Windows' biggest web app framework is coming to Linux and Mac

Windows' biggest web app framework is coming to Linux and Mac

Jon Fingas

Engadget

Microsoft has opened up a lot over the past several months. It released powerful mobile versions of Office, launched cross-platform health technology and even posted some code for .NET, the programming framework that underpins a large part of the Windows world. Today, though, the crew in Redmond is going one step further. It's open-sourcing a much larger web- and server-oriented chunk of the .NET development stack, and has revealed plans to bring an important part of that stack (.NET Core) to both Linux and the Mac in the months ahead. Yes, you read that correctly -- code that Microsoft once held extremely close to the vest will soon run on most modern operating systems.
The release omits parts needed for the user-facing side of things, including the Windows Presentation Foundation that handles interface and document features, so many .NET apps and services will either need major changes or won't run at all. Also, there are plenty of Windows apps that depend on other frameworks. You're probably not going to see a ton of converted Windows software running on your MacBook or Linux box, then. However, the expansion should make it decidedly easier for studios to write web apps that run on servers on numerous platforms -- they won't have to lean on the usual run-anywhere technology (like Java) or otherwise jump through hoops to get things working properly.
[Image credit: Manjunath Kiran/AFP/Getty Images]
.NET Foundation, Somasegar Blog

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Here Are All The Phones Confirmed To Get Google's Massive Android Update

Here Are All The Phones Confirmed To Get Google's Massive Android Update

Business Insider 

Back in June, Google unveiled what's being called the biggest Android update yet. With Android 5.0, or "Lollipop," Google is adding a bunch of changes that are both physical and internal.
One of the biggest alterations will be the introduction of Material Design -- a new design language that puts more of an emphasis on shadows and colours. There are a handful of under-the-hood improvements, too, such as Project Volta, which is a collection of backend enhancements meant to improve battery life.
But, unlike the iPhone, Android devices don't get major software updates all at the same time. It depends on which type of phone you have and which carrier you're on.
There are also tons of Android phones that are left out of major carrier updates too.
We still don't know exactly when Android 5.0 will be released for every phone, but here's a roundup of what we know so far.

Google

Google's Nexus 6 will come with Android 5.0 already installed, and both the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 will receive the update, too. Google hasn't announced when it will launch, but rumours suggest Sprint will roll out the update to Nexus 5 owners on its network on Nov. 12.

HTC

HTC's One M8 and previous-generation One M7 will both get Android 5.0 as well. Jeff Gordon, the company's global online communications manager, tweeted that both phones will get the upgrade within 90 days of the software's final release.
HTC provided another update via Twitter on Nov. 3, saying that it has received the final code and will get the update out within the next three months.

Motorola

Motorola announced last week that its first- and second-generation Moto X and Moto G will get Android 5.0, along with the Moto G LTE, Moto E, and Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx, and Droid Mini phones. The company also just announced that the second-generation Moto X and both versions of the new Moto G will get the Lollipop update on Nov. 12.

Samsung

Samsung hasn't made any official announcements regarding updates for its line of smartphones, but rumours suggest the Galaxy S5 will be able to upgrade come December. Samsung also teased an Android Lollipop update for its new Galaxy Note 4 via Twitter. It's likely that Samsung's other popular phones, such as the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3, will also get the upgrade, but we haven't heard anything just yet.
Blog Sam Mobile claims to have gotten its hands on a Galaxy S4 and a Galaxy S5 running Lollipop, hinting that the update may be close to launch. In the video, you'll notice how some of the stock apps such as the messaging app look more colourful.

LG

LG has just announced that its G3 smartphone will receive the update to Android 5.0 Lollipop this week. The rollout will start in Poland and then spread to other key markets. Rumours from tech blogs also suggest that the G2 will receieve the upgrade in early 2015.
We'll update this story as more carriers and manufacturers make announcements.

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Facebook releases 'Say Thanks' video creation tool in time for Thanksgiving

Facebook releases 'Say Thanks' video creation tool in time for Thanksgiving

Jacob Kastrenakes

The Verge 

Facebook found a surprising amount of success earlier this year when it let its users generate "Look Back" videos of their time on Facebook, and it's now rolling out a new video generator in time for Thanksgiving. The new tool is called Say Thanks, and it lets Facebook's users put together a video filled with photos and other posts between them and a friend. There are a number of different themes to choose from, though it doesn't sound like customization will extent far beyond choosing that and what photos appear.
As goofy as it sounds, Facebook's success with Look Back suggests that this type of easy-to-use nostalgia trip could just catch on. Say Thanks will be available to use on both desktop and mobile across the globe today, though it may be a few hours before everyone can see it.

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Is Demi Lovato Starring In Another 'Camp Rock' Movie?

Demi Lovato completely shocked her fans yesterday when she hinted that there could be a Camp Rock 3 movie in the works! The singer responded to a fan's tweet about the movie asking Joe Jonas what his thoughts on another film were. And she didn't stop there!

She retweeted another fan who thought of a hilarious plot twist for the film, and even clued in Kevin Jonas saying that she had an "amazing idea."

we're surprised that the singer actually humored the idea of another Camp Rock movie, she has made it very clear that she is done with her Disney days. Still, it seems like she's got something up her sleeve. Maybe she'll get all the Jonas brothers together to sing "We Rock" with her.

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Justin Bieber Unfollows Selena Gomez on Instagram

 Justin Bieber recently unfollowed Selena Gomez on Instagram, less than a week after she released the very personal love song "The Heart Wants What It Wants." This comes as a shock since Selena spoke out about her love for Justin in her latest interview. Perhaps it has something to do with Kendall Jenner, who Justin was openly spending time with early this morning.

Selena has said that she has never harbored any negative feelings toward Kendall, but her actions speak otherwise. Not only did she unfollow the model on Instagram, but she deleted her photos with the reality star, too

Perhaps Selena was upset with Justin after he posted his Instagram video with Kendall and lashed out? Regardless, the "All That Matters" singer took it upon himself to unfollow his on-and-off girlfriend while keeping both Kendall and Kylie Jenner in his feed.

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Taylor Swift At Knicks Game:

Taylor Swift At Knicks Game:

Taylor Swift sits next to her new gal pals Amanda Seyfried and Kate Upton while in courtside seats at the Knicks game on Wednesday (November 12) at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The 24-year-old singer posted a photo on her Instagram account with the simple caption, “Knicks.”

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Mozilla's new site brings virtual reality to the web

Mozilla's new site brings virtual reality to the web

Jon Fingas

Engadget

As you might imagine, most websites aren't designed for virtual reality; bob your head around and you'll only look silly. Mozilla clearly isn't happy with that lack of immersion, as it just launched MozVR.com to foster VR-native sites. The page lets Oculus Rift owners browse technology demos (in a Rift-friendly interface, naturally) that show off what VR can do on the web, such as a flyover of British Columbia or a 360-degree documentary. And if you want to build one of these experiences yourself, you'll get a helping hand -- Mozilla is sharing the code, tools and tutorials for its own front end. It'll probably be a long, long while (if ever) before you're regularly surfing the web with goggles on, but this may get the ball rolling.
MozVR.com

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AT&T is no longer developing a Gogo competitor

AT&T is no longer developing a Gogo competitor

Mariella Moon

Engadget

Don't count on AT&T to make faster in-flight internet, as the carrier has just announced that it's no longer working on a Gogo competitor. Ma Bell first revealed its plans to develop an air-to-ground network that has comparable speeds to LTE in April this year. Unfortunately, the company's execs have changed their minds after reviewing their investment portfolio and cutting next year's budget by 14 percent. Travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt also said that one possible reason why the company decided to drop its in-flight WiFi plans is because most airlines are locked into long contracts with Gogo and other providers.
Spokesperson Fletcher Cook told the press in an email that AT&T's focusing its capital "on transformative investments, such as international and video" instead. Wondering what those "international and video" projects are exactly? While the company didn't specify anything, it recently got the ball rolling on a $2.5 billion deal to purchase Mexican telecom Iusacell, and it's been seeking approval from officials to buy DirecTV for $48.5 billion for a long time now. In addition, AT&T teamed up with the Chernin Group earlier this year to launch an online video platform and a service that offers on-demand TV channels, though we've yet to see either at this point in time.

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Android User Takes Apple To Federal Court Over Undelivered Text Messages

Android User Takes Apple To Federal Court Over Undelivered Text Messages

Jordan Crook

TechCrunch

Apple will soon face a federal lawsuit brought on by a woman named Adrienne Moore, who, like many former iPhone users who have switched to Android, is upset that she did not receive text messages after switching from iPhone to Android. She is seeking unspecified damages, and to make the lawsuit a class action.
Since the release of iOS 5, Apple has experienced issues with users not receiving text messages after switching from iMessage on an iPhone to an Android device. iMessage works by sending messages over the users data plan, theoretically saving that user money on text messages. If a message fails to go through on iMessage, it’s supposed to default back to text message.

Moore is far from the only person to go through this issue. In fact, Apple recently released a web tool to help users switch from iOS to Android, and prevent this from happening to other users.
The lawsuit was first filed back in May of 2014, and Apple has since moved to dismiss the case. Though Judge Lucy Koh (who happens to be the same judge that presided in the mega battle between Samsung and Apple last year) dismissed some of the claims made by Moore, she still believes that Moore should have the right to argue that Apple disrupted her wireless service from Verizon and violated an unfair competition law in California, according to a Reuters report.
There’s no timeline on when this case is expected to go to court.

If you want to see the original complaint, it’s right here. (Extra links: here, here, and here.)
To check out Apple’s motion to dismiss, click right here.
And finally, here is the full text of Judge Lucy Koh’s decision today.
Moore et al v. Apple Inc by Jordan Crook
[via 9to5mac]

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Good News Swifties ! Blank space hits 15 Million Views

Good News Swifties! Blank space hits 15 Million Views 

Taylor‘s new music video for “Blank Space” has generated a ton of buzz over the past day and a half since it was released online and it looks like tons of people are watching it! The video has been viewed 15 million times already on her Vevo page and now the experience doesn’t even end with the video as Taylor created a super cool new app for fans to get more content.

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Google Has Developed An Intimidating Robot And Trained It To Do A Scene From 'Karate Kid'

Google Has Developed An Intimidating Robot And Trained It To Do A Scene From 'Karate Kid'

Matt Johnston
Business Insider 

Boston Dynamics has created this enormous robot, and maybe most impressively, taught it how to re-enact a famous scene from "The Karate Kid," according to The Daily Mail.
Boston Dynamics is owned by Google.
This slightly terrifying beast of a robot is 6'2" and weighs 330 lbs. Its name is Ian.
The robot was programmed by IHMC in Florida. Ian came in second at the US Government's Robo-Olympics, and was apparently able to walk, carry a fire hose, and get in a car and drive it, according to The Daily Mail.

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Microsoft's first Lumia defines Windows Phone's future

Microsoft's first Lumia defines Windows Phone's future

Tom Warren

The Verge

Microsoft’s first Lumia device is being officially unveiled as the Lumia 535 today, a low-cost smartphone that underlines exactly where the company is heading with Windows Phone. Microsoft’s Lumia 535 isn’t all that different from the Nokia devices that have come before it, but it’s the first to drop the Nokia branding in favor of Microsoft text at the rear and front, and a company logo on the colorful removable shell. All future Lumia devices will launch with Microsoft branding, and existing Lumias with the Nokia moniker will continue to be known as Nokia handsets.

With no new flagship Lumia devices planned this year, Microsoft is betting on low-end handsets to push Lumia sales and Windows Phone market share, a tactic that Nokia adopted before its phone division joined Microsoft earlier this year. Specifications might be low on the Lumia 535, but Microsoft has made some changes that don’t compromise the experience as much as some other budget Lumia devices. The Lumia 535 comes with a 5-inch qHD display (960 x 540), a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, and 1GB of RAM. While the screen is something you’d normally see back in 2011, viewing angles aren’t as bad as you’d expect even if the pixels are clearly visible.

The addition of 1GB of RAM here instead of the usual 512MB is an important move, especially as a lot of Windows Phone games require higher amounts of RAM. Microsoft has also included auto brightness, and a 5-megapixel forward-facing camera with a wide angle lens. In my review of Microsoft’s latest low-end Lumia 630 I had complained about a lack of forward-facing camera, 512MB of RAM, and a lack of automatic display brightness, so it’s encouraging to see Microsoft address all these drawbacks in a device at an even lower price point.

Microsoft is tempting potential Lumia 535 owners with what it calls a "5x5x5" proposition. Essentially, it’s five integrated Microsoft services: Skype, Office, OneDrive, Cortana, and OneNote. While Microsoft can and should be bundling these essential apps, it’s hard to see these — with the exception of Cortana — as differentiators. Microsoft’s Skype, Office, OneDrive, and OneNote apps are all better on iOS and Android compared to their Windows Phone equivalents. It might work at the low-end here with the Lumia 535 as owners aren’t expecting much for their money, but it’s increasingly difficult for the company to use these services as a unique offering for its Lumia phones across the board.

"Lumia is very much our smartphone brand."

What the Lumia 535 really signals is Microsoft’s clear plan for Windows Phone. The software giant has been signing partnerships with low-cost hardware makers, and Windows Phone is sorely lacking a flagship device to compete with the iPhone 6, Nexus 6, and many other high-end Android devices this holiday season. Microsoft is focusing on the low-end of the market to drive growth and keep Windows Phone healthy. Microsoft did have an opportunity to partially reset here, but it’s keeping the numbering scheme Nokia introduced, and even the Lumia brand. "We believe that there’s a lot of equity in people’s knowledge and understand at the basic level of our numbering scheme," says Neil Broadley, director of phone product marketing at Microsoft. "Lumia is very much our smartphone brand," explains Broadley, noting that Surface will remain focused solely on "iconic tablet experiences."

Perhaps the most surprising part of the Lumia 535 is its price. Microsoft is aiming to make the handset available in single and dual-SIM variants for around 110 euros ($130) in November. That’s slightly more than the $114 the Lumia 530 debuted at, but for the extra cash you’re getting a bigger display, forward-facing camera, and a reasonable bump in specifications. Microsoft’s Lumia 535 will be available initially in Asian markets, expanding to Russian and the Middle East in the coming months.

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