Still in its infancy, Project Ara still has a ways to go before it reaches a consumer release. Over the past few months, we’ve watch as more information surrounding the project continually trickled out, the most recent being a second round of Project Ara developer’s conferences slated for January in both the US and Singapore.
Some might be surprised to know that although Project Ara runs Android, it isn’t actually an official Android project or even a Nexus device. In fact, it’s not even a Google project. This was made clear in Phonebloks’ latest blog post which clears up some confusion about their involvement in the project. The Ara team wants to make it clear that Dutch designer Dave Hakkens who came up with the Phonebloks concept we showed you guys awhile back is more of a community manager, creating videos and giving sneak peeks at Ara development.
That’s all good and dandy, but we’re sure many of you are dying to see more of the actual prototype and in Phoneblok’s latest video — released just today — you can watch as Dave goes behind the scenes at the NK Labs in Boston, MA and fires up a working Project Ara prototype known as Spiral 1. We’d be lying if we said we didn’t get goosebumps.
Although space on the Spiral 1 prototype is limited (about 49% of the space available to developers), Spiral 2 which is being developed by Toshiba will have “most of the area” available for the developers’ function. Unfortunately, the Toshiba-built prototype wasn’t shown off in the video but will instead take center stage during next years’ Project Ara developer’s conference.
Once again, pricing for an entry-level Project Ara device will likely run around $50-100, although final pricing of an actual Project Ara device will largely remain in the hands of developers building modules. Sign. Me. Up.
After showing it off briefly onstage during this year’s Google I/O developer conference, the official Google Fit app is now available to download on Google Play. The app allows users to gather all sorts of data, straight from the many sensors already found in most Android smartphones.
Whether it’s running, biking, or walking, you can set goals and track activity or have Google recommend something for you. Given that this is all custom tailored to you, all the data is linked to your Google account so it will always go with you, even if want to view it on your desktop web browser, smartphone, or smartwatch. There’s never a bad time to start getting fit.
Google Fit is also compatible with a wide range of fitness tracking accessories and apps like Strava, Withings, Runtastic, Runkeeper and Noom Coach, so now you’ll be able to view all that data straight inside Fit. Compatible with all Android 4.0+ (Ice Cream Sandwich) devices, you can find the Google Fit download link provided below.
Colt McCoy was the hero of tonight's big Washington win over Dallas, and so it figures that he'd be doing the run through of all the ESPN networks—given they hold the broadcast rights to Monday Night games, after all. Turns out a PR handler doesn't want McCoy talking to ESPN's Spanish-language Deportes network, though.
Wade Phillips coached the Dallas Cowboys for almost four seasons, and despite getting fired after leading the team to a 1-7 start in 2010, he left Dallas with a decent overall record of 34-22. That record apparently isn't enough to get Phillips a decent ticket to see his old team play, though, because he spent last hanging out in the upper deck of the Jerry Dome.
SYDNEY — A cyclist from Sydney has captured the moment he was hit by a car with a bike camera.
Paul Ludlow, from Gladesville, was riding home from work in October when he was taken out at an intersection in Crow's Nest by a car. Ludlow had a Fly6 camera attached to his seat pole, so the entire incident was caught on film and allowed for verification of his version of events.
"He had a green light, I had a green light. We were both coming towards each other but he should have given way to me coming through the lights but for whatever reason he didn't see me," Mr Ludlow told Fairfax Media. Read more...
Game of Thrones scribe George R.R. Martin, known to millions of fans as GRRM, publishes his first new Westeros-based book since 2011's Dance with Dragons Tuesday. Unfortunately, it's not Winds of Winter, the next in the Song of Ice and Fire series, but it is the best-looking alternative
Stuffed with rich images and essays on the history of Westeros, it's called A World of Ice and Fire, and it has the unusual distinction of becoming the #1 best-selling book on Amazon before it even published.
Co-written with two of the ultimate Game of Thrones fans, Elio Garcia and Linda Antonsson, the series know-it-alls who run Westeros.org, this coffee table book has been in the works since 2008. Martin was supposed to contribute a few sidebars on the various lands in and around the continent of Westeros; he ended up typing 300,000 words of sidebar. "At some point," said Martin in a 92nd St Y interview, "my editor's head exploded." Read more...
Facebook is getting some handy new features for image uploads today. The social media giant announced that Facebook for Android will be getting an update that allows users to more easily manage the order of their photo uploads.
It's fair to say that Interstellar, the hotly anticipated science fiction film from director Christopher Nolan, is his darkest, slowest-moving and most uncompromising work yet
This is not exactly the kind of thing a studio like Paramount may relish about a big-budget holiday season movie, especially not one opening November 7, the same weekend as Big Hero 6, Disney's animated superhero spectacular. But it's hard to spin this as a thrilling space epic. The action sequences are few and far between, and unlike in Nolan's last complex big-budget epic, Inception, they are not played for Matrix-like fun Read more...
Before we begin, we'd like to tell all the men out there that although your beard may be inferior, it is still beautiful.
The World Beard and Moustache Championships took place in Portland (of course) on Saturday, and roughly 300 contestants competed in 18 different categories.
But just because you have a big hairdo on your face, doesn't mean you will ultimately succeed at the competition. Show organizer Phil Olsen told OregonLive.com that the facial hair that "best enhances their overall appearance, style and personality" is what the judges are actually looking for Read more...
If a window seat is enough to make you nervous on a flight, you might want to avoid a new kind of plane that could fly in as soon as a decade
UK-based tech innovation company Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) hopes to be among the first to design a windowless aircraft. Instead of windows, the plane would have high-definition, flexible screens to show what's happening outside, as it soars through the air
In other words, there are no actual windows in the plane's passenger section; the displays create the illusion that the cabin walls are transparent Read more...
Imagine looking down on the Empire State Building from your bedroom. Someone in New York City paid around $95 million for that very privilege.
The new 432 Park Avenue is the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere. It's the first in a wave of new super-tall apartment buildings coming to New York’s skyline
The Patriots rolled over the Bears, and Rob Gronkowski, the Incredible Hulk's younger, more outgoing brother, was a big reason why. The tight end played a great job today.
When it was announced that Titans rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger would be starting today's game against the Texans, Mettenberger responded by taking a fewcelebratory selfies. This did not sit well with Texans All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt, because J.J. Watt is a monster who exists solely to crush weaker life forms, and he simply cannot tolerate any tomfoolery.
Upon reflection, the most embarrassing thing the New York Jets did yesterday was try to run the world's least effective trick play on a third-quarter kickoff return. I realize that's a bold statement to make, seeing as how this game also included Geno Smith turning in one of the worst quarterbacking performances ever and Kyle Orton hanging 43 points on the Jets' defense, but, I mean, just look at this shit:
A group of Broncos fans are searching for a family member who they say disappeared while attending Thursday night's Broncos game in Denver. Paul Kitterman, a 53-year-old man from Kremmling, Col., went to the game with his son and two friends, but disappeared after leaving his seat at halftime.
A nurse quarantined in New Jersey after arriving home from treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone is speaking out against the "prison"-like living conditions she's endured throughout her time in isolation.
"This is an extreme that is really unacceptable, and I feel like my basic human rights have been violated," Kaci Hickox told CNN on Sunday. "To put me through this emotional and physical stress is completely unacceptable."
How funny would it be if there was a guy out there that closely followed candy trends, but has no idea about Android? All of a sudden the amount of searches for “lollipop” go through the roof. “Lollipops are going to be so hot this year!” Jokes aside, Android Lollipop is a hot topic these days, and s big reason why is the brand new Material Design language. People dig it.
If you want to get a little of that Material Design on your device you can load up one of the 11 HD wallpapers from Lollipop below. To get one of these wallpapers on your phone, tablet, or even PC, simply tap or click on the image to see it at full resolution. Then long press or right-click to save the image. Let us know which one is your favorite, and be sure to share a screenshot if you use one of these wallpapers! Enjoy, and have a great weekend!
Snap this low-profile holster to your belt, pants or bag and pop in your device. The top spring clip is extremely tough and ensures the safety of your Galaxy Note 3 while providing quick-release access when you need to answer a call, text or email. The rear clip can be rotated in both vertical and horizontal positions, too. Yours today for just $16.95!
Amazon’s Fire TV is a slick device for $99, but for that price tag it might not be quite the looker for folks who only need to use a few of its streaming video apps. They’ve gone ahead and challenged Google at their own game, though, with the company officially unveiling the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
This $39 dongle attaches itself to your TV and allows you to stream all your video with ease. It can be used independently of a phone or tablet as it has ample on-board storage for downloading all the streaming apps you need. Amazon’s put quite a bit inside its chassis to power the experience:
Dual-core processor, 1 GB RAM, and 8 GB storage for fast and fluid navigation and instant search results. Fire TV Stick has 50% more processing power and 2x the memory of Chromecast; it has 6x the processing power, 2x the memory, and 32x the storage of Roku Streaming Stick—this results in faster and more fluid navigation, plus more storage for apps and games. It delivers stunning 1080p HD video and immersive audio with Dolby Digital Plus surround sound. All of this power comes in an incredibly small package—Fire TV Stick is the size of a pack of gum.
What’s more is that it features a remote control in the box for those who don’t like using smartphone apps to control playback. For those who do, a smartphone app will be available that will also enable voice search to find the content you want. Folks using the Amazon Kindle Fire and the Amazon Fire Phone can “fling” content from their devices to the TV without much effort. Not a bad little companion if you’re already deeply ingrained in Amazon’s content ecosystem.
The device is available for pre-sale right now, and Amazon expects it will ship starting November 19th. Prime members get a great opportunity to grab the thing for super cheap as Amazon is holding a two-day sale of the thing for just $19.
Thankfully the company has confirmed that you can sign up for a free trial of Prime if you don’t have it already and still get in on the deal. Amazon’s also offering a free 30 days of Prime and Netflix for those who decide to order. Not a bad way to spend a quick $20 if you aren’t a fan of what the Chromecast or similar options have to offer.
Some point this evening, the 32GB model — all colors — has once again become available for purchase in the Play Store, showing shipping times of about 1-2 days before leaving the warehouse. Although we’re not seeing the 16GB model, we’ve heard reports that others have seen it, so we’ll keep an eye out. In the meantime if you were thinking about pulling the trigger on a Nexus 5 (it’s still a damn good Android phone), now’s your chance.
Protesters in Mexico have taken to the streets this week, striking at universities and setting fire to government buildings as the anger surrounding the disappearance of 43 students from a rural teaching college continues to mount.
Thousands of people marched in demonstrations throughout Wednesday in Mexico, in cities including Iguala, Guadalajara and Mexico City in a "Global Day of Action for Ayotzinapa." Read more...
Actor Christian Bale will play Steve Jobs in Danny Boyle and Aaron Sorkin's upcoming biopic, Sorkin confirmed on Thursday.
Speaking with Bloomberg, Sorkin — who is known for penning the Academy Award-winning script for The Social Network, which chronicled the rise of Facebook — said Bale got the part without an audition
“We needed the best actor on the board in a certain age range and that’s Chris Bale,” Sorkin told Bloomberg Television’s Emily Chang on a coming edition of Studio 1.0. “He didn’t have to audition. Well, there was a meeting.”
The film, which is based on Walter Isaacson's 2011 bio, will begin shooting in a few months, Sorkin said, adding that it will be a challenging role. “He has more words to say in this movie than most people have in three movies combined,” Sorkin said. “There isn’t a scene or a frame that he’s not in. So it’s an extremely difficult part and he is gonna crush it.” Read more...
Snap this low-profile holster to your belt, pants or bag and pop in your device. The top spring clip is extremely tough and ensures the safety of your Galaxy Note 3 while providing quick-release access when you need to answer a call, text or email. The rear clip can be rotated in both vertical and horizontal positions, too. Yours today for just $16.95!
