Tag: software

Posted on

Kodak Updates Pixpro SP360 Software for Better Youtube 360 Degree Video Support

kodak pixpro beta software sp360 youtube 360 degree video support somegadgetguyKodak’s Pixpro SP360 is one of the first consumer accessible cameras to properly support Youtube’s new 360 video feature, but the way Kodak produced panoramic video didn’t work very well with how Youtube implemented the feature.

Over the weekend, the Pixpro team released BETA desktop software which provides a new Youtube Compatible format, and the results are night and day better.

Previously, you had to convert the video into a thin strip panorama for Youtube to recognize it, which would distort the vertical axis. Here’s our first 360 degree test with the SP360.

Now re-uploading the same video after rendering through the new Youtube mode!

It’s an exciting new feature, allowing people to shoot immersive and interactive content, and it’s always a good sign to see companies updating and improving their products to support new features!

Posted on

Microsoft to Bring Cortana Digital Assistant to iOS and Android This Year

Microsoft revealed more information on plans to move their personal digital assistant, named Cortana, to iOS and Android devices.

A competitor to Google Now and Apple’s Siri, Cortana is one of the most popular features found on Windows Phones, a voice search with a personality, capable of some fairly sophisticated actions when using casual speech commands. I’m a huge fan of person and location based reminders. Microsoft says we’ll see standalone Cortana apps for other phone platforms this Autumn.

“This kind of technology, which can read and understand email, will play a central role in the next roll out of Cortana, which we are working on now for the fall time frame,” said Eric Horvitz, managing director of Microsoft Research.

It’s a smart move which plays to Microsoft’s strengths in delivering services with as broad a reach as possible, converting consumers using competitor’s hardware into customers through software and apps. I’ll always be a fan of more competition, especially when you can go cross platform. Maybe someday I’ll even get that IBM Watson app I’ve been wanting…

We’ll learn more about Microsoft’s strategy later this year.

(via Reuters)

Posted on

Android 5.1 Brings Better Device Protection for Lost or Stolen Phones and Tablets

Android Lollipop ForestTrying to steal a few headlines from Apple today, Google officially and publicly announced Android Lollipop 5.1.

Alongside bug fixes and performance improvements, Android 5.1 brings a much improved security with Device Protection. We’ve detailed Device Manager in the past, which can be used to locate a missing phone or wipe it clean in the event it’s stolen.

Device Protection now includes the ability to lock a device to your Google ID. Even after wiping and hard resetting a phone, Android will require you to enter in your Google account password before the phone can be used again. This follows recent state legislation in California and Minnesota mandating a “Kill Switch” on phones. The idea being a stolen phone will be far less valuable if it’s essentially a brick without the victim’s password. Continue reading “Android 5.1 Brings Better Device Protection for Lost or Stolen Phones and Tablets”

Posted on

Android 5.0 “Lollipop” Update Rolling Out to LG G3 on AT&T

Google’s newest phone operating system has only made it to around 5% of the Android handsets out in the ecosystem, but that’s set to improve soon as the Lollipop update is starting to roll out to AT&T LG G3’s.

The update brings the slick new Material Design, and the ability to use USB Audio hardware, which I just tested on my G3 with a Zoom H4n. Pretty exciting to use professional grade recording equipment with my smartphone.

As with most rollouts, expect it to be delivered in stages, so fret not if you go into your settings and you don’t have an update ready to install. It should be on its way soon.

Posted on

AT&T Finally Delivers “Denim” Update for the Lumia 1520

With all the noise around the FCC yesterday, you might have missed a long awaited update start pushing out to the king Lumia on AT&T.

Verizon surprised us all in being first to deliver the Lumia Denim firmware update to the Icon, but now it’s Big Blue’s turn to update the monster phablet Lumia 1520.

Windows Phone fans will be happy to play with a new camera app capable of shooting HDR photos and 4K video. Also on board is a new voice activation trigger for the Digital Assistant search app. Saying “Hey Cortana” by your phone will initiate a voice search or command even when your phone’s screen is off.

This update will also replace any AT&T pre-installed software on the phone. If you uninstalled AT&T Navigator or FamilyMap in the past, they’ll return. Thankfully, unlike bloat on Android devices, these apps can still be uninstalled without rooting or jumping through hoops.

It took us a while to get here, but Denim brings a collection of bug fixes and new features to play with, while we wait for Microsoft to deliver Windows 10.

To see if your Lumia has received the update, head to “Settings”, then to “Phone Update”. You can see our 4K video review from the Icon below (and the 1520’s camera performs very similarly).

Posted on

Google Buys Softcard in the Most Frustrating Mobile Payment Move Possible

softcard google walletIt’s officially official. Google now owns Softcard, and it’s everything I can do to not smash my face into my keyboard hard enough to erase from my memory the YEARS of debacles and shenanigans that led us up to this point.

Announced on the Google Commerce blog today, Big G is buying out Softcard from T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon Wireless. Google Wallet will now come pre-installed on Android handsets sold by these carriers.

This is ultimately good news, but one can’t help but wonder how much further ahead mobile phone payments would have been if we hadn’t witnessed this format war between cell carriers and Google. The two entities dickering around for years, carriers blocking the implementation of NFC Tap & Pay, until they had rolled out a competing “standard” built on differing security protocols. Making relationships with retailers more difficult. It was presciently fitting that the first iteration of Softcard was called ISIS.  Only to end up now where we should have been all along.

It’s no wonder Apple was able to roll into this space and instantly dominate the market. Google has their work cut out for them, but at least moving forward they wont have the entire wireless industry digging in their heels and holding them back.

Google-Wallet-banner

 

You can read Google’s full press release below.

Continue reading “Google Buys Softcard in the Most Frustrating Mobile Payment Move Possible”

Posted on

Lenovo Publishes SuperFish Removal Instructions with Removal Tool

superfish lenovo removalSuperFish has been an ugly security black mark for Lenovo. It’s often been a criticism in my reviews of their gear that they include too much “value added” software (bloat), and removing a lot of it will noticeably improve system performance.

SuperFish however was a piece of adware. If a Lenovo owner opted into the “service”, SuperFish would analyze images and searches to insert ads for similar products and to do cost comparisons. While that doesn’t sound terrible, behind the scenes SuperFish would install its own security certificates which allowed the service to intercept encrypted traffic.

It’s doubtful that Lenovo or SuperFish seriously wanted to peek in on your private and secured data, but such a gaping hole could easily have been exploited by another attacker.

Lenovo detailed that this adware package was only installed on consumer systems, not on Thinkpads and business systems. Today they’ve published details on removing the service, and they’ve released an app to aid in the removal.

Click here for more info on SuperFish and how to remove it.

Posted on

Verizon Surprises Lumia Icon Owners with Denim Update

***UPDATE: We now have a full review of the 4K video quality embedded below!***nokia lumia icon denim update verizon wireless somegadgetguyComing down the pipe this morning, if you happen to own the oft neglected Nokia Lumia Icon, you’re in line for a BIG update.

Jumping the line over all the missed updates and patches, skipping over the Lumia Cyan firmware, VZW will be skipping directly to Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 with Lumia Denim. Go directly to GO, Collect $200. Fantastic.

In the updates arms race between AT&T and Big Red, Windows Phone users have been left out in the cold of late. The Lumia 1520 phablet still a ways behind it’s international brethren, but now Icon owners have a little something to brag about.

We’ll be tearing into the new Lumia Camera app soon, as we can’t wait to try out the new 2160/30p shooting mode.

lumia denim camera exposure somegadgetguy

An OTA should be pushing out soon, but if you don’t want to wait (and you don’t mind completely wiping your phone) you can use the Lumia Software Recovery Tool.

You can see our real world benchmark test of the Icon shooting UHD video below!

Proudly powered by WordPress