The 78 essential tricks Google thinks every Android user should know

If you own an Android phone, that also means you have a Google account. Google would like you to know that this account isn't just there for show -- it's there to unlock a bunch of cool services on your smartphone. To help out Android newbies, Google has created a whole page dedicated to "78 things you didn't know you could do with Google" to provide users with the basics they need to help them get the most out of Google's services.

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Posted in 2015 at 05:01PM, April 07

How Netflix is spearheading a video quality revolution

Netflix has sure come a long ways from its humble beginnings as a company that simply made it exceedingly easy to watch DVDs. These days, Netflix is a media powerhouse with its own stable of award-winning and increasingly popular original content.

What's awesome about Netflix is they're not just pushing the envelope content wise, they're leading the charge on the video quality front as well.

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Posted in 2015 at 05:01PM, April 06

Apple Seeds Fourth OS X 10.10.3 Yosemite Beta to Developers, Public Beta Testers

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of OS X Yosemite to developers and public beta testers, almost a month after seeding the first OS X 10.10.3 beta and just days after releasing the third beta to developers.



Today's beta appears to be nearly identical to the third 10.10.3 beta released last week, but it appears to solve a problem that prevented beta 3 from working with the new 2015 Retina MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.



The new beta, build 14D105g, is available for registered developers through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store and through the Mac Dev Center.





Earlier betas of OS X 10.10.3 have brought several new features to Yosemite, including the new Photos for OS X app. Designed to integrate with iCloud Photo Library, Photos for OS X is a replacement for both iPhoto and Aperture and is on track to see an early 2015 public launch. Reviews have suggested that while Photos is a suitable replacement for iPhoto, with more advanced tools and performance optimizations, it may leave professional users disappointed.



Along with the new Photos for OS X app, the first three OS X 10.10.3 betas introduced a redesigned emoji picker that consolidates emoji into a single page with clear labels, new diversified emoji and emoji skin tone modifiers, new flag emoji and updated emoji for the iPhone, iMac, and Apple Watch. There's also support for Google 2-step verification when setting up accounts in System Preferences, Force Touch APIs for developers, and new data sources for the "Look Up" feature.

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Posted in 2015 at 05:01PM, March 16

Apple Seeds Third OS X 10.10.3 Yosemite Beta to Developers

Apple today seeded the third beta of OS X Yosemite to developers, almost a month after seeding the first OS X 10.10.3 beta and a week after releasing OS X 10.10.3 to public beta testers.



The new beta, build 14D98g, is available for registered developers through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store and through the Mac Dev Center.



OS X 10.10.3 brings several new features to Yosemite, including the new Photos for OS X app. Designed to integrate with iCloud Photo Library, Photos for OS X is a replacement for both iPhoto and Aperture and is on track to see an early 2015 public launch. Reviews have suggested that while Photos is a suitable replacement for iPhoto, with more advanced tools and performance optimizations, it may leave professional users disappointed.



Along with the new Photos for OS X app, the first two OS X 10.10.3 betas introduced a redesigned emoji picker that consolidates emoji into a single page with clear labels, new diversified emoji and emoji skin tone modifiers, new flag emoji and updated emoji for the iPhone, iMac, and Apple Watch, and support for Google 2-step verification when setting up accounts in System Preferences.

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Posted in 2015 at 05:01PM, March 12

WOH! You may need a reservation to try on the Apple Watch in an Apple Store

Given that the Apple Watch is an entirely new product category for Apple, it makes perfect sense that Apple is planning to slightly tweak the Apple retail store experience to accommodate its new wearable.

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Posted in 2015 at 05:01PM, March 09

CES 2015: Incipio and Insteon Debut New Home Automation Solutions With HomeKit Support [iOS Blog]

Apple's HomeKit technology is being featured heavily at CES this year, with the introduction of home automation products from Schlage, iDevices and Elgato previously making news. Joining that group with their own new HomeKit products are mobile accessory maker Incipio and home automation company Insteon.





Moving beyond cases and chargers, Incipio has introduced its first home automation solutions that support Apple's HomeKit technology. The company's new DIRECT Wireless product line includes the Smart Outlet ($25), Light Bulb Adapter ($25), and Power Strip ($60) with one integrated Smart Outlet and three additional outlets.

Incipio DIRECT Wireless Smart solutions and Incipio DIRECT App integrate with a variety of home appliances and existing lamp fixtures, such as recessed lighting, giving users the ability to wirelessly control outlet powered devices at home or when away. [...]



Additional features of the Incipio DIRECT Wireless Smart Outlet, Light Bulb Adapter and Power Strip include:



- Integration with Siri voice commands, allowing hands-free control of home appliances and devices

- Wireless creation and configuration of home, rooms, and zones, to control power to devices at home or on-the-go

- Complimentary Incipio DIRECT Wireless Smart App allows users to create customized action sets and scenes such as “Lights Out” for a unique home automation experience

- Proximity awareness enables users to power specific devices and rooms, on or off

All three DIRECT Wireless Smart home automation solutions will debut in Q2 2015 at select retailers nationwide.






Instead of an array of individual hardware products, Insteon instead used CES to unveil two products designed to connect HomeKit devices. The company's new Insteon Hub Pro allows users to connect outlets, switches, thermostats and light bulbs into Insteon's HomeKit system. Hub users then can create and schedule "scenes" for rooms, zones and even houses. The Insteon Hub is available now for pre-order with a suggested retail price of $149.



Insteon also announced a new app that supports HomeKit-enabled devices from a variety of manufacturers. Through this single app, users can control multiple connected HomeKit devices regardless of their origin. Details on the availability and pricing of the Insteon App are not yet available.

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Posted in 2015 at 05:01PM, January 06