As developers for tablets and smartphones we like to keep abreast of the latest mobile technology developments . This is a daily digest of mobile development and related technology news gathered from the BBC, the New York Times, New Scientist and the Globe and Mail to name a few. We scour the web for articles concerning, iPhone, iPad and android development, iOS and android operating systems as well as general articles on advances in mobile technology. We hope you find this useful and that it helps to keep you up to date with the latest technology developments.
Multiple reports point to record-breaking Apple holiday quarter
While the idea that Apple probably had another record-breaking holiday quarter (what the company calls fiscal 2015 Q1) is unsurprising to all but selected pundits, a spate of reports released on Monday may be painting a general portrait of not just significant improvement, but more importantly growth in key areas of importance both to investors and analysis as well as to the health of the company. Sales of Macs look to be way up, iOS devices are selling much better in a key foreign market, and Apple’s suppliers are flourishing — all signs that point to better-than-expected quarter.
Now It Is CENTCOM: But It Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg
co-authored by Dr. Stephen Bryen, Chairman & CTO Ziklag Systems/FortressFone Technologies
You don’t have to be brilliant to know that social media accounts are not private, even if you are told by their owners and operators that they are. Social sites, all of them, are easily hacked by outsiders, and even the companies that offer own them exploit them to make money. The monetization of privacy in the United States is highly advanced and represents a multibillion-dollar, unstoppable, business.
But people are starting to figure out that major danger is lurking.
For this reason, the French gendarmes and counter terrorism forces have been ordered to close any personal social media accounts they have and do so immediately.
You would have thought that America’s Central Command, which focuses on the Middle East and plays a vital role in dealing with radical Islamic terrorism, would recognize social media risks and would have, long ago, taken security measures to protect sensitive information. But that did not happen. In fact, CENTCOM (as it is known) has been merrily running Twitter and YouTube sites without any care.
So now we know that ISIS hacked CENTCOM and published the names and addresses of top officials including four star generals, making the information generally available to any operational terror cells including some who may be embedded in the United States. U.S. Cyber Command is only the tip of the iceberg. ISIS could have got all the information and passed it to terror organizations without defacing the CENTCOM twitter account and other CENTCOM-sponsored sites. In this way, Central Command would not know that critical information about their top personnel was in the hands of a vicious Islamic terror organization. But ISIS wanted to get the propaganda value out of its hack, so they made a lot of noise. No one knows how long they have been mucking about in CENTCOM’s operations.
The Pentagon says it was all a prank and is of no concern. With this mindset anyone hoping there was a chance that the Pentagon might try and fix a looming problem now knows better: they are the problem.
Is CENTCOM an exception? Hardly. Americans, despite countless articles pointing out obvious vulnerabilities in social networking and media sites, continue with their obsession to leak information that compromises personal and organizational security. It is a good bet that virtually every American military base, office, organization and unit is leaking away using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and all the others. So too, are folks at Homeland Security, the State Department, FBI and on and on.
The truth is we do not know just how much sensitive information is in the hands of terrorists, but if we have learned anything watching al-Qaeda, ISIS, the Iranians, the Syrian Electronic Army and all their brethren is that they certainly know how to exploit social media and build powerful attack databases.
They have already used their computers and the lists they have generated and passed around on memory sticks to identify and kill their enemies in Iraq and Syria. It would be foolish to think they have confined themselves to the Middle East –indeed we know they have not.
In France the attacks on the Jewish community, for example, are not random. Names, addresses and other information was gathered by the terrorists from social media sources, especially Facebook. This exposed not only the targeted individuals, but also their families. Even the Charlie Hebdo attack was precisely targeted. The killers had the ID and photos of their victims well in advance.
For a long time the French government, trying to be politically correct in the French context, did almost nothing to protect its citizens from terrorists, especially its Jews.
Now, in the wake of Charlie Hebdo and Hyper Cacher, a Kosher supermarket in Paris, the French government has taken an about face (volte-face) and decided to try and protect synagogues and religious schools. To this end, the French government has assigned 10,000 soldiers. But soldiers can’t protect someone in their home or walking down the street. In the last decade, Jews in France have been murdered, shot at, beaten up, raped and terrorized. How to protect exposed individuals, their families and friends?
The American situation is not much better. For years we have allowed terrorist organization free rein on the Internet, and have done little or nothing to stop them. The fact that ISIS can get away with launching cyber attacks tells you all you really need to know. Despite investing billions in so-called cyber security, and even creating a Pentagon unit (“Plan X”) that is supposed to deal with the bad guys, everyone is still looking at their thumbs. US security policy is frozen, blindsided, hamstrung and inept. The Pentagon can’t figure out which end us up, has not given direction to its millions of military and civilian employees, and has not engaged the enemy or tried to shut them down. Remember what happened in Boston.
Security comes down to protecting people, and if you can’t do that your security system is faulty. A quick way to provide some modicum of protection is to purge social media of sensitive information that puts people directly at risk. The bigger job is to provide real aggressive leadership to take down the connections being exploited over the Internet by the Islamic terrorists. The Pentagon can do the job; they just need to be told to launch the effort.
Computers 'good judge of character'
Computers can be better at predicting our personality than friends and family, an experiment with tens of thousands of volunteers suggests.
Pandora for Windows Phone Updated With Voice Commands
The Pandora for Windows Phone app has received a nice update today, bringing several new features to the app including voice commands. The free music service (a premium service is available) allows you to stream music based on “stations” for your favorite genre or artist. The update is available now for free in the Windows Phone Store. Pandora for Windows Phone – Free (In-App Purchases) – Download Now The update brings a handful of new features but the biggest is probably the voice commands. Now you can say “Pandora Play” or “Pandora Find” followed by a station name to play
The post Pandora for Windows Phone Updated With Voice Commands appeared first on Clinton Fitch.
2015 Workouts With <i>The Biggest Loser</i>'s Dolvett Quince
Biggest Loser trainer Dolvett Quince came by What’s Trending to talk about the future of exercise technology — and to put me through a hilarious workout on Brookstone’s BodyForm Foam Roller.
The difference between this product and a typical foam roller is the vibration. You’ll really be able to massage those sore muscles while you’re working out and making sexual jokes.
Your tennis racquet can't be too good
Why tennis technology can only go so far
VIDEO: Serving up a tennis advantage?
How much advantage can new technology give to players in tennis, a sport where skill and tenacity count for so much.
Detroit Motor Show: The tech battle
Car firms take on the tech giants
This Man Tried Really Hard To Smuggle 94 iPhones Into China, Still Failed
Authorities in Hong Kong say they caught a man attempting to smuggle 94 iPhones into mainland China on Sunday by strapping the devices to his body.
Customs police clued into the man due to his odd gait and posture, reports China’s People’s Daily online, which, judging by photos taken by customs officials, was understandably impacted.
A routine search of the man’s luggage produced no contraband, but he set off a loud alarm when he attempted to walk through a metal detector, The Independent adds.
iPhones seized from the man include the 5s, 6 and 6 Plus models, all of which are available for purchase in China. However, per CNBC, the smartphones retail for a lower price in Hong Kong than in mainland China. The International Business Times estimates this man’s contraband was worth more than 300,000 Yuan, or $48,000.
Check out some of the photos, below:
Fitbit for Windows Phone Gets Another Small Bug Fix Update
The Fitbit for Windows Phone app has received another minor update today aimed at addressing some bug fixes with the app. The latest build is version 1.5.178.11521 for those keeping score and there are no new features in the release but is one that all users should update to via the Store app on your Windows Phone. Fitbit for Windows Phone – Free – Download Now The update specifically is aimed at addressing a crashing issue that the app had at startup on some devices. Not all devices or users faced this issue – I’ve not had it on my
The post Fitbit for Windows Phone Gets Another Small Bug Fix Update appeared first on Clinton Fitch.
VIDEO: Mercedes boss: Car as smartphone on wheels
Samira Hussein speaks to Dr Dieter Zetsche, head of Mercedes-Benz about autonomous vehicles, and cars becoming smartphones on wheels.
50 Cent's Got Some Pretty Amazing <i>Star Wars</i> Headphones
What’s Trending got a chance to sit down with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson at the SMS Audio booth at CES to get a look at some of their newest headphones. The first thing 50 wanted to show us was the Biosport In-Ear Wired Ear Buds, which have studio-mastered sound plus a built-in heart monitor.
Then we got to geek out at the Star Wars-themed headphones; Chewbacca, R2D2, the Empire and the Rebellion are all represented. Those are coming out in May.
And, of course, we had to ask about the pitch. Perhaps the worst first pitch in history? Of course, 50 Cent seemed to take it all in stride.
“Did you ever hear me say I was a professional pitcher?”
Nope, we didn’t. He’s got us there.
Who's Done Right by Kids This Year?
No longer an afterthought, technology is as much a part of a well-balanced kid’s diet as milk or fiber. No longer an option, it’s interwoven and always present — at school, at home, online and all points between.
So many of kid’s digital playthings today hold their interest for all of 10 minutes. So many are limited, closed loops with little regard to stretching imagination or exploration. But behind the YouTube videos of young girls primping, and the near-heart attack experiences of watching kids play around with Instagram and Vine, there’s something really important going on out there.
Some of these may not be on the bestseller’s list of this past holiday gifts, but each of these promote what’s best in a kid’s play experience: exploration, freedom and age-appropriate creativity.
Osmo by Tangible Play
It’s a really simple idea. A mirrored gizmo attaches to your iPad and it recognizes physical objects you place on the screen. What does that mean? Kids can play with real tangram shapes and figure out how to duplicate what’s on the iPad. They can play word games with real manipulative letters.
Lumikids By Lumosity
Your brain is a muscle. Like any other muscle it needs a good workout. The same folks who created Lumosity for us oldsters, have scaled it down as brain training for the pre-school set. Shapes, sequencing and logic puzzles, all timed to develop quick reflexes keep kids’ brains in shape. Downloadable at the Apple Apps Store.
Monument Valley by ustwo Games
For older kids, this app has a quiet beauty that encourages kids to experience mazes, illusions and tricks in a breathtaking introduction to architecture and building. Gears and spinning towers, water play and illusions that would make MC Escher proud, challenge kids without frustrating them. Available at the Apple App Store, Google Play and Kindle.
Creatorbox by Creatorbox
Getting something special just for you in the mail every month has always been a treat for kids. The magic doesn’t stop with high tech kids. With CreatorBox they get a subscription to be an inventor and a maker. Watching them build a catapult does a parent proud. Some of the projects are low tech and some involve high tech components from companies like littleBits’ robotic parts, which makes for a well-rounded experience.
Moss By Modular Robotics
What if building your first robot was as easy as snapping cubes together and as pretty as you wanted to make it. Snap together robot parts that can detect motion, respond to light or propel themselves and pretty soon you’re building a robot that’s only limited by your imagination.
Ozobot By Ozobot
A big year for robotics, these are little pocket sized R2D2 style robots that have optical readers and sensors, so they can see, hear and move. But the cool part is that they sense and respond to color. Red means stop. Green spins them around. You get to use your smartphone or tablet to download challenges, or whip out your own set of markers (included with the Ozobot) and create your very own Ozo paths.
LeapTV By Leapfrog
Parents have always kept a guarded eye on what young kids are doing with their PlayStations and Xboxes. Honest, kids need a game player they can call their own. Welcome LeapTV from Leapfrog, the same folks that bring you tablets, reading games and other high tech fun for kids. LeapTV lets kids physically interact with the screen (hopping, jumping) by incorporating a motion sensing controller and a place for cartridge games. Hook LeapTV up to your TV and suddenly your kids have access to great entertainment driven by Leapfrog’s trusted content.
Disney Fantasia Music Evolved By Harmonix
Harmonix, the creators of mega-digital hits like Rock Band, Dance Central and Guitar Hero, upped the music intelligence big time on this collaboration with the Walt Disney Company. Run on the Xbox One it takes advantage of the camera to put you into Fantasia as the conductor of a masterpiece. Imagine waving your arms and having a symphony orchestra respond. With special graphic effects that accompany your movement, the experience is sort of like imaging a meeting between the Grateful Dead and Leonard Bernstein.
*These products were selected after a lengthy judging process involving a group of journalists, educators and thought leaders in children’s digital play arena. The produces described above will receive awards at the KidsatPlaySummit at CES in Las Vegas on Jan 8th.
Robin Raskin is founder of Living in Digital Times (LIDT), a team of technophiles who bring together top experts and the latest innovations that intersect lifestyle and technology. LIDT produces conferences and expos at CES and throughout the year focusing on how technology enhances every aspect of our lives through the eyes of today’s digital consumer.
Your Favorite BBC Titles May Be Leaving Netflix
It may be time to say goodbye to your favorite BBC shows on Netflix. A contract set to expire between Netflix and BBC at the end of the month means some classic British television may no longer be at your fingertips.
So, if you’re one of the lucky TV lovers in the middle of a “Doctor Who” binge, now’s the time to get a move on. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to visit old friends “Fawlty Towers” and “Coupling.” For a look at all the titles that could be on their way out, head on over to What’s On Netflix Now?
On the other hand, there is the possibility this is just a case of a contract about to be swiftly renewed. (FINGERS CROSSED). HuffPost Entertainment has reached out to Netflix to find out if they have plans to renew the contract before the titles leave the site at the end of the month. This post will be updated if and when new information is received.
US military's Twitter account hacked
US Central Command’s Twitter and YouTube accounts are suspended after being hacked by a group claiming to be supporters of Islamic State.
The Best of CES 2015
The 2015 International CES has come to an end and as we predicted, this year’s most popular exhibits involved health and sensors. 170,000 industry professionals had the opportunity to see over 3,600 exhibitors, including 375 startups during the four-day event in Las Vegas. The show featured three main areas:
Tech West: Sands Expo, The Venetian, The Palazzo, Wynn Las Vegas and Encore at Wynn featured fitness and health, the Internet of things, sensors and other high-growth technologies like 3D printing, smart watches and robotics. Most of the products we selected as our Best of CES were found here. Video below of these exciting innovations.
Tech East: The Las Vegas Convention and World Trade Center, the Westgate Las Vegas and the Renaissance Las Vegas hosted innovations in audio, automotive electronics, gaming, video, wireless devices and digital imaging. Here is where we saw the Mercedes-Benz F015, a driverless Mercedes with no carbon emissions and four swiveling chairs that allow people in the car to face each other.
C Space: New for 2015, C Space at the ARIA hotel was the hub for brand marketers, advertising agencies, digital publishers and social networks.
“Our strategy of creating diverse CES experiences for our attendees appears to have succeeded. Our attendees were able to find focused technology areas while traveling easily and seamlessly among venues,” said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, International CES and corporate business strategy.
Our Best of CES 2015 Video
The International CES will return to Las Vegas January 6-9, 2016. #CES2016
Julio Fernandez is Vice President of Search Marketing & Analytics for SocialShelfspace.com, a marketing agency that combines search engine optimization with content creation and influencer outreach to deliver measurable effects. His previous posts covered Google’s Knowledge Graph as well as Facebook graph Search and privacy issues. Julio is obsessed with health trackers and his dog Chewy has daily walking and exercise goals.
3 Ways to Win with Digital in 2015
Online communication and marketing tactics are staples of modern business. With the onset of a new year, it is always exciting to look ahead at new trends that will enhance our digital return on investment. Use this easy checklist to ensure you win in 2015.
1. Consult an expert
Online platforms are becoming more intuitive, providing a simpler user experience while simultaneously becoming more complex behind the scenes. Intricate algorithms can boggle the mind, so partnering with a highly skilled digital professional is imperative. Deferring to experts like Kristin Adams, founder of Socialie and former UFC digital strategist, can make the difference between a mediocre online strategy and a home run. Adams is revolutionizing the way brands and entrepreneurs leverage online marketing, through streamlined monitoring and messaging. Her team also recently launched Pindrop, a real-time social media listening tool designed to track important brand and keyword mentions, effectively cutting down on online noise while providing enhanced engagement opportunities.
2. Relationship building
Providing value online is no longer limited to simply offering informative content. To be truly successful, digital practitioners must also build relationships and cultivate a sense of community. Online retailer Zappos has integrated this approach into every aspect of their business model and it shows, however you don’t need to be a billion-dollar organization to adopt this practice. Forbes #1 Social Media Power Influencer, Sean Gardner exemplifies this within his digital presence brilliantly. Taking a multi-pronged approach, explained in his new book, Social Media Success, Gardner details how to weave philanthropy, a sense of community and data analysis into your relationship-building efforts. Selling at every turn will only result in being ignored but consistent relationship building fuels impactful consumer and networking experiences.
3. Hispanic integration
According to Newswire, approximately 50 million Hispanics live in the U.S with an estimated purchasing power of one trillion dollars. Hispanic consumers are an underserved market with a higher than average household income and are heavily active within mobile e-commerce and social media platforms. Research also shows that Hispanics are more likely to download apps, chat, stream video, listen to music and play games than non-Hispanics, according to Ad Age. Look for an increase in ad agency dollars as well as media and tech firms dedicating resources to this important audience. Those that choose not to, risk alienating a critical consumer base and falling behind in both online brand recognition and patronage.
How Did Applying For College Become Such A Nightmare?
You’ve FINALLY finished your college applications and now you wait patiently until you find out which schools have deemed you worthy of attendance. *Insert eye roll.* The process is painstakingly brutal — but it hasn’t always been this way. Applying for college used to be relatively low-key.
Here’s how the modern-day college admissions process happened to nice people like you:
Getting into college used to be hella easy (if you were rich).
The 1901 Dartmouth College football team, from Reddit user PleaseVoteForPedro
If you were an 18-year-old in the 1800s, getting into college was as easy as streaming “Orange Is The New Black” on Netflix today. In The Atlantic, Julia Ryans describes the process of getting into schools like Tufts University. She explains that in the 19th century, if you could afford the $200 downpayment (about $5,000 by today’s standards) and had graduated from a top high school, you would have been accepted.
At worst, you had to take a entrance exam. If you passed, you were in.
If you didn’t attend an elite high school, no worries: Ryan says that all you would have to do is take a pretty simple entrance exam, pay the downpayment and show “good moral character.”
At most universities, the process remained fairly simple through the first decades of the 20th century.
Here’s a sample application from Elon College from 1922, found by an archivist at the college who posted on Reddit:
A five dollar down payment, and you were already reserving a dorm room! As John Thelin, University of Kentucky professor and author of “A History of Higher Education” tells The Chronicle, “Most colleges would essentially admit any applicant who could reasonably do the work, especially if they could pay.”
The admissions process began to change when “undesirable” students started passing those entrance exams.
College officials at Harvard, Yale and Princeton in the early ’20s were shocked as immigrants, particularly Jews, started making up larger and larger proportions of their student body, according to Jerome Karabel’s book, “The Chosen.” Some administrators even referred to the trend as the “Jewish invasion,” according to NYU professor Harold Weschler.
One Harvard president wanted to impose a quota on Jewish students — but instead, schools found more subtle ways to handpick their student bodies.
Over the next decades, elite college admissions redefined “merit” to include subjective personal qualities.
Karabel tells Bloomberg that throughout the ’20s, “An entirely new system of admissions was invented, with emphasis on such things as character, leadership, personality, alumni parentage, athletic ability, geographical diversity. They started, for the first time, to do interviews.” According to Karabel, the purpose of these policies was to subtly reduce the number of minority students.
Over the next few decades, colleges stared emphasizing “subjective character,” that was determined from interviews with applicants. These interviews screened students for qualities like being well-dressed, well-spoken and generally likable. In his book, Karabel describes how these standards favored wealthy students.
These standards for applicants maintained college as a place for the wealthy elite, typically white man.
Total Ivy League material
In the ’50s, applicants who exuded “manliness” were favored. According to Karabel, one student, described as academically “mediocre,” was admitted because “we just thought he was more of a guy.” Karabel says the “manliness” quota purposely excluded applicants who were suspected to be gay. Sometimes, admission details were comically superficial. Karabel tells the New York he found notes on one rejected student that read, “Short with big ears.”
As the social movements of the ’60s and ’70s transformed America, colleges finally started recruiting more diverse student bodies.
Karabel tells Bloomberg that the brave activism, and the social turbulence, of the Civil Rights Movement pressured colleges to admit more diverse student bodies. For example, from 1968 to 1969, Karabel says, the number of black students at Ivy League colleges doubled. Many schools started using affirmative action to reverse the racial biases that had always dominated American colleges.
Over the next few decades, the population of college students soared:
The number of coveted “Ivy League” schools stayed the same, schools just had more applicants to chose from. To make the application process easier, 15 private colleges started using the Common App in 1975. Hundreds of schools would adopt the Common App over the next few decades.
The Common App kept many of the “subjective” ideals of the past, like leadership positions and personality — but these factors were used to make colleges more inclusive to a wide variety of students. Thanks to increased government financial aid, more students than ever were able to go to college.
Growing media frenzy surrounding top colleges only made them more competitive.
U.S. News & World Report released the first “Best Colleges” rankings in 1983. Colleges with high rankings became even more competitive: By the late ’80s, elite schools were rejecting students with perfect GPAs and test scores in the 98 percentile.
As more students gained access to college, schools had to sift through many more applications — and students had to do more to stand out. Some schools started using “quirkier” questions to attract their ideal student personality. In the ’80s, the University of Pennsylvania popularized this approach with a prompt that offered the hypothetical: “You have just completed your 300-page autobiography. Please submit Page 217.” Other colleges followed suit, most famously, the University of Chicago, which in 2002, asked “How do you feel about Wednesday?”
Today, college admissions are more diverse and more competitive than ever.
More students are applying to more schools than ever before, thanks in large part to the convenience of online admissions. As a result, a whole industry has cropped up to help students battle the competition, including the the multimillion dollar test prep industry.
And while colleges are more diverse than ever before, the intense requirements to be admitted still puts some students at a major advantage. As a result, students from wealthy backgrounds are far more likely to get into a top college.
While our media culture remains obsessed with the “Ivy League,” getting in is more of a crapshoot than ever before. But remember: you can become a major league success — without going to an Ivy League school.
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These Tried And Tested Appliances Will Add Two Hours To Your Day
God bless the good folks at Consumer Reports. They found a few hours to test out a slew of new appliances that they say could save you more than 2 hours every single day, just so you didn’t have to.
While, yes, you would have to buy every.single.product featured in their February 2015 article “Life In The Fast Lane” to reap the kind of rewards it promises, no one has ever turned up their nose at an extra 15 minutes here or there.
In the kitchen, induction rangetops and cooktops are now able to heat a large pot of water 20 to 25 percent faster than a regular electric smoothtop, the magazine reports. Meanwhile, new front-loading washing machines can cut as much as 20 minutes off of your laundry time.
Overall, however, many new appliances actually take longer than their predecessors to do their tasks, Consumer Reports notes, “because other things we prize — such as great performance, energy eff iciency, and water conservation — mean longer cycles.” But there are ways to achieve both speed and efficiency, they say. Read on for some tips the magazine’s fastest appliance road test and check out the full article at ConsumerReports.org.
Thanks for reading our digest. Opinions in the articles above are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Digital Workshed ltd.