Getting Rid of Those Pesky ‘Selfie’ Reflections in Photos Shot Through Glass
Posted: May 14, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Camera, Glass, Peephole, Peeple, Reflections, Selfie, Smartphone Leave a commentJust about everyone has grabbed a shot from their smartphone through a window, or with a window behind your subject, and there’s that unwanted reflection of you holding your phone reflected in the background, or even partly obscuring the subject of your picture. According to geek.com, a team at MIT has come up with an algorithm that removes those reflections from your shots! It’s in the initial stages, but should be a boon once it’s perfected.
There have already been a couple of cameras that replace your peep hole in your front door, but now there’s a Kickstarter called Peeple…with two ‘e’s,’ that goes beyond that. Techcrunch.com says it activates when someone knocks, and shoots a video, then sends you a mobile notification. The gadget easily attaches to the inside of your peep hole, and is removable, so even renters can use it. Since it sleeps until there’s a knock, the battery should be good for 6 months.
New Samsung Chips for the Internet of Things
Posted: May 13, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Artik, Border exception rule, Intel, Internet of things, laptop, Samsung, Search, Smartphones, Supreme Court Leave a commentSamsung has unveiled a new family of chips designed for the internet of things. Cnet.com says The Artik line has 3 versions, ranging from 10 bucks to 100 dollars, and can be expected to power trackers, drones, smart hubs, and more. Intel has new tiny processors coming by the end of the year, so Samsung is getting a head start by rolling out their line now. The chip family uses the same tech as Samsung uses in their smartphone processors.
Basing a decision on a Supreme Court ruling that smartphones taken by police from an arrested individual can’t be searched without a warrant, a federal district court judge has ruled that this extends to laptops going through customs, putting a crimp on the ‘border exception rule’ that has allowed authorities to seize and search items at the border or at airports. According to Arstechnica.com, the decision points out that a laptop contains much more private information than a mere container or even a briefcase.
What to Expect in the Next iPhone
Posted: May 12, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AOL, Apple, Dial up, Engadget, Huffington Post, iPhone, iPhone 6S, Techcrunch, Verizon Leave a commentUpdated 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch iPhones will start production in August, according to macrumors.com, citing generally reliable KGI Securities. Expect the A9 processor powered phone to sport a 12 megapixel camera, 2 gigs of RAM, Force Touch like the Apple Watch, and an additional Rose Gold color choice. KGI says not to expect a smaller 4 inch iPhone this year.
Verizon has bought AOL for 4.4 billion in cold, hard cash. Thenextweb.com reports that the present CEO will run AOL as a wholly owned subsidiary of the carrier. Only time will tell what changes might come to sites like The Huffington Post, Engadget, and Techcrunch. AOL still has over 2 million paying, DIAL UP customers, too…bet you never guessed there could still be that many people not using broadband!
Patent App- Amazon Drones May Stalk You With Delivery
Posted: May 8, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Amazon, Drone, FAA, Mobile Games, Nintendo, Smartphone, Stalking, Theme parks, Universal Leave a commentWith the range limited by battery power, Amazon is working overtime, trying to develop their drone delivery system. Thenextweb.com reports that FAA rules may not be in place for something to work in the next couple years, but meanwhile, Amazon is pressing ahead. One patent just granted lets them get data from a smartphone to determine the best place to deliver your item…in other words, that Amazon drone will stalk you until you get that item!
A little late to the mobile party, but Nintendo’s first smartphone game should be out by late this year. Macrumors.com says they expect to release 5 games by late 2017. Nintendo claims none are ports of existing franchises, but are all tailored for the smaller screen experience. Earlier, the company announced a partnership with Universal for Nintendo characters to be used in a theme park.
FAA Drone Study May Bring Good News For Amazon
Posted: May 6, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Amazon, Apple Pay, CurrentC, Drones, FAA, Google, Home Depot, Paypal Leave a commentThe Federal Aviation Administration is beginning a study regarding drone flights beyond the pilot’s line of sight. Both Amazon and Google have clamored for this, and the Europeans are already getting ready for it. Geekwire.com notes that the present FAA policy-just set in February- limits drones to the pilot’s line of sight.
Home Depot is upgrading its point of sale equipment, and working towards accepting Apple Pay at all of its 2000 stores. Bloomberg.com says that would make the chain the largest retailer to accept Apple Pay. Home Depot doesn’t yet have an agreement with Apple, but already accepts PayPal, and is looking at including other kinds of mobile payment, too. This would presumably include CurrentC, the still developing pay system from the Merchant Customer Exchange.
New Technology Recaptures Phone Energy and Extends Battery Life
Posted: May 5, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Android, Battery life, Bluetooth, Cellular, Dropbox, iOS, Kickstarter, Microsoft Office, Nikola Labs, Recycle RF, wi-fi Leave a commentOne of the most ingenious gadgets ever is in the pipeline. Nikola Labs has cooked up an iPhone 6 case that harvests electricity from the cellular, wi-fi, and Bluetooth transmitters in your phone. According to techcrunch.com, they will launch a Kickstarter by the end of the month for $99, and have a case out by September. Nikola claims they can recycle enough RF energy to give you 30% more battery life! The tech can be used in other devices that have little RF transmitters like smartwatches and tablets.
Dropbox is going to drop an update for iOS in the next few weeks that will let you create Microsoft Office files from scratch online…not just edit them. Engadget.com reports that it will also bring commenting functionality. No word on when an Android release is coming, but you can bet it’s in the pipeline, too.
Apple Watch Battery Strap Will Tap Apple’s Diagnostic Port
Posted: May 4, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Apple Watch, diagnostic port, emoji, Instagram, Reserve Strap, Unicode Leave a commentIt didn’t take long…the hidden port that lives where one of the straps attaches to the Apple Watch is being eyed by accessory makers…especially for straps with built in batteries. 9to5mac.com says attaching directly to the diagnostic port will allow for faster charging than the magnetic inductive method used by Apple to charge the watch. The upcoming Reserve Strap will tap the port…and will ship with a tool to access the hidden diagnostic point. Reserve strap is up for preorder for $249.
Some once said text-speak was killing the English language, and now that chatter has swung to emoji. Interestingly though, emoji seem to actually be extending the language, as opposed to killing it. According to thenextweb.com, emoji, which were just standardized in 2011 by Unicode numbering some 722 then. In 2015 we have an additional 250, not counting the skin tone modifier! Instagram just reported that nearly half the texts on their service contain an emoji!
Twitter Angling to Buy Mobile News App
Posted: May 2, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Circa, Curbside pickup, mobile news, Nordstrom, Twitter, Uber Leave a commentTwitter is in acquisition talks to buy mobile news app Circa, according to Businessinsider.com. Circa produces brief news stories for mobile devices. If the deal goes through, it would be a new direction for Twitter, which hasn’t produced any of its own content up to now.
With reports that Uber is branching out…experimenting with delivery of goods, here’s a different wrinkle on extending online shopping. Nordstrom is testing curbside pickups. You order online, then call or text when you’re outside the store, and a staffer brings your purchase right out to your car. Engadget.com says everal Nordstrom locations, including their Seattle flagship store are involved in the test option. If you’re in a hurry for an item, and can’t find parking, it could save both time and money.
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