Google Glass Wearer Evicted From Seattle Eatery

With a device like Google Glass, you can be sure that it would not stray too far away from controversy. After all, privacy issues would surely be raised from time to time, and the latest person to have been evicted from a public area because he or she is wearing a pair of Google Glass would be Nick Starr. Starr was wearing a pair of Google Glass at the Lost Lake Café & Lounge, when the request was made by the establishment to remove the Google Glass – a request that Starr denied to follow, which promptly saw him being asked to leave the premises. Starr no doubt wasn’t too happy with the management’s policy of banning Google Glass which could not be presented at that point in time, although right now, customers to Lost Lake Café & Lounge have already been asked to ‘refrain from wearing and operating’ Google Glass whenever they are inside. According to staff at the eatery, this creed had its point, since other customers’ privacy could be invaded by a Google Glass wearer. This is not the first time that an establishment has outlawed the use of Google Glass within, and I am quite sure that it will not be the last, either


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Windows 8.1 Is Now Available

                It was earlier this summer when Microsoft officially unveiled what it would be improving in Windows 8.1, which included the often rumored Boot to Desktop option, the return of the Start button as well as a number of other improvements. Shortly after the unveiling, Microsoft announced it planned to release Windows 8.1 as a free upgrade for current Windows 8 users starting October 17. As you could probably assume by today’s date and the title of this story, Windows 8.1 has indeed been released and is now available for your downloading pleasure.
                Those of you who have a Windows 8 PC, you can head over to the Windows Store to proceed downloading the Windows 8.1 update, which weighs in at over 3GB, so don’t expect the update to take place any time soon. Thankfully, Microsoft allows the update to be downloadable in the background, leaving you to carry on with your day. Once the update is ready to be installed, Windows 8 will prompt you the update is ready.                                                                                                                                                                Those of you who don’t have Windows 8 but still want to get in on the Windows 8.1 fun can upgrade for just $119.99 for the standard version of Windows 8.1 and $199.99 for Windows 8.1 Pro. On the other hand, considering Windows 8.1 was just released, those of you who haven’t jumped on the Windows 8 bandwagon will probably hold off a little bit longer with your current Windows version of choice



source-ubergizmo.com

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Facebook Launches Official App For Windows 8.1

We heard a dedicated Facebook app for Windows 8 was currently in the works just a few months ago, although we haven’t heard much of the application since its confirmation. Wonder now more about the Windows 8 dedicated Facebook application as its currently available on the Windows Store. Today’s launch of the Facebook app coincides with the release of Windows 8.1, which the app apparently needs to run on the new update, even though its description says it’s available for “Windows 8 users.” Once you’ve updated to Windows 8.1 and install Facebook’s dedicated app, you’ll probably feel right at home if you’ve used the service on mobile devices in the past. You’ll be able to update your status, view photos and check into wherever you currently are straight from the app, while its chat interface sits to the right side of the app. The Facebook app also has the well-known friend request, inbox and notification counters at the top-right portion of the screen, which are also touchscreen-friendly. The app also has a side panel that can be accessed at the left side that can allow you to access your news feed, messages, events, friends, pages, and more. So if you’ve been dying to have a more dedicated Facebook experience, get to updating to Windows 8.1 so you can download the new app.


source-ubergizmo.com

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Artificial Intelligence startup may have cracked CAPTCHA

You know those annoying, hard-to-read CAPTCHA text images that Web sites make you type to prove that you're not a machine?Vicarious, a California-based artificial intelligence startup, claims to have written software that can successfully interpret and reproduce the text inside the CAPTCHA image with 90% accuracy.

If it's true, that's better than what a lot of people can do with those skewed letters.

CAPTCHA--the Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart--was designed to keep hackers from flooding Web sites with automated responses. By reading and then typing a distorted image of text designed to confuse OCR software, you prove that you're a real human being.

Vicarious claims a 95-percent success rate on reading and decoding individual letters in a CAPTCHA, and a 90-percent success rate on the full, two-word code.

The company is cracking CAPTCHA to show off its Recursive Cortical Network (RCN) technology, intended to mimic the human brain's neocortex (the part of the brain that manages language and complex thought).

According to a company announcement and Vicarious co-founder Dr. Dileep George, Vicarious is taking a whole new approach to artificial intelligence, with "a long term strategy for developing human level artificial intelligence" The process begins "with building a brain-like vision system."

Fortunately, Vicarious isn't planning to hack websites with their AI program. Potential commercial applications include medical analysis, image search, and robotics, but the company warns that any practical application is "still many years away."

So why the big announcement about CAPTCHA? According to George, "Modern CAPTCHAs provide a snapshot of the challenges of visual perception, and solving those in a general way required us to understand how the brain does it." Vicarious sees cracking CAPTCHA as a public demonstration of the software's capabilities.  And a great opportunity to get some exposure.

But with this exciting (alleged) breakthrough comes some potentially serious risks.  A reliable way to break CAPTCHAs could be devastating to Web security. In fact, Vicarious is so concerned about the negative potential in its technology that it's keeping its physical location a secret.

At some level, cracking CAPTCHA seems inevitable. In a world where ATMs can read the dollar amounts on hand-written checks, we're clearly heading towards a time where computers can read anything humans can.

Luis von Ahn, one of the inventors of CAPTCHA, remains skeptical that Vicarious has actually figured out the secret sauce. “It’s hard for me to be impressed since I see these every few months," Ahn says. He figures he's seen about 50 claims of CAPTCHA-cracking technology. Each time, if the threat is legitimate, the CAPTCHA developers tweak their code and eliminate the problem. He suspects the same thing will happen with Vicarious' RCN.

At this point, the software is far from the hands of criminals anyway.  In fact, it has yet to be seen in the hands of qualified, objective testers who can confirm the company’s claims. Vicarious has released a video demonstrating the technology's capabilities, but that sort of thing is always suspect.

Vicarious' technology may turn into something to cheer about…or something to worry about. It may also prove meaningless. But with CAPTCHA codes providing a major security barrier for many popular online sites and services, the public has a reason to be concerned about any serious claims at cracking it.  It could threaten the security of any data stored in the cloud or accounts managed on the Web.  Or we could just be looking at a simple code tweak.  We’ll hope for the latter, but either way, we won’t find out for a while.

source-pcworld.com

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Galaxy S4 Review

The Samsung Galaxy S4 has arrived to America, and if you have been eagerly waiting to know how it feels to use the Galaxy S4 in the real world, the wait is over. Since its predecessor sold more than 50M units worldwide, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has to live up to rather high anticipation and expectations. You may have followed our first hands-on review of the S4, so you may know a fair amount about this smartphone. for this complete review, we have had more time to use the Galaxy S4 as a primary smartphone, and needless to say that on paper, it improves upon all aspects of the Galaxy S3 with which you may have seen or played with. If not, don’t worry, we’ll provide a good picture of what the S4 is. Now, the question is: how does it actually behave in the real world, and is it a smartphone for you? Samsung Galaxy S4 Specs (powerful) First of all, let’s go over some critical specifications of this new smartphone (a Sprint unit), just to have a frame of reference: Galaxy S3 iPhone 5 Galaxy S4 HTC One Weight 133 112 130 143 Display Size 4.8 4 4.99 4.7 Resolution 1280×720 1136×640 1920×1080 1920×1080 Pixel Density 306 326 441 468 microSD 64GB max No 64GB max No OS Android 4.1 iOS 6 Android 4.2 Android 4.1 Battery mAh 2100 1440 2600 2300 Battery removable Yes No Yes No Infrared blaster No No Yes Yes Camera (F) MP 1.9 1.2 2 2.1 Camera (B) MP 8 8 13 4 Thickness (inches) 0.34 0.3 0.31 0.37 Note that there are a few variants of the Samsung Galaxy S4: this one is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor at 1.9GHz, but the two others feature a Samsung Exynos Octa 5 4+4 cores that I have described at length in my Exynos Octa 5 post. The Samsung chip may embed 8 cores, but it should be considered to be a quad-core chip (in code execution terms) since only 4 can run at any given time. Samsung used the big.LITTLE architecture from ARM, and if you are curious, check what I think of big.LITTLE, it’s pretty neat. Update: experts say that the GS4 is also “easy” to repair. Many of you have asked “why” Samsung comes up with these hardware variations, and although none of the companies involved would usually comment on this hot topic, my guess is that carrier certifications end up being what’s driving those choices. Since the Qualcomm communications software stack works obviously much better with their own processor/modem combo, and given that US carriers (AT&T in particular) have tested and approved Qualcomm, it’s likely that Samsung has chosen Qualcomm to have a faster time to market (Samsung may not have time to qualify their own chips) in order to hit a worldwide market at launch. Although you may hear a lot of noise about the hardware differences, the user experience of both platforms is largely comparable. That’s my opinion after playing with an “Exynos version” of the S4 recently. Context We all use our phones differently, so it’s important that I tell you what I do with my smartphone(s): I typically check email often with the built-in email app (via Microsoft Exchange), and reply moderately because typing on the virtual keyboard is tedious. I browse the web several times a day to check on news sites, but rarely watch movies or play music. I don’t call much – maybe 10mn a day, if at all. On the “apps” side, I have a couple of social networks (FB, G+), a receipts manager and random apps (<20), but I rarely play games or do something super-intensive like video editing. This usage pattern will affect battery life and the perception of what features are useful. Now you know where we’re coming from…

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Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. HTC One Google Edition

You knew that those devices were coming: the Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition (GPE) was announced at Google I/O and the HTC One Google Play Edition followed shortly after that. There are even unconfirmed rumors of an XPERIA Z Google Edition (loaded with the stock Android OS, without modifications), but so far only two have finally landed in our offices: The S4 and the HTC One. You may wonder why Google does sell those devices, and the reason is quite simple: Google wants the general public to be able to experience Android as it was originally developed, on the best possible hardware. In this review, we will focus on the Android aspect, and if you are not yet familiar with the industrial design, performance and other critical aspects of those phones, I recommend reading our in-depth Galaxy S4 Review and HTC One Review articles since they will provide a lot of details.

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Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie Release At Google I/O Reportedly Delayed

A lot has already been rumored about Google’s I/O conference. It is believed that the company will announce a revamped Nexus 7 and a 32GB LTE Nexus 4 instead of a next generation Nexus 5 smartphone. Google was also expected to announce the next major Android platform update, Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. Its release has now reportedly been delayed by as much as four months to give ample time to OEMs so that they can keep up with the new Android version. Another reason for this delay could be the launch of Motorola X smartphone. The company’s top executives have sung its praises, perhaps they’ll merge both announcements together? At the moment 29.3% of Android devices are powered by Ice Cream Sandwich, in second place comes Jelly Bean which powers some 23% devices. Pushing back the Key Lime Pie release will aid both OEMs and Google itself. Despite being announced at last year’s I/O, many manufacturers and carriers are still rolling it out to Jelly Bean deprived customers. Launching a new version would further increase the fragmentation, and if this rumor is anything to go by, Google looks intent on avoiding that.

source-http://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/04/android-5-0-key-lime-pie-release-at-google-io-reportedly-delayed/

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Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie Concept

It has been said that the next update of the Android mobile operating system would bump Jelly Bean to version 4.3, but that particular version number is said to lack any major, earth shattering changes, so most folks have already cast an eye in the direction of Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. Well, what do you think one can expect from Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie when it arrives? We have absolutely no idea, so it is left up to the folks with an imagination to think of how “delicious” Key Lime Pie would look like on your smartphone down the road with this particular concept from a certain Jinesh Shah on Google+. Shah’s day job is a graphic artist, and his Key Lime Pie concept boasts of a minimalist and beautiful vision, sporting an extremely clean design approach. It looks like the “flat” graphical user interface scheme is catching on, where being minimal is a surefire trend in the right direction where mobile operating systems are concerned. This concept would see the Home Screen arrive with highly functional “hidden” widgets, showing up only when the user indulges in a customizable gesture. This helps reduce unnecessary clutter on the interface, coming into play only when you need to use it. Do you like what Shah did with his conceptualization of Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie?


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Certain Samsung Smartphones Might Skip Android 4.2.2 Update For Android 4.3

There are certain Samsung smartphones that are yet to receive the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update, these include the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3. Rumor has it that Samsung might not roll out said update for these devices, instead opting to skip it in favor of Android 4.3. The problem is though, no one knows exactly when Android 4.3 is going to be released. To make matters worse, Google hasn’t as yet recognized that Android 4.3 is indeed the next major update. According to the rumor Samsung won’t release the update until November or December, and if by that time Android 4.3 is out, it would update these devices directly to the latest version. Furthermore, the rumor claims that Samsung Galaxy S3, Galaxy S4, Galaxy Note 2 and the yet to be released Galaxy Note 3 will all be updated to Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. Once again, the same problem is present here as well. Google hasn’t confirmed that Android 5.0 carries the Key Lime Pie moniker. Google is expected to release a major platform update in the coming months, though an exact release time-frame is not known as of now.

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Android 4.4 KitKat Moniker Revealed As One Billion Device Activation Milestone Is Passed

Vice President of Android, Chrome and Google Apps, Sundar Pichai, announced today that Google’s mobile platform has now been activated on more than one billion devices around the globe. To celebrate this occasion, a KitKat Android statue has been propped up outside the company’s Mountain View campus. Yes, that’s right, KitKat. The chocolate, if you’re still confused. Turns out, the next Android release is going to be named after the chocolate. Google has now unveiled Android 4.4 KitKat moniker, which replaces the much rumored Key Lime Pie label that most people expected to accompany the next platform update. The official Android website has been updated to reflect this decision. It has also been revealed that the next major update won’t actually be called Android 5.0, it will be called Android 4.4. Nothing much has been revealed beyond this right now. A new promotion has been unveiled by both Google and KitKat, one can win Google Play Store credit or a new Nexus 7 2013 tablet. This change marks the switch from desserts to chocolates, Android versions have been named after popular desserts such as Ice Cream Sandwich, Donut and Eclair for a few years now. What do you think about KitKat moniker for the upcoming Android update?


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Apple Patent Suggests iWatch With On-Demand Bluetooth 4.0 LE Connectivity For Battery Conservation

If there’s one thing Apple has been criticized for, it would be its iPhone battery life where there are some users who find it ridiculous that Apple still relies on 1,500mAh-sized batteries while the competition is offering twice that amount. The reason for using smaller batteries is so that Apple can make their products thinner, and if the upcoming iWatch is any indication, we expect Apple will try to distinguish the device from the competition (such as the Samsung Galaxy Gear) by making it thinner. If a recent Apple patent is anything to go by, it would certainly seem that way, but in order to balance out the smaller battery, Apple would be turning to Bluetooth 4.0 LE for the connectivity between the phone and watch. According to the patent which describes an on-demand creation of a Bluetooth connection between devices, “The proximity profile defines a proximity notification alert that the supporting device sends to the device to advertise its shared access service to the network for devices within range. In one embodiment, upon receiving the proximity notification alert the device joins the supporting device’s shared access service and briefly connects to the network to receive push notifications or other messages, before disconnecting.” There’s no telling if this patent applies to the rumored iWatch, but what do you guys think? Samsung’s Galaxy Gear while a noble effort, has been criticized for its battery as well, especially given that it will most likely last users a day before requiring a recharge. In light of this criticism, we certainly hope that Apple will not be making that mistake as well.


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iQi Is A Wireless Charger For Your iPhone That Will Fit Into Your Case

If there’s one feature that the iPhone lacks compared to the likes of some Android and Windows Phone devices is wireless charging. Granted at the moment wireless charging is not as useful as one might think, namely because you’d still need to place your device on top of the base charger, we guess there are still some out there who love it and have their uses for it. Well the good news is that while wireless charging may or may not come to iPhones in the future, the iQi wireless charger for the iPhone is an accessory worth taking a look at. As you can see in the video above, what makes the iQi so unique is that half of the wireless charging component is apparently thin enough to the point where it will slip inside your existing iPhone case no problem. If you don’t use an iPhone case then we guess you’d be out of luck, but if you already have a case you love and don’t want to switch it out, the iQi boasts a thinness that should fit in just fine. The iQi will be paired with a transmitter on which you place your iPhone on top of to begin the charging process. As it stands, the iQi is an Indiegogo project seeking funding where a pledge of $65 will nab you both the charger and the transmitter:


source-ubergizmo.com

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