Updates on Android are a travesty at times, but OnePlus is one of the few OEMs that manage a decent track record. Today, the company is announcing a commitment to updates with a new maintenance schedule.
The world’s being overrun by fascists and feckless fools, both consecutively and concurrently. You deserve a break from the stress they’ve been causing.
So, here’s footage of every frigging duck who ever waddled or quacked making their way, on foot, to an emergency meeting of the waterfowl Illuminati.
It’s OK. You deserve it.
Last night many people, including some of us here at Android Police, started running into problems with their Google Home and Chromecast devices. Content could not be cast to either, and many Google Homes and other Assistant-powered hardware were unable to accept commands.
A function of the annual Sonoma-Marin Fair, it seeks to demonstrate "the pedigree does not define the pet." By raising awareness about the benefits of adoption, "the contest speaks to the importance of advocating for the adoration of all animals," even those not blessed with Lassie's movie-star looks.
Many of the pups taking part in the contest were rescued from kill shelters or puppy mills, organizers say.
That includes Zsa Zsa, your 2018 queen, who spent five years at a puppy mill in Missouri before being purchased by the nonprofit Underdog Rescue.
Zsa Zsa resides in Anoka, Minnesota with her human Megan Brainard.
Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android games that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so. This week we have a bunch of paid upfront games with fair pricing, plus there are quite a few other standouts worth installing too. Most notably Evoland 2, Westworld Mobile, and Gorogoa, but you should also take a look at Toca Mystery House, King and Assassins, Suzy Cube, and The Franz Kafka Videogame.
Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications and live wallpapers that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous two weeks or so. Today we have some of the biggest players out there including the likes of Google, Adobe, Instagram, and Yahoo. Heck, I even have a live wallpaper and a WTF listing to round out the list. So get ready because these are the most notable Android apps released in the last two weeks.
YouTuber thepeterson makes video montages that pull together clips from pop culture days of yore, highlighting what movies and TV shows the masses were watching, what they were listening to on the radio, and what video games they were playing. In the latest one, June 1998 is put into the spotlight. Prepare to take a (possibly nostalgic) trip down memory lane to see what was "in" twenty years ago this month.
Google StreetView cars will soon be used to create maps of air pollution in London. They previously did the same in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and the Central Valley regions of California …
...Koko touched the lives of millions as an ambassador for all gorillas and an icon for interspecies communication and empathy. She was beloved and will be deeply missed.
Koko, a western lowland gorilla, was born Hanabi-ko (Japanese for “Fireworks Child”) on July 4, 1971 at the San Francisco Zoo. Dr. Francine “Penny” Patterson began working with Koko the next year, famously teaching her sign language. Dr. Patterson and Dr. Ronald Cohn moved Koko and the project to Stanford in 1974 and went on to establish The Gorilla Foundation. While at Stanford the project expanded to include a second western lowland gorilla, Michael. In 1979 Koko and The Gorilla Foundation moved to the Santa Cruz Mountains where Ndume joined them as a fellow ambassador for their species.
Koko’s capacity for language and empathy has opened the minds and hearts of millions. She has been featured in multiple documentaries and appeared on the cover of National Geographic twice. The first cover, in October of 1978, featured a photograph Koko had taken of herself in a mirror. The second issue, in January of 1985, included the story of Koko and her kitten, All Ball. Following the article, the book Koko’s Kitten was published and continues to be used in elementary schools worldwide. Her impact has been profound and what she has taught us about the emotional capacity of gorillas and their cognitive abilities will continue to shape the world.
The foundation will continue to honor Koko’s legacy and advance our mission with ongoing projects including conservation efforts in Africa, the great ape sanctuary on Maui, and a sign language application featuring Koko for the benefit of both gorillas and children.
If you'd like to make a tax-deductible donation to the Koko Fund in Koko's memory, please contact Joy Chesbrough, The Gorilla Foundation’s Chief Development Officer, at: 1-800-ME-GO-APE ext 14.
If you'd like to send your condolences, please email kokolove@koko.org.
If you don't know Koko's story, be sure to check out the 2016 documentary on her, Koko: The Gorilla Who Talks to People.
https://youtu.be/cn79Lgfh1hw
Koko with Mr. Fred Rogers
https://youtu.be/X_K7Vaf4zPo
Koko with Betty White
https://youtu.be/92hsFnvJ1QU
Throughout her life, Koko's abilities made headlines. After she began communicating with humans through American Sign Language, she was featured by National Geographic — and she took her own picture (in a mirror) for the magazine's cover.
That cover came out in 1978, seven years after Koko was chosen as an infant to work on a language research project with the psychologist Francine "Penny" Patterson. In 1985, the magazine profiled the affectionate relationship between the gorilla and her kitten: Koko and All Ball.
In 2001, Koko made a fast friend in comedian Robin Williams, trying on his glasses, showing him around and getting him to tickle her. Then they made faces at each other — and the gorilla seemed to recall seeing Williams in a movie. Years later, in 2014, Koko was one of many who mourned Williams' passing.
One of Google Assistant's best features, in my opinion, is that it can play several types of ambient noise. It's a wonderful feature to have on Google Home, particularly for folks living in noisy environments. But the functionality extends to any Assistant-compatible device, and you're even able to download the sounds for offline listening through the Google Podcasts app.
The method here isn't particularly straightforward; you can't find the sounds by searching inside the Podcasts app.
At I/O 2018, Google announced and immediately launched a slew of new Assistant features like six new voices, Multiple Actions, and Custom Routines. Today, the Google Home will no longer require that you repeat a hotword for every command thanks to Continued Conversation.
Ibrahim Diallo was eight months into a three year contract with a big company when its systems abruptly decided that he was fired: first it told his recruiter that he'd been let go, then it stopped accepting his pass for the parking and the turnstyles, then his logins stopped working, and at each turn, his supervisor, and that person's boss, and the HR people, were at a loss to explain or reverse the steady, automated disappearance of Ibrahim from the company.
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While Google Search gained a podcast directory in 2016, it was not until earlier this year that the company seemed to fullycommit, especially after a false start with Play Music. Since March, Google has been rapidly iterating on the feature and today is officially launching Google Podcasts.
At a time when there’s increasing focus on ‘digital health’ – ensuring that usage of devices like smartphones doesn’t take over our lives – gaming addiction is to be officially classified as a disease …
Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android games that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so. This week we have quite a few soccer apps thanks to the World Cup just starting, so make sure to check those out if you are a fan. Of course, the release ARK: Survival Evolved is probably the most significant news this week, but Bloons TD 6 and the quirky Silly Walks are also a couple of great titles worth exploring.
LockPickingLawyer, a recreational lock picker, was sent a fingerprint padlock for review. He emailed the manufacture to let them know that he'd discovered a security vulnerability: "Upon examining the lock, I found that if you remove the three screws, the lock falls apart. The shackle can be opened and relocked without the owner's fingerprint or knowledge."
The manufacturer replied: "the lock is invincible to the people who do not have a screwdriver."
The company that sent me the pictured fingerprint lock has provided the security quote of the year: “...the lock is invincible to the people who do not have a screwdriver.” pic.twitter.com/dmpYHAmMiY
— LockPickingLawyer (@LockPickingLwyr) June 15, 2018
This photo, which comes courtesy of the Hamilton Township Fire Department, shows a car parked in front of a fire hydrant. The car's windows were smashed by the firefighters and a large hose threaded through them, so that a nearby fire may be fought.
This is what happens when you park in front of a hydrant. This was taken last night at the fire on Norway Avenue in the Bromley section of Hamilton. Reminder, it is against the law to park in front of a fire hydrant.
Here's another angle of the Great Humiliation Snake of Hamilton:
Most cities will just push the offending vehicle out the way, but this is funnier and less likely to damage a fire truck's bumper.
Parmit Singh Brar is a telemarketeer who bilked elderly Americans out of millions by running a "calling about your Windows" tech support scam. He'll have to pay $136,000 in fines to the FTC--and may never offer tech support again. Behold the merciless justice of the federal authorities.
Under the settlement, Brar — who operated Genius Technologies and Avangatee Services and does not admit or deny the allegations, according to court documents — “is permanently restrained and enjoined from advertising, marketing, promoting, or offering for sale, or assisting in the advertising, marketing, promoting, or offering for sale of Technical Support Services.”
The settlement was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco, and must still be signed by that court’s judge.
Phone-scamming seniors is and will remain a lucrative line of work in America, for those whose stomach for it. Fortunately for them, they can count the relevant regulators in that group.
To stave off the cold and boredom of waiting at the train station, Dutch design student George Barratt-Jones made a pedal-powered knitting machine that can whip up a neck scarf in five minutes flat. He writes, "[It] gets you warm by moving, you are making something while you wait and in the end you are left with a free scarf! That you can decide to keep yourself or give to someone who needs it more."
Check out his design notes and photos here:
https://imgur.com/gallery/LBofgnr
Over the years, you’ve told us that transparency and control over your data and ad experience are important. That's why we've built products and tools to help you manage that experience. Back in 2009, we launched Ad Settings, providing you with a single place for your ad controls, and in 2011 and 2012 we introduced Why this ad? and Mute this ad, giving you more transparency and control over the ads that you see. In 2015 all of these were brought together in your Google Account, the all-in-one destination for managing your personal information, privacy and security settings.
Today, we’re launching the new Ad Settings, which makes it easier for you to understand and control how your ads are tailored to you. We’re also providing more transparency around why you see certain ads by expanding Why this ad? to all of our services that show Google ads (like Search and YouTube) and almost all websites and apps that partner with us to show ads.
Understand and control how your ads are tailored to you
The new Ad Settings shows all the different factors that determine how ads are tailored to you in one view. This way, it’s easier for you to see them at a glance, learn more about why you see ads related to these topics, and decide if there are any you want to remove.
There are a few different factors that can determine how your ads are tailored to you, including: estimations of your interests based on your activity while you’re signed in, information you’ve added to your Google Account, and information from advertisers that partner with us to show ads—like if you’ve visited their site or signed up for their newsletter.
For example, if you watched highlights from a recent soccer match on YouTube or searched “soccer fields near me” you might see an ad for a slick pair of soccer shorts. If you’ve told us you’re 40 years old, we would be less likely to show you ads about student study abroad programs. And if you visit the website of one of your favorite brands, you might see an ad from them.
This information helps make ads more relevant and useful to you. However, in the new Ad Settings, if you no longer want us to tailor your ads based on one of these factors you can choose to turn it off. Turning off a factor means you’ll no longer receive tailored ads related to it across our services, and on websites and apps that partner with us to show ads, as long as you’re signed in to your Google Account. The ads you see can still be based on general factors, like the subject of what you’re looking at or the time of day, or any other factor that is still turned on.
Why this ad? makes it easier to understand why you see certain ads
Why this ad? is a feature that appears next to ads and both helps you learn why you are seeing a certain ad and gives you easy access to your Ad Settings. For example, if you want to know why you’re seeing an ad for a camera, Why this ad? might tell you it’s because you’ve searched for cameras, visited photography websites, or clicked on ads for cameras before. We’ve now significantly expanded coverage of this feature; starting today, you’ll see Why this ad? notices on all our services that show Google Ads, such as ads on YouTube (including the YouTube app on connected TVs), Google Play, Gmail, Maps and Search. We’ve also expanded it to include almost all of the websites and apps that partner with us to show ads.
The new Ad Settings and updates to Why this ad? provide you with more transparency and control over your Google ad experience than ever before. With these improvements, you can browse the web confidently knowing that you have the information and control to make Google work better for you.
David Graeber, author of Bullshit Jobs: A Theory, analyzes the rise of the menial, hapless, unfulfilling jobs and their consequences.
There are millions of people—HR consultants, communication coordinators, telemarketing researchers, corporate lawyers—whose jobs are useless, and, tragically, they know it. These people are caught in bullshit jobs. Graeber explores one of society’s most vexing and deeply felt concerns, indicting among other villains a particular strain of finance capitalism that betrays ideals shared by thinkers ranging from Keynes to Lincoln. Bullshit Jobs gives individuals, corporations, and societies permission to undergo a shift in values, placing creative and caring work at the center of our culture. This book is for everyone who wants to turn their vocation back into an avocation.
Enter here to win a free copy of David Graeber's Bullshit Jobs!
Just about two years ago we introduced neural machine translation (NMT) to Google Translate, significantly improving accuracy of our online translations. Today, we’re bringing NMT technology offline—on device. This means that the technology will run in the Google Translate apps directly on your Android or iOS device, so that you can get high-quality translations even when you don't have access to an internet connection.
The neural system translates whole sentences at a time, rather than piece by piece. It uses broader context to help determine the most relevant translation, which it then rearranges and adjusts to sound more like a real person speaking with proper grammar. This makes translated paragraphs and articles a lot smoother and easier to read.
Offline translations can be useful when traveling to other countries without a local data plan, if you don’t have access to internet, or if you just don’t want to use cellular data. And since each language set is just 35-45MB, they won’t take too much storage space on your phone when you download them.
A comparison between our current phrase-based machine translation (PBMT), new offline neural machine translation (on-device), and online neural machine translation
To try NMT offline translations, go to your Translate app on Android or iOS. If you’ve used offline translations before, you’ll see a banner on your home screen which will take you to the right place to update your offline files. If not, go to your offline translation settings and tap the arrow next to the language name to download the package for that language. Now you’ll be ready to translate text whether you’re online or not.
We're rolling out this update in 59 languages over the next few days, so get out there and connect to the world around you!
Q-GamesPixelJunk series has had a good bit of success on consoles, so it's no surprise to see the company releasing some of their more popular games on mobile.
Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android games that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so. This week we have a bunch of paid upfront games with fair pricing, plus there are quite a few other standouts worth installing too. Most notably Evoland 2, Westworld Mobile, and Gorogoa, but you should also take a look at Toca Mystery House, King and Assassins, Suzy Cube, and The Franz Kafka Videogame.
Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications and live wallpapers that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous two weeks or so. Today we have some of the biggest players out there including the likes of Google, Adobe, Instagram, and Yahoo. Heck, I even have a live wallpaper and a WTF listing to round out the list. So get ready because these are the most notable Android apps released in the last two weeks.
David Graeber, author of Bullshit Jobs: A Theory, analyzes the rise of the menial, hapless, unfulfilling jobs and their consequences.
