Samsung to shut down Milk Video in November

Followed by a round layoffs earlier this year, Samsung on Monday quietly announced its Milk Video service will be shut down in November. Announced through Google Play, Samsung said that although it’s committed to providing premium entertainment services, the Korean company will no longer provide support for its Milk Video app. The service’s closure comes just12 months after launching.

Milk Video was designed to present Galaxy owners with free video from channels like Vice, VEVO, GQ and Funny or Die, with content ranging from 1 minute to 5 minutes in length. In that respect, it was a little like Snapchat’s Discover feature. Users could create their own profile of curated content, adding in a social element, but it appears engagement wasn’t quite high enough to continue on.

When the service launched last year, we actually liked it a lot, but it looks like the initial honeymoon period couldn’t be sustained. Samsung has built up an entire Milk ecosystem, with Music and VR video also in the family. It’s unclear how much longer those two will survive, though there’s a pretty good chance Milk VR will live on as Samsung just announced a new Gear VR headset.

Samsung said a future software update won’t include Milk Video, which means you only have a few months left until Samsung’s unloved service disappears for good.

Source: Variety

Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge on AT&T getting Android 5.1.1 OS update in US

Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge on AT&T getting Android 5.1.1 OS update 

 Samsung's recent Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge flagships users who have subscribed to AT&T's wireless network services now have lots to cheer about as the much-expected Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop) OS update is finally live. As The latest rollout adds the all-important Samsung Pay along with other features.

According to an Android Central report, users of AT&T-driven Galaxy S6/S6 Edge handsets can check out Android 5.1.1 in the form of a 660MB-sized file. However, the official changelog for the release is yet to be out at this point in time, nonetheless, the update should bring along known features such as:

Newer animation effects, revamped/smooth user interface, improved battery life of the tablet, task switcher animation effects working faster and a host of conventional performance (and stability) improvements along with bug fixes.

iBall Andi HD6 Express Review: A large screen Android phone for basic use

The iBall Andi HD6 is a large phone for a small price. At Rs. 6,999, it’s one of the few phones to pack a gargantuan 6-inch screen. But is that enough?

Specs:6-inch 720p HD display | 1.3GHz quad-core processor | 1GB RAM | 8GB internal memory, microSD card up to 32GB | 8MP rear camera, 5MP front camera | Dual-SIM, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 4 | 3000mAh battery | Android 4.4 KitKat

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus pre-orders now shipping ahead of launch

Apple and its carrier partners have begun shipping iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus pre-orders ahead of their launch on Friday, September 25. But don’t get too excited just yet, because this doesn’t mean you’ll get your shiny new iPhone early.

Customers in a number of iPhone 6s launch markets saw their orders change from “Processing Items” to “Preparing for Shipment” last Wednesday, and Apple began charging credit and debit cards. Now many orders are changing to “Shipped.”

MacRumors reports that orders placed with Apple and carrier partners such as T-Mobile and Verizon are now being shipped directly from China. This does not mean, however, that handsets will be received before the September 25 launch day.

Not only do these devices have a long way to travel, but Apple also works closely with carriers, retailers, and even distributors to ensure that its new devices aren’t delivered early. A small few do slip through the net every year, but the vast majority are held until launch day.

If you’ve already received a shipping notification, then, check it carefully and you should find that your device won’t actually be dispatched until Thursday, September 24, when it will be sent with overnight shipping for Friday delivery.

And if you haven’t received a shipping notification yet, don’t panic. Apple has million of orders to get through, and while that will take time, you should still see your device on launch day if the model you selected was still available for September 25 delivery when you ordered.

Source: 
Via: MacRumors

BlackBerry Venice Android phone shown off in a quick look video with slide-out Qwerty keyboard and 18MP camera

BlackBerry is expected to announce its first Android smartphone with slide-out keyboard later this year (Source: Tinhte)

BlackBerry working on its first Android smartphone is not a secret anymore. After several rounds of leaks showing device in pictures, Canadian phone reseller Baka Mobile has put out a brief hands-on video of BlackBerry Venice.

The video shows an evaluation unit of BlackBerry Venice featuring a near stock Android Lollipop Operating System. With legacy of being corporate friendly device, BlackBerry Venice seems to offer handy customisation for quick launching emails, texts and BlackBerry Messenger services.

The recent apps switcher looks straight out of BB OS 10 which automatically resizes recent apps based on how frequently you use them. Swiping up from the Home buttom reveals Google Now along with BlackBerry Hub and BlackBerry Universal search.

The most striking feature of this device is its slide out QWERTY keyboard which features biometric sense touch similar to BlackBerry Passport.

The BlackBerry Venice is expected to feature a 5.4-inch screen with 3GB RAM and powered by Qualcomm’s hexacore Snapdragon 808 processor. The camera on the unit is an 18-megapixel sensor. The device is slated to launch in November but we will need to wait a little while before BlackBerry makes an official announcement.

Its not true, charging your iPhone overnight does not destroy the battery

Some iPhone users have been confused as to how they charge the battery (Pixabay)

According to Battery University, a website run by the company Cadex, charging your phone when its already fully charged keeps it in a high-stress, high-tension state, which wears down the chemistry within and does lasting damage.

Tech author Jesse Hollington tells you everything you need to know about how your smartphone battery works: "Charging your iPhone overnight will not harm your battery in the slightest.

"Charging your iPhone from 90 per cent will not harm your battery either. You simply can't overcharge an iPhone, or any other modern electronic device, for that matter.

"Any device that uses a Lithium Ion or Lithium Polymer battery must incorporate a charging circuit that cuts off charging power when the battery reaches 100 per cent"

Basically the smartphone battery is as smart as the phone itself. Apple, Samsung and all the top tech companies - almost of whose products use lithium-based batteries - use this best practice.

 

And there's more: "Lithium Ion batteries are rated for a limited number of "charge cycles' (about 500 in the case of the iPhone), the term "charge cycle" refers to complete recharges, and partial recharges simply use up partial charge cycles.

"In other words, every time you charge your iPhone up from 90 per cent, you're using 1/10th, or 10 per cent, of a complete charge cycle.

"Obviously if you're using your iPhone until the battery goes dead, that's fair, but there's no need to deliberately drain it before recharging it, and you'll actually shorten your battery life if you do so."

Robots are going to steal the jobs of chefs, salespeople and models, researchers say as they unveil full list of likely robot professions

Robots make cocktails, ordered via a tablet in the bionic bar on board Royal Caribbean's latest cruise liner 'The Anthem Of The Seas', a 4,905-passenger ship which is docked in Southampton. The ship is billed as the most technologically advanced cruise vessel ever. It boasts fast internet speeds, an all-digital check-in process, a skydiving simulator at sea and the first bumper cars at sea

Some jobs, like doctors, are safe — but others could be gone very soon

Scientists have created a huge, in-depth analysis of what jobs are under threat from robots — with salesmen, chefs and even models all in the firing line.

Researchers have assembled a full list of all the things that robots are good and bad at, and so what jobs they are likely to take. In all, about 35 per cent of jobs are likely to have been taken on by robots in the next 20 years, researchers have said.

Some professions — such as therapists, personal trainers and teachers — are safe from the coming robot apocalypse. But those that require repetitive skills, the manipulation of data or manual entering of information could see their jobs taken away.

The researchers calculated all of the various advantages that humans have over machines. Jobs that reward those traits were more likely to be safe from being stolen by robots.

Something robots aren’t especially good at social interaction. Humans will still be needed as managers and carers, for instance — at least for the time being,.

Robots have already taken on a good deal of jobs, the researchers point out. “Computer” used to be a word that referred to people who did data entry, for instance, and now it is the word for the little robots that sit on everyone’s desk.

US and China reportedly working on an arms accord to limit cyber attacks

The US and China are said to be working on a cyber arms control accord in which both sides would agree not to use certain types of cyber attacks during times of peace. Such arms control treaties are best known for limiting the use and development of nuclear weapons, like the accords struck between the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The accord, if finalized, could be the first of its kind for a new age of covert attacks that target computer systems in an effort to gain valuable intelligence or cripple key infrastructure.

Officials privy to discussions between the two nations tell The New York Times that both sides would commit not to use cyber attacks against "critical infrastructure" in peacetime. That would include such facilities as power grids and plants, communication systems, and more. TheTimes does note one other official who says that the announcement — which could occur as soon as this week — may used scaled back language that merely sees both sides support a code of conduct that's in the works at the United Nations.

Notably, the accord would likely not stop the vast amount of cyber activity perpetrated by both the US and China. Spying activities, infiltration of foreign networks, and theft of intellectual property wouldn't count as attacks on critical infrastructure. China, in particular has been repeatedly blamed for such attacks, like one that targeted millions of secure US government personnel records, and others that sought to steal intellectual property to bolster its technological competitiveness.

It will likely prove challenging to enforce any arms control accord for cyber warfare. Unlike physical missiles, the source of any attack is often unclear. And nations can easily sponsor a third party to perpetrate a hack — a move that can help mask their culpability. Particularly successful attacks can also go unnoticed for years.

Murmurs of a pact on cyber activities have been spreading for some time — the US and China announced plans to discuss a possible agreement back in June. But a proper arms control accord that sees both sides agree not to use cyber attacks against infrastructure in a first strike capacity could be a key first step in regulating a new type of warfare.

NASA has released a breathtaking new Pluto panorama

Just 15 minutes after its closest approach to Pluto in July, NASA’s New Horizons captured what is now the most beautiful image of the dwarf planet. And that’s saying a lot, because the courageous spacecraft has also sent back some truly spectacular pictures—my favorite is this silhouette after New Horizons successfully made its historic flyby.

Up until now, we had no real idea what Pluto looked like; everything we’ve seen until New Horizons came along were just simple concepts based on what we thought we knew. This latest image is not only incredible for its proximity to the mysterious planet, but also because of its detail. There are mountains and plains and foggy hazes. It almost looks like a place you’d want to visit.

“This image really makes you feel you are there, at Pluto, surveying the landscape for yourself,” said New Horizons Principal Investigator Alan Stern.

Stern added that the image is not only spectacular for its beauty, but because it provides scientists with a wealth of information, revealing details about Pluto’s atmosphere, mountains, glaciers and plains.

In the main panorama picture above, shot with the sun at Pluto’s back, there are two areas of interest. On the right is an icy plain, dubbed Sputnik Planum, which is flanked to the west by mountains up to 11,000 feet high. NASA says there are also some glaciers east of Sputnik, while the sun’s lights helps to highlight over a dozen layers of haze. The panorama shows about 780 miles of Pluto—about the size of Texas.

“In addition to being visually stunning, these low-lying hazes hint at the weather changing from day to day on Pluto, just like it does here on Earth,” said New Horizons Composition team member Will Grundy.

New Horizons has sent back a wealth of information since flying by Pluto this past summer, and will continue to do so over the next several months. If it continues to send images like this, there might no longer be any mysterious about Pluto left.

Source: NASA

2015 FRANKFURT: 2017 SMART FORTWO CABRIOLET REVEALED AHEAD OF FRANKFURT DEBUT

Fans of the ultra-tiny Smart Fortwo city car now have the option to go topless during their urban commutes. The 2017 Smart Fortwo Cabriolet makes its debut at next month's Frankfurt auto show and will launch in the U.S. in summer 2016.

Refuse Truck Driver is Supported by Robot Volvo

You find humans, you find garbage. And, for a long time, it seemed inevitable that there would always be garbagemen, too, to collect that refuse. A new project by carmaker Volvo, recycling company Renova, Sweden™s Chalmers University of Technology and Mälardalen University, and Penn State University wants to create robot assistants for garbage trucks. With automation, a human driver can stick to the road, and a robot can do the literal heavy lifting.

Dubbed Robot-based Autonomous Refuse handling, or ROAR, the project will feature a robot designed by Mälardalen University, control system designed by Chalmers University, and a control panel designed by Penn State. Combined, these efforts will hopefully yield a robot that can grab trash and toss it on board a Renova waste truck by June 2016.

Volvo™s release on the matter suggests the purpose behind ROAR is a system that collects garbage œwithout waking the sleeping families and without heavy lifting for the refuse truck™s driver,� but there™s little evidence yet that humanoid robots or quieter or more graceful than actual humans. In terms of cost, robots can certainly be cheaper than people, if the same already-employed driver is now also responsible for steering a pair of robots instead of waiting for a couple people to hop off, grab trash, and get back on.

But that assumes waste collection companies will even still want human drivers in the future. If they™re looking to completely automate the garbage collection process, the next step is tohand the keys over to a robot.

Source: www.popsci.com

BlackBerry Android Phone

The BlackBerry’s rumored Android-powered smartphone.
The latest photos appear to confirm the rendered form factor we saw in last month’s leak, with a trademark BlackBerry physical Qwerty tucked under a sliding full size touchscreen — for a cake and eat it approach to mobile computing. The keys are not flat either, but rather look to have the classic sloped shaping so beloved of former CrackBerry addicts.
As you’d expect for a smartphone that has to pack in both full size touchscreen and (bumpy) physical keys, the most obvious trade-off is a fairly chunky form factor, albeit with curved sides — making it a little reminiscent of first wave Nokia Lumia Windows Phones.
It also doesn’t look like the battery will be removable.

The Moto X

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The Moto X Pure Edition is not just the best giant Android smartphone or the best Android phone for the money. It is the best Android phone ... period.