed under: Misc Comments Via: Cool Hunting Source: SodaStream

Link:
Yup, there’s a Sodastream for cocktails

Data breaches exposed 29 million US health records in 4 years

If there are any doubts left that health care data breaches are a major problem , the medical industry just put them to rest. Researchers have published a study showing that a whopping 29.1 million American health records were compromised between 2010 and 2013. Most of them (58 percent) were exposed through theft, but the rest were revealed through a mix of hacks and carelessness, including workers who gave unauthorized access or didn’t properly get rid of info they no longer needed. As you might imagine, providers aren’t happy. An opinion piece accompanying the study argues that your personal health data is “not safe” despite the existence of rules meant to protect it, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. If both the government and companies don’t put “much more focused attention” on keeping data secure, they argue, these incidents are only going to continue. [Image credit: AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez] Filed under: Internet Comments Via: The Verge Source: JAMA (1) , (2)

Continue reading here:
Data breaches exposed 29 million US health records in 4 years

Samsung’s Galaxy S6 Edge is ridiculously expensive to make

It’s no secret that Samsung’s curvy Galaxy S6 Edge costs a pretty penny, but there’s now a good explanation as to why. IHS estimates that the raw price of assembly for a 64GB Verizon model is $290. That’s more expensive to make than not just the Galaxy S5 ($256 when new), but also the 128GB iPhone 6 Plus ($263) — if true, Samsung is giving up a lot of profit to make this exotic hardware affordable. The bendy AMOLED screen is unsurprisingly the costliest element here with an estimated $85 price, although the Exynos 7 processor ($30), 3GB of DDR4 memory ($27) and flash storage ($25) certainly aren’t cheap. It’s hard to know just how accurate this manufacturing bill is. Samsung makes its own parts, after all, and it could have scored a deal to get components at a lower rate. And as always, the cost of assembly doesn’t tell you the full story. That $290 doesn’t include patent licensing, development or other expenses needed to put the S6 Edge in your pocket. Even so, it’s apparent that Samsung is still willing to sacrifice its bottom line to one-up the competition. Filed under: Cellphones , Mobile , Samsung Comments Source: Recode

More:
Samsung’s Galaxy S6 Edge is ridiculously expensive to make

DARPA creating software that won’t need upgrades for a century

Software upgrades and outdated applications that don’t work on new platforms are just a fact of life for people who use computers and other devices. DARPA, however, wants to change that by making software systems that can run for over a century without getting updates from their developers and despite upgrades in hardware. Pentagon’s mad science department has recently announced that it has begun a four-year research to figure out what algorithms are necessary to create software that “can dynamically adapt to changes.” The agency calls the project “Building Resource Adaptive Software Systems or BRASS, ” and it knows it won’t be easy. In fact, DARPA’s expecting to build everything from the ground up. In return, though, we could see a whole new list of programs with longer lifespans that are easier to maintain. “The goal of the Building Resource Adaptive Software Systems program (BRASS) is to realize foundational advances in the design and implementation of long-lived, survivable and complex software systems that are robust to changes in the physical and logical resources provided by their ecosystem, ” part of its official description says. The agency has started accepting research proposals for every aspect of the project, from which it’ll find the most promising to fund. DARPA is hoping that BRASS will ultimately lead to military computers and machines that don’t need to stop running for upgrades, as the process can be costly. Sounds a bit terrifying, considering the project aims to build software that can evolve on its own, much like those villainous programs in movies that gained sentience as time went on. Filed under: Science Comments Source: DARPA (1) , (2) , FedBizOpps

Continued here:
DARPA creating software that won’t need upgrades for a century

DirecTV’s app is ready to stream 90 channels anywhere you go

We haven’t seen many updates for DirecTV’s streaming services in a while, but this week it added a slew of new channels for customers to watch live even when they’re away from home. The 22 additions include MTV, TNT, Nickelodeon, BET, Cartoon Network and more ready for viewing on computers, tablets or phones. DirecTV also has the Genie DVRs that can shift recordings to your mobile device, but as the competition with internet TV services heats up the satellite company is finally ready to push a few more updates. All of those features work through the DirecTV apps, but it’s worth noting that recently DirecTV has cut deals so its subscribers can use their logins to stream channels (on their own apps) that its app doesn’t support yet, like Disney and ABC. Filed under: Home Entertainment , HD Comments Source: DirecTV , FAQ

More:
DirecTV’s app is ready to stream 90 channels anywhere you go