Mereja

Author: Zach Walton

  • Google Glass Mirror API Now Available

    It was revealed yesterday that the first round of Google Glass devices are finished. Google will start shipping to those who pre-ordered the device at Google I/O last year first, and those developers will presumably start building apps for the hardware immediately.

    Google Developers was updated today with the Google Mirror API page. The page contains all the information you need to start building apps for Google Glass. The page also includes a number of videos to walk you through specific actions of the API:

    Timeline Cards

    Menu Items

    Subscriptions

    Contacts

    If you need help getting started on Glass development, Google has released two starter projects in Java and Python that can be loaded into App Engine. From there, developers can use the starter project as a foundation for their own projects. If you need the API in other libraries, you can grab it in Java, Python, Go, PHP, .NET, Ruby and Dart from here.

    Once developers have the tools they need, they will also need to follow the rules. In the Terms of Service, Google says quite plainly that Glass developers can not serve ads in their Glass apps, nor can they charge for them. Google also says that all Glass apps must be hosted on Google’s own distribution channel “unless otherwise approved in writing by Google.”

    It seems that Google isn’t quite ready to monetize Glass, but it will probably allow developers to start selling apps later this year once the device goes into mass production. It would make little sense for the company not to. Either way, we’ve reached out to Google for comment and clarification and will update if we hear back.

    EDIT: A Google spokesperson gave us the following comment:

    “Developers are crucial to the future of Glass. The focus during the Explorer Program is on innovation and experimentation, but it’s too early to speculate how this will evolve.”

    [h/t: Engadget]

  • Senate Judiciary Committee To Debate ECPA Reform This Week

    ECPA, or the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, has long been in need of an update. The Senate tried last year, but ran out of time. Now it’s a priority and it will hopefully get the time it deserves this week.

    The Hill reports that the Senate Judiciary Committee plans to mark-up Sen. Patrick Leahy’s ECPA amendment on Thursday morning. S.607 would require law enforcement to obtain a warrant when requesting emails as part of an investigation. The current law under ECPA requires a warrant only if the email is less than 180 days old. An older email, or one that’s already been opened, only requires a subpoena under current law.

    Sen. Leahy issued the following statement today in regards to the mark-up:

    “Like many Americans, I am concerned about the growing and unwelcome intrusions into our private lives in cyberspace. I have long believed that our government should obtain a search warrant — issued by a court — before gaining access to our email and other private communications. This week the Senate Judiciary Committee will begin consideration of legislation that I authored with Republican Senator Mike Lee to reform the Electronic Communications Privacy Act to make sure that this occurs, and that the overall privacy protections for our email and other electronic communications are strengthened. Safeguarding Americans’ privacy rights is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue — it is something that is important to all Americans, regardless of political party or ideology. I hope that all members of Congress share this view and will support this timely and significant legislation that upholds Americans’ privacy rights.”

    Sen. Leahy’s proposed ECPA amendment was introduced in late March, but one event in particular may have forced his hand to push ECPA reform faster than he may have planned. The ACLU obtained a number of documents from the IRS that suggested the agency obtained emails without a warrant, and said that Internet users “do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy.”

    In response, Rep. Charles Boustany sent a letter to the IRS asking the agency to explain its email policy. It’s highly unlikely that the agency would answer all of the questions posed by Rep. Boustany, but it did say that it “treats taxpayers with respect” and “does not use emails to target taxpayers.”

    Sen. Leahy’s bill is a great first step to updating the decades old ECPA, but a House vote this week could be a different first step in making an updated ECPA a moot point. CISPA, a bill that would let companies share you private information with the government, will go to the House floor for a vote this week. If it somehow makes its way into law, it would allow companies to share your emails and much more with the government while enjoying total immunity in the case the government uses that information for anything illegal. Fortunately, the White House has serious reservations, but it didn’t go so far as to issue a veto threat.

    We’ll keep following both ECPA and CISPA as they make their way through the legislature over the coming months. We can only hope that the former makes its way all way through, and the latter is treated to the same ignoble death its predecessor was dealt last year.

  • Samsung Galaxy S4 Launches April 26 On AT&T [Rumor]

    AT&T will be opening up pre-orders for Samsung’s latest flagship device – the Galaxy S4 – tomorrow. There still isn’t a launch date for the device just yet, but rumors from last week suggested that we’d be seeing it sooner rather than later. A new leak says just as much.

    Engadget received an internal memo from an anonymous source that lists the S4 release date across three major carriers – AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. As expected, the Galaxy S4 will be hitting AT&T first on April 26. T-Mobile subscribers won’t have to wait much longer as the device will launch for them on May 1. Those with Verizon will unfortunately have to wait a month as its launch is scheduled for May 30.

    The memo says the above launch dates are tentative at the moment so things can change. The whole thing could be fake as well, but it certainly fits with previous comments from T-Mobile’s CEO when he said that the S4 would be coming to the network on May 1.

    If these tentative launch dates stay the same, we should start seeing the Galaxy S4 going up for pre-order on T-Mobile and Verizon shortly. The leaked memo doesn’t mention any other carriers though so those waiting for word on Sprint’s pre-order and launch plans will probably have to wait a little longer.

    On a final note, those interested in the S4 should probably get their pre-order in as soon as they open for your respective carrier. The memo says that inventory will be “highly constrained” at launch. We can hope that a repeat of last year’s Galaxy S III launch won’t be repeated, but Samsung may very well run out of stuck as soon as it launches.

  • Lightroom 5 Beta Now Available On Windows, Mac

    Are you a professional photographer traveling the world looking for that perfect shot? Or are you an amateur photographer taking pictures of your dog on the weekends? In either scenario, you’re going to need some photo editing software to really bring out the life in your photos. Adobe might just have what you need.

    Adobe announced that Lightroom 5, the successor to its popular Lightroom 4 photo editing software, will be available through a free public beta starting today. Fans of Lightroom will be able to test all the new features in the latest version of Lightroom before it becomes commercially available later this year.

    “Lightroom is the essential tool for busy professional and discerning amateur photographers, who are uncompromising in the pursuit for image quality or searching for artistic expression,” said Winston Hendrickson, vice president of digital imaging products, Adobe. “The Lightroom 5 beta is highly valuable in ensuring the new features support and address the needs of our customers and we look forward to hearing feedback.”

    Lightroom 5 has a number of new features and enhancements that promise to make the photo editing process easier than ever:

  • Advanced Healing Brush allows customers to heal imperfections and remove distracting elements
  • Upright tool analyzes an image to automatically level horizons and straighten objects like buildings to correct a keystone effect
  • Radial Gradient tool creates off-center or multiple vignette effects
  • Smart Previews allow customers to edit images without needing the original raw file
  • Video slideshow enables customers to combine still images, video clips and music in a creative HD slideshow
  • Upgrades to the Book module enhancing the ability to create, customize and order elegant photo books using a variety of tailored templates

    • The Lightroom 5 beta will be available on machines running Windows 7 SP1/8 and Mac OSX 10.7/10.8. You can grab the free beta here.

  • Mickey Mouse Returns To The Castle Of Illusion This Summer

    Disney and Capcom made a lot of people happy at PAX East when they announced an HD remake of the NES classic Ducktales. Now Disney is reviving another classic platformer of ages past.

    Sega and Disney announced today that they’re remaking Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse exclusively for the PS3. Unlike Ducktales, which is getting a hand-drawn 2D remake, Castle of Illusion will get a full 3D makeover as it moves to a 2.5D platformer.

    For those too young to remember early Disney games, Castle of Illusion was one of the very best Disney platformers of the early 90s. It was released exclusively on the Sega Genesis and is still fondly remembered to this day as one of the best, if not the best, Mickey Mouse game ever released. In fact, the only good parts of Disney’s Epic Mickey were the 2D platforming sections that were reminiscent of Castle of Illusion.

    Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse will release later this year exclusively on the PS3.

  • Watch This Adorable Grandmother Try Out Virtual Reality For The First Time

    The elderly get a bad rap when it comes to technology. It’s entirely unfair to say that the elderly can’t accept new technologies when one grandmother not only uses innovative technologies, but fully endorses it as well.

    Paul Rivot, who recently got his hands on an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset dev kit, had his 90-year-old grandmother give it a go. What follows is an adorable exchange between Rivot and his grandmother as she explores a Tuscan house. Her reactions are endearing, heartwarming, and makes me miss the kind of starry eyed reaction that a lot of used to have when it came to new technologies.

    I can only hope that this charming woman makes us realize that we’re all taking technology for granted far too often. As Louis C.K. once said – “The shittiest cellphone in the world is a miracle.”

    [h/t: Gizmodo UK]

  • Baggy Pants Illegal In Louisiana Town, Opponents Say Law Is Slippery Slope

    Baggy pants are tacky, but making the questionable fashion statement illegal seems to be taking it a bit too far. One town in Louisiana apparently doesn’t see the problem as it has made baggy pants illegal.

    The town of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana recently voted 8-1 in favor of outlawing baggy pants. The ordinance says that “appearing in public view while exposing one’s skin or undergarments below the waist is contrary to safety, health, peace and good order of the parish and the general welfare.”

    Those found in violation of the new baggy pants law will be hit with increasingly more expensive fines for each offense. The first offense will cost $50, the second will cost $100, and every other offense after that will cost $100 and 16 hours of community service.

    Those who argued for the law went to great lengths to point out that they aren’t making this a race issue. They said that baggy pants are simply crass, and an undesirable part of prison culture that made its way into mainstream fashion.

    Those who opposed the law said that they agreed that baggy pants were tacky, but argued that legislating fashion is a slippery slope that leads to legislating morality. They said it was an example of government overreach and shouldn’t be allowed.

    Despite arguments against it, it’s expected that the Parish president will sign the anti-baggy pants ordinance into law. The ordinance will surely promote decency among the young men and women of Terrebonne Parish because baggy pants are obviously the greatest threat to decency since rock and roll and mini-skirts.

    [WWLTV via HuffPost]

  • Skyrim Is Officially Finished, Bethesda Moves Team To New Project

    The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim came out in late 2011 to multiple game of the year awards, and one too many arrow in the knee memes. Since then, Bethesda has released three DLC expansions with Dragonborn being the latest. Now Bethesda is ready to move on to its next project.

    On the official Bethesda blog, the studio announced that Skyrim is now pretty much complete. The studio says that it will release minor updates here and there, but it’s safe to assume that we won’t be seeing anymore expansions released for the title.

    Bethesda says that it’s had a small team working on pre-production for its latest title, but the game has now reached the point where it requires the attention of the entire team. There’s no hint as to what this new title is, but we should be getting an announcement pretty soon if it’s already far enough in development to warrant the entire team’s attention.

    While some, including yours truly, would love to see Bethesda apply itself to a new IP; some early signs are pointing to Fallout 4. The biggest hint is that Erik Todd Dellums, the voice actor of Fallout 3′s Three Dog, said that he was back in the studio recording lines for the role. This set off plenty of speculation that Bethesda was either working on Fallout 4 or a Fallout TV show. We won’t know for sure until an official announcement, but Bethesda’s new project may very well be a new entry in the Fallout franchise for next-gen consoles.

    If the thought of Fallout 4 isn’t enough console you over the lack of new Skyrim content going forward, you can always get into the modding scene. The amount of mods available for Skyrim on the PC is astounding, and the tools available for modding, from the Nexus Mod Manager to Steam Workshop, make modding easier than ever before.

  • Pinterest Is Now Available On Nook, Will Come Preloaded On New Devices

    Nook isn’t doing that well for itself these days, but the Barnes & Noble subsidiary isn’t giving up. In fact, it’s pushing for more content than ever before to establish itself as a viable competitor in the cheap tablet space.

    Nook announced today that Pinterest is now available on Nook HD, Nook HD+, Nook Tablet and Nook Color devices. The app is available from the Nook store, but it will also come preloaded with any new Nook device sold.

    “Pinterest has long been one of our most requested apps and we are thrilled to bring it to Nook, along with the Twitter and Facebook for NOOK apps,” said Claudia Romanini, Vice President of Nook Apps, Nook Media LLC. “Our goal is to bring Nook users the very best in social media and these apps will bring to life the rich sharing experiences that Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter offer.”

    Alongside Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter will also come preloaded on all new Nook devices. The Facebook app received an update that overhauls the experience to mimic what users expect out of a Facebook app on other mobile devices. With the new app, users can “see what their friends are up to, share updates, photos and videos, chat and have group conversations, play games and much more.”

    The addition of Pinterest is just the latest move from Nook to make its platform more desirable to consumers. It recently launched Nook Press, a new version of Barnes & Noble’s popular PubIt! platform that allows independent authors to self-publish their titles on Nook. If it takes off, we could see Nook devices starting to sell well again as people clamor for exclusive content from up-and-coming authors.

  • Microsoft Is Working On Its Own Smart Watch [Rumor]

    Google has definitely taken the world of wearable computing by storm with Glass, but there’s another class of wearable computers that’s slowly gaining popularity – the smart watch. Pebble already proved that there’s a demand for smart watches with its $10 million Kickstarter, and Apple is rumored to be dabbling with the tech as well. Now another tech giant is joining in.

    The Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft may be working on a smart watch design. The news comes from Microsoft suppliers in Asia that were asked to ship smart watch components to the company for testing. It’s said that Microsoft’s hardware designers are looking into it, but there’s no guarantee that Microsoft will move ahead with it.

    So, what will Microsoft’s potential smart watch look like? There’s not much information available at the moment, but we do know that the company ordered 1.5-inch displays from its suppliers. It would be a bit bigger than Pebble’s 1.26-inch display, but display size isn’t exactly the most important aspect of a smart watch. What’s most important is its functionality and which phones it can work with. Windows Phone is the most obvious choice, but Microsoft would be stupid not to add support for iOS and Android as well.

    Still, all of this is merely a rumor for now, just like Apple’s own rumored smart watch. These devices may not even see the light of day as smart watches, while popular among certain groups, are still struggling to find mass market adoption. Microsoft should know this better than anybody else as its previous foray into wearable computing didn’t exactly receive a warm welcome.

  • Mozilla’s TowTruck Brings Collaboration To The Web At Large

    One of the best parts about Google Drive is its real time collaboration. Real time collaboration is only available in Google Drive documents or apps built with the Realtime API though. Now Mozilla is working on bringing that level of collaboration to the entire Web.

    Mozilla Labs, the group that brought us Open Badges, Popcorn and more, has unveiled its latest project – TowTruck. In essence, TowTruck is an open source HTML5-based tool that lets multiple people work on the same Web page together. The tool uses WebRTC to enable video/audio communications between parties while they edit and browse the Web together.

    Here’s an early proof of concept video that shows what Tow Truck looked like two months ago. The version that’s available now has WebRTC:

    Tow Truck – Proof of Concept in Progress from Simon on Vimeo.

    TowTruck is obviously built with developers in mind. Many Web designers no longer work in the same office, let alone the same state or country. A tool like TowTruck would be incredibly useful for these designers as they can now show others examples of their work, including the code, in real time. The others can then help refine that code in real time.

    If you want to try out for TowTruck for yourself, you can do so here. Mozilla also provides the JavaScript necessary to integrate TowTruck into your own site at the above link. That being said, Mozilla warns that TowTruck is currently in alpha and doesn’t recommend that you use it in production at this time.

    [h/t: The Next Web]

  • Hawking: Earth Doomed, Humans Must Explore Space

    Stephen Hawking made a career out of investigating and explaining the cosmos to the layman. Now the renowned physicist is telling us that we need to get off the planet and (relatively) fast.

    The AP reports that Hawking was recently touring the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where research on steam cells is being conducted. At the event, the physicist said that humans won’t survie another 1,000 years on Earth unless we escape “beyond our fragile planet.”

    Noted scientists have taken the same stance, though not as extreme, over the years arguing that humanity as a species should explore the cosmos not only to preserve the species, but for economic purposes as well.

    Here’s Bill Nye arguing that we should be exploring space for economic benefit:

    Here’s Michio Kaku talking about the chances of mankind destroying itself in the next 1,000 years:

  • The Desktop Twitter User Will Soon Be A Thing Of The Past

    Twitter is all about gut reactions and snappy statements. The very nature of the social network requires that people have access to it all times. This is leading to an increasing number of people using Twitter on mobile devices.

    In a new survey conducted by Strategy Analytics, the firm discovered that Twitter users are migrating from the desktop to mobile devices at an ever increasing pace. The latest report – “Social Network Profile: Who Uses Twitter?” – surveyed 6,500 people from the U.S. and Europe. The survey found that the number of people sending out tweets from a desktop computer decreased from 77 percent to 64 percent in just eight months. During the same period, the number of people tweeting from mobile devices increased from 56 percent to 71 percent.

    “The immediacy of Twitter communications requires devices which are close to hand at every waking moment,” notes David Mercer , VP, Digital Consumer Practice. “By definition this suggests mobile phones and tablets should be preferred devices for Tweeting and the survey evidence points clearly in this direction.”

    Interestingly enough, the survey found that mobile Twitter use is highest in the UK with the U.S. coming in second. Italy, France and Germany round out the top five respectively. As for demographics, the survey found that Twitter is most popular among the affluent, as well as teenagers and students.

    The demographic findings could explain why Facebook is losing popularity among teenagers while Twitter’s own popularity is only increasing. It could also explain why celebrities like Justin Bieber are so popular on the service.

  • Google TechTalks Takes A Trip To Sesame Street

    One of the challenges facing our nation and many others is getting children excited about science and other STEM fields. Google definitely has an interest in advancing STEM education as the next generation of its employees will come from the children of today.

    One group that’s helping to bring STEM education to children around the world is Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organization that produces Sesame Street and other educational programming around the world. In the latest Google TechTalk, Nadine Zylstra, VP Sesame Street Production & Programming and Supervising Director of Sesame Street, breaks down how their show teaches STEM subjects to children, and how best to convey these subjects to developing minds.

    If you want to learn more about Sesame Workshop’s STEM initiative, check out the non-profit’s latest math-focused material.

  • Injustice: Gods Among Us Should Get An Animated Film

    Up until this point, I’ve always thought that Injustice: Gods Among Us looked like a great game. After the reveal of the opening cinematic, I’m convinced that DC needs to make an animated film.

    If you’re unfamiliar with the events leading up to hero vs. hero fights in Injustice, let’s just say that Metropolis is no more and Superman is very angry. You should avoid the video below if you don’t want the opening moments of the game’s story spoiled, but there’s some quality storytelling and acting here. The Joker in particular stands out even though it’s a little sad that Mark Hamill didn’t reprise his role this time around.

    If you don’t like spoilers and just want to watch super heroes beat each other up, you should check out the launch trailer for the game. There’s plenty of combat to go around.

    Injustice: Gods Among Us will launch on April 16 for the PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii U.

  • BlackBerry Wants You To Design A Monster For Robert Rodriguez’ New Film

    Did you know that Robert Rodriguez and BlackBerry are collaborating on a new short film called Two Scoops? The movie follows the adventures of two monster hunters that pose as ice cream vendors during the day. The film is pretty much finished, but he’s letting the fans add the finishing touches.

    Rodriguez announced this week that he’s now accepting submissions for the monster that the two hunters will fight at the end of the film. Unlike the past few contests, aspiring designers don’t have to do a lot here. All they have to do is create a simple sketch of the monster. After that, Rodriguez’ designers will take over and bring it to life.

    For a chance to have your monster appear in Two Scoops, you just have to submit your design to BlackBerry’s Keep Moving promo site.

  • Watch Steve Wozniak Talk About His Love For Tetris

    Steve Wozniak is best known as the co-founder of Apple. He’s also an opponent of patent laws and a friend of Kim Dotcom. What many people may not know is that he’s also a huge fan of Tetris.

    In this video from Game Informer, Wozniak plays Tetris on the Game Boy while reminiscing about his time with the game. He apparently wasn’t very good at the game when it first came out, but his son showed him the ropes. After that, he was one of the best players around. When Nintendo Power used to publish high scores in Tetris, he had the highest score for many consecutive months. He even had to submit his scores with his name spelled backwards because the folks at the magazine were tired of printing his name every month.

    It’s really interesting to see Wozniak talk about games since he himself has a history with the medium. He designed the original Breakout arcade cabinet and game, but Atari ditched the hardware design while keeping his original game design. It’s a shame that he didn’t stick with game development. It would have been really interesting to see what would have come of his ability to build gaming hardware.

  • Congressman Wants The IRS To Explain Itself

    It was revealed earlier this week that the IRS probably digs through your email without a warrant during its investigations. It’s able to do this thanks to the outdated ECPA which allows government agencies to obtain emails that are more than 180 days old. Now one lawmaker wants the IRS to explain itself.

    The Hill reports that Rep. Charles Boustany, chairman of the Ways and Means subcommittee on Oversight, sent a letter to the IRS asking the agency to explain how it obtains emails, and when it thinks it can obtain said emails without a warrant. Boustany asks that the IRS provide the following information by April 26:

  • 1. The IRS’s current policy on searching taxpayer emails, including when it believes it must obtain a search warrant and when it does not.
  • 2. Any internal communications, including memos and guidelines, among and between IRS and Department of the Treasury, regarding changes to the IRS’s policy on searching taxpayer emails.
  • 3. The IRS’s current policy on searching and reviewing taxpayer social media profiles, and any internal memos and guidelines on the matter.
  • 4. What information would the IRS seek in a search of a taxpayer’s online social media profiles?
  • 5. How many times has the IRS searched taxpayer emails and online social media profiles between 2010 and 2013? How many taxpayers have been subject to these searches in this time period?

    • The IRS hasn’t indicated whether or not it intends to answer the congressman’s questions, but it did issue this statement:

    “Our job is to administer the nation’s tax laws, and we do so in a way that follows the law and treats taxpayers with respect. Contrary to some suggestions, the IRS does not use emails to target taxpayers. Any suggestion to the contrary is wrong.”

    It’s important to note that the documents obtained by the ACLU never outright said the IRS obtained emails without a warrant. The agency only said it was possible while saying that Internet users “do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy.” Of course, such statements don’t exactly inspire confidence, and people want to know if the IRS ever did take advantage of the ECPA to obtain emails without a warrant.

    Even if the IRS did access emails without a warrant, it may not be able to do so much longer. Both the House and the Senate are working on laws that would update the ECPA to require a warrant when government agencies wish to access emails.

  • Protip: Don’t Stick An Eel In Your Anus, It Will Eat Your Colon

    One of the strangest fetishes on the planet involves putting live animals up the anus. It’s also a dangerous one for both the human and the animal. Unfortunately, one man got the stupid idea in his head to try it out for himself with an eel.

    A man in China’s Guangdong province was hospitalized after he had shoved a 20-inch long eel up his ass. In his (admittedly poor) defense, he was drunk and watching bizarre porn at the time.

    The eel, like most terrified animals, fought back after being inserted into the man’s ass. Eels have sharp teeth and it immediately tore a hole in the man’s colon causing internal bleeding. After that, it began to work its way through the body going after other internal organs. Here’s how far it got:

    Protip: Don't Put Eels Up Your Anus

    Unlike other men who have died from performing this incredibly stupid stunt, the unnamed man sought medical attention immediately for the eel that was going to town on his internal organs. The doctors removed the eel with a medical probe, but the animal died as a result. The doctor who performed the surgery only had this to say:

    “This was a particularly idiotic stunt and could have caused him a serious injury. Eels have small but very sharp teeth.”

    I agree with the good doctor here. Eels are not sex toys. It’s not advisable to ever have eels up inside you.

    [IBTimes via Geekosystem]

  • Hamster Rises From Dead On Good Friday

    Hamsters rising from the dead sounds like an after-school low-budget horror film for children. For one family, such an ordeal actually happened, but the result was far sweeter.

    Lisa Kilbourne-Smith and James Davis were watching Tink the hamster as its owners were gone. Everything was apparently all right until they found Tink dead at the bottom of his cage. After the shocking find, they buried the little guy under a foot of dirt.

    Then something “miraculous” happened – Tink was discovered the next day alive and well rummaging around some old boxes. As it turns out, Tink was merely hibernating. Hamster hibernation is frequently mistaken for death apparently.

    Stil, the family thinks that Tink’s natural resurrection is nothing short of a miracle. The hamster’s reemergence on Good Friday has only added to the wonder with the family reportedly now calling the hamster “Jesus.”

    [Arbroath via Gawker]