What’s your Moto?
Motorola Mobility has introduced three smartphones, which the company says will offer all-day battery life, according to the Chicago Tribune. The phones – an enhanced Moto G and two new versions of the Moto X – are customizable through Moto Maker. The largest Moto X Style ($399) is said to be larger than the iPhone 6 Plus, with a 5.7-inch display. It also features a 21-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front camera and sustainable wood or Saffiano leather finishes. The Moto G can reportedly withstand a 30-minute submission in water up to one meter deep and offers customizable features, including an array of color options. The Moto X Style is available through Motorola.com, bestbuy.com and amazon.com. The new Moto G is available for $179.99 at Motorola.com, bestbuy.com and amazon.com, as well as in Best Buy stores.
The world is not flat
The KODAK PIXPRO SP360 Action Camera is reportedly one of the few 360-degree cameras compatible with the newly launched YouTube 360-degree format. Using the PIXPRO free PC and Mac desktop editing software for the SP360, video users reportedly can transcribe any video created with the KODAK PIXPRO SP360 Action Camera with a press of a button to the YouTube 360-degree format and upload content seamlessly to their YouTube channel. Indeed, viewing flat, one-dimensional videos from a singular perspective may soon be a thing of the past. To experience 360-degree interactive videos taken with the SP360 camera, visit the explorein360 YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGRxmNmA-1iFaffOINiVjHA.
Pop goes the holidays
Dreading another busy end-of-the-year? Why wait until December to fret about those holiday cards? Popcards, a free app available in Apple and Android app stores, has been designed to let users create printed greeting cards that come to life with an augmented reality video experience. Users simultaneously can take a photo and record a personal video. The photo is printed on the greeting card with a personal message. The greeting card can then be scanned using the same Popcards app, bringing the card to life.
On-the-spot reality check
Italian start-up 2045Tech recently announced the availability of Floome, a portable smartphone breathalyzer that keeps users in check while they are out having fun. Compatible with iOS, Android and Windows smartphones, the accompanying Floome app – available in the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Windows Marketplace – reportedly offers a simple user interface that delivers estimates and solutions regarding the user’s blood alcohol concentration to his or her cell phone within seconds. The app, which includes a tutorial video to guide users in setting it up and using it, provides an estimated time of recovery, based on the individual’s profile and current blood alcohol concentration results. In fact, the app is completely customized based on the user’s unique profile. Floome requires no battery recharge or replacement.
Watch it
Apple’s not the only watch on the block. Synaptics Inc., a developer of human interface solutions, recently announced that Huawei has selected the Synaptics® ClearPad® touchscreen solution for its new smartwatch. The ClearPad capacitive touch controller features low power usage and responsive human interface qualities, such as use with a wet finger. In addition, Synaptics reportedly is the only provider capable of a fully circular touchscreen interface, meeting Huawei’s requirement for a classic round watch face. As the wearable technology market continues to grow, it’s likely that designers such as Huawei will look to provide an exceptional user experience in a stylish form factor.
Your apptention, please
More than 85 billion apps have been downloaded as of October 2014, according to Statista. When apps include malware, however, cell phone devices are at greater risk for cyberhacking. Indeed, downloading or clicking on a malicious link can permit a Cyber thief to track one’s movements on Google maps, monitor shopping and banking – even listen in on conversations by hijacking the phone’s microphone.
OpenVPN Technologies Inc. – a developer of software designed to encrypt data, hide a device IP address and block malware – recommends protecting one’s privacy and confidential digital information by following a few rules:
- Keep phone operating system and software up to date.
- Download apps from a reliable source only, and research the developer.
- Avoid free services or apps that insert advertisements, which may contain tracking codes or malware.
- Complete the app strategy by using a VPN.
Give me my Wi-Fi (please)
The 2015 ARRIS Consumer Entertainment Index (CEI) has concluded that consumers demand Wi-Fi without limits, and highlights a growing disparity between expectation and reality when it comes to Wi-Fi at home. Worldwide, the average home now has six media devices connected to its Wi-Fi network, and the average household spends almost 6.5 hours each week streaming a subscription service, according to CEI. Moreover, four out of five (81 percent) of those who stream now do so at least weekly, up from 72 percent just last year. There is a clear connection between Wi-Fi and mobile TV too, with nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of people who watch mobile TV at least once a week, using Wi-Fi to do so. The research underscores new qualifications for the rise of mobile TV and binge-viewing. While the popularity of mobile TV continues to increase – more than half (59 percent) of consumers are now watching TV on-the-go – the potential for growth is greatest in older demographics, where barriers of inconvenience and cost continue to challenge broader market adoption. Meanwhile, binge-viewing has evolved into a very personal and solitary activity for 60 percent of binge-viewing consumers. At the same time, these trends represent opportunities to make it easier for consumers of all ages to download or stream content, to customize content and services to the individual consumer experience, and to solve connectivity issues by giving consumers a high-speed wireless connection where it is needed – all over the home – through better Wi-Fi equipment and training.