Voice Calling Spotted in the Latest Version of Whatsapp on iOS
Source: http://gizmodo.com/voice-calling-spotted-in-the-latest-version-of-whatsapp-1634763542
Voice calling is definitely
Monday, September 15, 2014
Artist gets Google results removed to 'highlight' his new work
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/14/google-right-to-be-forgotten-artist/
Ever since Google announced that it's complying with the European Commission's "right to be forgotten" ruling, it's been inundated with requests to take down all sorts of search results. Many of those sought to bury negative reviews or write-ups, but in this particular case, the search result Google took down was neither negative nor damaging. In fact, it used to lead to a five-year-old article published on Worcester News, which called the piece's subject (an artist by the name of Dan Roach) "excellent" and "very talented." That's right -- you can apparently ask Google to remove anything from its results pages in the European Union, even if it's not dangerous or offensive... and maybe even if it's helpful to some people. Worcester News editor Peter John was so dismayed by what happened, that he called it "the most absurd and silly piece of censorship" when he talked to The Guardian.
If you're wondering, it was likely Roach himself who asked the tech giant to remove a link to an article that describes him as a brilliant artist, based on the statement he gave Worcester News. Roach, who's now fully experiencing the Streisand effect, said: "The decision to ask for the link to be removed from Google was based on no more than a wish to highlight my new work, rather than the old." John, however, couldn't help but question why the request was granted.
He told The Guardian:
An artist wanting to remove part of his back catalogue did not strike us as the sort of principle that the European court of justice had in mind when it came up with the right to be forgotten ruling. Would Google remove early Hirsts or Monets on request?
To be fair, Google itself was opposed to the EU Commission's ruling from the start, but it had no choice but to comply.
Via: Poynter
Source: Worcester News
Chromebook-to-Chromecast video? Yes, with Google Drive
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/15/chromecast-google-drive-video/
As if Android apps hitting Google's Chrome OS wasn't enough excitement for Mountain View's operating system for one week. Now, you can play movies stored in Google Drive via the OS' video player app on your Chromecast. According to Googler François Beaufort, doing so is pretty easy too: simply open the Files app, select a video clip from Drive and hit the sparkly new Cast icon. Voila, cloud-stored videos are now viewable on the biggest screen in your house and even more media functionality for your Chromebook. Of course, since this is in the developer channel there might be a few bugs here and there -- if you spot 'em be sure to let the Chromium team know.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Google
Source: François Beaufort (Google+)
Olympus' E-M1 camera gets a silver hue and a slew of pro features
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/15/olympus-e-m1-updates/
Olympus' OM-D E-M1 may still be hot stuff as far as high-end mirrorless cameras go, but it's easy to point out flaws: it's missing a few big pro features like tethering, and that businesslike black exterior isn't very charming. Well, consider both problems licked. The company has just unveiled both a retro (and fairly stylish) silver edition of the E-M1 and, more importantly, a big 2.0 firmware update that could help you make a living from your photos. To begin with, tethering has arrived; like with other camera systems, you can both send photos to your PC as you shoot and control the camera from the computer's screen. It's now easy to use the E-M1 for studio shoots or live events, where you often need to put your photos on a computer as quickly as possible. The refresh also lets you correct lens distortion in-camera, and preview long exposure shots like you can with the E-M10. Olympus' smartphone app is more useful, too, offering support for self-timed photos, timelapses and speed-sensitive panning shots.
The silver-clad cam will ship this month for the same $1,400 (body-only) as its all-black counterpart, and you can grab the 2.0 update on September 24th at 10PM if you're already an owner. Whether or not you're new, you may want to go lens shopping -- Olympus is also releasing a high-end 40-150mm telephoto that touts both a bright, constant f/2.8 aperture and heavy-duty weather resistance. It'll cost you a steep $1,500 when it ships in November, but it could be the only glass you need for that next big photo safari.Filed under: Cameras
Source: Olympus
Google reveals the first low-cost Android One phones
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/15/google-reveals-first-android-one-phones/
As predicted, Google has just revealed the first Android One phones at an event in India today. Micromax, Karbonn and Spice Mobiles are the companies working with Google at launch, all three launching new handsets this morning. What can we expect from an Android One device? Karbonn, for example, is launching the "Sparkle V Red," (pictured below) which comes with dual SIM slots, a 4.5-inch display (480 x 854), a 5-megapixel primary camera, 1GB of RAM and, importantly, the latest version of Android (KitKat).
The Android One initiative is Google's big push into developing markets. India is a huge growth opportunity for smartphones, and Android One is designed not only to make more affordable handsets (the new ones will cost around 6399 Rupees -- about $100), but it's also a way of bringing a consistent Android experience. There are plenty of cheap devices that run the operating system, but they suffer from lack of updates. With One, Google can manage the software updates directly, ensuring a much better, less fragmented experience. The three new handsets should go on sale later today.
Google also confirmed that it has negotiated special data plans with Indian operator Airtel that means users on that network will get software updates to the phone delivered without incurring data charges. It was also revealed that there will be a special YouTube app that allows users to download videos for offline viewing. This is something Google goes to great lengths to avoid, usually, but the idea is that this will allow users to grab a video one, and watch it later without either the need for data, or, again, incurring charges.
Lastly, Google made it clear that One phones will be in the first wave of devices to get the anticipated Android L update -- in a similar way to how Nexus handsets currently do. A blog post outlining the program also mentions Acer, Alcatel Onetouch, ASUS, HTC, Lenovo, Panasonic, and chipmaker Qualcomm (current phones have MediaTek processors) among others as hardware partners that have signed up to the program.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
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