Adidas Fit Smart Fitness Band Announced With miCoach App as Personal Trainer

Adidas Fit Smart Fitness Band Announced With miCoach App as Personal Trainer

by Hitesh Arora

NDTV

Fitness is the new buzz in town. Adidas on Wednesday announced a new fitness wristband dubbed Fit Smart; an activity tracker designed for running, training, and fitness that is paired with the company's miCoach fitness app. The company has priced it for $199  and will release in mid-August in the US, and in rest of the world from August 15 through Adidas' website, and from September 1 through Adidas Sports Performance stores.

The Adidas Fit Smart wristband with its soft touch silicon strap weighs in at 58 grams. The company has put in a distinct LED light array (blue, green, yellow and red) that indicates the user's current workout intensity in different colour zones.

"Vibration and visual prompts provide feedback and coaching so the user can make the most out of every workout" the company wrote on its website.

Fit Smart paired with Adidas' own miCoach Train and Run fitness app help users tailor workouts and measure heart rate, calories, pace, distance and stride rate from the wrist. The pairing of wristband and app is done through Bluetooth.

"The key to the Fit Smart is having heart rate technology on your wrist," says Paul Gaudio, general manager for Adidas digital sports. The intend of the company from Fit Smart is helping people set and reach weekly goals, as well as commit to long term training plans. Adidas has also said that it will release an update to the miCoach app in August along with the release of Fit Smart.

The company says that Fit Smart can store up to 10 hours of workout data and its 200mAh battery will offer up to five days on a single charge.

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Google Camera App Updated With Remote Shutter for Android Wear, and More

Google Camera App Updated With Remote Shutter for Android Wear, and More
by Ketan Pratap
NDTV

Google has quietly started pushing out an update to its stock Google Camera app. The update adds remote shutter control for Android Wear devices, allowing users to click images via their smartwatch or other Android Wear devices, using their Android smartphone or tablet's camera.

With the latest update, Google Camera app users can click an image with their smartphones or tablets by just tapping a button on the smartwatch. The update also offers a preview of the clicked images on the smartwatch. Apart from Android Wear compatibility, the Google Camera app has also received a refreshed panorama capture interface.

Android Police notes that the new Google Camera app update bumps up the version 2.2 to version 2.3; however, as of now, the Google Play India listing of the app lists the app with version 2.2.024.

Google last updated its Camera app in May with version 2.2 for devices running Android 4.4+ KitKat OS. The update featured two new Panorama capturing modes, besides the existing horizontal and vertical Panorama modes. The two new Panorama modes are said to be fisheye mode and wide-angle mode. The update also let users the option to click images in 16:9 ratio along with a timer mode with 10 seconds and 3 seconds option.

The Google Camera app for Android 4.4+ KitKat devices was released in April. The highlight of the Google Camera app was the Lens Blur mode that the Mountain View giant claimed gives SLR-like images with shallow depth of field.

Other features in the first-launched Google Camera app included a new UI with 100 percent viewfinder and large capture button; as well as improved Panorama and Photo Sphere, which can generate 360 degree views. Notably, this was the first time that Google released its Photo Sphere app for non-Nexus devices.

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Earth's Magnetic Field Is Weakening 10 Times Faster Now

Earth's Magnetic Field Is Weakening 10 Times Faster Now

by Kelly Dickerson

Livescience.com

Earth's magnetic field, which protects the planet from huge blasts of deadly solar radiation, has been weakening over the past six months, according to data collected by a European Space Agency (ESA) satellite array called Swarm.

The biggest weak spots in the magnetic field — which extends 370,000 miles (600,000 kilometers) above the planet's surface — have sprung up over the Western Hemisphere, while the field has strengthened over areas like the southern Indian Ocean, according to the magnetometers onboard the Swarm satellites — three separate satellites floating in tandem.

The scientists who conducted the study are still unsure why the magnetic field is weakening, but one likely reason is that Earth's magnetic poles are getting ready to flip, said Rune Floberghagen, the ESA's Swarm mission manager. In fact, the data suggest magnetic north is moving toward Siberia.
"Such a flip is not instantaneous, but would take many hundred if not a few thousand years," Floberghagen told Live Science. "They have happened many times in the past."

Scientists already know that magnetic north shifts. Once every few hundred thousand years the magnetic poles flip so that a compass would point south instead of north. While changes in magnetic field strength are part of this normal flipping cycle, data from Swarm have shown the field is starting to weaken faster than in the past. Previously, researchers estimated the field was weakening about 5 percent per century, but the new data revealed the field is actually weakening at 5 percent per decade, or 10 times faster than thought. As such, rather than the full flip occurring in about 2,000 years, as was predicted, the new data suggest it could happen sooner.

Floberghagen hopes that more data from Swarm will shed light on why the field is weakening faster now.
Still, there is no evidence that a weakened magnetic field would result in a doomsday for Earth. During past polarity flips there were no mass extinctions or evidence of radiation damage. Researchers think power grids and communication systems would be most at risk.

Earth's magnetic field acts like a giant invisible bubble that shields the planet from the dangerous cosmic radiation spewing from the sun in the form of solar winds. The field exists because Earth has a giant ball of iron at its core surrounded by an outer layer of molten metal. Changes in the core's temperature and Earth's rotation boil and swirl the liquid metal around in the outer core, creating magnetic field lines.

The movement of the molten metal is why some areas of the magnetic field strengthen while others weaken, Florberghagen said. When the boiling in one area of the outer core slows down, fewer currents of charged particles are released, and the magnetic field over the surface weakens.

"The flow of the liquid outer core almost pulls the magnetic field around with it," Floberghagen said. "So, a field weakening over the American continent would mean that the flow in the outer core below America is slowing down."

The Swarm satellites not only pick up signals coming from the Earth's magnetic field, but also from its core, mantle, crust and oceans. Scientists at the ESA hope to use the data to make navigation systems that rely on the magnetic field, such as aircraft instruments, more accurate, improve earthquake predictions and pinpoint areas below the planet's surface that are rich in natural resources.
 Scientists think fluctuations in the magnetic field could help identify where continental plates are shifting and help predict earthquakes.

These first results from Swarm were presented at the Third Swarm Science Meeting in Denmark on June 19.

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Don't fly your drone in front of the NYPD

Don't fly your drone in front of the NYPD

Adrianne Jeffries
The Verge 

Two men were arrested for flying a drone too close to a New York Police Department helicopter in New York City, but the police and the drone pilots are telling different stories.
The cops say the drone was flying 2,000 feet over a major bridge just after midnight earlier this week. The drone pilots say they weren't flying nearly that high.

Wilkins Mendoza, 34, and Remy Castro, 23, say they were flying their DJI Phantom 2 only about 300 feet in the air when a police helicopter started pursuing the little drone. "We're trying to get the drone away from the helicopter, and it keeps on following the drone," Remy's brother Jonathan told The New York Daily News. "We have video proof that we are not following him, he's following us."

The DJI Phanton 2 can reach heights of 2,000 feet, but it's more commonly flown at much lower altitudes. Its limited battery life also would have forced it to land after about 20 minutes.
The two pilots have been charged with felony reckless endangerment, a serious crime that implies a risk of death and disregard for human life. The drone came within 800 feet of the helicopter, close enough to lead to a collision if the drone were above or in front of the helicopter.

Drones, or quadcopters, are treated like model aircraft. Flying them is legal for now, as the Federal Aviation Administration considers which rules and standards should apply to the new class of flyers.

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Advocates for Blind, Deaf Want More From Apple

Advocates for Blind, Deaf Want More From Apple

Reuters

Advocates for the blind are debating whether to use a carrot or a stick to persuade one of their oldest allies, Apple Inc, to close an emerging digital divide in mobile technology.

As digital life increasingly moves to the world of smartphones and tablets, some disabled people with visual, hearing and other impairments are feeling more left out than ever.

As baby boomers retire and age, the number of people needing help is multiplying. Many disabled advocates believe federal law requires that apps be accessible, but courts have not ruled on the issue. Few disabled want to risk alienating Apple, considered a friend, by fighting it.

Mobile apps that work well can transform a blind person's life, reading email on the go or speaking directions to a new restaurant. Some young blind people no longer feel the need to learn Braille to read with their fingers, when Siri and other computer voices can do the reading instead. Captions on videos and special hearing aids bring hearing impaired into the digital fold.

But when apps don't work, life can grind to a stop. Jonathan Lyens, a San Francisco city employee, who is legally blind, has a hard time browsing jobs on professional networking site LinkedIn.

"The app is insane. Buttons aren't labeled. It's difficult to navigate," said Lyens. When it comes to social media apps, new problems arise with every release, he said. "I get nervous every time I hit the update button."

LinkedIn has hired an accessibility chief, Jennison Asuncion, who himself is blind, and says it is working to improve the app.

Still, advocates of the disabled want the problem solved by the company at the center of the app world Apple. Rival Google Inc, whose Android operating system drives more phones than Apple, is also under pressure, but as the creator of the modern smartphone and a long-time champion for the blind, Apple is feeling the most heat.

Apple hasn't been a steady champion: the National Federation of the Blind sued it in 2008 over accessibility of iTunes. Apple settled, agreeing to pay $250,000 and adding captions and other accessibility improvements to iTunes. Since then it has added more such features to its iPhone, iPod,iPad and Apple TV products.

Now, Apple and Google both have developer guidelines on how to make features accessible, such as labeling buttons that can be read by Apple's VoiceOver software.

But they don't require accessibility, in contrast to other strictly enforced rules, such as a ban on apps that present crude or objectionable content. Nor do they offer an accessibility rating system, which some disabled advocates say would be a big help.

That is where the new debate starts: should the blind return to court for protection they believe is guaranteed by law, or nudge their old ally to work harder? Should they pursue app makers, as some lawyers have, or Apple and Google?

Attorney Daniel Goldstein, who brought the suit against Apple in 2008 as counsel for the National Federation of the Blind, said the 2008 action could provide a model for a suit focused on apps, but the Federation says no lawsuit is being considered.

At last week's National Federation of the Blind convention, members approved a resolution to press Apple to create and enforce accessibility standards. In the halls there was some debate about whether or when to play hard ball over requirements that apps be accessible.

"It's time for Apple to step up or we will take the next step," said Michael Hingson, board member for the National Association of the Blind's California chapter, describing litigation as "the only resort" if Apple did not bring accessibility requirements to the app store.

To be sure, Apple, Google, Twitter and other technology companies have increasingly accommodated users with impairments in recent years.

Many developers are ready to help when they learn there is a problem, said Chris Maury, whose Conversant Labs builds apps for the visually impaired.

"I try to lead with the carrot and not the stick. It's better to inform developers that accessibility is the right thing to do and an opportunity to reach a whole new base of users. It shouldn't just be about compliance or avoiding legal risks," he said.

There is a worldwide market of 1.1 billion people with disabilities, according to research firm Fifth Quadrant Analytics. Nearly 21 million U.S. adults experience vision loss, according to the 2012 National Health Interview Survey, and approximately 28 million have a hearing impairment, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook in a 2013 speech at Auburn University described people with disabilities "in a struggle to have their human dignity acknowledged." He said, "They're frequently left in the shadows of technological advancements that are a source of empowerment and attainment for others."

The company declined to comment on its accessibility strategy or whether developers should be required to make apps accessible.

Problems

Problems on apps begin with unlabeled buttons, which can't be read by the machine. New features and graphics can be particularly challenging, and many companies upgrade an app, before bringing their accessibility features up to date in a follow-up release. The result is unexpected, dramatic changes in usability.

Several members of the National Association of the Blind told Reuters they struggle with apps from Bank of America, TuneIn, Southwest, Mint and Netflix, among others. Bank of America declined to comment. Netflix said it had made big strides on captioning and the others said they were working to improve accessibility.

By contrast, ride service Uber and Twitter, frequently win kudos for their apps.

Google Accessibility Engineering Manager Eve Andersson told Reuters that product teams are increasingly encouraged to consider users with special needs at the outset.

"We can't stick on accessibility band aids," she said. The company now offers training on accessibility implementation and design in Zurich, Mountain View and New York, she added. She declined to comment on whether Google would require apps be accessible.

Apple also is encouraging developers to include accessibility, bringing executives from Fleksy, which designed an oversize virtual keyboard, to describe their experience at the June developers conference, for instance.

Apple's next version of its phone operating system, iOS 8, will have a "speak screen" features that reads whatever is on the screen, improved zoom, and support for hearing aids for hearing impaired made by companies including ReSound. Apple helped develop the hearing aid.

Howard Rosenblum, chief executive officer of the National Association of the Deaf, wants more. "Any app should be accessible to everyone," he said

© Thomson Reuters 2014

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Apple CarPlay Review

Apple CarPlay Review

Associated Press

Apple is getting ready to hitch the iPhone to cars in a mobile marriage of convenience.

The ambitious project, called CarPlay, implants some of the iPhone's main applications in automobiles so drivers can control them with voice commands, a touch on the steering wheel or a swipe on a display screen in the dashboard.

It's expected to be available this summer when Pioneer Electronics plans to release a software update for five car radios designed to work with the iPhone. Alpine Electronics also is working on CarPlay-compatible radios for cars already on the road. Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Ferrari are among those expected to start selling car models with built-in CarPlay services this year.

Google Inc. is working with car makers to do something similar with smartphones running its Androidoperating system, but Apple Inc. appears to be further along in efforts to make it easier and safer to text, email, get directions, select music and, yes, even make calls while driving.

I recently checked out a test version of CarPlay in a van equipped with a Pioneer radio designed to work with the iPhone.Alpine Electronics also is working on CarPlay-compatible radios for cars already on the road. Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Ferrari are among those expected to start selling car models with built-in CarPlay services this year.

Google Inc. is working with car makers to do something similar with smartphones running its Androidoperating system, but Apple Inc. appears to be further along in efforts to make it easier and safer to text, email, get directions, select music and, yes, even make calls while driving.

I recently checked out a test version of CarPlay in a van equipped with a Pioneer radio designed to work with the iPhone.

The demonstration through the streets of San Francisco convinced me that Apple is on the right track. The CarPlay system is bound to appeal to iPhone fans who spend a lot of time behind the wheel. It makes less sense for iPhone owners who, like me, spend more of their time walking and riding public transportation instead of driving.

If you want CarPlay, you will need an iPhone 5, iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c. An iPad won't work. The phones also must be running Apple's latest software, iOS 7.1. Free upgrades are available for older phones.

If you already have one of Pioneer's five compatible radios, a free firmware update is all you'll need.

Otherwise, CarPlay's biggest drawback is the cost. If you want it in a car you already own, compatible radios from Pioneer sell for $700 to $1,400. After factoring in other required parts and labor, figure on spending $900 to $1,000 just to get Pioneer's least-expensive CarPlay system in your vehicle. That's more than the price of a new iPhone, but cheaper than buying a new car with CarPlay built in.

Pioneer's top-of-the-line CarPlay radio features a 7-inch screen that shows the iPhone apps for calls, contacts, music, maps and messaging when the device is plugged in with a cable.

Other mobile music apps, including Spotify, Beats Music and iHeartRadio, are supposed to be eventually available on CarPlay, too. Facebook, YouTube and other apps that show a lot of photos and video won't be available for safety and legal reasons.

The key to CarPlay's success may hinge on Siri, the iPhone's digital personal assistant. Apple has been striving to make Siri smarter and more versatile, an endeavor that CarPlay figures to put to the test.

Siri serves as CarPlay's central nervous system, doing everything from taking email dictation, reading incoming text messages out load, and scrolling through the system for song requests or different genres of music. Summoning Siri can be done by touching a button on the steering wheel or CarPlay's display screen.

While CarPlay also responds to touch, the system is at its best when Siri is doing most of the work. I got only a half-hour demo of CarPlay, too little time to determine whether Siri will be up to the job.

Within minutes of getting in the car, Siri couldn't retrieve the correct address for a requested restaurant in San Francisco. Instead, CarPlay listed several other places with the same name, so Siri apparently at least heard the request correctly. The omission of the requested restaurant may have reflected shortcomings in Apple's database of local businesses.

Beyond that, Siri performed flawlessly reading back incoming texts, composing and sending emails and playing the role of disc jockey when asked to play the music of specific artists such as AC/DC. It took only a few seconds before "Back in Black" blasted through the stereo. Even a question about Arnold Schwarzenegger, a name that can be difficult to decipher, didn't stump Siri.

If Siri is able to consistently handle those kinds of challenges, then CarPlay could make the iPhone an even more indispensable mobile device.

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'Steve Jobs Took Our Jobs', Says Finnish Prime Minister

'Steve Jobs Took Our Jobs', Says Finnish Prime Minister

Agence France-Presse

Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb on Friday accused Apple's late founder Steve Jobs of crushing his Nordic country's job market by selling innovations that caught Finland's companies off guard.

"We had two pillars we stood on: one was the IT industry, the other one was the paper industry," Stubb told Swedish financial newspaper Dagens Industri.

"Nalle Wahlroos, president of (Swedish bank) Nordea, described it quite well when he said the iPhoneknocked out Nokia and the iPad knocked out the forestry," accelerating the fall of paper demand.

Stubb became prime minister at the end of June with an economy struggling to recover from two years of recession. Only timid growth is expected in 2014.

"Yes, Steve Jobs took our jobs, but this is beginning to change," Stubb said.

"Our forestry is slowly but surely shifting from paper to bioenergy. Our IT industry is moving towards gaming, it's not just about hardware like the Nokia mobiles."

The main symbol for Finland's economic difficulties was the fall of Nokia, the one-time world leader in mobile devices, which in April sold its loss-making handset business to US software giant Microsoft.

Stubb, a champion of liberalism and European integration, warned that he could not promise an immediate shift in the economic landscape.

"We shouldn't create the illusion that the state can create growth," Stubb said.

"We can do three things to foster growth: structural reforms at the national level, liberalising the EU internal market and promoting global trade. But it is not me, as prime minister, who can create growth in this country."

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Google Glass controlled by brainwave

Google Glass controlled by brainwave

By Dave Lee

BBC News 

Google Glass has been hacked so that it can be controlled by brainwaves.
By combining the smart glasses with an electroencephalography (EEG) headset, the software makes it possible to take a picture without moving a muscle.

London-based start-up This Place said the tech could be utilised in high-pressure hands-free situations - such as during surgery.

It has released the MindRDR software for free in the hope that developers will adapt it for other uses.
Google made it clear that it does not support the app.
"Google Glass cannot read your mind," a spokeswoman told the BBC.

"This particular application seems to work through a separate piece of kit which you attach to Glass.
"We have not reviewed, nor approved, the app so it won't be available in the Glass app store."
Google launched Glass in the UK last month.

The spokeswoman added: "Of course, we are always interested in hearing about new applications of Glass and we've already seen some great research from a variety of medical fields from surgery to Parkinson's."

Concentration camera

An EEG headset can be used to measure when certain parts of the brain show a greater level of activity.

In this case, the MindRDR software monitors when the wearer engages in high levels of concentration.
Within Google Glass's "screen" - a small window that appears in the corner of the wearer's right eye - a white horizontal line is shown.

As a user concentrates, the white line rises up the screen. Once it reaches the top, a picture is taken using Glass's inbuilt camera.

Repeating this process will then post it to a pre-configured social media profile.
At present, Google Glass is controlled by either voice command - "OK Glass, take a picture" - or by tapping and swiping on the side of the device.

"We wanted to realise the true potential of Glass by allowing users to control it with their minds," said Dusan Hamlin, chief executive of This Place.

"Currently, users either have to touch it or use voice commands, which are restrictive for some social situations and for users with disabilities."

'Wider world'

The firm's creative director Chloe Kirton said: "While MindRDR's current capabilities are limited to taking and sharing an image, the possibilities of Google Glass 'telekinesis' are vast.
"In the future, MindRDR could give those with conditions like locked-in syndrome, severe multiple sclerosis or quadriplegia the opportunity to interact with the wider world through wearable technology."
EEG technology is a growing area.

In the past, the equipment was prohibitively expensive, but many headsets are now available for less than £100.

Mick Donegan is the founder of SpecialEffect, a charity which adapts games controllers so they can be used by people with limited mobility.

He told the BBC that there had been some issues with the reliability of EEG headsets in the past, but that he was excited by the possibilities of the Google Glass hack.

"It will mean someone who currently has no control at all, who can't even control the movement of their eyes - those people will be able to use that system. For me, that's the final frontier," he said,
He added that developers would have to make intuitive user interfaces.

"Instead of people controlling a cursor, if you have a carefully designed interface that goes through options on a screen to choose - that's taking the load of the user. That's what you're looking for."
Other applications have included video games that attempt to monitor your emotional state, and change the game experience accordingly.

However, the technology is in its infancy - early experimental games have suffered from a lack of precision, leading to frustration among players.

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Brazil vs Germany Smashes Twitter Record

Brazil vs Germany Smashes Twitter Record

Brazil's record defeat at the hands of Germany in the World Cup semi-final sent Twitter into overdrive, with the social network beating all records of activity for a sporting event.

A total of 35.6 million tweets were sent during the match on Tuesday that saw the Germans thrash Brazil 7-1 the host nation's worst loss in its 100-year footballing history.

The previous record had been held by the American Super Bowl in February, which saw nearly 25 million comments unfurl on Twitter, the social network told AFP.

The fifth German goal by Sami Khedira just 29 minutes into the match sparked the most comments, generating more than 580,000 tweets in the space of a minute.

But generally, the jaw-dropping match inspired a deluge of biting comments on the social network by netizens shocked that a team deprived of its injured star player Neymar could suffer such a thrashing.

"Brazil has Neymar, Argentina has Messi, Portugal has Ronaldo but Germany has a team," one widely retweeted comment said.

Up until now in the World Cup, the nail-biting game between Brazil and Chile that went to extra time and saw the hosts scrape through in a penalty shoot-out had held the Twitter record with 16.3 million tweets.

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Rio's Statue Will Be Lit-Up for Twitter's World Cup Campaign:

Rio's  Statue Will Be Lit-Up for Twitter's World Cup Campaign:

Reuters

Rio's iconic Christ statue will be lit up on the eve of Sunday's World Cup final in the colours of each of the finalists' flags with Twitter users to determine which is displayed the longest.

Starting on Wednesday, Twitter Inc users around the world can participate by tweeting the hashtag #ArmsWideOpen followed by the abbreviation of the finalist nations - Germany (GER) and the winner of the match to be played Wednesday between Argentina (ARG) and the Netherlands (NED).

And on Saturday at 7 pm local time (2200 GMT) the imposing statue overlooking Brazil's most famous city will light up with the flag colours for a period of time proportional to votes received.

The final will take place at Rio's Maracana stadium.

"We will capture the opinions of fans around the world and project them over Rio's Christ," Carlos Moreira Jr, Twitter's director of marking development for Latin America, told Reuters.

The contest is a joint initiative between Twitter and the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro which administers the city landmark.

Twitter and Facebook Inc have seen record traffic during the month-long event ending on Sunday.

With 35.6 million messages, Brazil's traumatic 7-1 defeat to Germany for the first semi-final on Tuesday was the most tweeted sports event ever.

People use social media to comment on real time about global events like the World Cup, turning them into big advertisement opportunities for the San Francisco-based company.

More than 300 million tweets were sent just during the first round of the World Cup.

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Aereo Says It Intends to Operate in Wake of US Supreme Court Ruling

Aereo Says It Intends to Operate in Wake of US Supreme Court Ruling

Reuters

Aereo, the video streaming service which sought to provide an alternative to traditional television broadcasters, said it believes it can still operate despite a crippling U.S. Supreme Court ruling that caused the company to suspend service, according to a court filing on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court last month said Aereo violated copyright law by using tiny antennas to broadcast TV content online to paying subscribers

The decision was a victory for traditional broadcasters, such as CBS Corp, Comcast Corp's NBC, Walt Disney Co's ABC, and Twenty-First Century Fox Inc's Fox.

After the ruling, Aereo announced that it was suspending service, and litigation in a related case involving the company resumed in a Manhattan federal court.

CBS argued in a joint filing on Wednesday that the case should be dismissed in light of the Supreme Court ruling, but Aereo disagreed.

"Although Aereo has temporarily suspended operations, Aereo believes that it can still operate in accordance with the terms of the Supreme Court's decision and intends to do so," Aereo wrote in the filing.

It is unclear from the filing how Aereo will operate, though the company argued it was entitled to a "compulsory license" to broadcasters' content. Representatives for Aereo and CBS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Started in 2012 and backed by Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp, Aereo typically charged about $8 to $12 a month, and allowed users stream live broadcasts on mobile devices. Aereo did not pay the broadcasters.

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Microsoft's Project Spark game creation package gets October release

Microsoft's Project Spark game creation package gets October release

Keith Stuart

Guardian News

Microsoft has announced a release date for Project Spark, a games creation package that promises to bridge the gap between development and play. An open beta test was begun in March and since then over one million PC and Xbox One owners have uploaded their own projects to the dedicated community site. The retail version of the title will be available from 7 October, with only a US price of $39.99 mentioned so far.

Described by Microsoft as a starter pack, the release will contain ready-made games and levels, as well as a range of useful sound effects and graphics animations. Users will be able to create their own games from scratch or modify the built-in content. So far beta testers have used the package's range of tools to build everything from puzzle games to racers.

Although largely successful, the beta test has not been without controversy. Project Spark uses a microtransaction model that gives players earlier access to premium tools and features if they pay with real money, rather than unlocking advanced elements gradually.

 The model had to be tweaked just after the launch of the beta when users complained about the time-limited access to certain game features. A "free to play" version of the game will remain available after the retail launch. Some users have complained that the Xbox One version is more tricky to use than the PC iteration with its mouse and keyboard support; others have been frustrated by a lack of documentation and guidance – though a wealth of community-made tutorials are available online and many users are now specialising in developing specific tools and features for other players.

When originally revealed at the E3 video game exhibition in 2013, developer Team Dakota also promised an Xbox 360 version, but this has not been mentioned in Microsoft's announcement this week.
The game is effectively Microsoft's answer to the hugely successful LittleBigPlanet series on PlayStation, which gives players a similarly accessible toolset for creating and sharing new content. A third title in that series is coming to PlayStation 3 and 4 in November

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