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• tr tip off: Price slashed for WinX DVD Ripper Platinum
• Pyro wristband lets you throw fireballs
• Review: UPDATED: Moto 360
• Facebook would turn a 'dislike' button into something positive
• Oculus moves one step closer to getting your hands into VR
• Updated: iOS 8 features and updates
• Amazon tried (and failed) to sneak its own app store onto Google Play
• Forgot your ID? That won't be a problem next year thanks to one state's app
• Updated: Nexus 5 sales are limited right now, but will continue into early 2015
• Updated: E3 2015: What we want to see
• Microsoft will reveal the future of Windows 10 in January
• Lyft launches its ride-sharing Line feature in one new city
• Qualcomm confirms blistering fast speeds for 2015 flagship phones
• Updated: 50 best Android games 2014: our top picks
• In Depth: 10 best Android Wear faces
• Industry Voice: How to navigate the new age of data integration
• Industry voice: Eyeing up Google Glass: a wish list for wearable glasses that work in the field
• Samsung is going to reveal Tizen TV at CES 2015
• Updated: Best Ultrabooks: top 5 thin and light laptops reviewed
• Download of the day: FileZilla

tr tip off: Price slashed for WinX DVD Ripper Platinum Posted: 11 Dec 2014 09:00 PM PST The DVD drive may be going the way of the dinosaur, but fortunately for you, we've found a way to breath digital life into your DVD collection. Digiarty Software's WinX DVD Ripper Platinum is the solution, and it's the only program you'll need to digitize your DVDs. If you want to make backups of your DVDs to store on a PC, WinX DVD Ripper Platinum converts your discs into a wide-range of video formats, including popular high-definition formats, such as AVI, and MP4, among several others. Sure, you can easily rip your entire DVD collection on a PC to watch at home, but there might be some who just want to rip DVDs directly to a mobile device for some movie-watching on the go. You'll be happy to know that WinX DVD Ripper Platinum also converts your DVDs into formats that your everyday devices can support. The list of devices supported by WinX DVD Ripper Platinum is huge. Whether you have an iPhone 6, iPad Air 2, or Samsung Galaxy S5, you'll find that WinX DVD Ripper Platinum does a fantastic job ripping your favorite movies and converting them to just the right format for your device in just a few minutes. Digiarty Software's incredible WinX DVD Ripper Platinum is an easy to use one-stop-shop for incredibly fast DVD ripping that outputs to a ton of devices. We're here to clue you in on a hot deal: WinX DVD Ripper Platinum is on sale for a price so low, it's almost criminal for you not to buy it. Available for use on a wide variety of Windows (XP, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.1) machines, WinX DVD Ripper Platinum is the best, easiest solution for those looking to protect and refit their DVD collection for the future. Have a Samsung Galaxy Note 4, PS4, or Nexus 9? You're covered. What about other devices like the PS Vita or Sony Xperia Z3? Digiarty Software remembers you, too. It's hard to nail down what's best about WinX DVD Ripper Platinum, but here are some favorite features: WinX DVD Ripper Platinum can bypass complex copy and region protection locks built into DVDs. Add subtitles in video, or subtitles for a different language into your favorite movies. Set any time point of the video as Start Time and End Time to output your desired movie part and duration. Advanced users can freely adjust aspect ratio, sample rate, audio codec, resolution, and more. Merge multiple video files into one super-file for a long flight. Converts feature-length films in minutes thanks to multi-core CPU utilization. All of this is done in one app – no third-party software required. This means no confusion when it comes to converting your beloved DVDs and pushing the files to your device, so you can get on with your life. As a special gift to you, we've teamed up with Digiarty Software to offer WinX DVD Ripper Platinum to you for a heavily-discounted price. We know we have your attention now, so pay close attention to the following steps and you'll get your free license in no time. Simply visit the WinX DVD Ripper Platinum discount page and you'll be taken to a holiday offer page. Once you're there, purchase the heavily discounted software and enjoy! We're certain that you'll love WinX DVD Ripper Platinum, but if you don't believe us, feel free to download the trial version to see for yourself. You'll have access to the same loot of features available in the full version, but full disclosure, the trial version is limited to rip a 5-minute video. Once you're convinced that you're getting a really good deal, purchase the full version at a holiday discount here.

Pyro wristband lets you throw fireballs Posted: 11 Dec 2014 07:57 PM PST Sure, the Apple Watch may have many wonderful features of its own, but one thing definitely missing from the spec sheet is the ability to throw fireballs. Don't worry though – a new wearable device called Pyro from magic trick company Ellusionist and magician Adam Wilber is hoping to turn anyone into a Hadouken-flinging fireball master. Resembling a wrist watch, Pyro allows the wearer to remotely shoot up to four fireballs at a distance of around three metres before needing a quick reload of flash paper. Don't worry - your eyebrows will grow back The device seems to be aimed at budding illusionists, but we know that you'll probably want it for the next time you have to throw down with Zangief. The initial shipment of Pyro wristbands sold out immediately, but Ellusionist's website will have more devices on sale from December 17th at a price of US$174. Ellusionist stresses that the device is "not a toy", but rather a "badass professional device", so it's probably best that you don't give it to little Billy for Christmas this year. Not a magician or a street fighter? These wearable tech items might be more useful to you

Review: UPDATED: Moto 360 Posted: 11 Dec 2014 06:23 PM PST Introduction Update: Along with two new band colors - silver and the new champagne gold - Android Wear has been updated with Android 5.0 Lollipop meaning the Moto 360 should have some nifty new functions coming soon. The update is focusing on watch faces which you can download from the Google Play store. Designs are centered around PAC-MAN, Despicable Me, Plants vs Zombies (which you can check out below) and much, much more thanks to a new Watch Face API now available to developers. The Android Wear app has also been updated to make browsing, downloading and switching watch faces simpler - plus you can now view your apps' battery usage and storage. You can also quickly bring a card back if you've accidentally dismissed it, quickly access various settings by swiping down from the top of the screen, easily block notifications from any app directly from your watch and recently used actions now appear at the top of the list when you tap the watch face. New modes include Theater Mode which lets you keep the screen off and mute vibrations when you're in a dark room, and Sunlight Mode which temporarily boosts the screen to maximum brightness. With the update, users can add and swap out Android Wear watch faces using the companion phone app. The update is rolling out now into next week. Original review below ... Moto 360 proves that smartwatches can be as fashionable as its Google Now-integrated software is functional, making it the first Android Wear watch worth strapping to your wrist. Its circular watch face takes cues from stylish designer wristwatches with analog tickers, not square-shaped smartwatches. The very computerized-looking Pebble Steel, Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch are no match for what Motorola had up its sleeve. There's a certain beauty to outer Moto 360 build quality too, not just its form. Its stainless steel housing and genuine leather default wristband make it appropriate for almost any occasion. It's enough to make it rank second in our best smartwatch list. The specs on the inside, however, do leave the smartwatch feeling a little hollow. Poor battery life and an underperforming processor don't do Moto 360's good looks justice. The watch's charm is shortened by its lack of longevity, but Motorola clearly shaped a winner that's more ambitious looking than the overly boxy Apple Watch. Release date and price Moto 360 launched in the US on September 5, and it's currently on sale (but sold out) at select UK stores while on pre-order at others. Expect it to ship again with a late October release date from O2, Clove, Amazon, John Lewis and Tesco. In Australia, it's still on track for the vague fourth quarter. The Moto 360 price in the US and UK is on par with its all-metal construction and leather strap. It costs a reasonable $250 (£200, likely AU$275). That's $100 cheaper vs the entry-level Apple Watch. That's only a little more expensive than the extremely limited Android Wear smartwatch pickings from Samsung and LG, none of which can compare to Motorola's stylish design. Moto 360 may be cheaper than rival round smartwatch competitor LG G Watch R too, so it's reasonably priced. Display There are few sharp-edged downsides to the Moto 360, and none of them can be found on its round, 1.56-inch LCD display. In fact, Motorola's enterprising circular screen is so attractive it instantly became the antithesis of the "smartwatches look like a miniaturized cell phone worn on your wrist" argument when Google first announced Android Wear in March. Complimenting this traditional watch appearance is Moto 360's always-on screen. It tells the time even when its backlit LCD kicks into a power-saving dimmed display mode. It shares this feature with the Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch along with Gorilla Glass 3 protection. All three watches remained scratch-free during our week-long testing periods. Moto 360 further draws circles around its competition with an ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts the LCD brightness. It's especially convenient when you need a bright screen in sunny conditions or want to reduce battery life consumption in dark environments without having to manually adjust the setting. Walking and fiddling with a tiny touchscreen you can't even see outside is a wearables world problem that Moto 360 solves. Pebble has this bonus feature sans a color-rich screen, while the colorful Galaxy Gear and G Watch do not. This does mean that the Moto 360 LCD isn't a full circle. Its ambient light sensor and display drivers are housed inside a blank horizon line that sits at the bottom of the watch face. While the black bar doesn't ruin the analog watch experience, the screen is cut off and it has allowed the LG G Watch R to tout itself as the first "full circle" Android Wear smartwatch. LG is hiding the components inside the outer bezel, masked with second-hand tick marks, while Motorola chose to extend the screen pixels to the edge. It's really a matter of preference. Filling that nearly perfect circle is 205 pixels per inch with a 320 x 290 resolution. That's roughly the same resolution as the smaller Gear Live but fewer pixels vs Samsung's 278ppi. Doing the math, this means Moto 360's bigger LCD has stretched pixels and there's a noticeable "screen door effect" in a side-by-side comparison. Moto 360 also forgoes a fancy OLED screen like Samsung's smartwatches and sapphire glass like the forthcoming Apple Watch. But it's a better trade-off given the on-point price. Hands and wrists down, Moto 360 has the best-looking smartwatch design thanks to its circular display that other smartwatches are clearly looking to mimic. Design and comfort There's more to the Moto 360 design than its disk-shaped display. Stainless steel surrounds the screen with very little bezel and this all-metal frame is smooth and undecorated. It's only interrupted by a microphone hole on the left and single button on the right. Stainless steel can also be found in the traditional watch clasp with an identical silver finish. Matching that quality is a genuine leather strap made by the Chicago-based tanner Horween, the company known for being the exclusive provider of NFL footballs. The Moto 360 strap not only feels durable, the leather has been devoid of the typical stretch marks and wrinkles that, after a few fastens, so often mar other smartwatch bands including the Pebble Steel. This also contrasts with the Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch even more because they use plastic casing and rubber straps out of the box. Motorola is making leather the default strap in the US and UK. The first colors introduced are black and gray, while an even lighter stone leather option is listed as "coming soon." Falling under the same here-but-not label are light and dark stainless steel bands that are going to cost extra $299 (likely north of £224, $299) when they launch with the watch. You can always upgrade to the metal straps later, as they'll be sold separately too, or add a third-party 22mm band. But be warned: Motorola doesn't guarantee all 22mm off-the-shelf bands are compatible with Moto 360. Plus, its own custom-made leather slips out of the rear of the stainless steel housing without lug ends or visible spring bars. It looks elegant, but requires patient digging in order to successfully swap out what's already a great default strap. Even with the premium materials on-board, Moto 360 weighs 1.7 oz (49g) with its genuine leather strap. That's actually lighter than both the Samsung Gear Live at 2.1oz (59g) and LG G Watch at 2.2oz (64g). Motorola comes up a little light in the specs, as we look beneath the stainless steel facade. Specifications Smartwatch specs are often considered boring because they're filled with small numbers and purposefully underperforming processors next to today's monster PC components. That's why a lot of manufacturers are quick to tout the outward appearance before hastily glossing over the lightweight internals. Moto 360 takes this to a whole new level. There's a Texas Instruments OMAP 3 processor making this digital smartwatch tick, and it's about four-year-old technology that can also be found in the MotoACTIV and Moto Droid X. Maybe Motorola had to burn through these 45nm chips instead of opting for the more efficient, yet capable Qualcomm-made 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 found in the LG G Watch and Gear Live. The TI OMAP 3 translates into occasional lag when swiping through Android Wear menus, almost as if you didn't apply enough pressure on the touchscreen. It's not you, though, it's the the turn-of-the-decade chip. Just as frustrating is that the watch's connection to our phone (and therefore the internet) was lost several times, more than with its Google-powered rivals. Even with a decently sized 320mAh battery listed on the specs sheet, the inefficient Moto 360 processor taxes its - at best - day-long battery life before it shuts down. That shouldn't be. Our Samsung Gear Live ran even longer with a Super AMOLED display with a 300mAh battery. Likewise, we got a day and a half out of the LG G Watch with a 400mAh battery. Moto 360 does come with 512MB and 4GB of internal storage, exactly like the Samsung and LG watches, so the blame lies squarely on the round watch's inferior chip. It does lack the GPS capabilities being introduced with the Sony Smartwatch 3 later this year and offline music playback that is expected to be a part of future Android Wear watches. However, Motorola managed to make Moto 360 somewhat workout-worthy thanks to a built-in optical heart rate sensor and pedometer neatly integrated into its first-party fitness app. Interface, apps and fitness Moto 360 runs the same Android Wear as every other Google-powered smartwatch. It has a familiar card-based interface lifted from Google Now and Google Glass, and it often slides contextual information onto the screen in addition to text messages and important email. This time, however, it's all done on a circular screen. The round display doesn't really change swiping up and down between different notifications and flinging them to the right to clear them. Sliding your finger left still explores the pop-ups a little more, whether you want to transition from today's weather to a full five-day forecast or access messaging options like "reply with voice," "delete" or "open on your phone." Most of information is actually "glanceable" with little touchscreen interaction needed. Android Wear is designed to predict what you want to know, meaning commute times to places you've searched, frequently visit and add to your calendar appointments should automatically slide into view. Same goes for friends' birthday reminders, stock data and tracking of packages. It all sits right under the current time without you needing to set anything up. That came into play when I searched for the nearby Chicago Cubs' Wrigley Field after touring Motorola's headquarters. Sure enough, right before I left for the ballpark, it listed the commute time complete with traffic. When I got to the game, Moto 360 followed along in near real-time with score updates. Gray clouds gathered during the seventh inning and Moto 360 beamed me a timely severe weather alert about three minutes before rain suddenly whipped through the historic stadium. Everyone else, including the grounds crew, was caught by surprise. That rain delay gave me an opportunity to test out Android Wear's voice recognition feature by saying the magic words "Okay Google" whenever the screen is active. Dictating texts messages to friends without retrieving my phone with my slippery hands made the 30 minute wait a little more Chicago bearable. When the game was officially canceled, saying "Okay Google, call a car" summoned Lyft. Uber is still missing out on the novelty of having its users summon a car sort of like Batman can do with his Batmobile. Google's software picks up the right words most of the time, though it doesn't work well in noisy crowds or give you much time to think. A one-second pause transitions to the "sending" menu on its part and initiates frantic canceling on yours. Apps and fitness Moto 360 launches with a few more apps than early adopters who bought the Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch had access to on July 7. There are now 44 "featured" apps that are part of the Google Play Store's Android Wear section, up from the original 35 apps. Eat24 makes sure that food delivery is within arm's reach, Wunderlist lets you organize a better to do list and Tinder lets you swipe left and right on potential dates that you'll never actually go on. These new Moto 360 apps join existing top names like Groupon, IFTTT, All the Cooks recipes, American Airlines and Glympse. Glympse is particularly useful on a watch because it sends your location to contacts of your choosing. Meeting up with someone while you're busy walking or driving? Say "Okay Google, start Glympse" and send them your real-time GPS coordinates in an instant. They can follow you for a set period of time on their phone, taking the guessing game out of that meet-up time. Google Maps is still one of the most useful Android Wear apps. Asking Moto 360 to "navigate to..." initiates turn-by-turn directions on the watch while starting the full route mapping on your phone. It beats having to deal with the normal phone interface that's dangerously complex and takes too many presses in order to get where you're going. Moto 360 doubles as an activity tracker, and it's a slightly better workouts companion than the Gear Live or LG G Watch. That's because Motorola goes a few pedometer steps further with a heart activity app that tracks how you're performing against daily and weekly benchmarks. My custom goals require 30 minutes of running and the watch counts down the minutes over the course of the day while also adding up all of my steps. Swiping to the left, I can then see a (hopefully) built-up streak Sunday through Saturday. Google Fit is here too. It uses the watch's built-in pedometer and heart rate monitor whenever I ask "Ok Google, show my steps" or "Ok Google, show me my heart rate." It counts up the metrics on small-scale graphs and timelines, which isn't enough to compete with the Jawbone Up 24, Basis Carbon Steel Edition and Fitbit Force. There's also no way to see this data on a phone or tablet just yet. That may come with the Android L launch. Motorola also promises more functionality in future software updates including the ability for the Moto 360 to recognize when your transition from running to cycling without your manual input. That's a rare feature among watches, and one we liked from the brainy-but-ugly Basis Carbon Steel fitness tracker. Compatibility and battery life Moto 360 is compatible with all Android smartphones that run Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, Android 4.4 KitKat and the not-yet-delicious-named Android L beta. The requirement is in place due to the fact that Google introduced Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy support in its July 2013 update. You'll find this is demanded by almost all modern smartwatches and fitness trackers. Android 4.2 Jelly Bean users are out of luck as are loyal iPhone owners. Neither the iPhone 5S nor the flashy new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus can sync with the Moto 360, as much as Apple fans may envy the round smartwatch that outclass the newly unveiled Apple Watch. So far, no Android Wear watch is compatible with iPhone. As for its compatibility with water, Moto 360 isn't completely waterproof, but it did receive an IP67 water and dust resistance rating. It can be worn in the shower, rain and when you sweat, and can survive one meter down for about 30 minutes before you run into trouble. Keep in mind, none of these scenarios will bode well for the default leather strap. Our first week of Moto 360 battery life tests always gave us a few hours shy of a full day per charge. Its 320mAh battery is better than the 300mAh battery found in Samsung Gear Live, yet it actually lasted less time than the Samsung's smartwatch. Three weeks in, a Moto 360 firmware update extended the battery life and we became more diligent at turning off the screen and ambient light sensor sometimes. We didn't quite see the two days that others have reported, but the battery finally bested previous its 24-hour mark with a solid day-and-a-quarter of moderate use. Better, but still not good enough. The LG G Watch leads the Android Wear lineup with a still-unacceptable day-and-a-half of battery life, and LG may retain that honor with a 410mAh battery in the LG G Watch R. Pebble Steel and the original Pebble remain the overall smartwatch kings of longevity with up to seven days between charges. At least there's a novel way to recharge the Moto 360. It comes with a Qi charging dock that is perfect for resting the watch on a nightstand and instantly turning it into a small bedside clock. It dims the display so that you can still see both the clock in the dark and the energy ring that completes the battery's circle of life by reaching 100%. This takes about two hours before the Moto 360 is ready for another 24-hour day. Our tests have found that Moto 360 is compatible with other chargers like Google's own Nexus Qi charger meant for the Nexus 5 smartphone and Nexus 7 tablet. The included Qi charger is small enough to tout around in a backpack, but its major drawback is that you have to remember to pack it. Spontaneous daytrips will often leave you without a way to juice it up again and, in effect, turn Moto 360 into a paperweight that can't even tell you the time of day. It doesn't have the more practical micro USB port that the newly announced Sony Smartwatch 3 is going to have, but the Moto 360 charging method is much more futuristic and cool. That better fits the stylishing theme that Motorola is going for with its watch. Verdict Moto 360 is the Google-powered smartwatch that early adopters have been holding out for, and it has finally started ticking. Motorola is just in time too. Less than a week after it launched, the fabled iWatch turned into the real 2015-bound Apple Watch. The full-circle LG G Watch R also went into production for a fall release. But now that it's here, Moto 360 is the best Android Wear smartwatch next to the slim pickings from Samsung and LG. Its cut-off bottom that houses the screen tech doesn't bother us, and we kind of like the fact that this pushes the pixels out to the edge in place of an ugly bezel. It's a nice effect that compliments the overall design that's fashion-forward, specs last. We liked Moto 360's circular display is attractive, and it outclasses every other smartwatch with more than just that thanks to its premium build. Stainless steel casing and genuine leather straps really contrast with the plastic and rubber-constructed Gear Live and G Watch. The ambient light sensor, a first for an Android Wear watch, gives its almost full circle screen an edge too. Its Qi inductive charger is leagues better than the proprietary Pogo pin chargers used by both Samsung and LG. Rounding out its attributes, Moto 360 is lighter, more comfortable and has better fitness tracking capabilities for a price that isn't much higher than its rivals. We disliked It's clear that the later-than-expected Moto 360 release date wasn't enough time to perfect the first circular Android Wear smartwatch. Battery life is often 18 to 24 hours with normal use and the LCD isn't as crisp as the Super AMOLED displays found in Samsung's never-ending lineup of smartwatches. The Texas Instruments OMAP 3 processor doesn't do it any favors either. It's underpowered in terms of performance, yet requires more actual power than the efficient Snapdragon 400 chips used by Samsung and LG. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense. The small Qi charging dock, while a step in the right direction, may leave you stranded without a way to charge and leave you out of luck. Completely missing the boat are envious iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus owners, as even the new iOS 8 isn't compatible with the stylish Moto 360. Final verdict Moto 360 has been on our wrists for a week and, unlike its short battery life, it has become an undying source of questions from tech-savvy and fashion-focused admirers alike. It's not always functional to show off to these folks. That constantly draining battery and archaic processor means the watch occasionally fails to respond. Nevertheless, its round design really does bridge the gap between geeky smartwatches and traditional watches. That's to be expected. Motorola's marketing team likes to tell a story about how the company asked a group of children to draw a watch. Almost every youngster drew a circular watch. It's the iconic watch design that Samsung and LG didn't tackle, and Apple Watch misses entirely. Motorola, of all companies, comes through with a real winner. It's ready for the Apple Watch vs Moto 360 watch face-off.

Facebook would turn a 'dislike' button into something positive Posted: 11 Dec 2014 04:02 PM PST Facebook users have for years been asking for a "dislike" button to complement the site's ability to "like" posts, photos and pages, and the company isn't deaf to these requests. During a Q&A at U.C. Davis Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that Facebook is "thinking" about how it might give users what they want while not providing them with a tool for abject negativity, Venturebeat reports. If they did add this feature, they'd make sure it "ends up being a force for good," Zuckerberg said. Searching for a solution "The like button is valuable because it's a quick way to share a positive sentiment," Zuckerberg said. "Some people have asked for a dislike button so they can say something isn't good, and we're not going to do that. I don't think that's good for the community." But he said he recognizes that some posts are not appropriate to be "liked," and "we've talked about for a while how can people express a wider range of emotions." Facebook already lets you comment with stickers, but there's another solution that some Facebook users apparently haven't thought of: actually using words when clicking a button on the internet isn't good enough. Facebook has a plan to stop you uploading drunk photos

Oculus moves one step closer to getting your hands into VR Posted: 11 Dec 2014 03:34 PM PST Strap on a virtual reality headset like the Oculus Rift and one of the first things you'll do is try - in vain, of course - to move your hands around in virtual space. Oculus VR has said it's like to solve this problem itself, and now it's making one big leap toward that goal by buying a company called Nimble VR, the company has announced. Nimble VR is the maker of Nimble Sense, a device that turns your surroundings into a VR environment and tracks your movements, including hand movements. The tech already works with Oculus Rift, but we wouldn't be surprised if Oculus has big plans for this acquisition. The company also announced it has acquired 13th Lab, whose tech maps 3D interiors, and Chris Bregler, a motion capture expert. Oculus says they'll "focus on VR full-time at Oculus as part of both product engineering and Oculus Research." The consumer-ready Oculus Rift will launch in public beta by next summer

Updated: iOS 8 features and updates Posted: 11 Dec 2014 03:26 PM PST iOS 8 features and problems explained Update: iOS 8.1.2 is available to download. Here's an explainer of all iOS 8 features. One touchscreen swipe closer to Apple's iOS 8.2, this week's incremental iOS 8.1.2 update is available to download today with new features that fix iOS 8 and round out that flat iOS 7 design., even if you haven't upgraded to iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus yet. As we mentioned in our full iOS 8 review, instead of a dramatic redesign, this year's mobile operating system update ties everything together with the overarching theme of "convergence." In October, iOS 8.1 released with features like tighter Mac OS X Yosemite integration while further loosening the restrictions on Apple's Touch ID fingerprint sensor for the same-day Apple Pay launch. New software kits also bring once fragmented health gadgets together, something that this year's "one more thing" surprise, the Apple Watch, will take advantage of in early 2015. YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFjO-uGRjlM&list=UUAY_M9HyJb8oMKPV1utQQyA Cut to the chase What is it? The next iteration of Apple's mobile platform When is it out? Download iOS 8.1.2 today What does it cost? iOS 8 is free download Compatibility When it comes to iOS 8.1.2 and iOS 8 compatibility, Apple requires an iPhone 4S or newer and iPad 2 or newer to update to the latest software. Only the iPhone 4 is cut from the list. Both the iPads mini and iPad mini 2 tablets and the forever alone iPod touch 5th generation also work with the new iOS, just like they did with iOS 7. No one besides 2010's iPhone 4 gets left behind. That's not to say that every device worked flawlessly from the beginning. iOS 8 had been running slowly on the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 given the older hardware specs. These older devices should be running more smoothly as of December's iOS 8.1.1. Release notes detail a minor update, but one that give these two older devices a much-needed performance bump. iOS 8.1 updates fixes problems iOS 8.1, and now more precisely iOS 8.1.2, fixes some of those nasty WiFi and battery drain problems that resulted in a lot of negative "feedback" for Apple. It also introduces Apple Pay to iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus owners. Now you can link up for credit or debit card to Apple's digital wallet if your bank is one of the 500 that support the NFC-like feature. OS X Yosemite gets the most out of iOS 8.1 thanks to the new Continuity feature. Mac computers can now send and receive phone calls, texts and AirDrops from Apple mobile devices. This is a major upgrade over iOS 8.0.2 and iOS 8.0.1. Yes, they populated the App Store with fitness and nutrition apps that tie into Apple's Health app, but it was of no use if they broke your phone. Touch ID for all Apple's fingerprint scanner has been limited to bypassing the lockscreen and buying iTunes Store content, but iOS 8 changes all of that as app developers get access to the five-digit login tool. All sorts of apps can use the biometric scanning home button instead of pesky passwords. It only applies to the Touch ID-enabled iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. But the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 are rumored to include the sensor. At WWDC, personal financial management Mint.com illustrated how third-party Touch ID use will expand beyond its iOS 7 lockscreen and iTunes confines. 1Password uses the same home button authentication the easier password management. PayPal sent its developers to Apple's Touch ID session at the conference, meaning all of your eBay and e-commerce transactions may be complete with the touch of the home button when upgrading to iOS 8. While PayPal doesn't think highly of Apple Pay, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus digital wallet idea is likely to be ready for iOS 8.1 in October in the US and in 2015 in the UK. In due time, "Forget password" will become a thing of the past, replaced by the pores in your fingertips. It should act as a much more unique method of protecting your valuable data. This Touch ID convenience is on top of the fact that iOS 8 Apple Pay system of scanning credit cards via an iPhone or iPad camera and automatically filling in the details to make shopping easier. Of course, Apple went out of its way to say that even though you trust many app developers with your bank account data, they won't have access to your biometric information. It's locked away in the A7 and new A8 processor. iOS 8 camera time-lapse mode Believe it or not, the iPhone is consistently the most used camera in the world. It's in so many hands and so easy to use. In iOS 8, the camera app is going to get even better. Apple added a time-lapse camera mode to iOS 8 beta 1 in order to help users capture extended moments and automatically speed up the video with a higher frame rate. It's a stripped-down rival to Hyperlapse. YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt0bHfdYPqs Condensing everything road trips to candles burning down to their wick to just a few seconds in demoed in the YouTube video above. iOS 8's time-lapse mode is basically the opposite of the slow motion video recording option at 120 frames per second that Apple added to iOS 7 last year and Slow Mo 240fps in iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. SMS and phone calls on Mac iMessages has been a wonderful cross-compatible tool for chatting on iOS devices and Macs - at least until you try to leave your iPhone behind for an Android. Apple deserters, however, may be lured back to iOS 8 with SMS and voice calls being folded into iPads and Macs, just like blue iMessages currently pop up on Apple tablets and computers. It's a pain to have to fetch your phone for a single SMS from an Android user, especially when you're sitting in front of a 13-inch MacBook Air screen and full keyboard capable of handling simple texts and phone calls. Of course, enabling text messages and phone calls to a Mac requires upgrading OS X Yosemite, but that's a piece of cake since it'll be free today and iOS 8.1 come out on Monday. Handoff and WiFi hotspot iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite are going to be joined at the hip with the Handoff feature that lets you pick up where you left off between devices. Starting a project or email on an iPad or iPhone will let you finish the task on a Mac with no annoying overlap. There's no need to reopen windows or rewrite text on the computer. And it goes the other way, too, from a Mac to a an iOS 8 device. What if you don't have access to the internet on your computer or iPad to get the job done? That's where the Instant HotSpot feature will come into play, easing the messy personal hotspot setup of iOS 7. The one problem with this joint iOS 8-Yosemite feature is that it may require you to own a fairly new Mac. Handoff has been tipped to be not be compatible with Apple computers that pre-date Bluetooth 4.0. YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWGAPFo3moc Group messages with voice and video Group messages is also enhanced for iOS 8 thanks to new features. You're able to add and drop people from conversations and silence non-stop incoming message annoyances via a group-specific Do Not Disturb toggle. Sharing your current location on a map one time or persistent location for a set period of time is also a part of iMessages, tying in the concept from Apple's underused Friend My Friends app. Location sharing, when it was part of the standalone app, was ideal for meeting up in a crowded location like a baseball stadium or concert, and now it'll get more use within iMessages. Multimedia within iOS 8's iMessages app should be more useful too. Inline voice and video messages with Snapchat-like clips that self-destruct are coming to this mobile OS update. Interactive notifications For the times when you do actually respond to texts and calendar reminders on your phone instead of a Mac computer, iOS 8 adds convenient interactive notifications. Like OS X Mavericks, these notifications can be dealt with in a few simple taps thanks to inline responses. There's no need to mess with the lock screen in order to take action right away. iOS notifications have come a long way from taking up the entire middle of our phone screens, and iOS 8 makes them feel like even less of a nuisance. Quicktype keyboard Apple claims its iOS 8 keyboard is its "smartest keyboard ever," and there's no reason to doubt that since its Quicktype feature adds highly-requested predictive texting that's akin to SwiftKey and Swype. The candidate row appears above the keyboard with three word-finishing suggestions and then next-word best guesses. It even varies depending on the app that's open to match your tone for each, from casual iMessages to formal emails. If someone asks you a question, Quicktype also automatically offers choices like "Yes" and "No" and, optionally, learns your contacts to spell everyone's name correctly. Better yet, the more-open-than-ever Apple doesn't limit users to its pre-installed keyboard via developer "extensions." iOS 8 extensions Extensions open up iOS 8 to Android's best input methods: Swype is here and SwiftKey breaks free of its SwiftKey Note standalone app confines. Fleksy and Minuum also give you control over keyboard sizes. Other third-party extensions let users tinker with the default sharing options, photo editing tools, custom actions and notification center widgets. The 1Password extension goes as far as opening up the company's powerful password manager to you without the need to exit the app to open its standalone app. It simply uses Touch ID to get the job done. Before, you had to close the app that required a password you forgot, open up 1Password's standalone app, copy the password, go back into the original app and paste in the password. There's always a lot of potential when a platform as large as Apple's opens up its ecosystem to outside developers. Look at what it did to the App Store. Extensions by forward-thinking developers may be long overdue, but it'll finally be here thanks to iOS 8. iCloud may actually be useful Prior to today, there was very little reason to use the ridiculously small 5GB of free space Apple included with iCloud. It was always easier to use a more capable and less expensive Dropbox account. That all changes when iOS 8 launches alongside iCloud Drive, Apple's new rival to Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, Microsoft OneDrive and the dozens of other file-sharing services. It still costs money over the 5GB limit, but at least more file types can be stored and synced. This includes documents, presentations, spreadsheets, PDFs and images. Plus it's the best method of backing up your iPhone and iPad. What's really cool about the forthcoming iCloud-enabled iOS Photos app is that every picture and every edit is saved across all of your Apple devices automatically. Better yet, there are new tools and filters in iOS 8 and it'll work on the web. iOS 8 Family Sharing Maybe you'll be more willing to buy into iCloud Drive knowing that you're going to save money thanks to Apple's new Family Sharing feature that's part of iOS 8. All iTunes, iBooks and App Store purchases on the same credit card can be shared among a total of six people in your family. That beats having to sneakily exchange passwords. New parental controls force kids to ask your permission before aimlessly downloading expensive apps. This "Ask to Buy" feature beams a message to your device, so you don't need to be the fun-depriving "bad guy" in person. Other Family Sharing perks include collaborative photo albums, calendars and optional locating sharing. You can find your mom or dad and that iPhone they always misplace with this extension of Find My Friends and Find My iPhone. 'Send Last Location' for Find My iPhone iOS 8 expands the geolocation capabilities of Find My iPhone with Family Sharing and Find My Friends by integrating it into iMessages, but in true Apple fashion, "that's not all." A "Send Last Location" feature is being added so that your GPS coordinates are backed up to iCloud whenever your battery life is critical. Right before your iPhone or iPad battery shuts off, the last thing the device does is pinpoint where you left it, whether it's between the couch cushions or still in the car. This handy iOS 8 setting joins the real-time tracking, sonar-like ringing, message sending, device locking and, as a last resort, iPhone-wiping features of Find My iPhone. Health app Apple didn't announce an iWatch-tied Healthbook app at WWDC, but it did unveil a more plainly named Health app and the developer-focused HealthKit API. It's intended to bring together all of the fragmented health and fitness gadgets into one secure location, whether the fitness device deals with your heart rate, calories burned, blood sugar and cholesterol. Even without a separate fitness device, Apple's M8 and M7 co-processor calculates steps and distance traveled. There's also nutritional tracking and, for extra protection, there's an emergency Medical ID card accessible from the lock screen. Jawbone Up, Withings and other fitness firms are on board with iOS Health in order to deposit their stats into the centralized app, though Fitbit has so far refused Apple's advances. The more that existing products like the Fitbit Force and Jawbone Up24 join this initiative, the more iOS 8 users will find this to be the health equivalent to Apple's coupon and ticket stub-collecting Passbook. HomeKit Apple also plans to tie together smart home electronics with its HomeKit framework for connected devices so that you control everything without getting up off the couch. Locking doors, turning off lights, adjusting the thermostat and shutting the garage won't even require tapping your iPhone touchscreen, it turns out. Instead, these actions can be triggered with Siri voice commands as simple as saying "Siri, I'm going to bed" in order for the computerized assistant to put you into something of a human "safe mode." We're still waiting for Apple to see this feature through post-iOS 8 launch. FutTv : qF7X7injV3X6R Siri and Spotlight updates Siri does more than look after the house and save you on your electricity bill. Apple's voice assistant is going to start responding to "Hey Siri" if your iOS 8 device is plugged in. This safer, hands-free way of activating Siri is joined by the service's ability to identify songs using Shazam's recognition software, purchase iTunes content and recognize up to 22 languages. Siri is also going to become a better listener with iOS 8 thanks to streaming voice recognition. Now the wavy lines and words that appear on screen will match what you're saying in near-real-time. When voice search isn't feasible in a loud environment, you can turn to the more reliable iOS 8 Spotlight. Like its OS X Yosemite counterpart, it searches Wikipedia, the news, nearby places, the App Store and more. Finding things, whether it's via Siri or Spotlight, shouldn't be a problem in iOS 8, as Apple is finally taking on Google's handy voice search. Location-based lock screen apps If you're anything like us you have hundreds of apps, but finding the right one at the right time can sometimes mean sifting through folders and that's if you even remember it exists. But with iOS 8 certain apps will appear in the bottom left corner of the lock screen based on where you are at a particular time. Early examples people have found include apps for the Apple Store, Starbucks and train stations, when near each of those things. You can then get quick access to those apps by simply swiping them upwards. It seems that it can also make you aware of new apps as sometimes the icon will be for an app that you don't have and will instead take you to its page on the App Store. It's a minor feature perhaps, but one which could save time and help users make purchases and access location-specific information. iOS 8 split-screen mode in the code Apple didn't announce the rumored split-screen functionality when introducing iOS 8 in June, but it may be saving the unveiling as a "One more thing" for iOS 8.1 future firmware updates. iOS 8 beta 3 code points to true multitasking on an iPad, according to leaks from developers. Apps can run side-by-side in 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 sizes. There's no telling whether or not a split-screen mode will end up in iOS 8 eventually, but Apple certainly appears to be toying with the big idea given the new iPhone 6 sizes. After all, its competitors have had the feature up-and-running for some time. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S has multi-window mode and Microsoft Surface 3 has snap mode. Like copy-and-paste a few years ago, iOS users are left envying others. Features being saved for iOS 9? There's a lot going on with iOS 8, but chief among the changes Apple failed to implement officially is true split-screen multitasking, which Samsung and LG have offered on their Android tablets and larger phones. Public transit directions via Apple Maps is missing in action as well, and Google Maps is benefiting the most from this. Hopefully its implementation was delayed to iOS 8.1 instead of next year's iOS 9. Apps for photo previews and a TextEdit application, also previously rumored for WWDC 2014, didn't make an appearance either, and the status of Game Center is still unknown. Apple hasn't killed it off just yet. That's every single new feature of this year's iOS update, though some features are waiting for you to download iOS 8.1 on Monday and Mac OS X Yosemite later today. Coupled with iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch, iOS 8 is enough to keep Apple users from defecting to Android, even with those fancy, new Android Wear watches like Moto 360 already launched. What's the difference? Our iOS 8 vs Android L comparison iOS 8: 10 things we want to see So we're starting to get an idea of some of the major changes in store for iOS 8, still, there are many other things we'd like to see Apple change by the time iOS 8 rolls around later in 2014 - although in some cases we've got a sneaking suspicion Apple would disagree. FutTv : n4950K8zVLF4m 1. Change and hide default iOS apps We'd love to be able to choose non-Apple alternatives for handling email, browsing and maps, but doubt it'll happen. However, Apple not providing the means to hide preinstalled apps you don't use is an irritant that goes back to the very first iPhone. Even if there was a similar 'parental controls' trick for hiding apps to the one on the Apple TV, that'd be good enough. 2. A guest/child account Apple's mantra is everyone should own their own device. That's lovely, but not everyone's pockets are as deep as those of Apple board members. OS X-style user accounts are unlikely, but it can't be beyond Apple to provide a single-tap child account or a guest account that doesn't affect your settings and data, and doesn't retain settings or data of its own. 3. Better iOS app management As of iOS 7, Apple automates app updates, but it should go further. Devs wrestle with iCloud app data, but this should be child's play to save and also (optionally) restore whenever you reinstall an app. And the App Store itself should offer trials and paid version updates (rather than devs being forced to use IAP or 'replacement' apps as a workaround). 4. Stronger inter-app communications One of the weakest elements of iOS is inter-app communication. If a service bumps you to another app, you're not always returned when you've finished performing an action. Worse, when making document edits across several apps workflow can be a nightmare with document copies in various states strewn throughout individual app sandboxes. Hopefully this is set to improve if the new API for data-sharing makes it into iOS 8. 5. Better document management Following on from the previous point, iOS should introduce at least some kind of centralised access to documents. Right now, Dropbox is a surrogate file system because iCloud is a bunch of silos. It's absurd that you can't easily attach documents within Mail in an OS that boasts a version number of 7. The lack of collaboration opportunities within iCloud document workflow is also disappointing. 6. Group FaceTime calls This isn't specifically tied to iOS, but Apple's mobile platform is where FaceTime began life, and although the one-to-one model is great, it's about time you could call several people at once, rather than a group having to crowd around an iPhone. 7. iOS notifications like in OS X Mavericks In OS X Mavericks, notifications are interactive - get a message and you can deal with it there and then, rather than leaving the app you're in. This is even more important on iOS, and so we hope Apple adds similar functionality on mobile. Google does it with aplomb, so we want to see the same here. 8. More Do Not Disturb options Do Not Disturb gained extra power in iOS 7, enabling you to silence notifications only when a device is locked. Bizarrely, it still retains only a single schedule though. Is it beyond Apple to enable you to at least set one for weekdays and a separate one for weekends? 9. Better text manipulation Apple's text-selection, cut, copy and paste seemed elegant when it was introduced, but only compared to disastrous equivalents on competing mobile systems. Today, it comes across as awkward, and it's a barrier to usability for far too many people. We'd like to see a rethink from Apple and more usable and intuitive ways of dealing with text. 10. Two-up apps We love the focus iOS provides, but there are times when we'd like to work with two apps at once. Much like messing with default apps, we doubt Apple will ever go down this path, but OS X Mavericks now has a more powerful full-screen mode for multiple monitors. So there's perhaps the slightest hope a multi-screen mode might one day arrive for the iPad or a larger iPhone, and would be one in the eye for all those Samsung owners out there.

Amazon tried (and failed) to sneak its own app store onto Google Play Posted: 11 Dec 2014 02:50 PM PST Amazon has replaced its Google Play app with a new version at Google's behest - all because the old app linked users to Amazon's own app store. Google doesn't allow other app stores in Google Play, but Amazon updated its app in September with a link to download Amazon apps directly to users' Android devices. It seemed the bookseller had gotten away with it, but now the app has disappeared, and Amazon confirmed with Android Police that Google forced it to take it down. Apparently the search company changed some language in its developer agreement in late September, making Amazon's app objectively against the rules. The section previously stated that developers could not release apps "whose primary purpose" is to distribute other apps, while the new version prohibits "any product which has a purpose" that does the same. Oh well. Instead Google Play now hosts a new and separate "Amazon Shopping" app that, other than the removal of Amazon's app listings, is identical to the old one. And the old one is still available for sideloading from Amazon's website. Amazon Instant Video is now streaming TV and movies in 4K

Forgot your ID? That won't be a problem next year thanks to one state's app Posted: 11 Dec 2014 02:08 PM PST Some smartphone owners have taken to using cases that include slots for credit cards and a driver's license, but between mobile payment services and one other new development even that might not be necessary soon. The state of Iowa will release an official smartphone app that can act as users' legal identification in 2015, the Des Moines Register reports. Iowa residents will still need to have a physical driver's license, but the app "is basically your license on your phone," Iowa Department of Transportation Director Paul Trombino said. As such users will be able to use just a smartphone in situations where a physical driver's license would otherwise be necessary. Now if only the other 49 states would follow suit, and then every retailer in existence would start accepting Google Wallet and Apple Pay, physical wallets might actually become a thing of the past altogether. Driverless cars are legal in California, so what comes next?

Updated: Nexus 5 sales are limited right now, but will continue into early 2015 Posted: 11 Dec 2014 01:28 PM PST Update: Google in the US has reached out to clarify that it's going to continue to to sell Nexus 5 on the Google Play Store and via select retailers through the first quarter of 2015. That means that while the Nexus 5 is sold out now, it should be back in stock, contradicting the previous spokesperson who said once they're gone, they're gone. Whether or not Nexus 6's little brother is truly a goner after the first three months of the new year remains to be seen. Original story follows… A Google spokesperson has confirmed to us that Nexus 5 production has stopped, warning that "once they are gone, they're gone, so we'd suggest people get them while they can". The confirmation came after we approached Google about the red and white versions of the Nexus 5, which have been completely removed from the Google Play Store. At present only the black version of the Nexus 5 is showing up on the Google Play Store, but at the time of writing both the 16GB and 32GB versions were out of stock. Once they are gone, they're gone The Nexus 5 is still available for sale on Google Play and through select retailers. However, as it looks like Nexus 5 production has stopped, there will only be limited amounts of the handset left. Google's comments confirm our suspicions that it was planning on ending Nexus 5 production. It looks like Google might be hoping for potential Nexus 5 customers to go for the newer Nexus 6 instead. Read our Nexus 6 review

Updated: E3 2015: What we want to see Posted: 11 Dec 2014 01:00 PM PST E3 2015 is just around the corner. OK so maybe it's not, but we're preparing our wishlist anyway. By the time E3 2015 rolls around players will be a year and a half into the new console title, so publishers, developers and platform creators need to bring their A-game to LA. Here's what we'd like to see – and believe us when we tell you, this is simply a starting point for an ever-growing list: Consoles We don't expect to see very much in the way of hardware at the 2015 expo. Both Sony and Microsoft will have gaming platforms in the market that are under two years old and if Nintendo's past form is anything to go by, it's doubtful it's ready to throw in the towel on the Wii U just yet. 3DS sales are enough to ensure that Nintendo probably won't be showing off a new handheld, and Sony continues to support the PS Vita platform, even though there was nary a mention of any new titles for it at this year's Gamescom expo in Cologne. That said, the notion of a slimmer, more svelte Xbox One wouldn't be unappreciated. On the other hand, if the PS4 loses any more weight it may disappear under your television altogether. What's more likely is that both Microsoft and Sony will make attempts to better utilise their mobile device gaming platforms. A price cut for any of the home consoles wouldn't be completely unexpected either. An area of hardware we do expect to see plenty of is virtual reality. The Oculus Rift is expected to touch down midway through next year, though initially in a limited rollout, so we'd expect it to be at the LA expo with guns blazing. We currently don't expect Sony's Project Morpheus to be on shelves by that point, but there's every chance that we could get a confirmed release date and price for the headset at E3. Sony recently suggested that Morpheus still has some way to go before the consumer version is ready. Finally, Valve has told TechRadar that it will have a big presence at GDC 2015, where we expect to see it reveal the market-ready version of Steam OS along with its its updated army of Steam Machines. And if we're being incredibly optimistic for a moment? Half-Life 3, Portal 3 and Left 4 Dead 3 announced all at the same time, launching with Steam OS. Imagine. Just imagine. Games It's hard to predict at this stage what developers and publishers will have in store for the E3 shop floor. But there are a ton of titles in 2015's pipeline we desperately want to see more of. Mirror's Edge 2, for example, has been teased in two expos on the bounce and it's doubtful DICE can keep interest high if it doesn't at least have a demo to show off at E3 2015. Similarly, the Warner Bros Mad Max game was one of the belle's of the E3 2013 ball but we saw neither hide nor hair of it at E3 in 2014. We'd like to see how far along it is. Are you listening, Warner Bros? One publisher we're hoping will recapture some of its E3 glisten is Bethesda. The publisher's E3 2014 showing was tepid to say the least; showcasing The Evil Within and BattleCry failed to set the world alight. We'd be quite pleased with a sequel to Dishonored, or if there was any news about the undeniably intriguing Prey 2. But on the very top of our wish list is an announcement about Fallout 4. If that happened we'd be over the moon. Elsewhere, it'll be interesting to see if Activision has more in store for the world than another Call Of Duty, another Skylanders or more bolt-on parts to Destiny. The normally reserved publisher introduced one of this year's biggest and best new IPs. We'd love to see them repeat that trick – even if the odds on it happening are slim. Square Enix could do with some regrouping. Aside from Final Fantasy XV, which is receiving a mixed reception at best, and the upcoming sequel to the Tomb Raider reboot (which is still under wraps at this stage) Square doesn't really have much beyond games with niche appeal. Why is this? This is the publisher that holds the rights to both the Hitman and Deus Ex franchises. We've already had a good glimpse at Uncharted 4, and we expect the game to have a big presence at E3. It's shaping up to be one of the most "next gen" games yet - have you seen the detail in Drake's chest hair? There are also rumours that United Front is working on a new Sleeping Dogs title and we'd love to see that. And as for Nintendo, we now know that Zelda Wii U and Star Fox Wii U will both launch in 2015, so we expect them to flaunting their stuff on the E3 show floor. Oh, and Sony could 'fess up and tell us whether we'll ever see The Last Guardian in this lifetime.

Microsoft will reveal the future of Windows 10 in January Posted: 11 Dec 2014 12:13 PM PST There's been a lot of speculation about Windows 10, but all will be revealed on January 21, 2015, Microsoft has promised. The company will hold an event on its Redmond campus that day to finally unveil the future of Windows, Microsoft Senior Marketing Communications Manager Brandon LeBlanc wrote in a Windows blog post. Satya Nadella will take the stage during the event, along with other Microsoft operating Systems Group leaders including Terry Myerson, Joe Belfiore and Phil Spencer. And the Windows 10 event will be broadcast live for all to watch. "As you can imagine, we're pretty stoked to show you what's next for Windows 10!" LeBlanc wrote. Microsoft first unveiled Windows 10 in September, but despite multiple technical previews plenty of questions remain. The latest word is that Microsoft is rethinking how to charge users for Windows. Windows 10 shows that Microsoft's getting back on track

Lyft launches its ride-sharing Line feature in one new city Posted: 11 Dec 2014 11:45 AM PST After all the negative press surrounding Uber, many will probably be glad to hear that things may be looking up for Lyft - at least in one US city. Lyft first tried to launch in New York in July, but the company was stymied for weeks before it could strike a deal with city officials. And now the city is letting Lyft users share rides with a feature called Lyft Line if their pick-up and drop-off locations are similar, something that's been controversial in other cities. Three cities and counting Lyft Line is currently operating in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and it launches in New York tomorrow, December 12. The feature detects users whose routes are similar and offers a 60% discounted rate to those who opt in - whether or not they wind up actually sharing the ride. Naturally Uber already runs its identical service, UberPool, in New York as well, but let's face it: this market needs the competition. Uber's brash moves get it sued in Oregon and kicked out of Spain

Qualcomm confirms blistering fast speeds for 2015 flagship phones Posted: 11 Dec 2014 09:35 AM PST As 2014 comes to a close our attention is being drawn to what 2015 has in store for our smartphones, and Qualcomm has given us another insight into next year's flagships. We already knew the firm's Snapdragon 810 processor would be the golden child for the top phones next year with support for Category 9 LTE - and it's arriving "early 2015." What does that mean to you and me? Blistering fast data speeds, that's what. Currently we're maxing out at CAT 4 with theoretical speeds of up to 150Mbps, although a handful of CAT 6 devices are on the market boasting 300Mbps. CAT 9 LTE increases the theoretical download speed to 450Mbps. With confirmation that the Snapdragon 810 SoC (system on chip) will be ready early on next year (and not face big delays) it's likely to feature in the big hitting handsets such as the Samsung Galaxy S6, HTC One M9, LG G4 and Sony Xperia Z4. Samsung Galaxy S6 release date, news and rumors

Updated: 50 best Android games 2014: our top picks Posted: 11 Dec 2014 08:50 AM PST Best Android games: 1-8 While the 'free-to-play' market has taken a bit of a beating of late due to gamers falling out of love with the use of in-app payments, the world of mobile gaming is still an exciting one. Whether you want games that will last the length of a commute, or want to be lost in a port of GTA where you spend hours mowing down pedestrians and making money out of murder, there is a game on here for you. This constantly updated list is a mixture of free and paid for games, and also that one in between - some in-app payments aren't really that bad. Honest! If by the end you think we have missed something special off of the list, let us know and we will see if it is worthy of inclusion further down the line. 1. Dots (free) Proving the notion that simpler is better on mobile, Dots is stupidly, almost patronisingly simple, with players just drawing lines between coloured dots. Link them up and, as coloured things tend to do in games, they disappear, So more fall in. And it carries on like this, getting more and more compulsive as you chase bigger and better dot combos. 2. The Simpsons Tapped Out (free) EA's game based on the inhabitants of Springfield is surprising in a few ways. It's free, which is quite the thing, plus, although what many would deride as a 'freemium' game, it's more than possible to keep it going in the background, pottering away, slowly unlocking all of its content for free. Free-to-play done right, for once. 3. Angry Birds Space (free) Developer Rovio has done quite a lot of aggressive whoring of the Angry Birds franchise, but this space-based fork of the simplistic physics game series is really worth a try. For one, it introduces some new play concepts, with the planet-based levels requiring different tactics, plus the puzzles generally need a bit more of a thoughtful approach than the chuck-it-and-see of the originals. 4. Badland (free) Has a bit of an 'indie' vibe about it this one, with Badland offering a weird, dark and gloomy world, in which you fly about in control of a… blob thing. Your blob gets bigger and smaller, splits into loads of mini clones, and generally baffles you about what might lie around the next corner. We like a bit of a surprise, and this is full of them. 5. Crazy Taxi City Rush (free) Crazy Taxi City Rush is another free game in which you need to put "free" in big quote marks, as it's packed to bursting with subsequent in-app purchases to unlock features, buy customisations and, in a particularly shameless move, buy petrol for your taxi to continue playing after more than a handful of failed runs. Still, endure the cash-grab and it's a pretty game, one that uses a new, simple, swipe-based control system to allow it all to work surprisingly well on a touchscreen. 6. Monument Valley (£2.49, $3.99, $AU4.90) A very, very pretty game, this. Monument Valley is based around the weird sort of impossible geometric shapes popularised by artist M. C. Escher, with its colourful maps bending and rotating in ways that appear to defy the laws of nature. You walk on walls, flip them, turn them into floors, avoid crows and marvel at how beautiful it all looks. A short game with only 10 multi-layered levels, but a joyful ride. 7. PewPew (free) The developer calls this a "multidirectional shoot them up" presumably because describing it as a "Geometry Wars clone" might have got him in a bit of legal trouble. Regardless of its origin, it's a superb shooter with some bizarre game modes and controls that work exceptionally well on touch devices. 8. Modern Combat 5: Blackout (£4.99, $6.99, $AUD8.99) We get moaned at a lot for putting too many silly, quirky little games about shapes and animals and organising letters of the alphabet in this list. So here's one about men with guns shooting each other in 3D. Modern Combat 5 the latest in Gameloft's mobile homage to grown-up home console FPS franchises, in which you gun about the place alone or in online multiplayer matches. Nice to see Gameloft offering everything in a one-off install here, rather than packing it with in-app purchases. Best Android games: 9-21 9. Plague Inc (free) A really enjoyable and tough strategy game, in which you play some sort of evil god intent on crushing all of mankind. You do this by developing viruses, which spread through the air, water or human contact, gradually wiping out countries, continents and, if the wind's literally blowing in the right direction, everyone. 10. Whale Trail Frenzy (free) No one dies of disease in Whale Trail. It's a sweet flying sim, which sees you float about in the clouds having a lovely time, collecting things, boosting and generally being quite happy about it. The cheery vibe is broken a bit when adverts and in-app purchase requests pop up, but it's happy enough before the money men turn up. 11. Thomas Was Alone (£3.99, $5.99, $AUD9.99) One of the PC "indie" world's big name smashes has arrived on Android, with the existential platform game yours to... enjoy. Or at least attempt to understand. You could call Thomas Was Alone a "platform game" if you wanted to be mean and disrespectful, but it's more about offering an atmospheric and thoughtful journey through an abstract world. A bit like a piece of art, but let's not get into that debate here. I'm not being paid by the word. 12. Bad Piggies (free) Angry Birds maker Rovio proves it's not a one-trick bird-pony with this, a bizarre and quirky physics game. You have a toolbox at your disposal, used to build a flying and/or driving machine, which then has to trundle its way through a level. It's silly, but at least attempts to shove out some new ideas. 13. Pocket Planes (free) An extremely clever and enjoyable miniature strategy game that has you taking control of a small airline and attempting to ramp up customer numbers. It starts out with a few simple freight runs before you expand the fleet, open up new routes and generally get a bit panicked about how many people are depending on you for their holidays. 14. Radiant Defense (free) The tower defense genre is heaving on Android, thanks to the poke and press play mechanics being ideally suited to touchscreen play. Radiant Defense is a great example of the simplified strategy concept, presenting its war action in a futuristic neon style that looks awesome on any phone with the grunt to do it justice. 15. Pocket League Story 2 (free) Kariosoft's made a big thing for itself by using its management style of game across various scenarios, with this sporting event being one of the best. You take control of a club, then stress about signings, money, tactics and more. It's slightly robbed of some fun via a desire to use in-app purchases to squeeze money out of players, ironically mirroring the state of the game it takes inspiration from. 16. New Star Soccer (free) A great football management game that has a bit of a sense of humour about itself. There's some turn-based play, but it's more about bringing together the off-pitch lifestyles of players with the crucial money matters of the football universe. Like Pocket League Story there are some in-app cash demands, so prepare to be badgered for payments after you've progressed some way through. 17. Tiny Thief (free) As accessible as it is charming, Tiny Thief is a perfect fit for mobile, with a simple tap used to both move and interact with objects as you navigate increasingly intricate levels trying to complete objectives (which as the name suggests usually involve stealing things), while staying hidden and solving puzzles. The gameplay might be simple but the humour and imagination should keep a smile on your face for the duration. Better yet, you can play half the game for free...though the remaining levels will cost you. 18. Sonic Dash (free) There is some arguing as to whether this is "free" as it's rammed with in-app purchases, but there's no dispute as to its quality. Sonic's latest mobile game is, appropriately, an endless runner, with the hedgehog jumping left and right to avoid obstacles placed around its familiar green worlds. 19. Cut the Rope: Time Travel (free) The weird little physics game is one of Android's most popular franchises, with this update introducing a few new tricks and weapons. It's the same sort of experience as its earlier chapters, though, with players swinging ropes to throw sweeties around its colourful screens. Masses of levels and a mid-to-high fun level. 20. QuizUp (free) QuizUp is a staggeringly clever online pub quiz app, where you play with random strangers or friends. You can pick from a massive amount of categories, from riddles to sports through to Adventure Time, so you won't be caught out by subjects you don't know. Its simple quiz rounds only take a couple of minutes to get through, plus there's a seamless offline challenge option so you can mentally battle people who then take their turn later. It's loaded with questions and constantly updated with new categories. A real treat. Best Android games: 21-33 21. Beach Buggy Blitz (free) Offers something approaching big console quality on Android, in a game rammed with pretty worlds, loads of vehicles, power-ups, upgrades and more, plus the graphics engine can adapt to more powerful hardware and throws in more effects if you're using something with a serious number of cores. There is some level of in-app purchasing on offer, but it's mild and easily avoidable. 22. Toca Pet Doctor (£1.99, $2.99, $AUD3.99) If you let your device be held by a child, get Toca Pet Doctor on there to keep it amused and stop it inadvertently liking the wrong people while exploring Tinder. Developer Toca Boca promises not to stick in-app purchases in its titles so there's no worry about that, or even seeing any adverts, plus this simple veterinary game is a charmer. You put plasters on sick animals, get flies out of their tummies and more. It's very loveable. 23. Voxel Rush (free) A very pretty and minimalist racer, where the usual beach/mountain/lava environments have been binned in favour of bold slabs of colour. It's stylish, motion controlled, ready for multiplayer action and integrates Google Play Game support for solo achievements and leaderboards. 24. Nightbird Trigger X (free) What the developer calls a "point shooting game," Nightbird Trigger X is a one-button pony where your little man has to shoot a point in the screen to progress. But there's stuff in the way. Annoying moving stuff, that means you score less and take longer if you can't find the target with your first bullet. Simple, but free and a little bit original. 25. Re-Volt 2: Multiplayer (free) Old-ish people who played the original Re-Volt race series on the games hardware of yesteryear will be bang up for this, even though it looks a little rough around the edges. Re-Volt 2: Multiplayer is a refresh of the radio-controlled car racer, now updated with multiplayer options for the sociable modern player. Free to download and get going, with only some unlockables masked by an in-app purchase requirement. 26. Spaceteam (free) This is bonkers. Spaceteam uses the Android hardware to the max to build a properly innovative multiplayer-only game, where between two and four players come together to shout exciting space terminology at each other while battling the control panel of an exploding ship. It's very silly, like something that only came out on the Wii in Japan. 27. Toast Time (£1.99, US$2.99, AU$1.28) If it needs pigeon-holing, Toast Time is best described as a combat platform game. Thing is, you're only a toaster, and your weapon is… toast. So it's sort of a toast-based physics simulation as well, with the kickback from the toast knocking the toaster around the screen and requiring constant compensation. Because there's a clock that needs protecting and… it's best you play it. It's good. 28. Ridiculous Fishing (£1.99, US$2.99, AU$3.68) Quite possibly one of the best uses of the mobile phone accelerometer tech there's ever been, this, with motion control sending your fishing line down to the depths of the sea while you avoid fish. Then, on the way up, it's how you catch them. That's when it goes ridiculous, as the fisherman chucks them up in the air -- and you shoot them to bank the money. Silly, but a must play. 29. Super Hexagon (£1.99, US$2.99, AU$3.68) Another mobile classic. Super Hexagon has two controls -- rotate left and rotate right. That's all you need to navigate the endless maze that spins out of the screen, in one of the mobile world's hardest, coolest, best-sounding and most moreish games. We order you to buy it. You literally have to. 30. Threes! (£1.20, US$1.99, AU$2.40) The sort of silly maths game you might've played in your head before mobile phones emerged to absorb all our thought processes, Threes! really does take less than 30 seconds to learn. You bash numbers about until they form multiples of three and disappear. That's it. There are stacks of free clones available, but if you won't spare the price of one massive bar of chocolate to pay for a lovely little game like this that'll amuse you for week, you're part of the problem and deserve to rot in a freemium hell where it costs 50p to do a wee. 31. Minecraft Pocket Edition (£4.99, US$6.99, AU$9.25) The build 'em up phenomenon works brilliantly well on Android, thanks to the creator of the desktop original taking the time to do it justice. It's a slimmed down interface you see here with on-screen buttons, but the basics are all in and the Survival and Creative modes are ready for play -- as is multiplayer mode over Wi-Fi. 32. Heroes of Loot (£1.72, US$1.99, AU$3.30) The entire back catalogue of solo indie creator OrangePixel is worth exploring, but his latest is the best yet. It's a stylish 2D dungeon explorer, with masses of quests, classes and secret areas to unlock. Plus it supports a wide range of Bluetooth controllers, for easier play if you've got a compatible lump of buttoned plastic. 33. Flight Control (£0.60, US$0.99, AU$1.20) An exciting new genre all of its own when it appeared, Flight Control created the world of the top-down air traffic control simulator. Literally three million times more exciting than it sounds, it's played by swiping 2D aeroplanes into runway landing slots, avoiding collisions and scoring for successful landings. Perfectly suited to touchscreen play. Best Android games: 34-50 34. Pac-Man Championship Edition (£2.60, US$3.99, AU$5.00) Not just the same old Pac-Man that's been emulated, re-released and cloned for the last 30 years. Pac-Man CE is a fresh reworking of the maze game, with jazzy graphics, scrolling mazes and pumping sounds updating the concept for the kids of today. And the dads of today. Anyone after a really smart puzzle game, in fact. 35. Game Dev Story (£1.60, US$2.50, AU$3.00) The "Story" that started Kairosoft's domination of the simplistic business world sim, Game Dev Story sees you take charge of a software house and attempt to create a smash game. The sweet pixel-art characters then battle with the complexities of design and the stresses of arbitrary internet reviews from people who haven't even played it (ahem), in the pursuit of a money-making smash. 36. Raiden Legacy (£4.45, US$4.99, AU$10.00) Quite possibly the greatest 2D shoot 'em up of all time, the Android conversion of Radien is every bit as impressive as the original. A choice of control schemes, display and difficulty settings make it a little more manageable on touchscreens, plus, seeing as this is the Legacy edition, you get Raiden, Raiden Fighters, Raiden Fighters 2 and Raiden Fighters Jet. 37. Pointless - Quiz with Friends (£1.49, US$2.48, AU$2.80) The bafflingly popular TV series has its own official app based around the UK version of the show, complete with cartoon effigies of its two 'Jeeves and Wooster' style hosts. Facebook integration means you can play cross-platform with friends or just spend 7.5 hours a day playing it at work. Although it can be guilty of repeating questions and categories, there's still enough content in here to waste masses of everyone's precious lives. 38. Football Manager Handheld 2014 (£6.99, US$9.99, AU$12.00) Explodes through the usual Android game price ceiling by charging £6.99, but, in this case, it's worth it. The full app offers a superb, stats-heavy mobile take on the classic management series, hardly skimping on any minute detail in the transition to mobile. Manage transfers, the media, match days and more in one of the sporting gamers' must-get titles. 39. Canabalt HD (£1.99, US$2.99, AU$3.68) The newer, slightly posher version of the original game, the one that pretty much invented the "endless runner" genre that now clogs up the gaming sections of the app stores of the world. You are a man. You run along rooftops to a techno soundtrack. That's about it, only it's much more enjoyable than it sounds. 40. Another World (£1.70, US$1.99, AU$3.49) The classic 2D puzzle platformer that wowed the simpler folk of the 1990s with the very occasional bit of 3D, has arrived in perfect form on Android. This 20th anniversary edition has the original graphics plus the option of an HD refresh, but what's really about is getting to play one of gaming's most loved classics. On your phone. For a couple of quid. Madness. 41. GTA Vice City (£2.99, US$4.99, AU$5.53) Seem to remember people thought this was quite good. For the price of a pint (if you're somewhere northern) you can own one of the largest and most highly-rated video games of all time, to pop in and out of on your mobile phone. On-screen controls are never going to suit a game like this, but they are at least fully customisable -- so you can get it how you like it. 42. Terraria (£3.14, US$4.99, AU$5.70) Sort of a Minecraft… platform… puzzle 'em up, Terraria players dig and mine and fight their way through randomly generated worlds. Resources make weapons and houses, weapons and houses mean you stay alive, plus there's Wi-Fi multiplayer support that has it nearing parity with the version sold on desktops. 43. Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (£1.99, US$2.99, AU$3.68) Not the easiest thing to play using on-screen buttons, but the fact this exists at all is a marvel. It's also a glorious conversion, with Sega finally taking the time to do the best Sonic justice. It's been remastered into widescreen and supports a wide range of Bluetooth controllers so, even if you don't yet own one, you'll be able to enjoy it fully when you eventually do. 44. Osmos HD (£1.79, US$2.99, AU$3.45) A lovely little ambient puzzle thing, in which you play a cell thing and make it your business to absorb others. The residue you fire out makes you smaller, though, so efficient use of your biological systems is a must. It's a chillout experience more than a game, with the surreal concept joined by some equally relaxing ambient music. A charmer. 45. Colin McRae Rally (£1.49, US$1.99, AU$2.80) Cars. Cars going round corners and sometimes down straight bits. That's what you get here, in this nice looking recreation of the old PlayStation race favourite. On Android, Colin McRae lets users race four cars including Colin's classic Ford Focus, cars you get to smash around 30 separate race stages. Based on the beloved Colin McRae Rally 2.0 from the PS2, you really can't go wrong. 46. Broken Sword: Director's Cut (£3.99, US$4.99, AU$6.58) This cult classic from an earlier wave of the big home consoles has been converted beautifully to Android, capturing the slightly odd and amusing adventure perfectly - and with an interface that really works on today's touchscreens. It's an "indie" game from before there were indie games, silly and with some excellent and challenging puzzles. 47. Worms 2: Armageddon (£2.99, US$4.99, AU$0.99) Very old and very good, the Worms series led the way when it came to making strategy games fun. The comedy combat action is turn-based, with players alternating at having pop shots at each other with their weaponry. This slower pace means it's ideal for online and local multiplayer, as the odd glitch doesn't ruin the experience. 48. Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition (£6.99, US$9.99, AU$13.99) The strategy titan has a hefty price tag attached to it on Android, but that's OK as the immense challenge it contains is likely to burn for longer than the sun. The first Baldur's game, this faithful reworking of the 1998 classic also includes several of the PC game's post-release expansion packs, just in case the standard 60-hour marathon quest isn't hardcore enough for you. 49. The Wolf Among Us (£9.59, $14.99, around AU$17.99) Telltale has made a name for itself with story-driven episodic games and The Wolf Among Us is one of its best. Essentially a hard boiled fairy tale, you control the big bad wolf as he hunts a murderer through the mean streets of Fabletown. Don't let the fairy tale setting fool you, this is a violent, mature game and it's one where your decisions have consequences, impacting not only what the other characters think of you but also who lives and who dies. Episode One is free but the remaining four will set you back a steep £9.59 / $14.99 / around AU$18. Trust us though, you'll want to see how this story ends. 50. The Banner Saga (£3.49, $4.99, around AU$5.99) Large, deep games are still relatively rare on Android, but you can add one more to the list with The Banner Saga. This Viking-inspired tactical RPG gives you control of over 25 different characters across 7 different classes as you battle your way through beautiful hand drawn environments and make decisions both in and out of combat which affect the story. There's a lot to it, but its turn-based nature means controls are never a problem and you can take it at your own pace.

In Depth: 10 best Android Wear faces Posted: 11 Dec 2014 08:45 AM PST One of the best features of Android Wear is the ability to quickly switch the style of your smartwatch by changing faces with a few swishes of the finger. Now that Android 5.0 Lollipop is making its way to Android Wear devices, it is easier than ever to personalise your smartwatch. The update brings loads of new face designs to the Google Play store, which can be downloaded direct from the store of via the Android Wear app. There are some amazing designs already available on the store, but there are also some clunkers. Make sure you don't make a fashion faux pas with our list of the 10 best Android Wear faces. 1. PAC-MAN Watch Face £0.63 ($0.99, around AU$1.19) If you're a fan of retro games, then you'll love the official PAC-MAN watch face which features nostalgia-laced graphics of ghosts, power-pellets and fruit. PAC-MAN himself weaves around the clock as it tells the time. It's a fun theme that shows that official companies are willing to put the effort in to Google Wear watch faces, though it's perhaps not one to wear when going for important interviews or court appearances. Download from Google Play 2. Planets Watchface Free This impressive astronomical watch not only displays the time on your wrist, but also the current positions of planets in our solar system. Both educational and stylish, the Planets watch face has been designed for smartwatches with round faces such as the Moto 360, as well as rectangular watches. Download from Google Play 3. Odyssey Premium Watch Face £0.79 (around $1.24, AU$1.50) A fair few Android Wear watch faces try to combine classic watch aesthetics with smartphone features, but none do it quite so well as the Odyssey Premium watch face. Along with the classic-looking analogue watch face, you also get battery indicators for both the watch and your smartphone, weather information, time for a second timezone and date information. Best of all it manages this all without looking cluttered. Download from Google Play 4. Raw Vegan Blonde Watch Face Free There are a growing number of artists that are turning their hands to designing watch faces for Google Wear. The Raw Vegan Blonde Watch Face has been created by designer Amber Locke and is based on a vegetable art theme. Each day of the week brings a new elegant pattern. This is a watch face that puts style before functionality, but does it incredibly well. Download from Google Play 5. BE@RBRICK Watch Face Free The BE@RBRICK Watch Face might not be to everyone's taste, but it is a good example of what we can expect with Android Wear faces. A 3D parallax effect and vibrant design helps it stand out. Not only that, but it implements a shake-your-wrist feature which tells you the date when you move your wrist in a certain way. Download from Google Play 6. Xogram Watch Face Free Another watch face from a designer, this time it's Hugh Turvey's unique X-ray imagery that takes pride of place on your wrist. The watch face rotates through 24 of Hugh Turvey's art pieces, so every hour you get a new style. If there's an image that you particularly like, you can make it permanent. Download from Google Play 7. ustwo Watch Faces Free Why settle for one watch face when you can have ten stylish designs with a single download? The ustwo Watch Faces offers just that with a collection of fine looking watch faces for Google Wear. These include Air, which is a minimalist designed based on vintage aircraft, Domino, which has a design based on dominos falling, and Invert, which has two customisable colour battling it out on your wrist. Download from Google Play 8 Nails By Mei Watch Face Free This bright and vibrant watch face features hand drawn art by nail artist Mei Kawajiri. The watch face comes with 12 unique designs that correspond to the time of day. The art is based on Mei Kawajiri's nail art designs, and gives a stylish and unique look to any smartwatch it's installed on. Download from Google Play 9 Surfline - Watch Face Free If you're a surfer always on the lookout for the ideal time to drop what you're doing and head to the sea, then the Surfline watch face for Android Wear is a must. Not only does it have a stylish design, but it uses live data from Surfline to display tide times, surf heigh, wind speed and wind direction, right on your wrist. Download from Google Play 10 Shadow Clock Watch Face Free Smartwatches are the hot new thing when it comes to telling the time, but the Shadow Clock watch face harks back to one of our first time-telling inventions – the sundial. This striking design has been created by typographer and designer Craig Ward and uses shadow, light and tone to reveal the time. As the day turns into night, light and shadow shifts to reveal the time. Download from Google Play

Industry Voice: How to navigate the new age of data integration Posted: 11 Dec 2014 08:45 AM PST Most companies have come to understand that there is value in big data, yet many continue to struggle today with all of the market buzz surrounding the term. This is especially true for nuances like integration and optimization. Many organizations know they should be doing something to that end, but aren't sure what. It's obvious that you want your big data project, which typically require a good amount of integration, to bring most value and best performance at the lowest total cost – but how do you get there? This question gets an added layer of confusion when we consider that the data integration landscape is undergoing some change. Today, inexpensive and powerful platform alternatives are available, making even yesterday's best data integration practices in need of re-evaluation for big data types, processing and systems. A few aspects of the ever-changing landscape: Explosion of need for analytics: As analytics takes center stage, organizations are seeking more headroom for analytics and questioning every non-analytical function that is run. Faster delivery mechanisms: One issue for many companies comes in regards to data integration runtime performance – whether because of missing SLA's or updates that are too slow. Yet there is the desire for real-time, or at least near-real-time, updates. New data types: Companies must integrate non-traditional forms of data from internal and external sources. More data volume: And as data volumes continue to explode – even within existing sources, data archiving and purging data can become an issue, along with the need to offload dormant data. What to do? So how do companies address data integration in the face of these issues and changes? In a nutshell, they need to do their due diligence. Data integration is a process that can't be rushed, and one that comes with a lot questions. A few questions that are usually front of mind these days include: How should I offload to Hadoop? What do I offload, exactly? And, more importantly, how do I go about planning this out? The issue is not whether or not to offload some of the extract, transform and load (ETL) processes, as doing so helps form the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) calculation. Instead, organizations need to look at the environment they have, as all environments are different, and look at all viable alternatives to reduce the cost of the data integration process. This analysis and assessment should be done using a fact-based approach to identifying, tuning and moving data integration processes to improve efficiency and meet business requirements…all while recapturing valuable system resources for high impact business analytics. This process helps to decide whether to modify ETL code, re-architect ETL processes, and/or extend architecture with systems such as Hadoop. In many cases, organizations need some help understanding the best data integration solution … not only for today, but for the future as it is all about using the right piece of the data ecosystem for the right job. For instance, many companies want to expand their environment with Hadoop in order to offload ETL processes. This was the case in a recent client engagement. But once the client was encouraged to do their due diligence and assess the ETL code and analytic environment, it was also discovered that a significant amount of ETL code was inefficient. As a result, we recommended the company modify that ETL code in addition to offloading some of the lower-value ETL work. This dual-pronged approach freed up capacity for additional analytics, and shows why you can't just pick a solution without doing your homework. The lesson: Data integration optimization is important, but it's not easy. Make sure you do all the legwork to ensure you're getting the most bang for your buck. David R. Schiller is CCP at Teradata Products and Services Marketing

Industry voice: Eyeing up Google Glass: a wish list for wearable glasses that work in the field Posted: 11 Dec 2014 08:10 AM PST No other wearable tech device has captured as many headlines as Google Glass, the internet-enabled spectacles from web search giant Google. Early adopters have been undeterred by the hefty price tag of £1,000 ($1,500 in the US), or the fact that Glass is still in beta. But while consumer reaction to Glass has been mixed – with privacy cited as the biggest issue – Glass' trials and experiments in the workplace have shown far more promise. Potential of Glass Indeed, realising Glass' workplace potential, Google launched Glass at Work in April, to encourage developers to create enterprise apps. They also cited a number of trials that have taken place. At Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston, Massachusetts, doctors used Glass to access hands-free medical records of patients. Virgin Atlantic conducted a successful trial to provide highly personalised customer service to its Upper Class Passengers. At Schlumberger, oilfield workers tested Glass in the field to access a workflow management tool. In fact, tech research and consultancy Gartner estimates that smart glasses, of which Google Glass is just one product, may see their biggest impact in the field service industry. According to Gartner, by 2017, smart glasses – by helping to dramatically boost efficiency in the enterprise – may even begin increasing industry profits by a billion dollars annually. Productivity boost It's not hard to imagine how smart glasses could help workers and increase productivity. Wearing smart glasses, a field engineer could be guided through what can often be a very complex repair or service process. The engineer would be able to look at the malfunctioning part and be able to instantly call up its product history, instruction manuals, and stock levels. If the repair was complicated, the technician could call up head office and over a live stream get advice on how to complete the fix. Key metrics of the repair could be captured and fed back in real-time to management. Moreover, capturing video and photos of a repair would help prove that the job was done correctly and to safety standards. But while it's fun to imagine what can eventually be done with smart glasses, the gulf between reality and possibility is still wide. A couple of companies we work with have put Google Glass to the test. The testing environments range from the highly industrial and hazardous to the more typical office environment. The upshot? While the field tests gave a tantalising view of what the future could be like, there's still a long way to go before technicians can be kitted out with Google Glass to reliably do their job, especially those working in rugged, hazardous environments. Google Glass review Improvements for Glass Here's a wish list compiled from our field testers in a range of industrial environments, and what they've said needs to be improved before they can use Google Glass in the field: 1. Overheating of Google Glass During video streaming Glass has a tendency to overheat. It starts warming up, and then gets hot – uncomfortably hot. When it gets too hot, it shuts down. Testers found that when the ambient temperature was approximately 35 degrees centigrade, Google Glass operated for a maximum of 30 minutes before overheating and shutting down. 2. Battery life During video streaming the battery will be emptied in less than 30 minutes. To be realistically useful for most field service technicians, battery life needs to last at least four hours. 3. Durability or ability to wear with safety devices In especially hazardous environments, technicians need to wear head protection and safety goggles as part of their standard uniform. But try wearing Google Glass under safety goggles. Currently, it's just not practical. However, we expect this problem to be easily fixed, and indeed, we're beginning to see niche manufacturers of rugged wearable smart glasses emerge. 4. Quality of streamed video When using Google Glass, using Google Hangouts – and therefore a 3G connection – for video streaming is mandatory. But the quality of the streaming rests entirely on the quality of the 3G internet connection. Most of the time the quality is not very good. To go into details, field workers used Orange 3G, with a mobile phone acting as a 3G modem. The quality was below average and not at all stable. Field workers also used SwissCom 3G, where the quality was average and the connection quite stable. Finally, field technicians also used an internal video streaming service with Vuzix Smart Glasses over Wi-Fi. The quality was good and the connection strong. Philipp Emmenegger is CEO of coresystems AG

Samsung is going to reveal Tizen TV at CES 2015 Posted: 11 Dec 2014 08:00 AM PST Tizen, Samsung's home-grown operating system, is graduating from phone to television, and we're about to see it up close. Samsung has promised we can expect to see a Tizen TV on display at CES 2015, which takes place next month. It's unclear whether this will be the main event for Samsung, but according to Kim Hyun-suk, head of Samsung's visual display division, it'll be there. "We've said numerous times that people will get to meet a Tizen TV," said Kim. "Everyone will get to see it." No surprises please However, Kim also said that "there will be no surprise shows [at CES]," so we're not holding our breath for any mega-exciting announcements. Some launch details for Tizen TV may be revealed, but we'll just have to wait and see. As for phones, Samsung is yet to launch a Tizen-running handset. It was expected that we'd see a launch in Russia earlier this year, but that was then postponed. CES 2015: what we want to see

Updated: Best Ultrabooks: top 5 thin and light laptops reviewed Posted: 11 Dec 2014 07:46 AM PST Update: We've included a new recommendation in our list of the top Ultrabooks, the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro. Read on to see why it made the cut and whether you should buy it. Computers are a part of our everyday lives, but most of us don't actually need the amount of processing power available to us in large, hefty desktops or laptops. The idea of the Ultrabook is to make laptops a bit more convenient, but powerful enough for most tasks. The term "Ultrabook" is actually pure marketing, dreamt up by Intel for a new generation of portable PCs featuring its technology. The best way to think of an Ultrabook is a 13-inch MacBook Air that isn't made by Apple, a netbook that isn't underpowered or a laptop that's been on a crash diet. The term Ultrabook was coined by Intel, and it specifies laptops with particular specifications, separating them from other ultraportable laptops. They all have Intel Core i3, Core i5 or Core i7 processors, fast SSD storage to some degree, and now USB 3.0 connectivity, for speedy file transfers. Ultrabooks are made with design in mind, so they tend to start from around $999 (around £584, AU$1,064) in the lower end, going to nearly $2,000 (around £1,169, AU$2,131) at the very high end. Ultimately, you're likely to spend between $899 and $1,500 for a newer model, though you can get some older models for good prices. Below are our five favorite Ultrabooks at the moment, based on our comprehensive reviews. Acer Aspire S7 For 2014, Acer has updated it's luxury laptop with a super sharp QHD display. This 2560 x 1440 panel is prepared for the day when hyper-HD content is finally viable to watch over wireless internet. In the now, text looks gorgeous, as do images – thus adding to the near-future feel of this device. The build quality on display here, from the Aspire S7's aluminum and Gorilla Glass frame is palpable. That goes for the snappy keyboard, with its fancy electroluminescent lighting, too. The Acer Aspire S7 (starting at $1,349, £1,199, AU$2,599) truly feels like a machine built for the now, 2014, and one that you won't mind using well into 2016, possibly longer. So, love the Aspire S7 for its cutting edge build, fine typing experience and premium specs. Read our Acer Aspire S7 review Dell XPS 13 Dell has really got serious with the internals of the Dell XPS 13 (starting at $1,299, £1,099, AU$1,699). Haswell (4th generation) Intel Core processors, at least 8GB of RAM, an SSD for fast performance and a snappy keyboard all combine to make this an attractive laptop. It's brilliantly thin and light, and 13-inch screen still gives you room to work. This time around, Dell offers a 1080p touchscreen to keep up with the competition. The Dell XPS 13 remains one of the best laptops you can buy, offering top-notch performance and excellent build quality. Read our Dell XPS 13 review Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro If you're all about style and don't need a super powerful machine, it doesn't get much better than Lenovo's latest flagship Ultrabook. While it may not be as punchy as its predecessor (thanks in part to its low-power, fanless Intel Core M chip), it can still manage all of the usual tasks you would throw at it. And given its new metallic hinge and super thin design, the Yoga 3 Pro makes a better case than ever for its multitudes of usage modes. At any rate, this is one of the thinnest, lightest and sharpest Windows laptops to date. And while you'll certainly pay for it, the price for such panache will be worth it for style nuts. Read our Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro review Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus Samsung was one of the very first PC manufacturers to jump on the Ultrabook bandwagon. It's done a fine job of representing Intel's baby ever since, with some stunning offerings, including the Samsung Series 5 Ultra Touch and, more recently, the top-of-the-line Samsung Series 9 NP900X3D. Samsung's new Ultrabook: the Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus (starting at $1,399, £1,412, AU$2,259), might keep the company ahead of the game for a while, at least if its on-paper abilities are anything to go by. It's a wonderful-looking unit. It's thin and carefully crafted, with shiny, chamfered edges lining its all-aluminium chassis. But its plain black exterior might lend some clues as to its intent: This is premium-priced Ultrabook focused as much on the business user as the coffee shop regular. Read our Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus review Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (starting at $1,186, £1,198, AU$1,699) is a business laptop that straddles the line between form and function more than ever after this update. For those with a penchant for aesthetics, here's a brand new design with some fantastic new features. And to keep the no-nonsense business user happy, this is a plenty powerful piece of hardware. The connectivity on offer through this Ultrabook's super slim design profile alone is impressive. And the adaptive keys, while divisive, add a ton of function in a limited amount of space and an attractive presentation. Look out, MacBook Pro, you're no longer the only thin and light business option on the block. Read our Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon review

Download of the day: FileZilla Posted: 11 Dec 2014 07:00 AM PST FileZilla is a feature-packed FTP client that does much more than just upload files. Why you need it FTP can seem a little confusing to the novice, but not with FileZilla. This easy to use program utilises a drag and drop interface, making the uploading of files simplicity itself. You can pause and resume the transfer of large files over 4GB, and if the transfer gets aborted, FileZilla still manages to retain a useable link using its Keep Alive feature. The tabbed interface allows you to manage multiple sites at once, while you can search for and edit files remotely. It's cross platform, too, so you can use it to upload files on your work PC and then manage them on your home Mac. And to help even more, the bookmarks, filename filters and synchronised directory browsing all serve to take the pain out of FTP. It's got plenty of technical compatibility as well. FileZilla supports FTP, FTP over SSL/TLS (FTPS) and SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), plus IPv6, HTTP/1.1, SOCKS5 and FTP-Proxy. Key features Works on: PC, Mac, Linux and more Versions: Free Simplicity: FileZilla has an intuitive interface and plenty of easy to understand features Pause and resume: If you're uploading big files, FileZilla allows you to resume that download if it times out or aborts Work remotely: You can edit and find files remotely, and its cross compatibility means you can use FileZilla no matter what operating system you prefer You'll also like WinSCP jDownloader 2 FreeFileSync TeamViewer Free Download Manager

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