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Thursday, October 3, 2013

Google Acquires Flutter Hand Gesture Detection App for OS X

Google has acquired Flutter, an app for OS X and Windows that uses your computers webcam to detect hand gestures.

Flutter is Kinect for OS X. It uses HAND GESTURES detected via built-in webcam in your device to play, pause and skip songs & videos in iTunes, Spotify, Rdio, MPlayerX (most recent version), VLC (more recent version), Ecoute, Quicktime, Keynote, YouTube, Netflix, Pandora, and Grooveshark.

Google confirmed the acquisition to TNW saying, "We’re really impressed by the Flutter team’s ability to design new technology based on cutting-edge research. We look forward to supporting and collaborating on their research efforts at Google."

Flutter says users will be able to continue to use the app, and stay tuned for future updates.

Features:
- Play/Pause your music & videos using simple hand gestures (palm gesture)
- Go to Next Song (thumbs right) or rewind to Previous Song (thumbs left) (Note: First thumbs left gesture takes you to beginning of song. Another thumbs left performed quickly jumps to the previous song)
- Works via your webcam -- no additional hardware necessary
- Works best from 1-6 feet distance from webcam
- Works even when Spotify, iTunes, Rdio, and other apps are playing music/video in the background or are minimized

You can purchase Flutter from the App Store for $4.99.

You can now download the new Limerain App and follow Limerain on the go. Also follow Limerain on Twitter, Facebook, or RSS to be notified of any updates.

*thanks iclarified*

Send us a story or tip @ TipsForLimerain.com@gmail.com and follow our pages for the latest limera1n, and all tech stories, follow us on Twitter at @iphonepixelpost or @limerain_com
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- Posted using my iPhone 5

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

It's Not Just Samsung That's Rigging Benchmark Results

AnandTech has posted a chart that reveals it's not just Samsung that's artificially inflating its benchmark result scores.

Yesterday, Apple SVP Phil Schiller tweeted a link to a report from ArsTechnica which revealed that Samsung has been artificially inflating its benchmark scores for the Galaxy Note 3.

AnandTech has followed up with its own report:

We started piecing this data together back in July, and even had conversations with both silicon vendors and OEMs about getting it to stop. With the exception of Apple and Motorola, literally every single OEM we’ve worked with ships (or has shipped) at least one device that runs this silly CPU optimization. It's possible that older Motorola devices might've done the same thing, but none of the newer devices we have on hand exhibited the behavior. It’s a systemic problem that seems to have surfaced over the last two years, and one that extends far beyond Samsung.

Check out the chart below to see some of the tests that manufacturers have gamed. Hopefully, this added publicity will put a stop to the practice.

WD Launches My Cloud Personal Cloud Storage Solution

WD today introduced its new My Cloud family of personal cloud solutions that lets users organize, centralize and secure the digital content from all of their computers and mobile devices and access those files from any device, from anywhere in the world.

By simply connecting a My Cloud personal cloud drive to the Internet, consumers get the anywhere, any-device access they can get from the public cloud, without having to pay monthly fees or giving up control of their personal data.

“We believe that there’s no place like home for the cloud,” said Jim Welsh, executive vice president and general manager of WD's branded products and consumer electronics groups. “Everyone is inundated with thousands of digital files scattered across multiple computers and mobile devices, and controlling that chaos is a challenge. WD’s personal cloud is the easiest, most secure and most affordable way for customers to control that chaos, with access to all of their files anywhere, anytime.”

Personal cloud storage is the new standard, allowing users to keep media and files safe at home on their own physical drive and then access them over the Internet with any PC or Mac computer or on tablets and smartphones through mobile apps. Using the My Cloud drive, users can share files, stream media and access content anywhere with no monthly fees and feel secure in the knowledge that their cloud resides in their own home under their exclusive control.

Streamlined Setup and Backup
Customers can get their personal cloud up and running in minutes with WD’s rich web-based user interface for seamless web-guided setup. WD's software auto-detects the drive to make setup simple for novice users. Once the My Cloud drive is setup, customers can easily connect their computers and mobile devices with WD's free desktop and mobile apps. With a Gigabit Ethernet connection and Dual-Core processor, transferring files is blazing fast, allowing customers to quickly centralize all of the digital content scattered across various devices onto My Cloud. With direct file uploads from mobile devices, important files and videos can be safely moved to My Cloud, freeing up valuable space on users’ tablets and smartphones.

Customers can also use their My Cloud to back up their computers and digital files. For PC users, WD SmartWare Pro software offers options for how, when and where to back up files. Mac users can utilize all the features of Apple® Time Machine® backup software to protect their data.

Complete Control
My Cloud users can store and organize their families’ photos, videos, music and important documents in one secure place on the home network. With the new My Cloud desktop app, navigating, controlling and sharing these files from anywhere in the world is simple and intuitive. My Cloud is available in 2 TB, 3 TB, and 4 TB capacities, providing bountiful storage capacity with no monthly payment required. Customers can also attach a compatible USB 3.0 hard drive directly to the USB expansion port on the My Cloud drive and instantly expand their storage capacity.

Additionally, My Cloud serves as a home’s digital entertainment hub, storing terabytes of movies and music that can then be streamed to any DLNA-certified multimedia device such as a WD TV Live media player, as well as smart TVs and gaming consoles.

Accessing the Personal Cloud
Available for iOS and Android devices, the new WD My Cloud mobile app allows users to view photos, stream video and access their files from anywhere on their smartphones or tablets. The mobile app also makes file sharing and collaborating simple and secure, allowing customers to easily email files, share files as a link, and print and open files with third party apps.

Additionally, the My Cloud mobile app integrates major public cloud services so that customers can easily transfer files between their Dropbox, SkyDrive and Google Drive public cloud accounts.

Price and Availability
The 2 TB and 3 TB My Cloud is currently available at select U.S. retailers and online at the wdstore.com. The 4 TB My Cloud is expected to be available in November. MSRP is $149.99 USD for 2 TB, $179.99 USD for 3 TB and $249.99 USD for 4 TB. The My Cloud mobile app currently is available for download from the App Store and Google Play. A two drive and four drive My Cloud configuration will be available in the future.

Capacity and Compatibility
My Cloud personal cloud storage is available in capacities of 2 TB, 3 TB and 4 TB is compatible with Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, OS X Mountain Lion, Lion, Snow Leopard, as well as DLNA/UPnP enabled devices.

German iCloud Users Get Push Email Back

Apple has finally been able to make push email available again to German iCloud users, reports Foss Patents. After more than 19 months of legal battles with Google's Motorola Mobility over a patent that 'should never have been granted in the first place'.

The main claim of the patent was found invalid for four independent reasons by a U.K. court last December. However, Google refused to stay the enforcement of the injunction. Apple filed with the Karlsruhe-based appeals court a motion to stay enforcement against Google's will and last month the Karlsruhe Higher Regional Court granted it; however, Apple was required to put up a 100 million euro bond in case future litigation upheld its validity.

The Federal Patent Court based in Munich will be holding a nullity hearing concerning this patent on November 13, 2013.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Apple SVP Phil Schiller Points to Samsung's Benchmark 'Shenanigans'

Apple SVP Phil Schiller has tweeted a link to a report from ArsTechnica which reveals that Samsung has been artificially inflating its benchmark scores for the Galaxy Note 3.

shenanigans http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/10/galaxy-note-3s-benchmarking-adjustments-inflate-scores-by-up-to-20/ ...

ArsTechnica noticed that strangely the Galaxy Note 3 scored much better in its benchmarks then the similarly specced LG G2, and launched an investigation into the matter.

A quick comparison of its scores to the similarly specced LG G2 makes it clear that something fishy is going on, because Samsung's 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 blows the doors off LG's 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800. What makes one Snapdragon so different from the other? After a good bit of sleuthing, we can confidently say that Samsung appears to be artificially boosting the US Note 3's benchmark scores with a special, high-power CPU mode that kicks in when the device runs a large number of popular benchmarking apps.

By changing the name of the benchmark utility, ArsTechnica found that booster was adding 20% to the Galaxy Note 3's score.

Monday, September 30, 2013

ABI Research: Android is Now Leading the Tablet Market

ABI Research reports that Apple's iPad has 'passed the baton' to the Android ecosystem. According to the report, during the second quarter of 2013, Android tablets sold surpassed iOS tablets sold, revenues reached parity, and the average selling price of the iPad dropped closer to market average.

Overall shipments in the quarter dropped 17% sequentially while growing 23% year-over-year for the same quarterly period. “Smaller 7-inch class tablets are finally the majority of shipments,” says senior practice director Jeff Orr. “The 7.9-inch iPad mini represented about 60% of total iPad shipments and 49% of iPad-related device revenues in the quarter.” Tablet shipments in the second quarter of 2013 achieved revenues of $12.7 billion. For the first time, iPad represented only 50% of worldwide end-user revenues. Apple split the market with all other branded vendors at $6.3 billion in the quarter.

Notably, the average selling price of the iPad dropped 17% while the average selling price of other tablets increased 17% in the past year. This is due to the introduction of the smaller and cheaper iPad mini.

“Twelve months is a long time for the peak lifecycle of a contemporary tablet. To remain a leader, Apple must continue to innovate and address real-world market needs,” adds Orr.

Apple is widely expected to release a new iPad 5 in October; however, it's unclear if the company will launch a new Retina Display iPad mini at the same time.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Leaving Your Laptop Always Plugged In Will Kill Its Battery Faster

Leaving your laptop always plugged in will kill its battery life faster, according to a recent report from Wired. In fact, you shouldn't even let it charge to 100%.

Cadex Electronics CEO Isidor Buchmann tells the site that ideally users would charge their laptops to 80% and then drain them to 40%, prolonging their battery life by up to 4x.

The reason is that each cell in a lithium-polymer battery is charged to a voltage level. The higher the charge percentage, the higher the voltage level. The more voltage a cell has to store, the more stress it’s put under. That stress leads to fewer discharge cycles. For example, Battery University states that a battery charged to 100 percent will have only 300-500 discharge cycles, while a battery charged to 70 percent will get 1,200-2,000 discharge cycles.

This is simple in theory but much harder in practice. The report suggests timing how long it takes your device to charge from 40% to 80% and then setting a timer when you first plug your laptop in to charge.

If you can remember to follow Buchmann's advice, a four times increase in battery life is a significant improvement.