Month: August 2015

#Google gets new CEO as Co-founders experiment with new venture, #Alphabet by @Tiwaash

Sundar Pichai, the man who has long been the senior vice president of products like Chrome and Android will now serve as the CEO of Google and will take on the position earlier helmed by Larry Page. Confused?? This is true that Google now has a new CEO to care of the operations, thinking of what’s going on in Google?? Well, Google has restructured and the founders have a new venture Alphabet.

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are starting a new company called Alphabet. While there’s nothing very remarkable in that, the real bombshell is that Google will now be rolled under Alphabet alongside other more ‘risky’ ventures. Under Alphabet, Google is expected to be a leaner entity with a focus on the core products that the company is famous for.

Larry Page will take over as CEO of Alphabet, Sergey Brin will function as the President and current Google Chairman, Eric Schmidt, will be presiding as the executive chairman of Alphabet. All in all, the move while surprising is certainly very interesting and might we say good for business as well as investors.

Alphabet will act as an umbrella corporation for ventures like Nest, Google X, Google Fibre amongst others. For quite sometime, the search giant has been gaining mass in the form of acquisitions like Nest, Calico and home grown ventures like Fibre, Fi. Under the newly streamlined company, these add-ons that have been acquired will be spun off from Google and will operate as individual companies under Alphabet. Here onwards, Google will focus on its core competencies like search, advertising, maps, Android and Youtube.

By removing the bread and butter generating company from the equation, Larry Page & Sergey Brin are free to explore risky moonshot ventures without jeopardizing Google itself. We’ll just have to wait and watch how this one shapes out.

Stay tuned for more tech buzz.

Source

90 new high-tech buses for Dublin with Wi-Fi on board. #Transport #Buses #Tech

Dublin has got itself a nice fleet of new buses which will be a welcome for commuters and on board there is FREE Wi-Fi which again is good new,Wi-Fi has been present on buses for some time now and to see it continue will make it a nice bonus if you commute on public transport..

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD, today (Tuesday) at Dublin Bus Central Control, Broadstone, officially unveiled 90 new state of the art double decker buses which will operate on routes across Dublin.

Equipped with a number of features that will improve the journey experience for drivers and customers alike the new fully accessible vehicles have:

  • bilingual passenger information signs in the upper and lower saloons announcing the next bus stop
  • improved safety features with 12 colour cameras (4 external views and 8 internal views) and a staircase CCTV monitor.
  • wheelchair space with separate dedicated space for a child’s buggy
  • free Wi-Fi

Speaking at the unveiling Minister Donohoe said: ‘The investment in these new double decker buses demonstrates the Government’s on-going commitment to providing enhanced public transport services and infrastructure. Bus is fast becoming a more attractive public transport option for many users. The delivery of 90 new vehicles, equipped with a range of enhanced features, will provide greater comfort and convenience for Dublin Bus customers and will contribute to providing a more sustainable mode of transport, particularly for commuting purposes.”

Source

 

Google Hangouts bumped to 4.0 Simpler, faster, more beautiful. #Google #Hangouts

Google Hangouts 4.0 has landed with material design,and is apparently faster due to bug fixes plus its said to have less battery drainage too which is always welcome new,have hardly ever used this personally but its worth noting for those who actually use this app.The new Hangouts starts rolling out to Android users today and will be available in the Play Store,iOS users already have the update..

  • Hangouts is sleeker. Now updated with material design, Hangouts has a new look and feel: items respond to your touch in more intuitive ways and transitions between tasks are more fluid.
  • Hangouts is simpler. The new Compose button makes it easier for you to start a new group or conversation. Our streamlined contacts list helps you find the right person quickly. And attachments have been revamped and simplified, so sharing—of emoji, GIFs, your location, even multiple photos at once—is a snap.
  • Hangouts is faster. Whether you’re sending a quick message or video chatting with family, you don’t want hold-ups. We’ve been obsessively fixing bugs and speeding up message delivery to make Hangouts faster and more reliable. Bonus: less battery consumption.

Screen Shot 2015-08-10 at 7.32.54 AM

 

Make affordable calls from the Hangouts Dialer, now with Outbound Caller ID (so your friends won’t get any more calls from the great “Unknown”). Receive and reply to group MMS messages in Hangouts using Google Voice. Use Hangouts on Android Wear when you really have an eye on the time (just say, “Ok Google, send a Hangouts message,” into your watch).

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Ulak – Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Knox Armor Series #Ulak # Samsung #Note4 #Review #Cases

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is certainly up there with the best devices on the market now and this comes at a price too dropping your Note 4 could be a costly mishap so protection would be advised though many like the naked feel to a device but its best to have it protected outdoors especially as a screen for this device would set you back around €180 or so.

Today we look at the  case for the Galaxy note 4..

  • Advanced Front Cover Design for Easy Installation
  • Built-in Screen Protector without compromising sensitivity
  • Advanced dual-layer (PC + TPU) design provides great impact and shock resistance and prevents accidental drop, bumps, and shock
  • Easy access to all features (buttons, camera, speaker, and ports)
  • Four corner cushioning for shock resistant protection, Sporty profile and multiple color options

Presentation – 

Is the same as it was in the S5 case we reviewed and its simple easy packaging containing the case,interns and some instructions and its easy to open..

The case is pretty tough and not too bulky and you can be sure your Note 4 will be well protected here with this case and there is some nice colours to pick from and overall its quite sturdy and should you drop your Note 4 you will be fine in most incidents,its all luck on how the device hits the ground anyhow.

The camera area on the case is quite good offering full protection to the lens and flash,both are recessed so good protection here even on a flat surface faced down you will be fine once the surface is flat and smooth and nothing sitting around,no loss of function is affected either as some cases can obscure viewing angles.

On the left and right sides of the case we have our usual areas covered and where buttons are concerned they are soft coverings and functionality is as normal,not stiff and travel well,there is again a black edging as seen on the S5 case adding more grip and quite comfortable to hold,durable and should last the phones lifetime..

Front and back..

All areas again on front and back are catered for and pretty safe from harms way,even the proximity sensor and front facing camera are protected here,the entire screen is recessed and so to is the home key and speaker grille,this offers maximum protection all round and makes holding and using the phone easy with good grip and nice to use,there is not much bulk to be fair and the case is not heavy so an overall user experience would be good,this is if you value your device and work outdoors especially on building sites,this case is made for you.

 

Top and bottom..

Again all protected in the best way with a flap over the USB area,this was a tad stiff as was the headphone socket but certainly loosened up over time so this will keep out dirt and dust which does accumulate over time and indeed can cause problems,the Spen area was the only gripe here for me as I found it hard to get the pen out but then I have big fingers so this would not be something everyone would have to worry about,also on the case there is a bumper on each edge which is a nice design featured and should give more protection should your device hit corner first,this would give notable damage with no protection at all

If you fancy one of these cases they are not expensive and can be bought from Amazon and they are a worthy investment especially if you are the outdoor type,some prefer not to have case on their mobiles but I am between both,if i am out I take a case and at home or in office I prefer the naked feel on my expensive phones,I do like to feel that product that’s been paid for…It is better to be safe than sorry regardless as some day it will happen when you drop your nice expensive phone and have a small fortune to hand out,at $10.99 its a bargain.

Ulak Note 4 store on amazon

Dreamify transforms your photos into otherworldly masterpieces #Dreamify #Apps

There are many photo editing apps available today and they are quite popular and I use many myself but these are basic editing tools but nonetheless good and do what they say on the tin and are quite effective,such apps are PhotoFunia,PicsArt and PhotoLab.This App is different and not for everyone (just yet) but given time I can see it being popular and once you understand the idea of the app you will see why..If you are an Arty type well this is right up your street..

 

There is a new app in town called Dreamify which is now on Android and iOS (updated- iOS app launched on 21/8/15)which transforms your photos in an entirely different way and Dreamify transforms your photos into otherworldly masterpieces. Using Google’s Deep Dream, Dreamify puts you in control: select from a dozen presets, or toggle the algorithm parameters to innovate on your own. Share your faves with other users and friends on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks or via text or email.

 

What does the App do..

Apply any of the 12 presets to your photo to create a surreal work of art.
* Set the Deep Dream parameters manually for more granular control over the output.
* Toggle between original and Dreamified images with a single tap.
* Easily share your resulting images on your favorite social networks.
* Discover others’ Dreamified images and save your favorites for sharing and viewing later.

[ Download on Android ] Coming soon on iOS. sign up on link for notification.

 

Carphone Warehouse UK hit by Cyber Attack- #Hacked #CPW #CyberAttack

The Carphone Warehouse in the UK has been targeted by hackers in what’s described as a sophisticated hack and up to 2.4 million customers have been affected by the data breach,encrypted credit card data of up to 90,000 customers may also have been accessed in the hack on 5 August.The divison affected also operates the websites OneStopPhoneShop.com, e2save.com and Mobiles.co.uk. It also provides services to iD Mobile, TalkTalk Mobile, Talk Mobile The retailer’s owner, Dixons Carphone, has said it was very sorry for the attack.No Irish customers have been affected by this so you can relax.

Sebastian James, chief executive of Dixons Carphone, said: “We are, of course, informing anyone that may have been affected, and have put in place additional security measures.

“We take the security of customer data extremely seriously, and we are very sorry that people have been affected by this attack on our systems.”

Carphone Warehouse said it was informing all customers who may have been affected of the breach.

Source

 

 

Lottery Callback scam is doing the rounds check out the details. #Scam #Mobile

Once again there is another scam doing the rounds,this time there is a callback scam to tell you that you have won the lottery………………………. IN TUNISIA…

The number will ring twice or three times and hang up in hope you will call back and sit through a long call to be processed,for the laugh I called it back and was given several different intros and then booom I have won a large sum of cash.Below is the number and its origin folks…Take note the number might vary after the prefix but you can still check out its origin….

So if you get this missed call or answer by accident hang up straight away,tell your friends and be careful …you do not want an expensive phone bill do you…………….

 

You have 14 days to exit your Vodafone contract #Vodafone #CCPC #CoolingOff

Vodafone which is Ireland’s largest network have got a slap on the wrist for breaking consumer law and if you have signed up on line in the last year they broke consumer law by not informing customers of their right to change their minds about signing up to contracts on-line within two weeks.

The action specifically relates to the European Union (Consumer Information, Cancellation and Other Rights) Regulations 2013, referred to as the Consumer Rights Directive.  This legislation gives consumers the right to cancel distance contracts within a set timeframe. Traders are obliged to provide information to consumers about their cancellation rights before they make a purchase.

Isolde Goggin, Commission Chair commented, “Consumers are increasingly buying online and over the phone; our recent buying online research found that 55% of adults surveyed had purchased goods or services online. Reflecting the nature of buying online and over the phone; consumer law provides important protections, particularly, in relation to cancellation. Consumers should be aware of the rights they have. For those that aren’t sure, our consumer website (www.consumerhelp.ie) is there to help.

Customers of Vodafone will in the future be given the correct information as required by law. In addition, customers who bought goods or services online from Vodafone in the past twelve months and who now wish to cancel their contract can find details of how to do so in the customer notices section of the Vodafone website.

Vodafone have stated the following

Vodafone would like to notify customers who have completed an online order for a Vodafone product or service in the past 12 months that under Regulation 16 (2) of the European Union (Consumer Information, Cancellation and Other Rights) Regulations 2013 (the ‘Consumer Information Regulations’) your cooling off period expires 14 days from the date of this notice. If you wish to avail of your cancellation rights under the Consumer Information Regulations please use our cancellation form here and follow our Cancellation Instructions accessible here.

Full report HERE

Microsoft Translator for Apple Watch and Android Wear #Apps #Android #iOS

Microsoft have introduced some apps giving some productivity and  with translator for Apple Watch and Android Wear its probably seen as competition in respect to Google Translate and you can avail of the apps now for Android and Apple Watch and so far its been working ok on my Moto 360 watch after asking a few questions..

You need to download the Apps from the respective stores which will be linked below and then try it out for yourself,some regions do not have it yet but there is other ways to do so as usual..Not only that there is One Note/One Drive for Android Wear too and Outlook, and Wunderlist for Apple Watch.

 

With the all-new Microsoft Translator for Apple Watch and Android Wear, just speak into your watch to get instant translations in 50 languages. You can translate even faster by pinning your most commonly used translations and settings to your watch screen for easy access, and browse your history of recently used phrases.

The companion apps for iPhone and Android let you manage your settings and translate right from your phone or when you prefer to translate typed text. Get Translator for iOS devices or Translator for Android devices.

One Drive and One Note.

With OneNote for Android Wear on your wrist, it’s now even easier to stay organized and keep track of your notes. In addition to dictating a new note with the ease of saying “Ok Google, take a note,” you can see your most recently viewed notes right on your watch.

The new OneDrive for Android Wear brings many improvements. Among the highlights, with the new OneDrive watch face, every time you activate your watch, you’ll see a great photo from the last 30 days. It’s a fun way to personalize your watch with new photos rotating through every month. And with OneDrive notifications on your watch, you’ll always be up-to-date on edits made to shared documents.

[ One Drive for Android ] [ One Note for Android ]

Outlook for Apple Watch—reply, schedule and archive right from your wrist..

The all-new Outlook for Apple Watch is an extension of the Outlook you know and love—helping you keep up to speed with your emails, your calendar and your life. You’ll never miss what’s important with Focused Inbox Watch notifications. And browse and read full emails right from your wrist—even take action immediately by archiving, deleting, flagging or scheduling them to appear later. Also added Quick Replies, with pre-written responses and voice dictation for a more personal touch. Finally, you can see unread emails and your next calendar appointment on the Glance screen. It’s never been easier to manage your work and life. Get Outlook for iOS devices now.

Wunderlist

It’s now even easier to capture your ideas on the go with Wunderlist. Say hello to Quick Add on Wunderlist for Apple Watch. Simply open the app, Force Touch and say, “Call the new clients tomorrow at 10 a.m.” Wunderlist works its magic and creates the to-do item and automatically adds a Due Date and Reminder. We’ve also redesigned Wunderlist’s Glance to help you be even more productive throughout your day by showing you up to four to-dos on your agenda. Get Wunderlist for iOS devices now.

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