Jul 30
Camping used to be all about getting away from the clutter of our increasingly connected lives. But then electronic devices became "mobile", which it turns out means "magnetically attracted to our thumbs," and solar charging
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Jul 30
Not a day goes by when we don’t hear rumors about Apple’s upcoming iPhones. Right now it is believed that September would bring not one, but two different iPhone models. Foxconn, one of the biggest manufacturers working for Apple, is reportedly looking to hire 90,000 new workers as Apple is set to ramp up mass production of its next generation iPhone. What about the other iPhone, the much rumored iPhone Lite? It is believed that Pegatron is producing that particular model, it recently hired 40,000 new workers which many believe will work on iPhone Lite mass production.
These 90,000 new hires are reportedly being made at Foxconn’s Shenzhen facility. The report comes from Focus Taiwan, which claims that Foxconn is gearing up to fulfill “massive orders” of the iPhone 5S that Apple is going to place. Recently it had been rumored that production issues are likely to push back the release of iPhone 5S. For now, it is believed that iPhone 5S supplies will be constrained at launch due to the fact that its alleged fingerprint sensor is causing problems in mass production. As per recent rumors, Apple’s 2013 iPhone event might take place on September 6th.
Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It | iPhone 5S Mass Production Ramps Up As Foxconn Looks To Hire 90,000 Workers original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Jul 30
Unikey’s Kevo Smart Lock Uses Bluetooth 4.0 To Let You Unlock Your Door By Touching It
Posted in: Today's Chili
NFC-powered door locks are already a thing, allowing owners of compatible smartphones (or NFC rings) to get into their houses with a tap of their gadgets. But NFC is not the only transfer tech capable of powering a smart lock (plus, if you have to dig your NFC phone out of your bag, that’s not necessarily much quicker than using a traditional key). Well, Unikey has come up with a smart lock system that uses Bluetooth 4.0 to turn compatible smartphones into proximity-sensitive keys.
Their version of the smart lock — called Kevo — doesn’t require the phone to be tapped to the lock. Rather the phone-owner only needs to touch the lock with their finger to gain entry. The crowdfunded Lockitron smart lock also uses Bluetooth 4.0 — but that device is also continually connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi, allowing owners to lock or unlock their doors remotely from anywhere. Which may or may not appeal to you, depending on how paranoid/security-conscious you are. Being Bluetooth-only and lacking a continuous hook into your home Wi-Fi, the Kevo smart lock doesn’t support a remote-unlocking use-case. But that does mean you can’t accidentally unlock your door when you’re miles away. The eKey owner has to be standing next to the door to lock or unlock it.
How else does Kevo differ from Lockitron? Its creators have crafted a slightly slicker-looking and smaller smart lock — which also includes a visual coloured LED indicator, so you can confirm by eye that the door has been locked (or unlocked). Kevo’s lock also supports mechanical key rekeying. But it’s also a little more expensive (at least than Lockitron’s reserve price of $179).
In addition to being compatible with iOS devices, the smart lock system works with a dedicated key fob for people who don’t have a phone or other device capable of running the Kevo app (which is currently iOS only). Whatever you’re using as your eKey — i.e. the key fob or iOS device — can remain in your pocket; you only have to tap the lock with a finger to lock or unlock it, as demonstrated in the below video.
Importantly, Unikey says its technology is able to detect whether the authorized user is standing inside or outside the house — which is rather, er, key, in terms of preventing an eKey-less stranger from gaining entry from outside if there happens to be a nearby eKey inside. The company doesn’t go into detail about how they detect exactly where the eKey is located but say their technology is patent-pending.
Aside from enabling people to get in and out of their homes without fumbling around in a bag or pocket for their keys, the Kevo lock supports other features — such as the ability to share multiple eKeys, including single-use keys that can only work within a given period, and also generates a record of when your door is locked and unlocked, and by whom.
On the security side, eKeys can be deleted via a web portal or by signing in to your account on another device in case a smartphone or key fob is lost or stolen. And the system can send you notifications when the door is locked and unlocked.
Compatible iOS devices are the iPhone 4S and 5, the fifth-generation iPod touch, and third-gen or higher iPad and iPad mini. Kevo’s creators say they plan to make the app available for additional platforms once they are able to support Bluetooth 4.0, noting that app development for Android and Blackberry is “currently underway”.
The Kevo lock is currently on pre-order, due to ship in September, with a price tag of $219 from Kwikset in the U.S. The retail package includes one deadbolt, one key fob, two mechanical keys and two smartphone eKeys available for download. Additional eKeys can be provisioned via the Kevo app.
Jul 30
It’s about that time for a Kindle Fire upgrade, and it seems Amazon is on it already, which makes sense considering the Nexus 7 received a refresh and the iPad has gone through some major transformations in the past couple of years. Specs of the next-generation Kindle Fire series have been leaked, and they’re a doozy.
According to Boy Genius Report, sources are saying that the next-generation Kindle Fire lineup will come packing with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processors clocked at “around” 2GHz, which seems like overkill for the Kindle Fire, seeing as how Amazon wants to keep the price point low, but they may have some intense plans for the tablets.
The tablets are also said to pack in 2GB of RAM, which certainly seems feasible — it’s mainly the Snapdragon 800 that we’re mostly surprised about. The 800 is usually reserved for top-tier, expensive products, and while the Kindle Fire is Amazon’s flagship lineup, we’re curious as to how Amazon will keep the cost down of the tablets, as that is one of their main selling points.
However, seeing as how Qualcomm wants to push its Snapdragon 800 processor to “virtually every global OEM” within the next few months, it could make sense that Amazon would be one of those companies picking up the new chip for their tablets.
Earlier this month, we heard that the new Kindle Fires would be receiving display upgrades as well, with the Kindle Fire HD getting an impressive 1920×1200 resolution while still keeping the screen size at 7 inches. This is the same pixel density as the refreshed Nexus 7 that was released late last week.
However, the current 8.9-inch tablet already sports a 1920×1200 resolution, but it’s said that this version will be bumped up to 2560×1600, which would take on the iPad and the Nexus 10, but with a way better pixel density. We’ve contacted Qualcomm for more information and we’ll update this post accordingly whenever we hear back from them.
SOURCE: BGR
Kindle Fire refresh tipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, 2GB RAM is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jul 30
Facebook has reportedly been toying around with the idea of launching a distribution platform for mobile games, boosting advertising revenue by also taking a cut of sales. As of today, the initiative is official: a new Mobile Games Publishing page is now live on Facebook’s developers site. The pilot program is designed for small and medium-sized gaming developers — after signing up, Facebook will help developers target consumers who might be interested in playing. Additionally, the site will provide feedback through analytics tools, enabling developers to refine their approach in response to customer interest. The program isn’t open to everyone just yet, but if you’re a small to mid-sized dev that Facebook identifies as “high-potential,” you might just have a shot at joining up. Fill in your deets at the source link below.
Filed under: Gaming, Internet, Facebook
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Facebook
Jul 30
So, this stinks. Instagram is now deleting all images uploaded through the popular Windows Phone 8 app Instance—even though there still isn’t an official Instagram app for WP8.
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Jul 30
One of these Walter Whites—the main character from the popular Breaking Bad series coming to its end this August—is real. The other one is computer generated. Can you tell who is who? I honestly can’t.
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Jul 30
Getting a patent in Europe is hard. Making sure it’s protected in every European Union member state is even harder. That’s why the European Commission announced today that it plans on simplifying this notoriously convoluted process by proposing the legal framework for a unified patent court. Currently, patents must be validated in each member state to gain EU-wide protection, but as you know, patent litigation is everyone’s favorite past time. Companies can incur prohibitively high costs simultaneously defending their claims in multiple countries. By cutting the number of patent courts down from 28 to one, a unified system would streamline the process of handling infringement cases, and perhaps even promote growth and innovation. While the measure must be approved by the European Parliament and individual EU states in order to become law, the proposal appears to be a step forward in the right direction.
Filed under: Misc
Via: EurActiv
Jul 30
The smartphone market in China is lucrative. Right now it is catered to by big vendors such as Apple and Samsung, whereas there are a number of Chinese vendors who dominate the market with their own devices. iPhone’s performance in China hasn’t been that spectacular in the previous quarter, and that’s probably something that Apple doesn’t want to repeat as it gears up release its new iPhone, or even iPhones. Local reports from China reveal that Apple CEO Tim Cook was in the People’s Republic earlier this week and that he met with China Telecom, which carries the iPhone in China.
Apple is believed to be releasing two new iPhones in September. Carriers partners are vital to a device’s success, while the agenda of these meetings has not been disclosed, it is believed that the talks were focused on the iPhone and how its performance can be made better in China. It is unclear if Cook met with China Unicom and China Mobile as well. China Mobile is the world’s biggest carrier with over 700 million subscribers. Both of these tablets don’t officially carry the iPhone as yet.
Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It | Apple CEO Tim Cook Reportedly Had A Meeting With China Telecom original content from Ubergizmo. 
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Jul 30
There’s nothing more annoying than having your bicycle light give out in the middle of a night ride. It can also get dangerous. That’s why I think that a light that can be recharged using solar energy is a good idea, so you won’t have to remember to change batteries and get caught in the dark.
The Rydon Pixio bicycle light can hold enough juice for 75 hours of light on a charge. It takes only 5 days of sunlight exposure to fully charge it, so riding during the daytime should get you all charged up for nighttime rides.
The Rydon Pixio was launched through an Indiegogo crowdfunding project. You’ll have to pledge €30 (~$40USD) to get yours, though with the campaign ending at midnight tonight, it’s still only reached about 75% of its goal.
[via designboom]
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