Wunderlist now lets you attach Dropbox files to tasks

Wunderlist now lets you attach Dropbox files to tasks

Billy Steele

Engadget

Wunderlist has long been a popular choice for folks looking to wrangle both individual and collaborative to-do lists. With today's update though, the productivity app gets a major boost from Dropbox. When creating a new task, you can attach files from that cloud-based repository, and they're accessible right from the to-do list. From an item's detail menu, simply clicking the paperclip or Dropbox icon allows you to hunt for the file(s) you'll need, added as links for easy grabbing later. Update a document that's attached to a task? No worries. It'll automatically sync, ensuring that the latest version is available when needed. As TechCrunch notes, this is Wunderlist's first third-party integration and it's one that'll save some time searching for and opening up files. TC also reports that Evernote and calendar syncing could be next up. If you're anxious to give it a try, the new version is available now on iOS, Android and on the web.
Source: Wunderlist

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Apple Fanboys Discover Another iOS 8 Glitch

Apple Fanboys Discover Another iOS 8 Glitch

Kerry Flynn

The Huffington Post 

Apple fanboys have discovered a new issue with iOS 8, just a week after the company had to pull the latest update to its operating system because of other bugs.

According to MacRumors, a bug in iOS 8 is deleting iWork documents (Apple's office suite that includes Numbers, Keynote, and Pages) stored through iCloud Drive if people choose to reset the settings on their iPhones.

The “Reset All Settings” option -- found within Reset, at the bottom of the Settings > General page -- restores all iOS settings to factory defaults. It’s a quick troubleshooting measure if your Apple device is being slow or acting glitchy. Before confirming the reset, a pop-up states, “This will reset all settings. No data or media will be deleted.”


But that reportedly hasn’t been the case for people who have upgraded to iOS 8 and use iCloud Drive -- a new feature that allows seamless syncing between documents and data on all Mac products.
MacRumors discovered the bug after people posted complaints on the site’s blog last week about losing their data. MacRumors tested the function and found that selecting “Reset All Settings” did in fact erase all iWork documents on the iPhone, a Mac running OS X Yosemite, and iCloud.com.

Of course, it's not clear how many people this apparent bug may actually affect. You'd have to have iOS 8, use iWork, and have opted for iCloud Drive. The reported glitch is just one of several issues Apple users have complained about with the new operating system, ranging from problems with third-party keyboards and iMessage to phones becoming much slower overall.

MacRumors reported Apple support has been contacted about the reset issue, and that Apple is investigating. The company has not made any public comment about the apparent bug, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This article originally appeared in The Huffington Post

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The NFL’s Flirtation With the Web Is Over (For Now)

The NFL’s Flirtation With the Web Is Over (For Now)

Peter Kafka

Re/code 

One day, a tech giant like Google or Apple might stream pro football games to American homes. But not anytime soon: DirecTV has renewed its deal to carry the NFL’s “Sunday Ticket” subscription package.

The two sides aren’t commenting on pricing, but the satellite TV company’s last NFL deal cost it about $1 billion a year.

The renewal means that the most plausible way for a non-TV company to get its hands on TV’s most valuable programming is now off the table; people familiar with the deal say it will extend for eight years. Meanwhile, the rest of the NFL’s games are also locked up in long-term deals.
So if you want to watch pro football, you’re going do it via a broadcast or cable TV network, for quite some time.*

This deal isn’t much of a surprise, since AT&T’s $67 billion plan to purchase DirecTV hinged in large part on the satellite company keeping the deal. Then again, the deal was supposed to be wrapped up late last year, and the delay prompted some observers/wishers to wonder if Google, Apple or someone else might be bidding on the package.

That hope isn’t entirely fanciful, as the NFL itself has suggested that some of its games will come to the Web without stopping on TV. And last year, managers at Google’s YouTube unit liked the idea enough to pitch it to CEO Larry Page, who didn’t bite.

*Many of those networks have deals that allow viewers to stream the games on laptops or tablets — but those deals are still built around the notion that the best way to watch the games is on TV.

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Firm says phone apps spy on Hong Kong protesters

Firm says phone apps spy on Hong Kong protesters

Associated Press 

HONG KONG — The Chinese government might be using smartphone apps to spy on pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, a U.S. security firm says.
The applications are disguised as tools created by activists to protests, said the firm, Lacoon Mobile Security. The firm said that once downloaded, they give an outsider access to the phone's address book, call logs and other information.

The identities of victims and details of the servers used "lead us to believe that the Chinese government are behind the attack," said a Lacoon statement.
China is, along with the United States and Russia, regarded as a leader in cyber warfare research. Security experts say China is a leading source of hacking attacks aimed at foreign governments and companies to computers in China.

The Chinese government has denied engaging in cyberspying and says China is among the biggest victims of hacking attacks.
Lacoon said it found two similar "malicious, fake" apps that appeared to be related. One targets phones that run Apple Inc.'s iOS operating system; the other is meant for phones using Google Inc.'s Android system.

The "very advanced software," known as an mRAT, or multidimensional requirements analysis tool, "is undoubtedly being backed by a nation state," the company said. Lacoon said it was calling the software Xsser.

"The Xsser mRAT represents a fundamental shift by nation-state cybercriminals from compromising traditional PC systems to targeting mobile devices," the company said.
Such "cross-platform attacks" that target both Apple and Android phones are rare, which adds to signs a government is involved, Lacoon said. It said the app might be the first spyware for iOS created by a Chinese government entity.

In May, U.S. prosecutors charged five Chinese military officers with cyberspying and stealing trade secrets from major American companies. A security firm, Mandiant, said last year it traced attacks on American and other companies to a military unit in Shanghai.

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Arduino's new 3D printer lets you modify just about everything

Arduino's new 3D printer lets you modify just about everything

Jon Fingas

Engadget

If you're a fan of Arduino's tinker-friendlyapproach to computing, you'll be glad to hear that it's now extending that open philosophy to 3D printers. The company has teamed up with Sharebot to unveil the Materia 101, a small (5.5 inches by 4 inches) printer that's built to be both friendly to beginners and very accessible. You can modify the code on the underlying Arduino Mega mini-PC, of course, but you also have access to the full schematics of the printer -- you can upgrade it or even make your own, if you have the know-how and parts. Arduino hasn't said when it plans to ship the Materia, but it'll be available both as a build-it-yourself kit (priced under $800) and fully assembled (under $1,000).
Source: Arduino

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Philips' new LED light strap lets you treat skin disease at home

Philips' new LED light strap lets you treat skin disease at home

Jon Fingas

Engadget 

A skin disease like psoriasis is bad enough by itself, but it's made worse by the frequent need to visit your physician just to alleviate the pain and all-too-visible symptoms. Thankfully, Philips has just unveiled a wearable device that will let most psoriasis sufferers treat themselves. Its new BlueControl strap uses its namesake blue LED lights to slow down cell division (and thus painful inflammation) on your arms and legs; in tests, it cut the severity of symptoms in half without any side effects. The light therapy equipment will require a prescription when it reaches Germany, the Netherlands and the UK this October, but it will likely be worth the effort if it helps you avoid the doctor's office and get on with your life.

Source: Philips

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JibJab is back with a personalized GIF maker

JibJab is back with a personalized GIF maker

Aaron Souppouris

Engadget

Wise to the fact that even your mom is over animated e-cards, a denizen of an internet past is trying to reinvent itself. JibJab -- which rose to fame a a purveyor of political satire and "Starring You" video gift cards -- is today launching JibJab Messages, an iOS app that lets you personalize GIFs with your friends' faces, filters, and meme-style text.
At launch the app features a selection of "hilarious" content for you to play around with for free, and after your first ten messages JibJab will be happy to sell you additional content for a buck. A single tap copies the final GIF to your clipboard, meaning you can share JibJab Messages with your social app of choice. Whether, in an age of Snapchat and Emoji-only messaging, people are in need of more messaging options remains to be seen, but if you're interested, you can check out our finest effort below or head to the App Store to try it out for yourself.
Source: JibJab Messages (App Store)

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Stationary bike MMO lets you race against the world without leaving home

Stationary bike MMO lets you race against the world without leaving home

Jon Fingas

Engadget

Indoor cycling normally isn't as fun as the outdoor variety, and it certainly isn't as social. Where's the thrill of blowing past a rival? That's what Zwift's upcoming massively multiplayer cycling game promises to solve. So long as you have a training bike with at least speed and cadence sensors, you can race people around the world in virtual environments -- think of it as an online role-playing game that builds up your real abilities. You can chat up other riders if you have a mic, and virtual reality support (through Oculus Rift headsets) might help you forget that you're still at home.
The game will cost $10 per month to play (much like other online games), and you'll naturally have to factor in the costs of both the indoor bike and sensors if you don't have them already. Right now, though, the real catch is simply getting to play. Zwift just launched its beta test with a mere 1,000 open slots, and you'll have to wait until the winter if you don't request an invitation in time. Having said this, it might be worth the wait if you've ever wanted to compete against other cyclists all year round.Source: Zwift, Wall Street Journal

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Pavlok needs your money to shock more people into breaking bad habits

Pavlok needs your money to shock more people into breaking bad habits

Mariella Moon

Engadget

There's no way you'd use a shock collar to train your beloved dog, but you wouldn't mind using one on yourself if it means breaking your nastiest habits, eh? If that's the case, then your day has come: Pavlok (a wearable band that can zap you with electricity) is now up on Indiegogo, with its designer hoping to raise $50,000 to develop more features and to begin mass production. In order to train yourself to stay away from bad habits or continue doing good ones, you'll need to program the Pavlok app -- for instance, you can instruct it to zap you awake if you hit snooze twice on your alarm. The good news is that you can set the electricity the wristband zaps you with from 17 to 340 volts, so you can adjust it accordingly and make sure each it's not strong enough to actually hurt.
According to the device's Indiegogo page, its creator (Maneesh Sethi, a Stanford alumnus) is working on IFTTT integration and also opening up the Pavlok platform so anyone can make an app to go along with it. It even listed some possible software tie-ups, such as instructing the wristband via IFTTT to zap you if you send a message to an ex, to beep loudly and embarrass you whenever you step into a McD's with the help of a navigation app, or to remind you to walk more when paired up with an exercise app.
When we saw Pavlok earlier this year, the prototypes cost $250 each, but now you have the opportunity to grab one for $125 via Indiegogo if you can wait until it ships out by April 2015 at the earliest. By the way, Sethi's no stranger to the idea of receiving pain to break bad habits. Back in 2012, he hired a girl off Craigslist to, erm, slap him every time he went on Facebook -- something he claims quadrupled his productivity.
Source: Indiegogo

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iPad, I choose you: 'Pokémon' officially hits the App Store

iPad, I choose you: 'Pokémon' officially hits the App Store

Timothy J. Seppala

Engadget

Remember that Pokémon iPad game that was teased not too long ago? Well, if the mere mention of it stoked a fire inside that made you want to abandon Blizzard's Hearthstone forever, Joystiq has spotted that the pocket monster trading card game is available on the App Store now. Pokémon TCG Online is free to download, but there are a few catches. As the name suggests, it requires an internet connection to play and your Apple-branded slate needs to be of the Retina-display variety -- your first- and second-gen iPads won't cut the mustard, according to iTunes. If you're already heavily invested in the game on OSX and Windows, Time points out that progress you've made in the last three years transfers over to the mobile version as well. Handy! And just like that, a Nintendo property is appearing somewhere other than on one of its own devices. Somewhere, an investor is probably smiling.
[Image Credit: Josh Wittenkeller]
Source: iTunes

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Amazon gives UK customers early e-book access with Kindle First

Amazon gives UK customers early e-book access with Kindle First

Jamie Rigg

Engadget

While Amazon tends to release new e-reader and tablet hardware in the UK and US simultaneously these days, we're still not top priority when it comes to new services. That being said, the UK has caught up significantly in the past week with the launch of the all-you-can-read Kindle Unlimited subscription and now, Kindle First. Amazon runs a bunch of publishing houses, and what Kindle First offers is early access to new releases originating from them. Each month, Amazon editors will select four books scheduled for publication the following month, and let you buy one (and only one) of them in e-book form for 99 pence, or snag one for free if you're a Prime member. Once you've registered, it's basically as simple as that. You can head to the Kindle First page now to check out the selections for this month, and sign up for the newsletter if you'd like to know when other titles become available for pre-release reading.

Source: Amazon

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Uber for Business now automatically expenses taxis in 45 countries

Uber for Business now automatically expenses taxis in 45 countries

Daniel Cooper

Engadget

The nice thing about traveling for work is that you can hop in a taxi without worrying about the cost since, after all, you're not picking up the tab. The downside of that privilege is that, about a week or two after that, you'll have to sit down and tediously justify your expenditure to your boss. That's not a problem, however, if your company has signed up with Uber for Business, which sends the bills straight to the firm instead of piling on your own credit card. Until now, however, that service was only available in the US and Canada, with a few trials taking place in the UK and France. As you might have guessed from the headline, today's the day that the company opens up Uber for Business to all of the 45 countries in which it operates. Now all we have to do is work out if we can pretend that our hand slipped and we hit the Uber Lux button by mistake.
Source: Uber

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