Posts Tagged ‘black’

Samsung appears to be making good on its promise to port Galaxy S4 features to the Galaxy S III . A test Android 4.2.2 update, discovered by SamMobile , includes the lockscreen effects and widgets, enhanced screen modes, updated settings, and new S Voice control features found in Samsung’s new flagship. Samsung previously said it would include updates that were “not dependent on hardware,” ruling out gestures like Air View and the smart TV remote app. Continue reading…

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Galaxy S III software leak reveals potential S4-class upgrades

Laurene Powell Jobs’ first interview after the death of her husband Steve Jobs was an interview on NBC’s Rock Center with Brian Williams , where she pledged her support for the DREAM act and immigration reform. Now, an in-depth profile in the Wall Street Journal explains why this particular issue caused Powell Jobs to break her silence and step out into the public eye. It seems that it all began in 1995, when she started tutoring low-income students, only to find that those who were in the US illegally were unable to secure financial aid to go to college.

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Why Laurene Powell Jobs broke her silence to support immigration reform

Google and other tech companies have come under fire for exploiting a common tax loophole to book revenues through their Irish subsidiaries, but today The Sunday Times is reporting that a former Google UK executive has evidence of further tax avoidance by his one-time employer. Barney Jones worked for Google between 2002 and 2006 and says that during his time at the company, Google relied almost exclusively on its UK sales staff to secure advertising deals in London, effectively closing deals there rather than in Dublin, where it booked the revenues. Google VP Matt Brittin had previously testified to the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that “nobody” at Google’s UK office was selling Google advertising, last week revising his… Continue reading…

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Former Google UK exec alleges company misrepresented sales to avoid paying taxes

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What would you like to see Google do next after I/O? – Verge Forums

Market research firm IDC just released its latest quarterly look at the smartphone market, and for the first time Windows Phone marketshare has eclipsed BlackBerry. During Q1 2013, Windows Phone devices accounted for 3.2 percent of all smartphones shipped, while BlackBerry devices made up 2.9 percent of the market. That’s a change from last quarter, when Windows Phone made up 2.6 percent of all shipments, compared to 3.2 percent for BlackBerry. While that’s good news for Microsoft in a relative sense — they’ve been trailing BlackBerry for third place for quite some time — it’s pretty obvious that we still don’t have a true third smartphone ecosystem that consumers are responding to yet. It’s still a two-horse race between Apple and..

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Windows Phone overtakes BlackBerry to claim third place in 2013 smartphone shipments

Google and NASA have teamed up to launch a new laboratory focused on advancing machine learning. The Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab — hosted at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California — will contain a quantum supercomputer that will be used by researchers from the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) and all over the world to pioneer breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. Continue reading…

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Google and NASA collaborate on AI research with new quantum supercomputer

Google CEO Larry Page has finally opened up about a recurring and noticeable health problem — what Google Chairman Eric Schmidt characterized as the loss of Page’s voice last year. In a post on his Google+ page today , Page describes how he first encountered the issue “about 14 years ago,” right around the time that he cofounded Google, when he suffered a cold and then a hoarse voice, from which he says he never fully recovered. As Page writes: “So I went to a doctor and was diagnosed with left vocal cord paralysis. This is a nerve problem that causes your left vocal cord to not move properly.” Continue reading…

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Google CEO Larry Page says his voice problems were caused by vocal cord paralysis

The Guardian this week published a fascinating in-depth report on the village of Newtok — a remote Alaskan community that, because of climate change, will likely be underwater within the next few years. Experts say it could be just four years before rising sea levels swallow Newtok, and although the community has already agreed to relocate to higher ground, a shortage of money and resources has precluded them from taking action. Meanwhile, erratic climate and weather patterns have convinced locals of the threat that global warming poses. “It’s changing a lot,” Newtok resident Nathan Tom said. “It’s real, global warming, it’s real.” Continue reading…

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Climate change threatens to destroy Alaskan village within four years

Relations between those who build mobile apps and their customers are getting a leg up today with Google’s announcement that all developers will now be able to reply to user reviews in the Play store. The company made the announcement on the Android Developers blog , discussing best practices like identifying and prioritizing bugs based on user impact and getting ideas for new improvements and features. The ability to respond to user reviews first started rolling out nearly a year ago, but now appears to finally be complete, following a false start in January . Continue reading…

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Google Play now lets all developers respond to user reviews

Google has been extending the functionality of Google+ with a steady stream of feature rollouts , and today the company has announced the latest addition: the ability to add content recommendations to mobile websites. The feature — launching today on the Forbes mobile site — appears as a small bar at the bottom of a given article. Tapping it brings up suggested articles for that site, keying off the author, the topics discussed, or what is being shared on Google+ to generate the suggestions. Users don’t need to be signed into their Google+ account to see the recommendations, but if they are they’ll also see suggestions based upon what those in their Google+ Circles have been sharing. While Forbes is the immediate launch partner, any..

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Google+ extends its reach with article recommendations for mobile websites

It’s hard to imagine a more helpless situation than being stranded, floating alone, in the emptiness of space. That’s the setting for Children of Men director Alfonso Cuarón’s new film, Gravity. According to a press release posted by First Showing , the story revolves around a medical engineer on her first trip to space, played by Sandra Bullock, and a veteran astronaut played by George Clooney, who are left tethered to only each other after an accident throws them into the void. After being delayed for more than a year, the first teaser (below) has just been released, giving us a brief look at what Gravity has in store when it debuts on October 4th.

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‘Gravity’ teaser could make you rethink wanting to go to space

ESPN has approached at least one major carrier about excluding its sports videos from mobile data caps, according to the Wall Street Journal . The report notes the possibility of ESPN paying the carrier as a subsidy so that users can watch videos without fear of hitting any limits. However, ESPN is said to be still working out the economics of any potential deal; no arrangement is in place at present. Continue reading…

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ESPN wants you to watch more sports, even if it has to subsidize your data plan

Last month, Samsung announced SideSync, a tool that enables deeper cross-integration between the company’s Galaxy smartphones and PCs. The initial unveiling was light on details, but a new YouTube video gives us a better idea of what’s in store for users. If you can get past the extremely stilted (automated?) narration, you’ll learn that Samsung’s goal with the app is to essentially make your phone serve as an extension of your PC. Once docked and with the SideSync utility installed, you’ll be able to enable automatic backups of files and photos that reside on your handset.

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SideSync tool helps Samsung’s Galaxy phones and PCs play nice together

Two years ago, Nokia underwent a major software reboot in abandoning its old Symbian ways and moving to Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system. Alongside that switch in the high-end segment, the company also introduced an unpretentious understudy OS it called Asha, which spawned a variety of cheap featurephones. Designed to address developing markets in poorer nations, the Asha handsets have so far proven a retail success .

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Nokia hedges its commitment to Windows Phone with new Asha platform and $99 phone

During video game conglomerate EA’s most recent earnings call , the company’s CFO confirmed that it has laid off the roughly 900 workers whose jobs were rumored to be on the chopping block last month. “Our cost reduction plans will reduce our overall headcount by approximately 10 percent,” said Blake Jorgensen, who also serves as vice president, before explaining that the restructuring plan and resignation of CEO John Riccitello cost the company an extra $15 million more than what it estimated in its most recent guidance. Continue reading…

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EA confirms 10 percent of staff laid off in major restructuring

TechCrunch is reporting that Microsoft is trying to buy the Nook ebook and device ecosystem — for $1 billion. According to documents TechCrunch has obtained, Redmond hopes to buy the digital assets of Nook Media LLC; that’s the Barnes & Noble subsidiary behind the ebook business, as well as the Nook e-readers and tablets themselves. The documents also reveal that the current Nook tablets aren’t long for this world. They reportedly state that Nook Media plans to discontinue its Android tablets like the Nook HD by the end of its 2014 fiscal year. The focus would then shift to what is referred to as “third-party partner” devices.

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Microsoft reportedly trying to buy Nook ebook ecosystem for $1 billion

When The World’s End hits theaters this summer, it will mark the conclusion of the so-called Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy — the trio of films written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. Today the first trailer for the film comes to us courtesy of MSN, offering fans a preview of the raucous sci-fi comedy. Like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz before it, The World’s End puts Pegg (who’ll soon be appearing in Star Trek: Into Darkness ) and Nick Frost in the leading roles alongside other notables like Martin Freeman of The Hobbit and Sherlock Holmes fame. As the trailer makes abundantly clear, the plot here is no less absurd than their previous collaborations.

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‘The World’s End’ trailer reveals the final adventure from Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg

MIT’s Media Lab has been cranking out innovations ever since it opened back in 1985, and now it has its sights set on developing the city of tomorrow and the technology that will power it. The Financial Times has taken an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at some of the projects currently being worked on at the Media Lab, including cars that drive themselves and the role that Lego modeling has in planning tomorrow’s metropolises. Of course, those aren’t the only challenges facing the Media Lab: it is also working on changing the racial and gender imbalances endemic to engineering schools across the world by increasing diversity within its own walls. Continue reading…

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Robotic cars, aeroponics, and Lego: building tomorrow’s city in MIT’s Media Lab

Google Glass and its new approach to a constantly-connected lifestyle has already been the butt of a number of jokes, including Tumblr blogs devoted to showing how ridiculous the device can be. On Saturday’s new episode of Saturday Night Live , the writers of Weekend Update also got into the fray, with fictional tech blogger Randall Meeks and his new Google Glass joining the news desk to speak to Seth Meyers. SNL’s portrayal of Google Glass’ awkward head gestures and sometimes unresponsive voice commands is funny to watch, and frankly, not that far off from what it’s actually like to use Glass. You can check out the clip below and get an idea of what others might think when they see people using Google Glass out in public. Note: Because…

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Google Glass’ awkward interactions parodied on ‘Saturday Night Live’

High-end British department store Selfridges has called the BlackBerry Q10 its “fastest-ever selling consumer electronics product.” Although it declined to give exact statistics, the store said it was selling thousands of BlackBerry’s latest smartphone per hour, and SeekingAlpha reports one store sold 2,000 of the handsets in ninety minutes . This may seem like good news for both BlackBerry and Selfridges, but while it is certainly great for the latter, it’s way too early to judge the Q10 a success in the UK. Selfridges was the only company in the country to sell the BlackBerry Q10 this weekend — the £579.99 (roughly $900 including 20 percent sales tax) handset went on general release today — and only has four stores in the UK,…

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UK store reports selling ‘thousands’ of BlackBerry Q10s per hour

Microsoft has tried a number of ways to advertise Windows Phone handsets, but the latest pits two rivals against each other. In a new minute long spot that’s due to air on US national TV, a wedding reception is interrupted by Apple and Samsung fans. “Would you mind moving your enormous phone,” asks one iPhone 5 user, before the guests — a clear 50 / 50 split of iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy users —begin to trade insults. One member searches for “one tricky pony” using Siri, while another fires back “aren’t you a little young to have an iPhone?” Microsoft wants people to notice its phones Insanity ensures and a mass brawl breaks out where each side can be heard trading insults like “iSheep” or “copybox.” The ad finishes up with two..

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Microsoft creates an Apple vs. Samsung wedding fight for its new Windows Phone ad

At this point, Samsung is well-known for polarizing events (like its recent Galaxy S4 event in New York City) and similarly divisive ads (like its ongoing attack ad series on Apple fans) — but a video from a Galaxy S4 introduction event in India pushes the awkward and ridiculous envelope even further. According to India Today, Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh took the stage at the event to perform Psy’s runaway hit “Gangnam Style” — however, the words were all changed to hype up Samsung’s latest flagship phone, with the song now being known as “Samsung Style.” “S for Samsung Style” The trainwreck of a performance brings to mind BlackBerry’s incredibly awkward remake to REO Speedwagon’s “Keep on Loving You” at last year’s BlackBerry… Continue reading…

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Samsung launches Galaxy S4 in India with terrible ‘Gangnam Style’ remake

Samsung has decided to rename all of its Windows PC products “Ativ.” The Ativ brand, which Samsung introduced last August , has until now been restricted to tablets and phones, but that’s set to change. Samsung’s Series 3, 5, 7, and 9 laptops are all being renamed Ativ Book, the company’s Series 3, 5, and 7 All-In-Ones are being renamed Ativ One 3, 5, and 7, while the Ativ Smart PC and Smart PC Pro are set to be called the Ativ Tab 5 and 7. Continue reading…

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Samsung switches to Ativ brand for all its Windows hardware

After Facebook was found to be updating its Android app without using the Google Play store’s update mechanisms , Google has clarified its terms and conditions to ensure no other developers attempt to circumvent its store. While Google has always outlawed “applications that cause users to unknowingly download or install applications from sources outside of Google Play,” it’s added a new sentence to its ” Dangerous Products ” section: Continue reading…

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Google closes Facebook’s loophole, bans non-Play Store app updates in Android

HTC apparently has decided it doesn’t want to fight an injunction from an Amsterdam District Court that prevents it from buying a certain microphone for its new flagship One smartphone. The issue surrounds a supplier called STMicroelectronics, which apparently was not authorized to sell the part to HTC thanks to an agreement with Nokia. In a statement, HTC first offered reassurances that it would continue to have supplies for the One, saying that it could continue to use the microphones it has already purchased “because they were purchased in good-faith.” The company also added that “Nokia’s attempt to obtain a recall of microphones already sold to HTC failed.” HTC was also eager to clarify that Nokia didn’t take legal action against… Continue reading…

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After injunction over smartphone part, HTC plans switch to new microphone