Most of us make or receive at least one phone call a day, but do you always answer the call when you don’t know who’s calling? If you’re anything like me, you never answer if you don’t know who it is. But now with the help of Facebook, you might be answering a few more calls.
Yesterday, Facebook announced they have started testing a new feature called Hello. According to Facebook’s News Room:
Hello connects with Facebook so you can see who’s calling, block unwanted calls and search for people and places.
When you get a call, Hello will show you info about who’s calling you, even if you don’t have that number saved in your phone. You will only see info that people have already shared with you on Facebook.
You can also search for people and businesses on Facebook and call them with just one tap. So if a friend tells you about a new restaurant in your neighborhood, you can use Hello to find their hours, make a reservation and get directions, all without leaving the app.
Hello makes it easy to block unwanted calls. From your settings, you can block specific numbers and adjust whether you want to automatically blocks calls from commonly blocked numbers. Blocked calls go straight to voicemail and can be reviewed in your recent calls
With Hello, people will only see info they could otherwise find on Facebook. We’ve also made it easy to control your experience using your settings on Facebook and in the app.
We will be testing Hello, a Facebook Creative Labs app, on Android starting today. You can download it in the Play Store.
Since many Facebook users put their phone number on Facebook, this feature is likely to be extremely useful. You no longer need to guess who is calling you, as long as you are 1) friends with the caller on Facebook, and 2) they stored their number in Facebook. You will know exactly who is calling, even if you haven’t specifically programmed their number in your phone. Or let’s say you have more than one contact named Ryan, and you were too lazy to put in their last name. Now you know which Ryan is calling, since their Facebook picture also appears when they decide to give you a ring. Still not convinced? Check out the video below to see exactly how it works:
While the feature seems exciting, I ask myself if it is really needed. You already have the ability to sync your Facebook contacts to your phone. With Google, you also have the ability to search for businesses and call them “with just one tap”. Want to block a call? Your phone can already block calls from any number you desire. Although your phone can already perform all the actions that Hello has to offer, Facebook does have one thing going for them, Hello is a one stop shop to provide you all of those features.
What are your thoughts? Do you think Facebook’s Hello feature fills a gap? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
The Playstation TV is a great idea that fails to execute
The Playstation TV was announced overseas nearly two years ago. It was mentioned as nearly an after thought, however, the response to the device was significantly higher than Sony expected; especially in the west. The concept of a streaming media device that doubles as a gaming device and a proxy Playstation 4 was loaded with promise, but did it deliver? Check out our full Playstation TV review below!
Hardware and Design
The Playstation TV is essentially the innards of the Playstation Vita, minus the screen, camera, and motion sensors in the portable. What this equates to is a quad core CPU and GPU with 512 MB of ram and 128 MB of Vram. It also comes PACKED(sarcasm) with 1 GB of internal memory, which is enough to add a few small apps, but if you want to game on the device you will need to purchase one of Sony’s proprietary memory cards. From a graphical processing perspective, don’t expect PS4 quality games. This device was intended to be more on par with the Playstation 3 in terms of graphical processing. This is taken into account with the price, being a quarter of the cost of a Playstation 4.
Some of the outputs include an HDMI out port supporting up to 720P, an ethernet port, a USB port for charging your controllers, a port for Sony’s proprietary memory cards, and a game slot for playing physical copies of Playstation Vita Games. The hardware also supports Bluetooth 2.1 for voice chat, and Wi-Fi 802.11n for a wireless internet connection.
The overall design is very minimalistic being coined by Sony as their smallest console in history. Simply plug it in, turn it on, and you’re ready to begin gaming, and streaming… sort of.
Versatility
The versatility that brought so much promise to the device when it was first announced, is not currently being offered in the US iteration of the device. It seems that Sony is simply marketing the Playstation TV (with their $10 a month Vita marketing budget) as a small gaming console. The device was originally developed with the intention to fill a current gap in the Japanese marketplace, video streaming. Hence the name, Playstation TV. However, at launch, the actual video streaming apps are extremely limited. The following apps are available for streaming video:
Crackle
Sony’s Video Unlimited
Crunchyroll
Qello
Yes, you saw that list right. None of the heavy hitters such as Netflix or Hulu are available for video streaming. That’s despite the fact that the handheld has apps for both of those services! Needless to say, as it stands, don’t purchase the Playstation TV if you’re looking to stream video. I can only assume that Sony got behind schedule and that is why the apps are not available, but until that time, I simply cannot recommend the device for streaming purposes. Not to mention, the maximum output of the device is 720P.
The Playstation TV has a few other features, but none that are likely to be used frequently. There is a basic web browser, but typing with a controller can be extremely frustrating. The device does, however, support bluetooth keyboards; which can alleviate many of those frustrations.
Another application that is unlikely to be used is a calendar app for tracking gaming appointments and sending invitations to friends. I can’t imagine very many adults are utilizing this feature, nor kids. Trust me, I’ve been trying to get the office to schedule all of our meetings using the Vita’s calendar, but some people are just resistant to change.
Games
Games are the strength and weakness of this device. On the one hand, Playstation TV is breaking records by releasing a console that has around 800 games available on day one. Many of these games are heavy hitters as well. Some of the top rated games include: Minecraft, Borderlands 2, Rayman Origins & Legends, Killzone: Mercenary, Persona 4: Golden, and the list goes on. Keep in mind that not all Vita games are compatible. You will always want to reference Sony’s list of compatible games prior to downloading or purchasing at retail. If you’re shopping digitally, there is a section in the Playstation Store dedicated to compatible games. (See the list of compatible games)
The list is actually surprising, your first impression would be that incompatible games would be limited to those heavily relying the touch screen, but that is simply not the case. Over half of the games I have accumulated over the years are not compatible, which is disappointing to say the least. What’s going to be an even bigger nightmare is consumer education on game compatibility. I can only imagine the life of Sony tech support reps having to explain to consumer after consumer that not all Vita games are compatible.
Many Vita games were stunning on the Vita’s OLED screen and I’m pleased to announce that most of them look great on the big screen. One of the common complaints of the games during the systems initial release was that developers were lowering the resolution so that they could increase their polygon count and lighting effects in game. This did equate to a better quality graphical experience on the handheld, but it is glaringly apparent on the big screen. When I was playing Need For Speed: Most Wanted, I could barely see clearly anything that was more than 30 feet away. It was extremely pixelated, making it challenging to play.
While there are a variety of games available, they tend to cater to more of a Japanese audience. The bulk of the compatible games are JRPGs. If I had to throw out a false statistic on the spot, I would probably say 50% of all the compatible games are JRPGs, which appeals only to a very small market. I also tested Playstation Now on the device and it performed equally to how it has performed for me on the Playstation 4.
Remote Play
When Sony first announced the Playstation TV at the Tokyo Game Show, the majority of the comments from excited Americans was the prospect of being able to have your PS4 in two separate rooms. Instead of purchasing two Playstation 4’s, you can buy a single Playstation 4 and a Playstation TV for a fraction of the cost and play in whatever room you prefer.
While an incredible idea in theory, the Playstation TV struggles on execution. I tested the Playstation TV in a variety of settings. Latency was the biggest issue. I even tried the direct connect option with the Playstation TV within inches of the Playstation 4 and the latency made games nearly unplayable. This is surprising considering that Remote Play functions so well on the Playstation Vita. My theory is that because the Playstation 4 is transferring nearly double the resolution at 720P. That’s twice the amount of data which is likely the cause of the latency difference.
I did find it was comparable to my experience with the handheld when plugged directly to the router with an LAN cable (which they advise with a little flyer right when you open the box). The challenge is that most consumers aren’t going to go through the troubleshooting that I did to figure out the best configuration. In short, if you’re going to use it for remote play, PLUG IT IN. Even then, don’t expect to use it for twitch shooters or anything that requires a high level of reaction time because the latency is still there.
Overall
Overall, the Playstation TV is a great idea that fails to execute. The compatible game selection is even more limited than you would expect, video streaming services are practically non-existant, and the remote play functionality doesn’t work nearly as well as I dreamed that it would. In short, there is a lot of promise in the device if they can increase their compatible game count, increase the number of streaming video apps, and improve the programming behind Remote Play to remove latency. Until that time, I simply can’t recommend the Playstation TV to the typical consumer.
If you’re a hardcore Vita gamer and want some of those compatible games on the big screen, this might be the device for you. Click here to purchase your own.
No one wants to find themselves in a dangerous situation. Whether that’s staying away from a bad neighborhood, not texting while driving, or doing what you can to stay fit and healthy; the possibility of being in a dangerous situation is real, and we should be as prepared as we can.
For Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge owners, Samsung has helped us become a little more prepared with their SOS Message feature. This feature allows you to quickly send a message to your emergency contacts with your GPS coordinates and a picture by the press of a button. If you haven’t already, take few minutes out of your day to set up SOS Message feature, you will never know when you need it.
Setting up the SOS message for the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge is quick and easy. Follow these simple steps and you will have the SOS Message set up in no time.
1. Go Settings
2. Under Personal select Privacy and Safety
3. Under Safety select Send SOS Messages
4. Turn the feature On by selecting the Off button
5. Add the Contacts you would like to receive the SOS message (you can add up to 4 contacts)
There you have it, you have now successfully set up the SOS message on your Samsung Galaxy S6 or S6 edge. To send the message simply press the power key quickly 3 times. When this is done a picture taken front and back of the camera will be sent along with an audio recording, and the GPS location of the phone.
As always, if you experience any issue when trying to set the SOS function up please let us know in the comment section below.
Mobile World Congress is just around the corner and in classic leak fashion; a new smartwatch has been revealed. It appears that in preparation for an official unveiling by Huawei, the company accidentally leaked two videos of their “Huawei Smartwatch” online. First identified by Droid-Life, this leak has both ourselves and the internet salivating for Huawei’s smartwatch that’s loaded with both functionality and style.
Following similar footsteps of the LG G Watch R, this smartwatch seems to target high-end wearers who value a time piece that supports their style and swagger. The watch comes with a number of digital luxury watch faces that could be compared to a Rolex or Movado. Additionally, the build quality of the watch is incredible. The watch features a durable Sapphire display, the same as the Apple Watch. It also touts a variety of wristbands and a stainless steel uni-body case which comes in three variants: silver, black, and gold.
In addition to packing a punch in the style department, the Huawei Watch is a full-fledged smartwatch powered by Android Wear. The video demonstrates a number of its features including instant notifications, Google Now, and Google Maps. It also sports a heart rate sensor for ongoing health and fitness tracking.
Unfortunately, the videos are not longer available as Huawei has marked them as private, however, you can enjoy a wide array of images pulled from the video below (courtesy of The Verge):
Other details are scarce as the watch has not been officially revealed, but you can expect specifications, a release window, and possibly pricing to be revealed tomorrow at Mobile World Congress in Huawei’s official unveiling of the device. This device will no doubt be a contender in the smartwatch arena. As Apple, LG, Motorola, and Pebble begin fighting for wrist-space, it’s guaranteed that such competition will spawn further smartwatch innovation. The question is, will mainstream consumers catch onto the fad. Hopefully, Huawei’s fusion of style and functionality will drive such adoption.
What do you think? Did you salivate while viewing the images above? What would put you over the edge in buying a smartwatch? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Pirate Bay has gone down and it may not be coming back. Police in Stockholm, Sweden raided a facility of servers and disconnected them taking the site offline. This is not the first time a raid has taken the servers offline and it is possible that anti-copyright enthusiast, who prefer to be known as “the creative industry,” will migrate to another server.
Those same enthusiasts have migrated the back end servers of Pirate Bay after such raids in the past. As long as someone has a backup of the code to run the servers, finding another facility and stocking it with a powerful enough servers will bring the service back online. Petter Sunde, one of the co-founders of Pirate Bay, has even asked for the closure of the servers.
THIS IS GREAT!
While I know I live in the minority on such things, let me tell you why this is a good thing. First and foremost, piracy is stealing. It shouldn’t have to be said, but it blows my mind the number of people that don’t consider downloading a movie or song as legitimate stealing because there is nothing tangible. I’ve even met federal employees who download movies and music without blinking an eye.
Often times the question is asked, “Is it really stealing if nobody is losing anything?” In other words, because the physical copy of a CD is not being pulled from the shelf, or because you’re not stealing someones black scented lipstick out of their purse; it doesn’t feel like stealing. The fact of the matter is, Piracy is stealing and companies who invest heavily in providing us music, movies and software need to be able to pay off the investment and make a profit to survive.
Let me ask you a question. Would you consider going Ocean’s 11 on me to get the information you need so that you can login to a company’s bank account and steal a few hundred dollars? Of course not, because you’re a logical human being. Pirating music and movies IS taking money out of the bank account of these companies, it’s just indirect.
The creative industry often claims that by preventing these resources from being available, we’re stifling the creative people in the world from being able to get their creations into the hands of the world. I’ve never understood this argument. There are plenty of resources available for sharing your creativity that also assist in preventing copyright materials from being shared. (i.e. Youtube, Vimeo, Soundclick, etc…) Many of these services help you gain added publicity as well.
Now, I know what your thinking, “But Ryan, Paul stated in trial that over 80% of the torrents are legal.” Keep in mind, my friend, he only pulled from a small sample size of 1,000 torrents which likely could have been hand-picked. I know a lot of people that use Pirate Bay and not a single one of them use it legitimately.
You know what happens when more people start pirating? Less movies, music, software, games, stuff you love gets made. There have been plenty of companies out there that have shut the doors due to not being profitable largely in part due to piracy. You PC gamers out there, many publishers are thinking twice about publishing PC games because they are so rampantly pirated. I’m sorry you don’t have Halo 4 for PC, go take it up with your pirating friends. The CEO of Ubisoft has stated that PC piracy is at 95%! That is insane and terribly destructive to the PC gaming industry.
Now, I’m sure you’re asking the question, “why is this guy so intense about piracy?” Let me tell you. I once worked for a respectable company that sold educational DVDs for children’s development. They heavily invested early on and were way ahead of their time. Consequently, 20 years later they were still paying off their investment and as a result had to charge a higher premium for said DVDs.
When I sold these DVDs door to door, I often met people who would say, “Oh, I don’t need those. I just downloaded all of them to my hard-drive last…” Case in point: here we have a company who was trying to change the world with their product who is still struggling to pay off their investment. Is Piracy completely to blame? Of course not, there are a variety of contributing factors; but it certainly contributes.
In short, reducing piracy leads to an increase of creativity because people can PROFIT off of that creativity. A human’s most valuable asset is time. Without a way to profit off of something, being creative is extremely minimized. I’m a musician myself, however, because I work 60+ hours a week on non-related activities I have less time to be creative. Piracy destroys creativity no matter how you look at it. It’s also bad for the economy.
The next time you decide to hack into a company’s bank account (i.e. piracy), think again. Do it because you’re a respectable person, not because you don’t want to get caught.
However, this is just one man’s opinion. My cohort in crime, Curtis Wallen, has a differing opinion than I. Check back in the future for his take on Pirate Bay, piracy, and creativity.
What do you think of piracy? Should it be punishable by death? If you feel piracy is justified, why is that your opinion? Let me know your argument in the comments below!
One of my worst nightmares would be for someone to hack my photos and then sell them to the highest bidder. Unfortunately for some, this nightmare may have come true. Photobucket users beware; you might want to make sure you were not affected by a recent hack.
Today the FBI arrested Brandon Bourret, 39, from Colorado Springs, and Athanasios Andrianakis, 26, from Sunnyvale, California for creating a software that gave them username and passwords of protected Photobucket accounts. Currently, we don’t know how many accounts were affected as the Department of Justice has not released the information. We do know that Photobucket accounts were sold between July 12th, 2012 to July 1st, 2014. Photobucket receives over 60 million visitors a month, so one can only image the amount of people that were affected in those two years.
Michael Clark, Chief Technology Officer, stated the following:
Unfortunately, the defendants were intent on not only victimizing Photobucket and its users, but violating federal criminal statutes between 2012 and 2013 as alleged in the indictment. We congratulate the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney’s Office for their vigilant investigative work in identifying and bringing these perpetrators to justice. We will continue to support the government’s work and our users through this ongoing criminal investigation.
If convicted, the suspects are looking to serve up to five years in prison and will be charged up to a $250,000 dollar fine. For those interested in knowing what Bourret and Andrianakios have been charged with, you can view the indictment.
In regards to Photobucket, we’ll have to wait to find out how many users were affected, and will hopefully be updated in the near future. Since the photos have already been released, there is not much that can be done, but we hope Photobucket’s security will be beefed up quickly.
What will this do for other photo sharing websites? Sadly, not much. I have found that most organizations are reactive rather than proactive when it comes to security. Most social media outlets and cloud storage sites have security measures in place (so they think), and feel there is no need to update, or increase their security. Heck, if I don’t see issues on my computer I don’t feel the need to find better protection. When you add the fact that it’s extremely difficult to protect yourself against something that has not yet been created, sometimes your only other option is to react as quickly as possible to those threats.
What are your thoughts? Do you think Photobucket should have been able to catch these hackers rather than the FBI? What should we expect from Photobucket going forward? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
Virtual reality is making strides and headlines almost every day. Today, Sony announced a newer version of its upcoming Project Morpheus; Sony’s attempt at getting into the VR scene. This new iteration sports a full HD screen (1920 X 1080) and a 120 Hz refresh rate. Sony has also added an additional 3 motion tracking sensors, making a total of 9 sensors. The latency on the device is also improved to less than 18 milliseconds; an astoundingly low amount of latency.
Compared to the previous iteration, Sony has doubled its refresh rate and upped the screen resolution from 720P to 1080P per eye. The added sensors also improve the devices ability to track movement, creating a more realistic and immersive experience. These changes are critical as many people in the past have experienced motion sickness due to latency and low refresh rates. So far, those who have tried Sony’s new device have been excited and positive. Check out what people are saying all across the internet:
“I tried for Sony’s Project Morpheus offered its combination of excitement and interaction, it’s got me beyond excited for the future of VR.”
“I just survived a shark attack. I just stole a priceless diamond in an upscale London heist. I did it with Sony’s new Project Morpheus headset. It’s the best I’ve ever tried.”
“The new Project Morpheus is also much lighter and more comfortable. That’s a big win”
Sid Shuman – Playstation Blog
“It’s an amazing demo. I felt in control of everything as it happened, and ducking to avoid gunfire while being able to aim back in a “realistic” way was a great way to show off the technology.”
It’s clear that Sony is dedicating substantial time and resources into developing a virtual reality headset that will change the future landscape of gaming forever. Shuhei Yoshida, Sony’s president of Worldwide Studios stated, “Our goal with VR is to deliver a sense of presence, making the player feel as though they’ve stepped inside the world of a game.” It seems that they are succeeding.
While VR technology is improving drastically, whether or not it will gain mainstream adoption in the gaming world remains a mystery. Sony is bound to run into challenges with Project Morpheus similar to that of Playstation Move. If Morpheus is treated as an add-on for Playstation 4, developers will struggle to justify creating experiences for it when there are so many more standalone Playstation 4s on the market. Time will tell. Sony announced that we can expect Project Morpheus to hit shelves in early 2016.
What do you think about Sony’s new Project Morpheus? Are you excited about the prospect of virtual reality? Let us know in the comments below.
