Facebook brings VR Reactions to 360-degree videos

Picture Source: Facebook

By now most of us know that Facebook has added the ability to upload and view 360 degree videos on the social media site. Many of us also know the best way to appreciate these full 360 degree photos is by using Samsung's Gear VR headset. But what's new is the ability to react to, and view others reactions of these 360 degree videos. If you stare at the like button long enough you will be able to choose from 6 different reactions. This feature will also be added to 360 degree photos in the coming weeks.

Source: Facebook and Engadget

Motorola Z and Motorola Z Force Announced

Last month Motorola teased us with a video that eluded to a possible Moto Razr resurrection. We now find out that this is only partially true and Ashton Kutcher was at the keynote to once again do his best Steve Jobs impression.

Motorola’s new line of phones won’t be called the Moto Razr, instead it will be called the Moto Z. And these phones won’t be flip phones they have instead been dubbed “snap phones”. Simply because you can snap different accessories, called motomods, to the backs of the phones.

Motorola already has motomaker, which allows customers to choose the accent, trim and backing of the phones, but this adds an extra layer of customization and usability that users who want to even further stand out will love.

The motomods actually seem like a pretty cool idea. They have one that snaps to your phone to give it the capability to project its screen and produce a 70” picture onto any wall or surface.

Another motomod provides your phone with up to 20 hours of battery. A 3^rd Motorola snap-in attachment gives you surprisingly loud speakers. They also have one that serves as a custom back cover. Which is a good idea, because in the past when you chose a custom back using motomaker you couldn’t change it….Now you can.

To compete with the newly announced rugged Samsung Active, Motorola has announced the Moto Z Force. Which will be using the same shatter proof technology the Moto X forced used. It also totes a 3500mah battery that can give you 15 hours of usage with only a 15 minute charge.

And that’s not all, the Z Force will have a 5MP front camera with a flash and a 21 MP rear camera. While the Z will have a 13 MP rear camera. Both phones will come with USB-C ports, but no 3.5mm headphone jacks, only USB-C to 3.5mm adapters.

They’ll be exclusive to Verizon this summer, but you can buy the unlocked version from Motorola in the fall.

Passenger drone gets permission for US flight tests

photo credit: engadget

The drone manufacturing company EHang has been given permission to test their 184 drone in Nevada by the Institute for Autonomous Systems. This drone will essentially work as a quad copter taxi. It is autonomous and will seat a single passenger. Many foresee amazing potential for EHang's 184, especially if the company teams up with a ride sharing organizations like Blade or Uber. Image tapping a button on your smartphone and summoning a drone that will fly you to your destination while avoiding rush hour traffic in the streets.

There is no set day as to when the 184 will start it's tests, or where in Nevada it will be flying. But the flights are scheduled for later this year. To find out more check the source link.

Source: Engadget

A closer look at that $14,000 Android phone

Image Credit: Engadget

Meet the Solarin, the first smartphone from Israeli company Sirin Labs. Instead of being tapered with aluminium like other luxury smartphones, it's instead trimmed with the much tougher titanium. This phone has the ability to switch from a standard Android interface to a more secure interface that disables all non-essential functions, but leaves you with the ability to send and receive both encrypted texts and calls. Of course the devices futuristic design, scalability and security have to come at a premium price and that price happens to be $14,000.

Aside from the promise of privacy, Sirin Labs will ensure this phone is loaded with the latest hardware as well.

The Solarin will have the following specs:

Chipset: Spapdragon 810
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 120GB
Camera: 23.8-megapixel with a quad-LED flash
Display: 5.5-inch QHD IPS LCD display

To find out more about this device check out the source link below or visit the gallery for more photos.

Gallery: Sirin Labs' Solarin | 10 Photos

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Image Credit: Engadget

Source: Engadget

The most followed account on Twitter has been hacked

Image Credit: Mark Metacalfe/WireImage

A Twitter account being hacked is not really an uncommon thing. But it becomes big news when it's the account of the most followed person on Twitter. The @KatyPerry account boasts an astounding 89 million followers, which comes in at more than the actual @Twitter account, that only has 55 million. 

Yesterday May 30th several suspicious tweets were sent out from Katy's account. One clear indication that something was off  with Ms. Perry's account was when the random homophobic and racists tweets started appearing. In one tweet she calls @keemstar a "Fag" and then later on shouted out Chief Keef's' crew, the "OTF Gang". This would probably cause many to speculate that Chief Keef may be behind the security breach as the two had a nasty feud on twitter back in 2013. 

Whoever was behind the intrusion may never be found out, but this should be a warning to all twitter user to take the right steps to ensure a secure twitter experience. 

Source: Engadget

First look at ASUS' me-too VR headset

 This Asus VR headset will be Asus's answer to Samsung's Gear VR. No release date for the product has been set, but thanks to AOL we can see some pictures of the virtual reality headset before its release. You will notice a trackpad on the side, which will be used for navigation in the same way that the Gear VR uses it. The device will most likely be used with the Asus ZenFone exclusively, but it would be nice to see compatibility with other Android device.

Image Credit: AOL

Source: Engadget

Robber arrested after Facebook suggests the victim adds him

Image Credit: Engadget

BBC reports that In Birmingham UK Facebook was used to catch and convict Omar Famuyide of robbery and firearm offences. This happened after one of Omar's victims spotted his familiar face on the "People you may know" portion of Facebook. After being pointed out via social media, Omar is now serving 17 years in confinement.

The way the Facebook algorithm works is it uses your work, education information and location to suggest people that you should add. It also uses your Instagram account to assist in providing you with suggestions.

Source: Engadget and BBC

PayPal is killing its Windows Phone and BlackBerry apps

Image Credit: Engadget

Earlier this week Microsoft announced a big loss to it's mobile division. They announced over 1300 inherited Nokia employees will be laid off. Now we are finding out that they will be losing a popular app as well. Today PayPal announced that it will be pulling its app from the Windows Store on June 30th. They have also announced that the Blackberry App World will suffer the same fate. It looks like Blackberry and Windows Phone users will have to resort to the PayPal website instead. here is the announcement from PayPal's VP Joanna Lambert that declare the app would no longer be sticking around on the 4th and 3rd place mobile OS's.

"It was a difficult decision to no longer support the PayPal app on these mobile platforms, but we believe it's the right thing to ensure we are investing our resources in creating the very best experiences for our customers. We remain committed to partnering with mobile device providers, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our customers."

It's highly doubtable but we will see if PayPal decides to change its mind when the surface phone is released.

Source: PayPal & Engadget

Report: Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Note 7 this summer, bypassing 6 entirely

Image Credit: Android Authority

Android Authority has reported that the new Galaxy Note won't be called the Galaxy Note 6 as one would think the logical incremental name change would be. Instead it will be known as the Galaxy Note 7.

The direct reason why Samsung decided to take a page out of Microsoft book and skip a number is not exactly clear. But it does allow for the naming of the Galaxy Note line to match up with that of the Galaxy S line. This will also put the Note inline with the upcoming iPhone 7's version number. The guess is that Samsung's marketing department may be attempting to remove any subconscious perception that a lower model number means an older product. Thus removing the possibility of a customer buying an iPhone 7 plus over a Note 6 because they think the latter is last years model.

Source: Android Authority

You can play the new 'Legend of Zelda' early in New York City

Image Credit: Engadget

If want to play The Legend of Zelda for the Wii U but you don't have an invite to E3 and you can't wait until 2017 for the games release, then here is some good news for you. Nintendo has announced that it will give people in New York the chance to play the new Zelda between June 14th-19th.

In order to be qualified to play fans will have to registered during the fan signup day on June 11th at New York's Nintendo store. Only 500 people will be chosen and if you're part of the luck few then you'll have to visit the store again on June 14th to book your appointment to play and receive your wristband.


Source: Engadget and Nintendo BusinessWire

iPhone 7 to Have 4 Speakers and a Dual Lens Camera

Over the weekend several leaked pictures relating to the yet to be released iPhone 7 surfaced. Among the leaked photos is a picture of an iPhone 7 case which appears to have holes that accommodate 4 speakers. This causes many speculators to come to this logical assumption that Apples new phone may inherent the same speaker design as the Apple iPad pro.

Image: NoWhereelse.fr

Note the two speaker grills at the bottom of the case and additional two at the top.

Further to that another leaked photo shows that the iPhone 7 will have a dual camera. But what does that mean? Will both cameras be used to take 3D photos like the 2011 HTC EVO 3D? Short answer, no. The dual lens may end up utilizing the LinX camera technology that Apple acquired last year. This could possibly give Apple the ability to use the combined power of both lenses to take crisp DSLR like pictures. But take the above information with a grain of salt as these are simply rumors.

Image: macworld.co.uk & Mac Otakara 

Source: MacWorld and Gadgets NDTV

This is what Samsung's Gear Fit 2 (probably) looks like

    Picture Credit: Engadget


Some photos of the Samsung Gear Fit 2 have leaked there way onto the internet.
This isn't to be confused with the Galaxy Gear S line, which is in direct competition with the Apple watch. This is instead Samsung's answer to the fitbit.

Apparently the Gear Fit 2 will have a 1.84-inch screen, 4GB of storage space and a GPS. The original Gear Fit was released back in 2014, so a sequel is definitely overdue. No exact release date has been given, but the rumor mill is telling us to expect it sometime this June. Since June is only a few short weeks away we will find out sooner rather than later if those rumors are true.

Source: Engadget

Buzzfeed Writer Put A Payment Chip In His Hand To Replace His Wallet

A senior writer on Buzzfeed news decides to push the limitations of tap to pay. He starts off trying to pay for everything he can with just his phone. Then he ends up going as far as implanting a microchip in his hand in order to complete his transactions.

He actually went to Sweeden, met up with a guy in the Bio-hacker community there, and that's who implant the chip for him. The chip he used was an RFID chip, which stands for radio frequency identifier and is the same one used to keep track of pets. It left a nasty bruise on his skin at first, but after it healed up it wasn't as recognizable.

In order to accomplish his payment transaction he had to use Venmo, a payment and money sharing app for Android and IOS. He transferred his Venmo user ID onto the chip in his hand. What this does is it allows any phone to recognize the chip in his hand as an actual Venmo app. So when he proceeds to pay, all the cashier does is tap the NFC enable phone onto the his microchip implanted hand and the payment gets registered.

Source: Buzzfeed YouTube, Buzzfeed Blog 

Motorola's legendary RAZR flip phone is making a comeback

If you head over to Motorola’s YouTube Channel right now then you’ll see a commercial paying homage to the 2004 Motorola RAZR v3 flip phone. But at the end of the commercial you’ll notice the date June 9th 2016 flash on the screen, which leads you to believe that this video is not just paying homage, but it may be teasing us about Motorola’s plans to reboot the throw back RAZR device. Which at first thought sounds like a great idea for them because even though the Moto G, X and E are moving units, if they can somehow recapture the hype of the old RAZR which sold over 130 million units in its day, then this can assist Moto in their climb back to the top of the mobile foodchain.

But we have seen Motorola try, and fail to reincarnate the RAZR name before, with the Moto Droid RAZR However now that Motorola is under the management of Lenovo, who is currently very much dominant in the PC word, it would be interesting to see what kind of approach they will take with the RAZR if a new one does materialize.

Will it be a full touch device, with a design similar to the Moto X? Or will it be a flip phone with a touchscreen like the LG Wine Smart. And if it is a flip phone, even though it would be a great novelty to play with for nostalgic purposes how much use will today’s world have for one knowing how limiting they can be?

But we will find out what the mystery add means during Lenovo tech world on June 9th

Source: Engadget, Motorola 

Google aims to launch its consumer Project Ara phone in 2017

Google has been producing very innovated prototypes, from its autonomous car to Google Glass. But the problem with those gadgets, as cool as they appear, is that they have not be slated for consumer release any time soon. But Project Ara is about to is one of the radical Google inventions that has just now been given a near future release date

For those who don't know, Project Ara is Googles attempt at taking the Desktop PC approach to smartphones. Just like your trusty desktop box at home, if you want to upgrade the RAM on this phone, simply slide out a block of old RAM, and slide in the new expanded amount. You can also do the same for the camera, CPU and other components.

At Google I/O today, Blaise Bertrand confirmed a Project Ara phone can be expected in the consumer market by 2017.

Source: Engadget

Uber shows off its first self-driving car

Do you hate it when your Uber driver gets too chatty? Well Uber's Advanced Technologies Center (ATC) may have a solution for you. Uber has officially announced that it's first self driving car will be cruising around Pittsburgh streets. On the downside for antisocial ride sharers, a driver will still need to be present in the vehicle by law. But if the law changes then those patrons can rejoice.

It's prototype, a hybrid Ford Fusion, has already been seen on Pittsburgh streets gathering mapping data last year. But Uber has finally come out of the woodwork's and made the news public. The prototype will continue lapping the city streets collecting information that will assist it in dealing with cyclists, pedestrians and other drivers.  

Check out the source link below for the full story

Source: Uber's Blog

Google Announced Android Wear 2.0

Today during io16 Google announced Android wear version 2.0. This update will allow users to perform functions directly on the watch without the use of a phone. Google promises the ability to reply to texts and stream music directly from your watch. This means Spotify can now launch right from your watch face without your phone.

Google has implemented something called Smart Reply which promises to have your watch know the context of your messages as you're replying to them, thanks to Google Machine learning. You can also do things like use your finger to scribble down a quick text message reply.

A preview of Android Wear 2.0 is currently available for download to developers, and set to be ready for final release in the fall.

Watch Google's I/O keynote right here, right now

Watch the Google I/O conference

Source: Engadget

Motorola just announced two new Moto Gs

Motorola revealed two new phones today, the Moto G4 and the Moto G4 Plus. These phones will both have a 5MP front facing camera, Micro SD card slot, 5.5 inch 1080p displays, a Snapdragon 617 processor, fast charging capabilities and a 3,000mAh battery. 

But the G4 Plus will have a few additional elements that wont be found in the standard G4. These bells and whistles include a finger print reader, a 16MP camera with laser and phase detection autofocus as well as a f/2.0 aperture. The Plus allows you to choose between two variants, one that gives you 16GBs of storage space and 2GB of RAM or a 32GB model with 3GB of RAM.

The regular G4s camera will have a slightly reduced pixel count, coming in at 13MP. It will also be missing the fingerprint reader. Customers will only get one storage and memory option, which is 16GB of storage and 2GB of RAM. But will leave a smaller dent in your bank book.

The pair of phones are set to be released in June in both India and Europe, but no word on a US release date as of yet. The G4 will cost £169 while the plus is tentatively priced at £199. These prices may change upon final release. 

Check out the source link for further details on this story.

Source: Engadget

Report: Twitter won't count links, photos in 140-character limit

All twitter users know of the 140 character restriction placed on the posts they make. When a picture is attached to said post the URL that points to picture takes up a certain amount of characters stealing users of several words of expression. That will soon be the case no more. Twitter has announced that pictures will no longer use up the 140 available characters.

Check out the source link for the full article

Source: Bloomberg

Samsung's Next Smartwatch Could Put The Display On Your Hand

Samsung has patented a smartwatch that has the ability to project images directly from the wearable onto the skin of the user. There is no word if the images projected can also be manipulated by touch, but if so it will definitely give the wearer a few less reasons to reach into their pocket for a phone. Also keep in mind that even though Samsung has a patent for this product, it doesn't mean it will ever make its way into production.

You can visit the source link below to get the full article from Forbes

Source: Forbes

Amazon will sell its own food brands to Prime members

According to the Wall Street Journal Amazon may be thinking of getting into the grocery business. This move may actually be just a few short weeks away from happening. If this does become a reality, they will be selling items from cooking oils to teas under the Happy Belly label. Meanwhile another label, Wickedly Prime, would be handling there snack sales.

For a more detailed look at this story refer to the Wall Street Journal source link below.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Android VR Confirmed by Google Developer Site

Google will most likely be announcing a stand-a-lone Android-powered VR headset. Unlike the currently released Google Cardboard, this VR headset will not require a phone or a PC, similar to Microsoft's HoloLens. But unlike HoloLens this is not simply an augmented reality device. 

The Financial Times has reported about Googles rumored device, stating that it will support multiple brands, unlike the Samsung's Gear VR. Another thing that sets this device apart from the Gear VR is the fact that it will not need the 3rd party Oculus software to run. The Android VR experience will reportedly be built right into Android. 

Currently Google is trailing far behind Samsung and Oculus in the VR market, If this theoretical product becomes a reality it may help Google establish a stronger foothold in the VR space. The product is still a rumor as it has not been officially announced by Google, but we expect it to be during their I/O conference May 18th-20th. 

lone headset. The company may use motion-tracking cameras powered by Movidius, a company it worked with on the Project Tango smartphone. However, the Financial Times also reported that Google will launch a device that does require a smartphone, but supports multiple brands, unlike Samsung's Gear VR. According to the WSJ, it may launch both types of models at its I/O conference.

Source: Engadet, Financial Times

HTC 10 T-Mobile Release Date Announced

T-Mobile customers are rejoicing after the carrier announced HTC 10's release date. Another piece of good news for patrons is that the first few purchasers will get $85 worth of gifts.

Buying the HTC 10 in between May 18th-24th will land you a free rapid charger and ice view case. The device itself costs $679.99, but it's free upfront with 24 monthly payments of $28.34.

For those who don't know the HTC 10 is the companies follow up to last years M9. It will sport a 12MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, 4GB of RAM 3000 mAh battery, 32GB of expandable storage, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 chipset and running Android 6.0.1

Lil Wayne Did This to His Daughter She Uploaded Photos to Prove It

Alot of us are already aware of Lil Waynes' falling out with his mentor and father like figure Birdman. Alot of us have also probably heard the comical radio interview Lil Waynes' former mentor did on Power 105s' The Breakfast Club. But something that Lil Wayne did back in November 2015 may have slipped through the media cracks and failed to fall onto the ears of the masses. For those who don't already know, in 1998 Lil Wayne had a daughter with reality personality Toya Wright. Her name is Reginae Carter and on her 17th birthday her father bought her a brand new Range Rover, lets hope she already has her learners permit. He also went on to shower his baby girl in a selection of Puma sneakers. Personally, from a millionaire like Lil Wayne, I would have expected some $1000 Yeezy's. But she was happy enough with the kicks to post pictures of them on socially media. You can check them out below.

Windows 10 Upgrade Reminders WIll Stop

If you're like me, still using Windows 8.1, too lazy to upgrade to Windows 10 and sick of the pop ups reminding you too, then you're in luck. Microsoft has announced that on July 29th it will stop soliciting us procrastinators with constant pop up reminders. But the downside to this is it means Microsoft's free Windows 10 upgrade period is coming to an end. July 29th also happens to be the date the free offer will expire. So if you're content with Windows 8.1 then you'll be glad when MS finally stops taking the Jehovah's witness approaching to upgrading. If you are curious about the Windows 10 OS, but you've just been dragging your feet on the switch over, then you only have around 2 months to get this done.

Source: Engadget

Girl Blows Kiss to Lion

7 Reasons to Buy an S7

Check out my video on 7 reasons why you would want to get a Samsung Galaxy S7

1. Expandable storage makes a return to the Galaxy series as the S7 allows users to add up to 200GB of external storage with a micro SD card. This wasn't something that was present in last years model
2. Battery life is much improved compared to the S6's 2550 mah battery. The S7 packs a 3000 mah battery and will give you around 5 hours of screen on time. 
3. With some new sexy curves added, the S7 almost makes its ancestor look blocky and boring. You'll also notice that the rear facing camera is almost flush to the body of the phone, and not protruding out like the S6. This device definitely looks sexier than the older one.
4. Although the S5 was IP67 water resistant the S6 removed that rating from there specs sheet. However this years Galaxy's brings the water proof classification back and is now IP68 water resistant. 
5. This year Samsung decided to take advantage of it's AMOLED screen technology by implementing an always on clock display feature that because of the AMOLED technology allows only the pixels displaying the time to stay on, while the other pixels stay off.
6. Samsung reduced the amount of pixels in the camera of its latest flagship phone simply to increase the size of the pixels. These larger individual pixels results in the ability for the sensor to let more light in giving the photographer better low light pictures. These larger pixels are also used as a part of Samsungs' dual pixel on chip phase detection technology. which results in incredibly fast focus speeds. 
7. The new Galaxy has an exclusive app to the S7 called game launcher, which gives gamers the ability to prevent notifications from interrupting them in the middle of a game session and also the ability to record games as they play them. 

Olsen Twins Now and Then

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