Google announces new Chromebook Pixel with Intel Broadwell CPU & 12-hour battery life

Google today unveiled the updated version of its Chromebook Pixel with the latest available hardware and some fancy new features.

The new Chromebook comes with the same USB Type-C connector that you will find on Apple’s recent MacBook 12-inch Retina. The Type-C connector is a single port that will take care of charging, data transfers as well as video outputs. Google has included new quick-charge feature with the Pixel, allowing you to gain two hours of usage with a mere 15 minute charge. To charge the battery fully, it takes just 90 minutes.

Chromebook Pixel is now powered by the latest Intel Broadwell 5th Gen Core i5 processor with 8GB of RAM and includes 32GB of internal storage. The basic hardware remains the same though. You get an aluminum body, a 13-inch Touch enabled 2560 x 1700 resolution display with 239 PPI pixel density, and stereo speakers under the keyboard.

Google’s updated Chromebook Pixel will be available starting today via Google’s new online Google Store starting at $999 for the base version. There is also a more expensive model with an Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB RAM, and 64GB SSD for $1,299.

Source:  VR-Zone

Future MediaTek SoCs could include AMD Graphics

According to a new report published by Fudzilla, MediaTek could be looking at licensing AMD Graphics for its future SoCs. MediaTek currently licenses Imagination Technologies PowerVR and ARM Mali graphics on its chipsets.

Fudzilla claims to have learnt about the development at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this month. This certainly sounds very interesting as AMD would be making a comeback to ultra-low power graphics market. It is also likely to give MediaTek a huge advantage against its main rival, Qualcomm. MediaTek has been able to increase its market share over the years at the cost of Qualcomm and an agreement with AMD could certainly help it strengthen its foothold in the high-end mobile chipset segment where it has so far struggled to compete against Qualcomm.

Fudzilla report says the AMD graphics team is in constant touch with MediaTek, working together on upcoming SoC graphics solutions. Sadly, there is no info yet on when the first SoCs with AMD graphics will appear, but if the cooperation is indeed real, we can expect to see the first MediaTek chips with AMD Graphics become available sometime next year.

Source: VR-Zone

Silicon Power Armor A65M is an IP67 certified waterproof portable HDD for Mac

If you’re the adventurous type or believe that you are quite prone to accidentally damaging your gadgets, the new Silicon Power Armor A65M is the perfect portable HDD for your Mac. It happens to be the first waterproof and dust resistant portable HDD for Mac, complete with IP67 certification and complies with US military-grade drop test as well.

While most people may not really find these certifications to be useful, they do serve as ‘insurance’ against any form of accidents that may occur during daily operation. The portable HDD features a three-layer construction with two layers of rubber and one unibody frame in the middle. It comes formatted in HFS+ format and supports Time Machine.

Despite the durable construction, the HDD isn’t very heavy with weight ranging from 242 to 277 grams depending on the capacity. Three storage capacities are being offered – 500GB, 1TB and 2TB. Silicon Power is providing a 3-year warranty on the Armor A65M and will also bundle an exclusive free software download – SP Widget for Mac, providing handy backup and security tools for users.

Source:  VR-Zone

Use Your iPhone to Put a Heads Up Display on Your Car's Windshield

Heads Up Display Mode is a new Cydia tweak that lets you mirror your device's screen so that you can use it as a heads up display while driving. You can activate the tweak via Activator and then place your device on your dash. At night the reflection creates a heads up display in your windshield while you drive.

Mirrors your device's screen to be used as a heads up display while driving.

Configure within Activator from Settings app.

Heads Up Display Mode is available for free in Cydia. You must be jailbroken to use this tweak. You can find other HUDs in the App Store that provide basic information like speed and directions.

Source: iClarified

CIA spent last 10 years cracking Apple’s encryption

The CIA has been trying to crack Apple’s encryption for nearly 10 years.

According to a report by The Intercept, the CIA began trying to crack Apple’s encryption in 2006 using funds from the “black budget.”  The researchers who worked on breaking down Apple’s privacy wall were purportedly based at Sandia National Laboratories.

Although the report did expose the CIA’s effort, it did not tell us much about whether or not the agency succeeded in meeting their objectives.  What it did tell us was Apple became a big enough thorn in the eyes of these secretive agencies that they had to invest heavily to crack the privacy barrier put in place to protect consumers.

Apple isn’t the only tech giant on the radar when it comes to issues regarding national security.  Companies such as Facebook, Google and Microsoft have all been probed by government agencies.  How much information exchanged hands within the last couple years is unknown, but as the stories continue to unearth themselves it is clear that there are growing distrusts between these companies and their users.

Google and Apple both announced recently that it has either made or will make changes to the encryptions to protect the privacy of consumers.  Apple said last September that it altered its encryption method on the iPhone so that even the company couldn’t access its users’ data.

Apple rules its ecosystem with an iron fist, but the same can’t be said about Google and its partners utilizing the Android platform.  Google may have the intentions of beefing up the system’s security features, but to apply them on most Android-based handsets around the world is a task that’s nearly impossible.

Source:  VR-Zone

MIT engineers develop technology to help blind people read

Researchers at MIT are developing some new technologies that will enable vision-impaired people read from things such as tablets.

The gadget is a little finger-mounted device with a built-in camera that will act as the eyes for people who either have vision impairments or are blind.  Texts on the screen are scanned using the camera, and given the right finger movement the texts will then turn into audio for users in real time.

Also mounted on the device is a system that provides feedback via tactile or audible to allow users to know whether or not they’re on the right line while reading.

“For visually impaired users, this is a translation.  It’s something that translates whatever the finger is ‘seeing’ to audio.  They really need a fast, real-time feedback to maintain this connection.  If it’s broke, it breaks the illusion,” said Roy Shilkrot, an MIT graduate student involved in the research.

The team claims, however, that the real force driving the project is the algorithm that’s being used to help translate finger visions into audio.  Involved in the mechanics of the algorithm are crucial factors such as when it needs to recognize when the finger is on a new line or when the users are straying away from the right reading line.  All these inputs allow the system to respond accordingly to help output the right audio or adjust the finger of a blind person back to the right track.

Current development involves the software running on a PC, but work is being done to port the software to Android to make the system more compact.

Source:  VR-Zone

Google Calendar App Released for iPhone

Google has just released a new Google Calendar app for the iPhone and iPod touch.Get the official Google Calendar app for your iPhone to save time and make the most of every day.

Features:
● A new Schedule View - See your schedule at a glance with photos and maps of the places you’re going.
● Events from Gmail - Flight, hotel, concert, restaurant reservations and more are added to your calendar automatically.
● Assists to fill in your calendar - You can quickly create events with smart suggestions for event titles, places and people.
● Different ways to view your calendar - Speedily switch between viewing a single day to getting an overview of multiple days at once.
● All your calendars in one, easy place - Google Calendar works with all calendars on your phone, including Exchange and iCloud.

You can download Google Calendar from the App Store for free.

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Source: iClarified

Record Companies Won't Let Apple Price Music Streaming Service Below $10

Rumors about Apple's iTunes-branded music streaming service have been heating up ever since the company acquired Beats. Apple reportedly set out to undercut music streaming services like Spotify and Rdio by offering the service for $7.99/month; however, according to industry sources, record companies are not letting Apple offer the service at anything below $9.99 a month.

Negotiatons for Apple's upcoming subscription service are evidence labels are standing firm on pricing. Industry sources say Apple has backed down from its effort to lower monthly pricing for its subscription service to $7.99 from $9.99. Apple would have to absorb the loss if it sets a price lower than the standard $9.99.

According to sources, Apple is also seeking to get more exclusive content. Jimmy Iovine has been reportedly working on securing more exclusive releases for Apple, but industry sources say that it is unlikely for Apple to outmaneuver its competitors for key release unless they bring out the checkbook.

Details about Apple's music streaming service have been scarce. Apple could launch the service as part of iOS 8.4, following WWDC; however, it could also be delayed until the release of iOS 9 in the fall. The service will be integrated into the default Music app on the iPhone, iTunes for Desktop, and as part of a new app for the Apple TV.

Source: iClarified