Stay present, because what else is there

Where the Magic Happens VS Your Comfort Zone

App claims to provide carrier-free tethering on Windows Phone 8

Windows Phone has supported WIFI tethering for a while, but on many carriers this adds a significant premium to their contract.

Tether-X by Asleroid claims to solve this problem by allowing users to connect to their smartphone via an ad-hoc WIFI network and then use their apps built-in proxy server to access the internet, all without the knowledge of the carrier.

We have not had time to test the free app to see if it works, and if course no-one can be sure until their bill arrives if they did in fact get away with bypassing their carrier’s billing policies, but I do know this kind of app has been long awaited by Windows Phone users.

Find it in the Windows Phone Store here.

Via Reddit.com

HTC 8X and HTC 8S Windows Phone 8 Devices Grabs IDEA Design Awards

Just like Nokia, even HTC has got IDEA Design awards for both their Windows Phone 8 devices. HTC 8S Windows Phone 8 device won a gold award whereas HTC 8X Windows Phone 8 device won a silver award for design.

HTC 8S description by HTC,

The Windows Phone 8S embodies harmony between the physical and digital experience for the user. In order to achieve this harmony, the design of the smartphone mirrors the essence of Microsoft ‘s Live Tile: an ever-changing, informational tile at the heart of the interface. This was accomplished by creating a square silhouette that reflectes the thinness and lightness of the Live Tiles. Windows Phone 8S stays true to the Windows Phone design aesthetic with its soft yet square form.

Technology has seen a revolution in which intelligent products can now look less serious and be more expressive. This is most apparent in the vivid colors of the Windows Phone 8S. The 8S has a playful twist that brings vivid, bold color to the forefront by showing off a bright color “dip,” giving the appearance of having been dipped in a bucket of paint. This creates stylish color combinations that capture a youthful and expressive demographic.

I feel sad for HTC designers who made HTC 8X and HTC 8S devices. Even though they did an incredible job, due to their company’s focus on Android devices, their work/device got sidelined. What do you think?

Source: IDSA

Google Glass XE7 System Image Now Available For Download On Developer Page

Google is continuing to make its monthly Glass updates available in a timely manner. The newest version of the wearable firmware, XE7, is now ready to download on the Google Glass Developers page, right alongside the two older downloads. It's a beefy 346MB package, delivered in the usual ZIP format.

XE7 adds a ton of new features for Glass testers and developers, including more varied "ok glass" commands and contextual actions, improvements to search functionality, an updated home screen, and better contact management and sharing. The most notable improvement is probably the inclusion of a web browser, which activates after you choose a search result. YouTube videos can now be viewed directly on the Glass screen as well.

The XE7 over-the-air update should have reached most Explorer units by now. Advanced users can flash the system image above via the standard ADB interface.

Source: Google Glass Developers

Upcoming YouTube Update To Bring Multitasking Interface, Background Audio Is A Possibility Too

While Samsung has been dipping its toes into the single-screen multitasking world, Google has yet to do the same. According to noted Android and Google tipster ryan_socio (Ryan Matthews, not his real name), that's about to change. Ryan posted a message to The Verge's social user section, detailing an upcoming version of the YouTube Android app that will let users watch videos and interact with the rest of Android at the same time.

According to Ryan's description of the current test app, you'll start a video using the familiar interface, then send it to a smaller window via a swipe button in the corner. At that point you'll be able to continue browsing videos and whatnot. At the moment this functionality is only working within the YouTube app itself, but a system-wide implementation may be ready by the time the final update is posted.

We've spoken with Ryan on the topic, and he's told us that a much-requested audio-only mode may be coming as well. This would allow you to start a video and switch to another app while the audio continues in the background or when the screen is off, not unlike desktop operating systems. This feature is apparently less locked-in than the multitasking window itself, and may or may not make it in the same update release. Ryan is broadly guessing that the new version of the YouTube app will be available in six weeks or so, though he cautions us that this is a very non-specific estimate.

We tend to pass on rumors like this, but Ryan has a solid history of accurately predicting Google-related events, like the new Gmail interface, Babel/Hangouts, the latest Nexus hardware, Android 4.2's multi-user support, and so on. Multitasking YouTube video is real, and it's in the works.

Note: the screenshot above is from Samsung's mutli-window mode, and used only for illustration.

Source: The Verge

Thanks, Aneesh Mann!

Truecaller review

Have you seen that show on BBC Three called The Call Centre? In it, you learn about the goings on and practices behind those calls to help you get more insulation or to help you reclaim thousands in PPI.

It's a great show, and well worth watching, because it humanises - to some extent - the people who can literally make your life miserable. PPI is certainly the new scourge on humanity. Like pox of the genitals, a call for PPI is about as welcome as the news your favourite body parts are about to rot and drop off.

Truecaller

FORMAT

Android

PRICE

Free

WHERE

Google Play

Other calls are more helpful, but you may want to avoid this unsolicited nonsense all together. After all, you probably know if you've paid PPI, or if your phone can be upgraded, or if your house needs new insulation. You're not an idiot after all.

There is, happily, now an Android app that can help with all this. Called Truecaller, it uses a massive database of numbers, against which people can report PPI calls. So, when your phone rings, a pop-up appears that gives you details that aren't stored in your phonebook. This is incredibly helpful.

Since we've installed it, the app has managed to tell us when Barclay's are calling to conduct a survey. This is useful, because why on earth would we want to participate in an unpaid survey for a bank we pay monthly for its services. If it wants us to give it a review, it can pay the going rate like anyone else.

The developers say that they have a database of 950 million numbers across worldwide. Our experience was that while the phone did identify a lot of people, some slipped through. But that's likely to be because UK users aren't using the app, and adding numbers into the database. The good news is, the more of us who do use it, and add info, the better it will get.

Truecaller does other things too. You can connect it to Linkedin and Facebook, so you'll get more comprehensive access to phone numbers as well as much nicer profile pictures - if your phone doesn't already source its images from Facebook that is. There's also an alarming function that allows you to "Tweet" when you're on the phone. Please remember though, only utter morons would use this feature.

You can also use Truecallers as a sort of free international phonebook. Just search for the company you want to call, and the app will bring up all the entries made. We found that some didn't have a number attached, but a flick through the other entries soon turned up one that does. Certainly a lot easier than messing around trying to get contact details from a company website. Even BT, a company that deals in phones, doesn't make it at all easy actually to phone them.

The only irritation of the app is that it uses ads to make revenue. These are mostly okay, but when you search for a number they pop-up fullscreen on the phone, which is a bit of a hassle.

Nike Making app encourages designers to think about materials

Nike has launched a new app called Making, that wants to guide designers and creators in the choices they make around materials.

The tool is designed to guide you through four environmental impact areas - water, chemistry, energy and waste - so you can make the best choices when choosing which materials to use for a product.

The data is drawn from the Nike Materials Sustainability Index in which the sports company has compiled data from seven years of research. Each material in the Making app is scored out of 50 and then ranked within those impact areas.

Nike worked with the London College of Fashion to get additional feedback on the Making app, with students using the app to guide their collections.

"The app helped us identify materials that have lower environmental impacts, without compromising the design process," said Alasdair Leighton-Crawford, a London College of Fashion student. "Making shows that sustainability is not a limit, but an inspiring new way to look at product creation."

Lee Holman, Nike VP of apparel design. said: "Innovation is in Nike's DNA, and sustainability is an integral part of Nike's design process.

"We've created the Making app to empower any designer around the world to make better materials choices in the initial stages of the innovation process to ultimately create products that are better for consumers and better for the planet."

The app is free to download from iTunes now.

Apple’s Back-to-School promo now includes the iPhone

School is out and that means the promos start. Apple’s first out with their back-to-school promo that offers up the usual discounts on everything Apple – iMac, iPad, iPod, and for the first time the iPhone has made an appearance. The promo is on until September 6th and gives up to a $200 reduction for qualified students for the iMac, plus a $100 App Store gift card. As for the iPad and iPhone, Apple is giving out a $50 App Store gift card.

To qualify for the discount, Apple notes that “you must be a postsecondary student, a student accepted to a postsecondary institution, a parent buying for a postsecondary student, or a faculty or staff member from any grade level.”

Google Reader: Reeder for iPhone gains Feedly and Feed Wrangler support as ecosystem resets

 

Google Reader is dead, and in its wake is the result of four months of feverish coding and shifts in user behaviour. A service that many relied on since 2005 (including us), Reader’s shutdown brought about promises of brand new products and re-workings of existing ones.

What we have now is perhaps the most exciting time for news reading and consolidation in online history. The cobwebs have been cleared and prospective winner Feedly stands proudly in the victor’s seat. Promising a robust, free cloud syncing platform that has been integrated into many mobile apps such as Press and gReader for Android, and now the de facto iPhone news feed app, Reeder, has been updated with Feedly support.

Also added to Reeder is Feed Wrangler support, a paid service started by long-time iOS developer, David Smith. With the two new additions, Reeder now supports five RSS feed possibilities: Feedbin, Fever, Feedly, Feed Wrangler and local RSS syncing. Because three are paid (Feedly has yet to launch a premium service, but it’s coming), the most popular will most likely continue to be Feedly.

Importing your feeds is as easy as signing in with your current Google Reader account; all your feeds and categories will copy over in tact. Reeder for iPad and OS X have been removed from their respective app stores because they support none of these new services, and will only return once they do.

Reeder is currently free for all iPhone users, so now is a great time to pick it up and test its simple, manageable interface.

Download Reeder for iPhone.

Via: Reeder

Government Reveals Specs for Aakash 4 Tablet

The Indian government has announced the next edition of the budget tablet, Aakash 4. The government has already finalised on the specifications they would like to have for Aakash 4 tablet. The tablets are aimed mainly at college and school going kids as an affordable option for the students.

So far, the government’s experiment with Aakash tablets has been less than heartening. While the tablets came with unsatisfactory specifications and experienced a lot of lag. Looks like the government is taking up the matter and the next edition of the tablets will be high on specifications and features. While previous editions were manufactured by Datawind, the government is looking at some other developers for Aakash 4 tablet.

The government is open to collaborating with multiple vendors and manufacturers for the next edition. This time around, a few basic specifications have been laid down which must be adhered to. While ease of playing 720ftp videos and a stronger chip processor are some of the main demands, the government also wants the tablet to come with a 7-inch screen and be touch-compatible upto 5 fingers. The Aakash 4 tablet will mostly have 1 GB RAM and 4 GB internal memory which can be expanded using a MicroSD card slot.

The tablet is expected to run on Android Jelly Bean ver 4.2 and the government has set a benchmark of 1469 Antutu points for the tablet. While most of the specifications sound less than stellar, they are much better than previous editions of the tablet. Also, priced at somewhere around Rs 3k, the Aakash 4 tablet might feature better specifications. The specs mentioned on the site are the bare requirements and companies providing better specifications will definitely be welcome.

According to the public notice issued by the government, “A Sub-Committee comprising of technical experts has prepared the proposed vendor neutral Technical Specifications of Aakash IV. These specifications have been developed with a view to have a device at a low cost. The proposed Specifications of Aakash IV are as under. All interested stakeholders may examine the proposed specifications and provide their comments especially from the point of vendor neutrality, usability and functionality.” 

While it all sounds great on paper, the actual project is still some months away and it might be a little too less when the Aakash 4 tab finally hits markets. The government needs to strongly pull up their socks and Datawind or not, provide the masses with a tablet that is worth the price.

The complete specifications list for the tablet can be found here.

Google getting ready to offer flight search service in India; Makemytrip, Yatra may move fairplay panel

A fledgling effort by Googleportending the launch of its flight travel search service in India is creating jitters among online flight aggregators, who fear their business model is under threat.

Google, whose services include Gmail and YouTube, is "very close" to introducing Flight Search in India, according to people with direct knowledge of the plan. Flight Search - first launched in the US and then in parts of Europe - lets users compare fares offered by airlines and book tickets directly from airline websites. This could, in effect, make flight aggregators such as Makemytrip, Yatra andCleartrip redundant, industry observers said. Another website, kayak.co.in lets users compare flight options from hundreds of travel sites at once.

In response, the aggregators are considering steps to protect their interests, including a possible complaint to the Competition Commission. They claim discrimination by Google when it comes to search results for queries relating to online travel.

Separately, Google is the subject of investigations by the Competition Commission based on complaints that it is abusing its dominance in the country's search-engine market. In February last year, matrimonial site Bharatmatrimony.com had filed a complaint against it.

Company already faces probes in US, Europe

Last month, Google launched a 'Start Searching India' campaign aimed at providing users with instant responses on weather and flight status, among other things. This move was read as precursor to the eventual launch of Flight Search in India. Google India said in May that it does not comment on future plans or speculation when asked about its plans to launch Flight Search in the country.

Hrush Bhatt, founder and director of travel portal Cleartrip, refused to count Google's Flight Search as a direct treat but conceded that it could alter the way aggregators allocate their online marketing budget. "We are not sure what value Flight Search would add to consumers, especially if it can only let you compare prices," he offered.

Online travel firms such as Yatra. com, Makemytrip and Goibibo declined to comment. Google denied any knowledge of market participants planning to approach the Competition Commission but said that in the event of that happening, the company will extend "full assistance and cooperation on the matter."

"We're always happy to answer questions about our business," the company said. KPMG's Tuteja said that Flight Search is likely to be popular among India's fast-growing internet user base—150 million at the end of 2012—that has been increasingly been booking travel tickets and hotels through online portals.

In Europe, Google's Flight Search is under pressure from travel portals such as Expedia and TripAdvisor, which have filed antitrust complaints against Google with the European Commission for promoting rival services and disrupting fair competition in the online travel space. Flight Search makes use of the vast amount of flight-related real-time information from US based travel information company ITA Software.

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean can push notifications to wearable electronics

Over the weekend, the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean MR2 system update for Samsung Galaxy S4 leaked over the Internet, revealing several new features. AndroidPolice has now claimed that the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean MR2 will also support notifications sync with wearable electronics.

The tear down of the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update revealed mentions about Notifications Listener service. After tinkering around the code, it was discovered that the Notifications on the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean MR2 based device would be accessible (Listened) by another device - mostly wearable electronic such as smart watches.

These notifications are initially limited only to the Google apps and only those devices with signature embedded in the code. Google recently announced the new Notifications sync feature across devices at the Google I/O. As per this feature, the moment the user checks and removes notification one device, the same notification is removed from all other devices with user's account settings.

So if the notification is checked and removed from the wearable smart watch, it is removed from the smartphone's notification tray as well.

This new feature was expected as many companies are now planning to launch their own smart watch like device. Sony has recently announced its SmartWatch 2 while Samsung and Microsoft are said to be working on similar devices.

What’s the difference between the Nokia Lumia 920 and 925

Nokia Lumia 920 vs Lumia 925 – what’s the difference?

Nokia’s Windows Phone 8 range has been substantially fleshed out in recent months with offerings across pretty much every price point. From the entry-level Lumia 520 to the high-end flagship Lumia 920, Nokia are clearly trying to make a Lumia model available for everybody. June saw the launch of the Lumia 925 – mostly a redesign of the 920 that has addressed a few issues and criticisms that were brought up in reviews of the original when it launched  in 2012.

At a glance

First off, most of the specifications have stayed pretty much the same so performance will be very similar; a lot of the changes are aesthetic although there are a few hardware tweaks.

• Screen – same size and resolution at 4.5 inches and 1280 x 768  but the 925 has traded the original’s IPS LCD for AMOLED technology
• Camera – same 8.7 MP sensor and ISO up to 800, but the f/2.0 Carl Zeiss lens has had  a sixth glass element added. Also some software changes.
• Battery – same size although much improved battery life, possibly due to AMOLED screen. No wireless charging built-in to the 925 – charging cover required
• Dimensions – roughly the same length and width though 925 is about 2mm thinner and drops 46 grams to 139g
• Colours – Lumia’s crazy pastel variants are out for a muted monochrome black, white and silver with the 925

Indian students create fully featured Smart Watch dubbed ‘Androidly’

Four students from India have just beaten the major smartphone manufacturers in the race to create a fully featured Smart Watch. Well. Sort of.

Smart Watches have been in the news a lot recently, in part due to speculation that Apple may announce one soon as an accessory for their iPhone range, or possibly even as a standalone product.  There has also been traction from Sony who’s basic design fromlast year is set to be updated in a releaseexpected in September. What separates this Indian venture from this and other current high profile products such as Pebble is that it has been engineered to be a complete phone, utilising all phone features of the Android operating system including calls and messaging, whereas recent watches have acted more like notification hub accessories that sync with a primary device.

The new watch is called Androidly and has been developed by software developer Ankit Pradhan, communications professional Pavneet Singh Puri and lawyer Apurva Sukant. Also on the list of names is 17 year old Siddhant Vats. The group of 4 claim to have long been friends and begun the project as part of a shared idea to develop a mobile device  that is always visible and accessible. The story goes that one day Puri was receiving many calls regarding a college festival – one in particular when he was eating lunch, his hands covered in chicken curry! Unable to take the call he mused on creating a solution and Androidly was born.

Androidly runs Android 2.2 Froyo, so in real terms is by no means up to date, however it is impressive to see just how many features the team has been able to implement. With a 2 inch capacitive touchscreen, Android 2.2 is running in its entirety which means access to Google Play and any app supported by the hardware specification, Bluetooth 2.0, GPS, Wi-Fi, a 2MP camera and of course a micro SIM card slot for that all important data connection. The full feature set of Androidly is set out below, taken from their website and Androidly is currently on pre0order for £150 from their store

Androidly specifications

Weight	160 g
Dimensions	6.4 x 4.2 x 1.4 cm
Operating System	Android 2.2
Processor	416 MhZ
Memory	256 MB RAM
Removable Storage	8 GB SD included., Upto 16 GB SD.
Phone	2.5 GSM network: GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Wireless	Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi B/G
Camera	2 Mega Pixel
GPS	GPS with A-GPS
Sensor	Accelerometer
Screen	2 inch, Capacitive Touch Screen., 320×240 Resolution.

Stylish media player teXet T-40

The company "Electronic systems" Alkotel "presented MP3-player teXet T-40. From scratches and other mechanical damage to the back side and the side face of the body protects the metal surface. Material processed by the technology of deep low-temperature anodization of aluminum, making it possible to obtain a strong and pleasant to touch coating that will not allow the player to slide in the palm of your hand, the company said. Another advantage of the appearance of the teXet T-40 - high gloss beveled corners of the case.The front panel is equipped with a new 1.8-inch color display. The role of the control buttons perform the "Play / Pause" and "Menu", located just below the screen, and the four-way joystick, which is responsible for menu navigation, volume control, go to the next / previous file, and fast forward.According to the company, fans will appreciate the equalizer effects and implemented technology PlayFX (3D-sound, bass boost). teXet T-40 supports a variety of audio formats (MP3, WMA, WAV, APE, FLAC, AAC), video (AVI), image (JPG, BMP), and text (TXT). During playback, the tracks are displayed ID3-tag support for song lyrics (LRC), are also available to user built-in radio and voice recorder (recording format WAV).Connecting teXet T-40 to a PC is via USB 2.0, thus, to work in Windows XP/Vista/7 no need to install additional software. The model has an internal memory of 4 GB, to widen the pool to store the content, you can use microSD / SDHC-Card up to 32 GB. The suggested retail price teXet T-40 is 1099 rubles.

Apple to build a 20-megawatt solar farm for its Reno, Nevada data center

Apple's Reno, Nevada data center might be a lot greener in the next few years -- according to GigaOm, the company plans to build a 137 acre solar farm right next to it. The Nevada complex will reportedly generate between 18 and 20 megawatts of power similar to Apple's two arrays in North Carolina, but GigaOm says it will use a different kind of technology. Instead of a standard farm of solar panels, it will include mirrors that concentrate the sun's rays on each one up to seven times, increasing the amount of energy produced. In a statement sent to the publication, Cupertino revealed that the facility will not only provide electricity for the data center, but also supply energy to the local grid. Solar company SunPower will work on the array's engineering and construction, but until it's operational (which could be a while), Apple will depend on geothermal energy generated by local plants.

[Image credit: Apple]

Opera 15 Chromium-based browser officially launched for PC and Mac

While the non-final build of Opera's new browser for PC and Mac was simply called "Next," today it's chosen the more formal title of Opera 15 for its official release. There aren't any features of note that we hadn't seen in the desktop preview of theWebKit-based software (or should we call it Blink-based?), but to jog your memory, it sports a fresh design, a Discover feature for catching up on the latest news, and a tweaked Speed Dial menu for quick access to your favorite corners of the internet. Also, the web-clipping Stash feature, predictive address-come-search bar, new download manager and "Off-Road mode" for extra compression on lousy connections are all included in the final version. We ran a quick SunSpider benchmark on the Mac build of Opera 15, in which it scored 167ms, compared with 171ms in Chrome. If you're not already allied to one of the many competing browsers and feel like giving Opera 15 a try, head to the source below for the download links.

VIA: SlashGear
SOURCE: Opera (1) (download), (2)

Spotify 'Discover' functionality now available on iOS app, 'coming soon' elsewhere

Spotify's Discover area isn't quite as ubiquitous as we'd hoped by this point, primarily serving computer-based Spotify users. But today that trend begins to change, with Spotify's iOS app getting an update (version 0.7.1) which adds the long-awaited Discover functionality alongside a slew of other updates. The "Now Playing" section is changing a bit as well, getting a makeover, and playlists can now be edited directly from your phone. Oh, and Spotify says all this stuff is heading to other mobile devices "soon." The full list of changes is below, including the always exciting fictitious addition. We won't spoil it for you.

CulCharge is a tiny charging and data cable for your smartphone

How often have you been in a situation when your smartphone battery is low, but there's no charger around to give it a boost with? In case that happens a lot to you, then you probably need something like the CulCharge. Basically, it is a USB cable that you can use to charge a smartphone's battery as long as there is a USB port nearby. However, what makes this accessory special is that it is really small. In fact, the CulCharge is just 6 centimeters (2.3 inches) long so it will fit perfectly on your keychain. 

The CulCharge is available in several variants, depending on what smartphone you're using. There is aniPhone 5 model with a Lightning connector and a microUSB version compatible with pretty much all Android and Windows Phone handsets. Users of older handsets can grab the miniUSB model, or the 30-pin variant compatible with the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S. Note that the CulCharge cable can not only recharge a phone's battery, but also act as a data cable for file transfer.

But CulCharge will need potential buyers' support before it is ready to hit the retail stores. There is a page over at Indiegogo where units can be preordered, including in wholesale batches, with a funding goal set at $15 000. The first 200 CulCharge cables can be pre-ordered for just $8, or $15 for the iPhone 5 compatible model. If all goes well, the first batches of CulCharge will ship in October of 2013.

You can support CulCharge at its Indiegogo project page

source: CulCharge

Samsung postpones launch of first Tizen smartphone

While the first Tizen OS smartphone by Samsung were expected to launch in August or September of 2013, it seems like that is not going to happen as planned. According to reports by Korean media, the tech giant is postponing the launch of this device (or devices) by a couple of months. In other words, Tizen powered handsets likely won't be on the market earlier than October or November, 2013.

The reason behind the delay is said to be related to the software ecosystem, which Samsung wants to build prior to releasing its first Tizen smartphone. Simply put, the company prefers to build a solid catalog of apps and then make the smartphone official, not the other way around. 

The very first Samsung Tizen OS smartphone, bearing a model name GT-I8800, is expected to be a high-end device, although exact hardware specifications have yet to be revealed. We also believe that the Tizen smartphones after it might be of the mid-range tier, powered by last year's Exynos 4412 SoC, also found inside the Samsung Galaxy S III. 

source: inews24 via Techkiddy

KakaoTalk messenger

Ever heard of KakaoTalk? It is one of those cross-platform messaging apps that let you chit chat with your buddies over the internet instead of using SMS. You know, kind of like WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook Messenger and the likes. And even though it has been around for about 3 years or so, the platform has already amassed a user database exceeding the 100 million mark.

That's a pretty huge number no matter how we look at it, although KakaoTalk is still way behind WhatsApp in terms of popularity. The latter recently announced that it was being used by 250 million people, processing up to 27 billion messages on a daily basis. 

In case you've never tried KakaoTalk, it is available on iOS, Android, BlackBerry OS, and Windows Phone. The app allows free phone calls and group chats to be made over the internet, and supports themes as well. KakaoTalk even has its own Android launcher called KakaoHome, which works like Facebook Home (which nobody seems to like), but it is made for KakaoTalk users, of course. 

via All Things D

Canary smart detector coming to alert your phone that where there's smoke, there's fire

The smart home automation revolution is already upon us, if you are willing to deal with competing standards and ragtag gadgetry to control you home from afar (or from the couch), and another old school gadget is getting equipped for the challenge.

Your humble smoke detector has been on the ceiling for years, ready to prove the adage that where there's smoke, there's fire and start those impossible noises and sprinkling sprees we are used to see in action movies or romantic comedies.

Now the humble work horse is back to the drawing board to get reborn as the Canary smoke and carbon monoxide detector. The project's founder Mark Belinsky was miffed to find during Hurricane Sandy his grandmother having to heat her apartment with the gas stove, which can lead to all sorts of accidents in the building.

He therefore started thinking about making a "smart" smoke detector that can alarm your phone for smoke,carbon monoxide and even abnormal air pollution. Android and iOS apps are in the works, and Canary is still in prerelease form, allegedly heading to Kickstarter for a first round of funding as well. It is not clear at this point whether the Canary smart detector will be compatible with existing home automation standards like Zigbee, X10 and the like.

source: Canary via Gizmodo

HTC One Android 4.2.2 treatment inevitable, as an OTA update becomes available in Taiwan

465MB update delivers Android 4.2.2 and brings the death of the dreaded black bar

A user with an international model HTC One in Taiwan just sent in some good news -- the 4.2.2 OTA has arrived for his phone. Nothing in the way of a change log is available from HTC just yet, but the update screen tells us a little bit. Besides the new API level that comes with 4.2.2, HTC has included:

• Launcher bar enhancement
• Widget panel rearrangement
• New lock screen style and widget
• Enhanced behavior of the home button
• The death of the black bar
• Battery percentage in the status bar
• Quick settings
• AE/AF enhancements in the camera

So far the only reports are coming from the Taiwan area, and I've been trying every trick I know to force anything on my developer edition. This follows the same trend we've seen before with the One X, where Taiwan and Singapore were the first to get the goods. 

There's no telling when we'll see carrier versions of the update, but knowing that HTC is finished with it should make everyone breathe a little easier. Hit the break for some screenshots of the new features.

Why an iOS 7 Jailbreak Still Matters for Consumers

Some may argue that an iOS 7 jailbreak, which was recently announced to be possible, may be superfluous as iOS 7 brings with it more features and allows for even more customization already, negating the need to hack Apple’s mobile OS. Others may argue that jailbreaking is too much work for the average consumer and that at the end of the day, it’s only the geeks and tech savvy who really benefit. However, an iOS 7 jailbreak would benefit the entire ecosystem.

Apple Borrows Ideas From Jailbreak Solutions

With each successive revision of the iOS operating system, new features are added to make the OS even better and more competitive against rival OSes. Some of the new features that were added in the past include the ability to create folders, the flexibility of being able to customize the lockscreen, adding the option to multitask, and giving users the ability to tether.

While those features, at the time they were introduced, may sound novel, the features that Apple added were inspired from prior jailbreak tweaks and utilities. In fact, before Apple allowed users to change wallpapers and lock screen images, jailbreakers had created a utility to bring custom wallpapers to the iPhone. Before there was multitasking, jailbreakers devised a way for apps to always be running in the background. And before tethering was even considered by the carriers, jailbreakers allowed the Internet to be shared from the iPhone to other devices.

Granted, Apple had improved on many of the features it borrowed. Take for instance multitasking. Rather than allowing apps to always be running and eat away at battery life, Apple created push notifications. Instead of just Bluetooth tethering, Apple added WiFi tethering and USB tethering. Apple borrows and add elegance to what it takes from the community.

New Features Inspire Innovation

So while iOS 7 already brings new features to keep iOS up to date, through a larger jailbreaking community, new features, ideas, and innovations be come up for new features that may be included in a future iOS version. Perhaps some of the tweaks, hacks, and utilities that will be introduced through the jailbreaking efforts on iOS 7 can be found on a future generation of iPhone and iPad devices running iOS 8. By opening up the “development” on an unofficial level, hackers can help inspire Apple to come up with new experiences for the iPhone.

Bringing Change That Apple and Carriers Are Not Willing to Embrace

One feature that’s long been missing on the iPhone is the ability to download large files over a mobile 3G or 4G network. Apple has restricted the ability to consume large amounts of data in an effort to protect the consumer against themselves, but that leaves power users wanting more.

For example, a 50 MB download limit means that I cannot download an iTunes movie or TV show file over a carrier’s network. However, with the appropriate jailbreak tweak, I can fool my phone to thinking it’s connected to a WiFi network when it’s on 4G so I can readily download a movie, if I so choose to use my monthly data bucket for this purpose. This really comes in handy when traveling. After all, if I can tether my iPad to my iPhone–the iPad would be on a WiFi network created by the iPhone to share the phone’s 4G connection through tethering–to download a movie this way, why can’t I do the same on my iPhone over 4G? In either situation, I’d still be consuming the same amount of data over my carrier’s mobile broadband connection.

The Sky’s the Limit

When it comes to imagination and innovation, there’s no limit to the creativity that jailbreaking brings. New apps, new utilities, and new tweaks will come. What are you most looking to do when the jailbreak is officially released for iOS 7?