Facebook colonized the Internet with its Like that sees 10 billion views per day around the web. Now it’s getting a makeover for mobile alongside the launch of two new Save and Share Chrome extensions that let you capture content from any site.
Together, these updates should help fill the News Feed with news stories from around the web, and turn Facebook into a more full-fledged… Read More
The latest Google Play Services update to v9.2 has reintroduced the Mobile Vision API which was announced last year in v7.8 but subsequently removed. The API allows apps to detect (but not recognize) human faces in images and video footage. Play Services 9.2 also adds a new Text API for character recognition and delivers the Awareness API as well.
See also: The best of Google I/O 20169
Besides face and smile detection, the Mobile Vision API also supports barcode recognition that allows it to scan barcodes in any orientation as well as scan multiple barcodes at once. The Text API can be used to recognize Latin characters in multiple languages via the camera and convert them to plain text. This comes in handy when translating text, scanning documents or adding business cards via a card reader app.
The Google Awareness API outlined at Google I/O 2016 is also contained in the latest Play Services update. The Awareness API allows developers to program contextual awareness into their apps. According to Google, this can all be done with only minimal demands placed on system resources.
The Awareness API works on the basis of two other APIs: Fence and Snapshot. Fence notes when your context changes, so an app could know when you get up and leave the house to go outside, for example. Snapshot lets an app know what you’re doing at a specific time: sitting down texting, jogging and listening to music with headphones in the rain, or walking and taking photo videos at the beach.
Now that the API is fully available, it’ll be interesting to see what devs come up with… and whether or not they’ll start abusing it. Fortunately we will be able to turn off access to the Awareness API “contexts” – things like time, location, weather, activity, etc – via Android Marshmallow’s granular app permissions if things get out of control.
Have you got the update yet? What would you use the Awareness API for?
Three US teachers lose their jobs after a private chat on messaging service Slack, in which they insulted pupils, was leaked. – Source
Remember when we found out billionaire investor Peter Thiel is in support of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump? At TechCrunch Shanghai 2016, Flexport CEO Ryan Peterson, who has received significant funding from Thiel, candidly spoke about his discomfort around Thiel’s backing of Trump. “I don’t know what’s going on there,” Peterson told me on stage… Read More
It’s been a long time since we last saw an update to Google Fit, but after some subtle hints during the Android Wear presentations during Google I/O, it was fairly obvious something big was in the works. An update to v1.57 just started rolling out and it may just be the start of a whole new Fit. There are huge changes to the look and at least a few changes to features.
Read More
Google Fit v1.57 rolls out with a major visual redesign, improved goals, and a configurable widget [APK Download] was written by the awesome team at Android Police.
The Microsoft Band, as you might already know, is only available in black – be it the original iteration or the second-gen Band 2. However, that may change soon as a company executive has been spotted wearing a white-colored wearable device, alleged to be the Band 2.
The executive in question is Panos Panay, vice president for Surface Computing at Microsoft, and the wearable was spotted on his wrist at the Surface Lab live tour today.
Of course, there’s no confirmation on whether or not the device in question is actually the Band 2. In fact, the possibility seems less as recent…
Short-term rental company claims new amendment violates a host of federal laws, including the First Amendment. – Source
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More about Black Lives Matter, Bet Awards, Jesse Williams, Entertainment, and Social Good – Source
Sad Jeb is back, and he’s lonelier than ever.
An image of Jeb Bush standing all alone at Miami International Airport has surfaced online today, confirming once again that he is the most uncomfortable person to ever run for president.
SEE ALSO: ‘Please clap:’ Jeb Bush’s most awkward moments in one sad list
The image, uploaded to Twitter (but not taken) by Lila Delilah, was apparently taken this morning.
Some important things to note about the picture:
1. Jeb is standing, all alone.
2. Jeb is not facing the windows. What is Jeb looking at?
3. There is nobody near Jeb.
We hope Jeb is with friends, going on a vacation, and this picture was just taken at a moment when they were all in the restroom. We really hope so. …
More about Travel, Watercooler, Jeb Bush, Conversations, and Pics – Source
A teaser released for the ZTE Nubia Z11 reveals that the phone will be unveiled tomorrow. And when translated, the four Chinese symbols on the teaser directly underneath the image of the phone, read “Borderless.” This hints that an edge-to-edge screen is going to be employed on the handset. Other text when translated says that the Nubia Z11 is lightning fast, and with the Snapdragon 820 chipset inside, the phone just might live up to that hype.
The ZTE Nubia Z11 will feature a 5.2-inch display, carrying a 1440 x 2560 QHD resolution. 6GB of RAM is inside along with 128GB of internal storage. … – Source
