Jul 12
Jul 12
Okay, we’re pronouncing it “ooh-acki”, because that sounds slightly more classy than “wacky”, but you can call this new Rakuten-owned streaming service whatever you like. You can also choose how to pay for it, because the pricing system gives you the option of a monthly subscription for access to a “regularly-refreshed line-up” of movies and TV shows, or a per-item charge to rent or buy the latest Hollywood releases — or you can pay both types of fee if you want it all. Having already attracted 600,000 subscribers in Spain (hence the idioma in the image above), Wuaki.tv is offering a decent introductory discount to give itself a kickstart in the UK: be among the first 75,000 to sign up during the beta phase (and do so before mid-September) and you’ll get a half-price monthly fee of £2.99 for as long as you stay with the no-contract service. The downside to joining early is that, for the time being, you can only stream to a Mac or PC. Support for mobile devices, smart TVs and consoles is due to be added over the coming months, at which point the decision to sign up quickly (via the Source link below) might start to prove its worth.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: Wuaki.tv
Jul 12
I remember being a, shall we say, a young adult? Some extra make-up and a newly purchased fake I.D, getting a six pack of little green bottles of beer and drinking them with my best friends up near the lake. Those memories used to be so much fun, now I have a daughter of my own and she’s highly likely to create the same horrors for me, that I did for my mom… but for her, pulling the same nonsense is getting tougher every day.
Check out the barZapp ID Scanning App, this useful tool allows you to simply aim a smartphone at the barcode or the magnetic stripe located on a genuine driver’s license and within seconds, you can instantly verify the age and ID validity of the license, and the person handing it to you.
Meant for certain types of merchants including bar owners, this nifty little app can greatly reduce the chances of receiving fines and penalties when selling all kinds of age-restricted products like alcohol, cigarettes or chewing tobacco, access or movies, or any other products or activities that might require age verification.
A quick and simple barZapp scan of the encoded license information will actually display the bearer’s name, gender, ID number, date of birth and their computed age alongside sample photos of IDs from the appropriate states so you know exactly what that Idaho drivers license is supposed to look like, and soon the app will also be able to maintain VIP lists and banned patrons.
The barZapp app is available at the Apple App Store for $1.99, and annual and monthly licenses are available on Intellicheck Mobilisa’s website for $19.95 per month. BarZapp requires iOS 6.1 or greater, and a version for Android will be available soon. So much for the little green bottles up at the lake, huh kid? Now if we can just come up with an app to scan her dates with…
[ barZapp – Can I Scan your I.D. Please? copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Jul 12
Netflix is in talks to bring Arrested Development back for a fifth season, it’s been confirmed, despite mixed reviews for season four when it debuted on the on-demand streaming provider back in May. “We are in conversations with [Netflix] to do another” Brian Grazer, CEO of production company Imagine Entertainment responsible for the show, told Bloomberg, describing Netflix as “interested in doing that.”
The return of Arrested Development was a high-profile event for Netflix, one of the company’s much-vaunted attempts to develop and fund its own content rather than just provide that of other studios. The show, along with the homegrown “Netflix Originals” Hemlock Grove, debuted on the service in Q2, with all episodes available at once rather than forcing people to wait for each season to roll out progressively.
However, reviews of Arrested Development season four proved mixed, with critics and fans vocal in their concern that the show had lost some of its previous sparkle. Netflix’s stock price took a tumble as high-profile reviewers slammed the series, criticizing the jokes as weak and the plotlines as flabby.
Netflix is yet to comment on the reported talks, but has given mixed messages on its intentions for Arrested Development in previous statements. Initially, the show’s return was billed as a one-season affair, but CEO Reed Hastings muddied that certainty in May when he commented that “if the talent were willing to do more and interested in that, I’m sure we would be willing.”
The company is yet to reveal exact viewing figures for Arrested Development and Hemlock Grove, though may detail how successful each show was when it announces its Q2 financial results on July 22. Hemlock Grove has already been renewed for a second season, along with House of Cards, Lilyhammer, and Orange is the New Black.
Part of Netflix’s strategy with its original content is to mine its viewer preferences data to identify potential hit shows yet to be created. Hemlock Grove, for instance, was commissioned after Netflix analysis indicated viewers were keen on supernatural-themed content and Eli Roth as a director.
Arrested Development season 5 Netflix talks confirmed is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jul 12
Microsoft Japan – New price for “Surface RT” – The price will be reduced by 10,000 yen
Posted in: Today's Chili
Microsoft Japan is going to reduce the price of their “Surface RT” by 10,000 yen on July 15.
Currently, “Surface RT” is already 10,000 yen cheaper than the regular price because Microsoft Japan has been running the discount campaign from June 14 to July 14.
Below is the new price list:
Surface RT 32GB
¥49,800 -> ¥39,800
Surface RT 64GB
¥57,800 -> ¥47,800
Surface RT 32GB and touch cover
¥57,800 -> ¥47,800
Surface RT 64GB and touch cover
¥65,800 -> ¥55,800
Jul 12
How to Confuse Any Smartphone User
Posted in: Today's Chili
If you’re ever prompted to scan a QR code while you’re installing an app, either someone is playing a cruel practical joke on you, or something has gone very, very wrong. Especially if it’s a QR reader app. [XKCD]
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Jul 12
The Apple Maps fiasco excepted, we have it pretty good where location-based services are concerned. But in areas like South East Asia, that’s not entirely the case. Which is why Japan-based Terra Motors is prepping to launch the A4000i, an electric scooter that also features an iPhone connector (compatible with the 3GS and up) for big data collection. The company’s positioning the A4000i as a means of gathering location data — useful for mapping — as well as mileage and battery performance (a lithium cell rated for 50,000km) for that region of the world. There’s no word on exactly when Terra plans to launch this scooter overseas, but when it eventually does, expect to see the A4000i retail for around ¥450,000 (about $4,500 USD).
Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation, Internet, Software, Mobile, Apple
Jul 12
Google’s Alfred local recommendations app is to be shut down within days, the company has quietly confirmed to users, with users only having until the end of play today to extract their data. The notification of the July 19 shut-down was flagged up in the Alfred app itself, TechCrunch reports, and comes around 18 months after Google acquired the app as part of its Clever Sense buy in December 2011.
Alfred was part of an attempt to curate local places of interest – whether restaurants, bars, clubs, or cafes – based on places the user had previously visited. The app used Clever Sense’s homegrown recommendations engine, which integrated machine-learning and artificial intelligence to improve its suggestions over time.
However, Alfred also had bigger ambitions, at least at the time of Google’s acquisition. Deal recommendations were the most obvious cash-generator, similar to services like Groupon, along with plans to broaden the range of services that could be suggested, to include general local entertainment and more.
At the time, Google was seen as being keen to integrate Alfred’s AI into Android services, and indeed the presumed goal was to bake Alfred into Google Now – then unannounced, and known by its “Majel” codename.
However, in the intervening period it’s hard to see what benefits Google has taken from Clever Sense’s technology, at least on the face of things. The Alfred app has languished without an update for more than a year, and according to TechCrunch’s digging the team looks to have gradually shifted from its initial position at Google Places, to other areas of Google.
It’s not the only location-based service that Google has given its marching orders. Earlier this week, the company confirmed that Latitude, which allowed friends and family to share their locations with each other, had only a month to live. Instead, the check-in and location-sharing feature is being baked into Google+.
Google Alfred killed in latest location-services cull is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jul 12
Wealth. Big stinking masses of it. That’s what the Bank of England is letting you get a glimpse of through its own official app. A panoramic tour gives a scrollable view of an unspecified number of gold bars, each weighing in at 13kg and — more importantly — worth around £350,000 ($528,000). (But hey, at least the app is free.) The Bank of England houses 400,000 of them in total, although most are actually owned by other banks. Those looking to channel the lifestyle of Scrooge McDuck can take the tour on both iOS and Android — hit up the source for links to both.
Source: Bank Of England
Jul 12
Transit Times in NYC, Visualized
Posted in: Today's Chili
As cities grow and populations expand, people move further and further away from the center. That’s definitely happened in New York—and this visualization shows how the shift to more distant neighbourhoods affects travel time.
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