We’ve been hearing rumblings that Facebook was working on an “assistant” within Messenger (along with others), but today we’ve gotten the details that pull it all together. This puts the company squarely in competition with Apple, Google and Microsoft in the digital personal assistant space.
In a Facebook post, Facebook Messenger lead David Marcus spoke a bit about… Read More
Microsoft is 7.5 percent of the way to its goal of a flat billion devices running Windows 10 in the next few years. Today the software giant announced that its latest operating system, Windows 10, is now running on 75 million machines. Read More
"Being a starving artist only works if you actually make art." This is just one of many excellent life tips offered by people ranging from 6-years-old to 93-years olds in a video made by CBC Radio WireTap, called "How to Age Gracefully."
Amazon has had some pretty great deals as part of its Free App of the Day, but apparently that's over now. The prolific retailer is replacing it with Amazon Underground, which includes "over $10,000 of app and games that are actually free." Specifically, Amazon is giving away paid apps and in-app purchases with an agreement that reimburses app developers based on the amount of time the apps are actually used.
Apple has lost a challenge in the German court system that sought to overturn an earlier ruling, which voided its patent for ‘swipe to unlock’ in Europe. The patent (EP1964022) was granted back in 2010 and was used to win an injunction against Motorola smartphones (back when Moto was owned by Google) in 2012. Motorola has since appealed the injunction, with a decision dependent… Read More
Amazon has quietly launched a new section within its app called Underground that collects all of the free apps offered throughout the Amazon Appstore. Underground gathers and displays apps and games that are "actually free" as Amazon calls it — with no hidden costs like in-app purchases. While Amazon is touting Underground as a stand-alone app on its website, the new section can currently only be found within the Amazon app. But unless you are one of the hundreds of people still using the Fire Phone, it's still a pain for most people to install any apps from the Amazon Appstore on an Android device.
Amazon also got rid of its Free App of the Day, according to Gadgtspot, which is likely related to the launch of Underground....
Here's another of my favorite kind of deal. Free stuff! Presently you can pick up a digital copy of the album, Play: Blues Pioneers, on the Google Play Store for the wonderful price of nothing. It is full of wonderful bluesy songs like, Stormy Night Blues, Hokum Blues, and Blind Pig Blues. I've kindly provided the full list for you here for your perusal.
Ok, confession time. I have no experience whatsoever with the blues and I've never heard of a single one of these songs, or artists.
Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications, games, and live wallpapers that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous 2 weeks or so.
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Cortana for Android was released as a public beta earlier today. I installed it on the LG G4 to see how it works. Is it better on Android compared to Windows Phone? Go watch our hands-on video to find out.
“We taught Bluey the budgie how to do R2-D2 and now he drives us crazy! He has two other budgies in his cage, and I think he's driving them crazy too!”
If you’ve ever wanted to play games or use apps from your phone on your desktop — web versions of messaging apps are certainly convenient — then Vysor is a new service for Android owners that might well be up your alley. Read More
The Cyanogen flavor of open Android, which is pushing a more customizable version of Google’s mobile OS — helped along by some $115 million in funding in its coffers, including an $80 million round back in March — has landed on two new smartphones heading for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Read More
If you’re on the short side, you may have a hard time finding tank tops that fit well. The straps are often a little too long. And while a hem or alteration will do the trick, here’s a simpler option that still looks good: use a scarf.
Refinery 29’s Connie Wang demonstrates this in a video on the site. Simply pull the straps of the top together in the back, then tie them with a small, pretty scarf. (A small scarf is a good item to have on hand for other clothing hacks, too). Not only does it do the job, it looks good in the process. Similarly, you could also use a ribbon to do the job.http://lifehacker.com/25-different-w...
It’s not always to find the perfect clothes for your body shape, so workarounds like this can be useful to have on hand. Check it out for yourself at the link below.
SunCalc is a nifty site and app by Torsten Hoffman that allows visitors to enter any location and date and find out all the details of that day's local solar path: Read the rest
After the official announcement in May and a short period of closed beta testing, Microsoft's Cortana digital assistant app has arrived on Android as a public beta—you need to jump through a couple of (easy) hoops to download it, and bugs should be expected. But essentially anyone is welcome to give it a try.
This is more than an experimental side project from Microsoft, it's a growing movement to get all of its apps everywhere it can: Skype and Office are two high-profile Microsoft properties that have been ported to the Web and non-Microsoft mobile platforms in recent months.
That's a far cry from the walled-in "Windows-first" vision of the Steve Ballmer era. The company's flagship apps were then considered crown jewels that would keep users coming back to the platform, despite the growing competition. It's debatable whether that worked on the desktop, but it certainly had no effect on mobile—something incoming CEO Satya Nadella has obviously recognized.
The Cross-Platform Lineup
Cortana may be the most important cross-platform app of Microsoft's lineup. Google Now and Siri are becoming increasingly vital cogs in Android and iOS respectively, and although the major mobile operating systems borrow features from each other, virtual assistants have become one of the few ways of distinguishing between them.
Voice technology has also become a cornerstone in an array of other rising niches—including smart homes, smart TVs, wearables and connected cars, all of which work with mobile devices in some way. If our phones have become our hubs, then voice features let us access them and other devices more easily, humanizing the chore of managing the personal technology in our lives.
It's no surprise that Microsoft zeroed in on Google. Android is, after all, the easier target, thanks to the extra integration hooks it offers third-party apps. Cortana is able to replace Google Now on the Home button shortcut, for example, and may have its sights set higher than that: Microsoft is also working on an Android launcher called Arrow to make users forget they're running Android at all.
To state the obvious, iOS is much more restrictive. Google Now exists as part of the Google app on Apple devices, but it's less comprehensive and capable than it is on Android, because it can't dig as deeply into the iPhone's operating system. Apple's garden walls remain high: It's not letting Siri out, but it's not giving anyone else much of a look in either.
"Hey, Cortana!"
Cortana on Android (Source: Microsoft)
People without any experience of Windows Phone or Windows 10 may not understand exactly what Cortana does, but the app doesn't differ greatly from Google Now or Siri. Its aim is to know as much about you as possible, surfacing calendar events, reminders, news stories and weather forecasts as you need them.
As well as being a virtual personal assistant, Cortana also provides access to voice-controlled, neatly wrapped Web searches: Find out the President's birth date or the nearest Italian restaurant through a friendly little chat with Cortana. This will all be familiar to Siri and Google Now users too.
Cortana's expansion brings up the overarching issue of ecosystems—like Siri and Google Now, it works best with access to your emails, your calendar, and your daily movements. It's another reason why iOS and Android users are better off having Outlook, Skype, Sunrise and the like running directly on their devices, rather than seeing them wave from the distant shoreline of a Windows 10 device.
But the matter of tech giants extending their software to other ecosystems can be a tricky affair. Apple, Google and Microsoft all offer some leeway to rival virtual assistants to varying degrees, but how long that will continue or how deep the allowable integrations can go will likely remain complicated. For instance, access to a platform's core feature—say, by uttering "play music!" at your phone—will probably remain exclusive to the company's proprietary voice tech, namely Siri on iOS, Google Now on Android, and Microsoft's Cortana on Windows 10 devices.
On Windows and Windows Phone, Cortana can control settings (like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi), but Android users won't be able to do the same, nor can they launch any apps they please, or use the "Hey Cortana!" voice shortcut.
Still, for Microsoft, its Cortana outreach is akin to casting a wide net into an ocean of mobile users. The more places Cortana can be found, the better its chances of success—which puts the spotlight somewhat on iOS as the next destination.
The Cortana public beta program is open now to Android users in the U.S. Microsoft says it's planning to roll it out to other markets, but there's no timeline for that yet.
To try it out, start by clicking here to sign up as a beta tester, and download the app from Google Play here. At some point, you'll get an app update with the beta version.
Twitter has shut down a network of sites dedicated to archiving deleted tweets from politicians around the world. The sites — collectively known as Politwoops — were overseen by the Open State Foundation (OSF), which reported that Twitter suspended their API access on Friday, August 21st. Twitter reportedly told the OSF that its decision was the result of "thoughtful internal deliberation and close consideration of a number of factors," and that the social media site didn't distinguish between politicians and regular users.
"Imagine how nerve-racking — terrifying, even — tweeting would be if it was immutable and irrevocable?" Twitter reportedly told the OSF. "No one user is more deserving of that ability than another. Indeed, deleting a...
New leaked photos have emerged online revealing what seems to be a Huawei Nexus prototype. Previous rumors and reports have pointed to the Chinese manufacturer working with Google to produce the next Nexus phone — the larger of two possible models this year. This could well be our first proper look at this year's larger Nexus, rumored to pack a 5.7-inch display.
Today I watched a video of an Old English Sheepdog getting a haircut for perhaps the eighth or ninth time. It's one of my favorite videos from my favorite channel on YouTube: a vlog named WayOutWest that captures life on a smallholding in Ireland. Before you watch the video yourself, I should warn you that this is Good YouTube. This is real deal, the raw shit, the sticky icky. It's a direct window into someone else's life through which you will be dragged to watch in childish awe as strangers you've never met pet their fat pigs and make homemade sauerkraut. Viewers of a certain mindset may even be tempted to quit their job and move to the country.
Now, I know most people's definition of Good YouTube is more often cute animals or w...
Beer is pretty wonderful on its own, but if you enjoy drinking with your meals, that can be fun, too. Certain drinks and foods bring out the best in each other when they’re paired, and this graphic tells you what food to pair with different beers to highlight the best flavors.
We’ve given you this cheat sheet on how to pair wine with food, and this is pretty much the same thing, but for beer. It’s pretty simple and tells you what to eat with ten different types of beer: ales, stouts, IPAs and beyond.
The chart is based on recommendations from Belgian chef Bart Vandaele, who often uses beer in his cooking. Food Republic asked him for his insight on pairings, and the below infographic is based on his expert advice. That said, your own taste buds may vary, but give it a look below
Another week, another free music album on Google Play. This time it's something a little more contemplative: a classical instrumental album from Yo-Yo Ma, probably the best-known concert cellist on the planet. You can grab The Sound of Yo-Yo Ma, which incidentally is exclusive to Google Play Music, for free right now. The deal is available in the United States and probably a few other places, though we can't be sure exactly where it is and isn't valid.
As has been its habit over the past couple of years, HTC is slowly uploading its own apps that come preloaded on its devices to the Play Store. This allows the company easier and faster updates and bug fixes to these individual apps, without having to resort to a full software update.
The latest to join the ranks is Motion Launch, which lets you perform a couple of actions before you even turn your display on.
Android users will soon be getting a little less bloatware on their phones. Android Centralreports that Google has relaxed its requirements about which apps have to be permanently installed, which means apps like Google+, Google Play Games, Google Play Books and Google Newsstand will no longer come pre-installed. The new Samsung Galaxy Note 5, for example, already doesn't have Google+ pre-installed.
Even though Android is largely open source, Google has saddled its handset partners with app requirements — and there's no wiggle room. If, for instance, HTC wants to make an Android handset with the Gmail app, it historically would also be required to give customers Google+ and Newsstand.
Not only does bloatware take up valuable storage...
If you’re anything like me you understand the power of Arduino but are stymied by limitations of education, imagination, or wireless connectivity to implement it into your own life. Thanks to the LightBlue Bean+, however, one of those roadblocks has been torn down. The Bean+ is basically an Arduino board that can be programmed via Bluetooth LE. Not unlike the Particle boards, this… Read More
The Federal Communications Commission is backing development of a platform that it hopes will help make communicating easier for the deaf and hard of hearing. At a Thursday keynote for the Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (TDI) Conference, FCC chair Tom Wheeler announced a program he calls Accessible Communications for Everyone, or ACE. According to Wheeler's presentation, ACE's goal is to create a core set of apps that can link existing text and video services for hearing- or speech-impaired users, or connect those users directly to company or government offices' American Sign Language support lines. And the platform itself will be open source, opening the door to more creative uses over time.
We’ve been hearing rumblings that Facebook was working on an “assistant” within Messenger (along with others), but today we’ve gotten the details that pull it all together. This puts the company squarely in competition with Apple, Google and Microsoft in the digital personal assistant space.
In a Facebook post, Facebook Messenger lead David Marcus spoke a bit about… Read More
Microsoft is 7.5 percent of the way to its goal of a flat billion devices running Windows 10 in the next few years. Today the software giant announced that its latest operating system, Windows 10, is now running on 75 million machines. Read More
Amazon has had some pretty great deals as part of its Free App of the Day, but apparently that's over now. The prolific retailer is replacing it with Amazon Underground, which includes "over $10,000 of app and games that are actually free." Specifically, Amazon is giving away paid apps and in-app purchases with an agreement that reimburses app developers based on the amount of time the apps are actually used.
Apple has lost a challenge in the German court system that sought to overturn an earlier ruling, which voided its patent for ‘swipe to unlock’ in Europe. The patent (EP1964022) was granted back in 2010 and was used to win an injunction against Motorola smartphones (back when Moto was owned by Google) in 2012. Motorola has since appealed the injunction, with a decision dependent… Read More
Here's another of my favorite kind of deal. Free stuff! Presently you can pick up a digital copy of the album, Play: Blues Pioneers, on the Google Play Store for the wonderful price of nothing. It is full of wonderful bluesy songs like, Stormy Night Blues, Hokum Blues, and Blind Pig Blues. I've kindly provided the full list for you here for your perusal.
Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications, games, and live wallpapers that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous 2 weeks or so.
If you’ve ever wanted to play games or use apps from your phone on your desktop — web versions of messaging apps are certainly convenient — then Vysor is a new service for Android owners that might well be up your alley. Read More
The Cyanogen flavor of open Android, which is pushing a more customizable version of Google’s mobile OS — helped along by some $115 million in funding in its coffers, including an $80 million round back in March — has landed on two new smartphones heading for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Read More
Another week, another free music album on Google Play. This time it's something a little more contemplative: a classical instrumental album from Yo-Yo Ma, probably the best-known concert cellist on the planet. You can grab The Sound of Yo-Yo Ma, which incidentally is exclusive to Google Play Music, for free right now. The deal is available in the United States and probably a few other places, though we can't be sure exactly where it is and isn't valid.
If you’re anything like me you understand the power of Arduino but are stymied by limitations of education, imagination, or wireless connectivity to implement it into your own life. Thanks to the LightBlue Bean+, however, one of those roadblocks has been torn down. The Bean+ is basically an Arduino board that can be programmed via Bluetooth LE. Not unlike the Particle boards, this… Read More
