Tag: throw-new

Jay Z is calling Tidal users to personally thank them for signing up

In addition to signing on a roster of big name artists to help lure new subscribers, Jay Z is handling some of the customer service duties as well. Mr. Carter is calling folks who signed up for Tidal’s music streaming service to personally thank them. It sounds odd, but the company confirmed to us “that’s 1000% true.” He’s not the only one, though, as Tidal executive Vania Schloge told Business Insider that Jack White and others are calling subscribers, too. Using one of the services’ features, artists can log in and see exactly who is listening to their music alongside contact info for those people. It’s certainly a personal approach, but one can wonder if that star-packed relaunch didn’t provide the boost in new subscriptions the company hoped. Of course, being a part owner of the project is certainly motivation to get more involved. I just wonder if Jay Z used a video phone . [Image credit: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images] Filed under: Internet , Software Comments Source: Business Insider

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Jay Z is calling Tidal users to personally thank them for signing up

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

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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

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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

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Etsy’s massive IPO puts big money behind small sellers

Car safety system monitors your body language to prevent accidents

Many collision avoidance systems watch out for other cars or pedestrians to keep you safe. But this new one called Brains4Cars being developed by Cornell and Stanford University researchers adds a camera that monitors you (or the driver’s, if it’s someone else) body language, as well. The computer that’s watching you on cam can detect your face and head movements to find cues on whether you’re turning or changing lanes. With data from a radar and another camera keeping an eye on the environment, the system can warn you if it’s too dangerous to turn. For instance, if you’re turning left, the left side of the steering wheel or seat can vibrate as a warning — the researchers believe sound and visual signals could be incorporated into the system, as well. In addition, the system can also pull GPS info and issue a notification if you’ve taken the wrong turn, or if you’re driving the wrong way down a one-way street. To develop the system’s algorithm, the researchers recorded 10 people’s driving activities for two months. They then used the data to analyze a separate set of driving videos. The result? Their algorithm was able to predict the driver’s actions 3.53 seconds in advance and got it right 77.4 percent of the time. Obviously, it’s nowhere near perfect yet — shadows seem to confuse the system’s face detector, and it can’t predict turns when the driver doesn’t move his head to peek at incoming traffic. The researchers are working on it, though, and are also looking to add more features including tactile sensors on the steering wheel and brake pedal, as well as infrared sensors. They’re also considering the ability to detect whether you’re looking at a phone or smartwatch to warn you against texting and driving at the same time. Filed under: Transportation Comments Source: Cornell , Brains4cars

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Car safety system monitors your body language to prevent accidents

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

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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

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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)

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Data breaches exposed 29 million US health records in 4 years

Chess champ’s high-tech cheating scheme involved an iPod touch

Georgian chess champion Gaioz Nigalidze has been kicked out and banned from the Dubai Open Chess Tournament after he was caught cheating. What exactly did he do, you ask? Well, he got help from a chess app running on an iPod touch. His opponent, Armenian grandmaster Tigran Petrosian, grew suspicious as Nigalidze literally ran to the toilet a few times (remember, a match can go on for hours) and visited the same cubicle. Game officials eventually inspected the cubicle and found the device hidden behind the bowl and wrapped in toilet paper, along with a pair of headphones. Nigalidze denied it was his, but upon further inspection, authorities found that its social media apps were logged into the Georgian champ’s accounts. They also found his board mirrored on an open chess app. It’s been 18 years since IBM’s Deep Blue computer managed to beat chess world champion Garry Kasparov. Now, even small smart devices are powerful enough to quickly analyze chess moves. English grandmaster Nigel Short says it’s too easy to cheat with a phone (or in this case, a media player) these days. “My dog could win a major tournament using one of these devices, ” he told The Washington Post . “Or my grandmother. Anybody could do this.” Seeing as Dubai Open is awarding the grand winner $12, 000 in cash, a lot of unscrupulous or desperate people would cheat, if given the chance. It’s unclear if Nigalidze has done this before, and if he did, to what extent. Nevertheless, his whole career is now under scrutiny, and fellow grandmasters want him to be penalized heavily to deter more people from cheating. He isn’t the first and the only person to cheat on a chess tournament with the aid of a high-tech device, you see. In 2002, an American player tried to pull off something similar, checking out simulations in the bathroom in the middle of a match. Indian player Umakant Sharma was caught cheating in 2006 by communicating with accomplices through a tiny Bluetooth headpiece hidden inside a cloth cap. And then in 2008, the Dubai Chess Club banned an Iranian player after it was discovered that a partner was sending him moves through text messages while watching a live stream of the game. [Image credit: Dubai Chess & Culture Club (1) , (2) ] Filed under: Cellphones , Mobile , Apple Comments Source: The Wall Street Journal , The Telegraph , Dubai Chess & Culture Club

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Chess champ’s high-tech cheating scheme involved an iPod touch

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

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Samsung’s Galaxy S6 Edge is ridiculously expensive to make