The BBC is getting a little experimental. Or rather, it wants to show people more of the crazy, forward-thinking ideas that it normally cooks up behind closed doors, and often never see the light of day. To solve this, the broadcaster is launching a …
Sling TV, a $20-a-month service for cord-cutters, made quite the debut earlier this month, winning our Best of CES award amid a flood of attention from press and customers alike. But can the app really live up to its promise to “Take Back TV”? I’ve h…
The iPad Pro, if the rumors are to be believed, is an upcoming iPad from Apple. However unlike the regular iPad or the iPad mini, the iPad Pro will actually feature a larger display which according to the rumors could be anywhere between 12-inches to 12.9-inches. It also has a feature which Apple has avoided all along – a stylus.
While it’s anyone’s guess as to what the tablet could look like, designer Martin Hajek has thrown together a few renders of what he thinks the device could look like, at least based on what we know so far, as well as taking some creative liberties. Hajek has been known for creating some pretty realistic renders of potential Apple products so his work should not be unfamiliar to you guys.
That being said, Hajek’s design includes a stylus that comes with capacitive +/- buttons which could also offer up additional operations, bio-sensors that are borrowed from the Apple Watch, and interestingly enough he has also thrown in the digital crown from the Apple Watch which could offer up additional controls, all of which actually sounds like a pretty great idea.
However as for the design of the tablet itself, it basically looks like Apple’s older iPads with the large bezels, so in terms of the tablet itself there’s not much to talk about, but we really dig the idea of the stylus, but what say you? Is this a tablet you could get on board with?
iPad Pro Concept With Stylus Shows What The Tablet Could Look Like , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
There are some phones out there that come with expandable memory where you can pop in a microSD card and you’re good to go. Then there are some phones where the memory is fixed so you will have to decide carefully on how much space you will need before buying it, otherwise you’re pretty much stuck.
The good news is that perhaps you won’t have to make that choice in the future, thanks to a smartphone case called the ExoDrive. The ExoDrive is basically a smartphone case that accepts microSD cards. When connected to your phone, it will give you extra storage based on the size of the microSD card that you popped inside.
This is great and will work with phones with fixed memories. According to its creator, it will play nicely with handsets like the Moto X, Moto G, Nexus 6, Samsung Galaxy S5, the LG G2, the HTC One M7, the Nexus 5, OnePlus One, the HTC One M8, and the Samsung Galaxy S4. So what about iPhones?
The creators claim to have a prototype in the works that could potentially work with the iPhone, but they will only be looking into that if they managed to raise its stretch target of $79,000 in funding. We reckon it’s a pretty good idea and if you’d like to lend them a hand in making the ExoDrive case a reality, head on over to their Kickstarter page for the details.
ExoDrive Is A Smartphone Case With A MicroSD Card Slot , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Apple and Samsung don’t exactly have the best relationship. Granted their lawsuits against one another have stopped gracing the headlines as of late, but it is safe to assume that their relationship will never be the same again. However if the rumors are to be believed, it looks like Apple will still need to rely on Samsung for future A-series processors.
According to the latest rumors, word on the street has it that for the upcoming A9 chipset, Apple could be relying heavily on Samsung for them. Samsung is said to supply 75% of Apple’s A9 chipset where presumably the remaining will be supplied by TSMC. The A9 chipset is also said to be produced at the company’s factory in Austin, Texas.
The back and forth between Apple, TSMC, and Samsung is well documented. We had heard earlier this year that TSMC would be leading the charge in the A9’s production, so we can’t be sure why Apple could have potentially switched back to Samsung. Perhaps TSMC’s yields weren’t good enough and quality was not up to scratch, although that does seem unlikely.
TSMC has been in the business for a while and they were responsible for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus’ A8 chipset, so obviously they can deliver. In any case it should be taken with a grain of salt for now, but check back with us later for more details.
Samsung To Produce 75% Of Apple’s A9 Chipsets [Rumor] , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
As most often the case, iOS usually gets its version of an app first before Android. Now fans of Google’s mobile platform need not be green-eyed anymore. MakerBot has finally released an Android app for its 3D printers that will enable users to control and monitor their 3D printing activities from a bit of a distance. But don’t go dreaming … Continue reading
As I write this review, SportsCenter is on in the background. I’ve not watched ESPN in years — actual years — so this review is like revisiting a memory. I’m a bit of a cord cutter (I still get Internet via the cable company), and there are several reasons for that. Sling TV brings cable back into my life, but … Continue reading
CAIRO (AP) — The two sons of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak were released from prison Monday, nearly four years after they were first arrested along with their father, authorities said.
Security officials said the two, wealthy businessman Alaa and Mubarak’s one-time heir apparent Gamal, walked free from Torah Prison in a southern Cairo suburb shortly after daybreak and headed to their respective homes in the capital’s upscale Heliopolis suburb.
The two, along with their father, still face a retrial on corruption charges. Separately, the two sons also face trial on insider trading charges. They had been acquitted of other charges.
Mubarak, 86 and ailing, stepped down in February 2011 in the face of a popular uprising. He and his two sons were arrested in April that year. Mubarak remains at a military hospital in a southern suburb of Cairo although there are no longer any legal grounds for his detention.
The security officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren’t authorized to speak to journalists.
The release of the two had been expected since a Cairo court ordered their release on bail Thursday.
The Mubarak sons were sentenced to four years in prison on charges of using state funds to renovate family residencies. Their father got three years in the case. The sentences were overturned earlier this month.
Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison in 2012 for failing to prevent the killing of some 900 protesters during the 18-day uprising against his rule. That verdict also was overturned on appeal. He was retried but the case was dismissed last month on a technicality.
Mubarak’s sons walked free a day after deadly clashes between anti-government protesters and police marked the fourth anniversary of the uprising that ended their father’s 29-year rule. That violence Sunday left at least 18 people dead, including two men authorities said died planting a bomb and three police officers, and wounded dozens.
The two, particularly Gamal, are viewed by many Egyptians as among the pillars of an authoritarian and corrupt administration that struck an alliance with mega-wealthy businessmen at the expense of the nation’s poor and disadvantaged.
Mubarak was widely believed to have been grooming Gamal to succeed him. The two consistently denied that, but the perceived succession plan, along with corruption, police brutality and poverty, were among the main causes of the 2011 uprising.
The release of the two sons could spark further protests and would certainly fuel the notion among the secular and liberal activists behind the 2011 uprising that the Mubarak regime has been making a comeback since President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, a general-turned-politician, took office in June.
The shooting deaths of two female protesters over the weekend have stoked renewed anger over the police’s use of excessive force and created an uproar among rights activists. The death of one of the two, a 32-year-old mother of a small boy, was captured on several videos that, activists and witnesses claim, point to the police as the perpetrators. Authorities say they are investigating the incident.
An unknown device has been discovered on the grounds of the White House early Monday, NBC News reported.
Secret Service recovered the object, The Associated Press reported, and a security perimeter was set up around the building.
The device does not pose “any kind of ongoing threat,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said during a press briefing.
At the time of this writing, no details about the device or the exact location where it was found have been released.
Neither President Barack Obama nor first lady Michelle Obama were on the premises when the device was located; both are currently in India.
This is a developing story. More to come…
Ultra-Premature VP Edition
When we started “Trail To The Chief,” the first question we got was: “Are you sure it’s not too soon to start ranking presidential candidates?” And that’s fair: We don’t really know what the field looks like. Maybe it pays to be circumspect.
So, naturally, for our next trick, we’re going to rank the vice presidential candidates. How’s that for premature coverage?
Now, of course, we’re many hundreds of days away from having actual nominees, so pondering whose name might appear on the ticket after the slash and before the number “2016” is nothing but guesswork. But the truth is, we already have some feel for the type of person who might end up on a Veep shortlist. And this exercise, speculative though it is, can focus attention on some of the deeper themes of the race ahead.
When nominees really start considering who they want to share the ticket with, the usual rule of thumb is to pick a running mate who can confer some electoral advantage. Maybe there’s a guy or gal who can lock down a few crucial swing states. Maybe there’s a partner out there with expertise that can plug a gap in the nominee’s own experience. These considerations will still play a role in 2016 — or at least, we’re pretty sure that Ohio’s Rob Portman, an Ohioan from Ohio with deep roots in Ohio, hopes this is the case. Ohio.
But the American electorate is changing; it’s hungry for renewal and fresh ideas. So there’s a real opportunity here for a vice president who can project youthful vitality, or who reflects our ever-diversifying country. And if someone named “Bush” or “Clinton” ends up rising to the heights of our political competition, there’ll be an even greater need for someone who seems plugged into the current moment, someone who can lighten the weight of dynasty and suggest by their very presence that this presidential candidate, you know, thinks about the future and stuff.
Of course, that’s not to say that some middle-aged white dudes don’t have a shot. (This is America, after all.) And we’ll remind you that when George H.W. Bush sought somebody young and fresh for his running mate, he brought the world Dan Quayle. The mileage, it may vary! But for our opening peek at this race, here’s what we got.
| RANK | CANDIDATE | PARTY | RISING OR FALLING | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | JOE BIDENWhy mess with a good thing? America’s favorite uncle should be VP for life | Democrat | ▲ |
| 2 |  | JULIAN CASTROAlmost too perfect a ticket-balancer for Hillary. Young, optimistic HUD secretary injects much-needed newness just by being there | Democrat | ▲ |
| 3 |  | SUSANA MARTINEZAlmost too perfect a ticket-balancer for Jeb, Mitt or any establishment GOP candidate. Young, optimistic New Mexico governor injects much-needed newness just by etc, etc | Republican | ▲ |
| 4 |  | MARCO RUBIOOstensibly a presidential contender, Rubio has a knack for putting his head down and working the ground. A good man-behind-the-man type | Republican | ▲ |
| 5 |  | ROB PORTMANOhioan is available, eager for a love connection | Republican | ▼ |
| 6 |  | CARLY FIORINAMergers not her strong suit, but the GOP desperately needs a woman on the ticket | Republican | |
| 7 |  | CONDOLEEZZA RICENFL needs her more, but she’s the perennial, one-stop fixer for GOP demographic woes | Republican | |
| 8 |  | CORY BOOKERGonna get talked about regardless. The question is, could he end up on Rand Paul’s ticket — starring in buddy-buddy actioner? | Democrat | |
| 9 |  | MIKE PENCEEvangelical version of everyman Rob Portman | Republican | |
| 10 |  | PAUL RYANA lot depends on how much Mitt Romney wants to put the band back together | Republican | ▼ |
| 11 |  | KIRSTEN GILLIBRANDSeems destined for something bigger, but either she or Hillary would have to move out of New York | Democrat | |
| 12 |  | ELIZABETH WARRENWhy fight with Warren when you can co-opt and contain her? | Democrat | |
| 13 |  | SCOTT WALKERO Wisconsin, cradle of Vice Presidents | Republican | |
| 14 |  | MIKE BLOOMBERGCould be on either ticket and bring his billions with him | Independent | |
| 15 |  | MARTIN O’MALLEYProbably shouldn’t be on this list either | Democrat |
Candidate Photos: Getty, Associated Press
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
