IFTTT's new iPhone app taps into Contacts, Photos and Reminders (hands-on)
IFTTT has been around for a couple of years now as an internet service that lets users customize connections between different apps and devices.
The name stands for If This Then That, which encapsulates the idea
behind it -- users can create automation Recipes that combine a Trigger
(the "This") that'll result in an Action (the "That"). A popular example
is to to have all your Instagram photos (the Trigger) automatically
saved to your Dropbox folder (the Action). Services like Instagram and
Dropbox are known as "Channels," and there are different Triggers and
Actions associated with each. While it's a pretty neat concept, the only
way to access IFTTT has been via the browser, and even then, Channels
are limited to mostly web services.
IFTTT
hopes to end all that today with its first-ever mobile app headed for
iOS, aptly called IFTTT for iPhone. Not only does it provide a much more
streamlined interface for Recipe creation -- only five taps required --
it also signifies an all-important next step in IFTTT's evolution: the
ability to hook into a device's native Channels, namely Photos, Contacts
and Reminders. Just like with the web services mentioned earlier, you
can use them to create Recipes that take advantage of the phone's
capabilities. For example, you can have it so that all the photos you
take with the front-facing camera will be sent to Flickr with the
"selfie" tag, or you can automatically send new contacts an introductory
"Nice to meet you" email. Join us after the break for more of the app's
features along with our hands-on impressions and some thoughts from
IFTTT's CEO and co-founder, Linden Tibbets.
Filed under: MobileComments
Source: IFTTT for iPhone (App Store), IFTTT Blog
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Amazon Prime Instant Video inks deal with Miramax, lets you Kill Bill on demand
Amazon's Prime Instant Video has long trailed behind Netflix in terms of catalog size and quality, but today's Miramax licensing deal should give it a much needed competitive boost. All the art house, indie and cult flicks you've likely amassed into a cherished DVD collection -- Trainspotting, Amélie and Pulp Fiction, anyone? --- are now available to stream to any device compatible with Prime Instant Video. So if you've let your Tarantino quotes get rusty, now's the perfect time to brush up. You got that hunny bunny? Yeah, we thought so.
Filed under: Internet, Software, HD, Amazon
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Your digital game library will be accessible from any PlayStation 4, says Sony
The digital games you buy on your PlayStation 4 will apparently travel with you, virtually, when you move from console to console. Sony R&D senior team leader Neil Brown detailed as much at Develop today. "You can visit your friend's house you can log into your account and play any game from your digital library," he said. Paired with the console's "Play As You Download" functionality, Brown promised that users will be able to instantly jump into their full library of digital games from any PS4 after signing in with their PSN ID. "This makes a digital library a practical option in the real world," he added.
PlayStation 4 games are planned for digital launch alongside physical, thus making an all-digital game library a more possible goal. Should you purchase a physical copy, you can take the Blu-ray with you from console to console; the game will automatically install on the console's HDD, though you'll still need its disc in the tray for the game to play.
Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD, Sony
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Source: Official PlayStation Magazine UK
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Microsoft dishes on Xbox One design, invokes Frank Lloyd Wright as an influence
Frank Lloyd Wright probably never thought his philosophies would guide video game consoles. Yet, during today's keynote at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference, Xbox Creative Director Carl Ledbetter detailed that the architect influenced the creative process behind Redmond's new gaming hardware. His team of "almost thirty" went through countless hardware designs for the console and over 200 controller prototypes before settling on final models. Throughout, Xbox One's goals remained modest: simplicity and elegance. The ultimate benchmark being something that doesn't look out of place with today's svelte and stylish high-def TVs.
"We worked with the engineering team to understand how the parts go together. Cooling, venting, what's it going to look like?" Ledbetter asked. His crew strived to follow Wright's ideal that form shouldn't follow function, they should be joined as one in "spiritual union." Considering its components, that likely explains the next-gen hardware's sheer size. For glimpses of rejected concepts hit the break, the full presentation is in the links below and Ledbetter's portion begins around 13:10.
Filed under: Gaming, Microsoft
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Via: Polygon
Source: Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference
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LG Display shows off 2.2mm thick 'world's slimmest' 1080p LCD for smartphones
As smartphones continue to get thinner and thinner, LG Display is continually doing its part to shave off a few millimeters. Its latest introduction is this "world's slimmest full HD panel for smartphones", measuring at 5.2-inches diagonally, it's just 2.2mm thick and has a 2.3mm bezel. To get there, LG's display arm has pioneered new technology including "Advanced One-Glass-Solution" that puts dual flexible circuits between the panel and touch film, with 30 percent fewer lines on the panel. It also points out that every one of its pixels consists of RGB subpixels -- more shots fired at pentile screens -- and that it's capable of 535 nits of brightness, more than all current 1080p mobile LCDs. That should be an improvement over the Zerogap Touch technology it was so proud of in the original Optimus G and hey, look at that -- it's arriving just in time for the Optimus G2.
Filed under: Mobile, LG
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Source: LG Display
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US Navy's X-47B unmanned jet successfully lands on an aircraft carrier
The US Navy's unmanned plane, the X-47B, has been in development for years. It first flew in 2011, began testing aboard an aircraft carrier in late 2012, and finally took off from a floating airstrip earlier this year. Taking off from a moving ship is easier than landing on one, of course, but the X-47B accomplished that task today when it successfully landed on the USS George H.W. Bush. And, just to show off, shortly thereafter the X-47B was launched from carrier via catapult and, once again, landed successfully. So, it looks to be only a matter of time before our Top Guns look more like Watson, and less like Tom Cruise.
Filed under: Transportation
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Source: US Navy
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StubHub launches Spotify app for direct access to concert listings and tickets
Just in time for the summer concert season, Spotify's launching a StubHub app to give fans of sweaty, cramped music venues (indoor and out) quick ticket access. Starting today, Spotify users in the US and UK will be able to access the free app using App Finder to search upcoming concert schedules by location and purchase tickets through provided StubHub links. It's pretty basic stuff, but if you're the impulsive type, this mini-app could be the best thing for your social life and the worst for your wallet.
Filed under: Software
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Samsung's 65-, 55-inch Ultra HDTVs will ship to the US in August
After releasing its massive 85-inch UHD TV with a stunning $39,999 price in the US earlier this year, Samsung is ready to follow up with a few models that are more easily attainable. The 65- and 55-inch F9000 UHD TVs will carry US pricetags of $7,499 and $5,499, respectively, with pre-orders starting July 21st and shipments expected in early August. Samsung just began delivering these in its home country, and others like Sony, LG, Sharp and Toshiba are starting to offer 4K TVs in smaller sizes (not to mention value priced contenders like Seiki.) The F9000 series includes all of Samsung's latest features like 3D, Micro Dimming Ultimate LED display, Wi-Fi and an embedded camera, plus support for Evolution Kit upgrades the company claims will let it keep pace with any future UHD standards.
Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD, Samsung
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More details surface on Sprint's upcoming Unlimited, My Way plans
We just received a few more internal training documents that further explains the new Unlimited plans that Sprint will be launching this coming Friday. Of course, that Sprint Unlimited Guarantee is only available for the "unlimited" part of any plan you sign up for, and it doesn't mean the rate won't change over time. The guarantee is also only applicable to the new "Unlimited, My Way" plans, and not to the existing "Everything" plans, even if those "Everything" plans have unlimited data. It doesn't apply to tablets, just phones, and is non-transferrable to another subscriber.
Existing Sprint customers who want to swap out their plans to the new ones may do so without extending their contract, though new lines do require a two-year service agreement. To those who have employer discounts, the carrier will discount the monthly data charge for each line rather than the primary rate plan. However, it also states that the My All-In plan (the one that bundles unlimited talk, text, data and a 5GB mobile hotspot) is not eligible for any discount, employer or otherwise.
Filed under: Mobile, Sprint
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Gartner and IDC: PC shipments dropped about 11 percent in Q2
If you were looking for a bounce-back in the PC market after a sobering first quarter... well, keep looking. Both Gartner and IDC estimate that shipments fell about 11 percent year-over-year in the second quarter. The two analyst groups blame the decline on sluggish uptake in a few regions, most notably China and Europe, as well as a market that favors tablets over low-end computers. It's easy to agree after seeing the numbers. Taiwanese PC makers like Acer and ASUS faced steep yearly declines as they switched their attention toward tablets and Ultrabooks, while even top-seated Lenovo took a small bruising.
There's a silver lining to this cloud, however. Dell, HP and Lenovo all fared much better in the US than they have in recent quarters. Gartner and IDC attribute the resurgence to the corporate world, where the end of Windows XP support in 2014 may be pushing some upgrades to PCs running at least Windows 7. It's not quite the broader recovery that vendors are hoping for, but it may have to suffice when any help from Windows 8.1 and OS X Mavericks is months away.
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Apple, ASUS, HP, Dell, Acer, Lenovo
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Source: Gartner, IDC
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The Daily Roundup for 07.10.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
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Softbank's $21.6 billion acquisition of Sprint is complete
Finally, the saga is over. All but a formality once the FCC approved, Softbank has merged with Sprint, and will own about 78 percent of shares in the new Sprint Corporation, while current Sprint equity holders will own about 22 percent. Initially announced last fall, things were suddenly complicated when Dish made its own bid for Sprint and Clearwire in the spring. But, that challenge faded, regulatory hurdles were cleared, Clearwire shareholders approved Sprint's buyout and here we are, with Dan Hesse staying on as CEO of Sprint, and Softbank's Masayoshi Son taking over as the chairman of the board of directors. The plan is for this to result in a "stronger, more competitive Sprint," although we'll have to wait and see if that happens all of the details are in the press release after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sprint
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Source: Sprint
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This is the Modem World: Four ways to fix e-commerce and shipping companies
Each week Joshua Fruhlinger contributes This is the Modem World, a column dedicated to exploring the culture of consumer technology.
I'm going out of my head right now. I came home hoping to find my cool new Santa Cruz mountain biking jersey all wrapped in plastic thanks to UPS via Chainlove.com, my crazy-discounted gear site of choice. We're not talking anything expensive -- I think the thing cost me $20, but I was psyched to have a team jersey from my favorite bike company. I'm a bike dork, what can I say?
I should have been skeptical when I tracked my package from the office to learn that it had been left at my "front door" at exactly 2:00 PM. While it's possible the driver hit the 2 PM mark on the head, it's unlikely that he or she left anything at my "front door" given that it's three stories or 76 stairs -- my mom counts and complains every time she visits -- above the street. In fact, every single delivery I've ever received here was tossed over my little wooden fence. But in my head, everything was fine. The jersey was waiting for me, my future as a Santa Cruz team member assured. Victory was mine.
Filed under: Misc, Internet
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China drawing up plans to end official game console sales ban, report claims
China's 13-year prohibition on game console sales may soon come to an end, according to a report from the South China Morning Post. The compromise would see the likes of Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft able to manufacture game consoles in Shanghai's new free trade zone -- part of a larger governmental move to open up China's economy to the outside world -- and then market and sell said consoles across mainland China. Of course, the big three would still have to pass the Chinese government's smell test, an approval from "culture-related authorities," according to the report.
The news certainly lines up with China's goal in its original ban: "to keep underage folks away from dangerous venues and unhealthy content," Engadget China head Richard Lai wrote earlier this year in a piece detailing the history of China's game console law. In fact, Nintendo's currently able to sell game consoles in China, despite the long-standing ban; it currently markets its 3DS XL gaming handheld under the iQue brand, alongside a handful of first-party Nintendo software. Sony's also had brief approval for console sales in China in the past, including a Chinese version of the PlayStation 2 -- the company's PlayStation arm even has a headquarters in Guangzhou as part of a government-backed project.
Lifting China's game console sales ban is little more than a report at the moment, but now seems like an especially good time for the country to reconsider its stance. With new game consoles on the way from Sony and Microsoft, that's a lot of money potentially being left on the table.
Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo
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Via: Kotaku
Source: South China Morning Post
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Chrome for Android update adds fullscreen mode for tablets, Google Translate integration
Chrome for Android just turned 28! Version 28, which today moved out of beta to the stable channel, includes a pair of notable additions, along with the typical variety of bug fixes and performance improvements. The first new feature is Google Translate integration. When you come across a website in a foreign language, the browser will offer to translate the text into your language. Additionally, tablet users are now able to take advantage of the fullscreen mode already available on smartphones. After updating to 28, you should be able to scroll down the page and see the toolbar disappear. Finally, there's a new interface option for right-to-left languages, which include Arabic, Farsi and Hebrew. Snag the update at the source link below.
Filed under: Software, Mobile, Google
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Via: Chrome Releases
Source: Google Play
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Sony's four pillar approach to game publishing on PlayStation 4 aims to level the playing field
Sony's already said that it's making game publishing on PlayStation 4 even easier than it is on the PlayStation 3, but Senior Account Manager of Development at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Agostino Simonetta today explained exactly what that means. Sony's apparently applying a "four pillar" approach to publishing, as follows:
- "Every developer is a publisher"
- "Equality of opportunity"
- "Personal relationship"
- "No hurdles, just games"
It's this multi-tiered approach that Sony believes will attract developers to the PlayStation 4. "Every single developer is a publisher, as far as we're concerned. We don't separate, we don't segregate indies from traditional publishers," Simonetta said, in reference to the current console generation's "segregation" of indie (primarily digital) games from more traditional publishers (primarily disc-based). More specifically, individual devs can work with Sony one-on-one to establish promotions and other details. Perhaps most importantly, all developers will hear back on publishing approval within one week from Sony. Head to the source link below for more details from Simonetta, straight out of the annual Develop conference.
Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD, Sony
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Source: Digital Spy
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ABB to build over 200 EV charging stations in the Netherlands' largest network
Swiss company ABB has been chosen by Fastned to provide chargers for over 200 EV charging stations throughout the Netherlands, in what will be that nation's largest such network. The largely solar-fueled stations will be spaced out along Dutch highways at a maximum distance of 50 kilometers from each other. Fastned will be using ABB's Terra fast chargers, which are compatible with a large number of vehicles, including "all major car brands from Europe, Asia and the USA." Each charger will also be connected to the internet, allowing ABB to push software updates and provide customers with remote assistance. The first batch of chargers will land roadside in September with rollout expected to be completed in 2015. There's one more image and video after the break.
Filed under: Transportation
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Philips intros Ambilight+Hue integration, 60-inch Elevation TV (video)
Philips makes colorful Hue light bulbs, and it (indirectly) makes colorful Ambilight TVs. Wouldn't it make sense if the two devices talked to each other? They do now: a new Ambilight+Hue app for Android and iOS coordinates Hue bulbs with compatible TVs, spreading Ambilight effects across the entire room. To mark the occasion, Philips and TPVision are launching the 60-inch Elevation TV (not pictured here). The 3D-capable, 1080p LCD introduces a four-sided Ambilight system that produces a fuller lighting effect when the set is wall-mounted. It's also the thinnest Philips TV to date, at 0.54 inches thick, and it includes the requisite smart TV features like Netflix, web browsing and Miracast media sharing. Ambilight+Hue should be available now, although Europeans will have to wait until later in the summer to buy the Elevation for about £2,800 ($4,168).
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Household, HD
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Source: Philips
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Check if your Android phone is patched against the 'Master Key' exploit with this app
After discovering a longstanding exploit in Android firmware dating back to version 1.6 that allowed malicious developers to circumvent software security measures, Bluebox Security released an Android app this week for users to check whether their phone is still vulnerable to the exploit. Since Bluebox's report last week, Google acknowledged the issue and released a patch that it says is in the hands of OEMs and already being pushed out by certain manufacturers (Samsung, for one). The app is thankfully free, and should provide some much-needed reassurance to most Android users. Head to the source link below to snag it for yourself.
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Google
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Via: Phone Arena
Source: Google Play
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Hubble researchers identify color of an exoplanet for the first time (video)
While exoplanets are seemingly a dime a dozen, their looks have been mysteries; they often exist only as measurements. Scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope have partly solved that riddle by pinpointing the visible color of an extrasolar world for the first time. By measuring reflected light, they can tell that HD 189733b (conceptualized above) is a cobalt blue, much like Earth's oceans. Not that we can claim much kinship, though. The planet is a gas giant 63 light-years away -- its blue tint comes from an atmosphere likely full of deadly silicate. As disappointing as that may be, the discovery should at least help us understand planet types that don't exist in the Solar System.
Filed under: Science, Alt
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Source: ESA
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PlayStation 3 YouTube update adds auto-pairing with mobile devices
The folks at YouTube are updating Sony's PlayStation 3 YouTube app today with additional support for send to TV functionality, making it all the easier to share clips from your mobile device of choice with a living room full of people. Similar to the Xbox 360's SmartGlass functionality, YouTube's send to TV allows for a phone or tablet to be paired via a shared Wi-Fi network with the PS3, enabling videos on your mobile device in the YouTube app to be transferred "instantly" to the big screen -- the service now pairs automatically rather than requiring a PIN. Moreover, today's update looks to be yet another example of YouTube's co-developed DIAL tech. YouTube also added some video stream stabilization in the latest update, should you be experiencing hiccups.
Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD, Sony, Google
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Source: Google
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All Electric Vehicle Rally ends with Tesla S in top spot
There they were, a caravan of nine electric car enthusiasts with a lot of free time on their hands, "tearing" down North America's west coast in a bunch of environmentally conscious vehicles. That was just last week in what organizer Tony Williams called the All Electric Vehicle Rally, and nearly all nine participants arrived in the rally's end location of Tijuana, Mexico.
The convoy started in Blaine, Washington and took to I-5 in four chunks. This year a Tesla Model S piloted by Jack Bowers and Georg Kuhnke arrived first, with just 41 hours of driving time -- a far cry from the eight days and five hours the course took Williams last year. The approximately 1,400 miles were covered by the winner at an average speed of about 34 MPH. Sadly, one Nissan Leaf owner got stuck charging their car for 15 hours in California due to a lack of CHADEMO chargers en route. Despite years of promises, CHADEMO sites haven't made their way south of the Oregon/California border as part of the west coast's Green Highway. Still, that we've reached the point where even some EVs can clear that many miles in under two days using only public chargers is pretty impressive.
Filed under: Alt
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Source: Plug In Cars, All Electric Vehicle Rally
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Nokia Lumia 925 lands on T-Mobile July 17th for $49.99 down
We knew the Nokia Lumia 925 was coming to T-Mobile, but we didn't know when, and we didn't know how much it would cost. No longer. Turns out, Lumia fans can have the handset starting July 17th for the low, low price of $49.99 down with 24 monthly payments of $20 thereafter. Of course, should a new, more photographically-capable handset become available down the road, you can always Jump to the new model -- provided you pay the additional ten bucks a month and happen to live in the right part of the world.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia, T-Mobile
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T-Mobile's LTE network expanding faster than planned, now covers 116 metro areas
When T-Mobile threw the switch on its first LTE markets back in March, the company promised to cover 100 million people by mid year. Four months on, there are 157 million potential customers with access to the un-carrier's still fledgling 4G LTE network. With true 4G now launched in 116 metro areas the expansion is actually ahead of schedule, and could match its HSPA+ footprint within a year. By the end of 2013, Big Magenta plans to cover 200 markets, encompassing 200 million people -- which actually seems quite conservative seeing how quickly the network has expanded so far. In fact, the speedy deployment kinda puts AT&T and Sprint to shame. T-Mo might have waited the longest to get on the LTE train, but it's hasn't wasted any time getting those blazing speeds to its loyal customers.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, T-Mobile
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T-Mobile introduces Simple Choice family plans with no credit check required
As part of T-Mobile's "Boldest Moves Yet"
smorgasbord of service changes announced today, the carrier is
introducing a family option that doesn't require a credit check. The new
plan, which kicks in beginning July 14th, enables families to activate
up to four Simple Choice Plan lines with unlimited talk, texting and up
to 500MB of data for $100 per month plus taxes and fees. In lieu of the
traditional credit check, individuals who want to take advantage of this
option can make a deposit equivalent to one month's bill. Otherwise,
the available offering is similar to the Simple Choice plan that
T-Mobile detailed in March.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, T-MobileComments
Source: T-Mobile
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