Saturday, June 7, 2014

Software : Netflix for Android gets 'Post-Play' just in time to binge on OITNB Season 2

Software : Netflix for Android gets 'Post-Play' just in time to binge on OITNB Season 2

Netflix for Android gets 'Post-Play' just in time to binge on OITNB Season 2

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Netflix for Android gets 'Post-Play' just in time to binge on OITNB Season 2

Netflix has rolled out its post-play experience for Android smartphones and tablets.

The feature, which gives users the opportunity to select the next episode it, or to auto-play if they choose to press nothing, has been available on many other platforms, like iOS, PS3 and the web for some time.

For TV shows it queues up the next episode but for movies (tablets only) it offers three recommendations for what you might want to watch next, the company revealed on its blog.

Users will require Android 4.0 or higher and the update is available from the Google Play Store as of right now.

OITNB is back

The bump comes as may users will be settling in to binge watch the new season of Netflix Original series Orange is the New Black, which arrived on Friday.

If you're an Android phone or tablet owner, you only need one click to breeze through the entire thing, notwithstanding the odd pause for a toilet break here and there.

Upcoming 'Nearby' feature for Android will allow devices to listen for each other

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Upcoming 'Nearby' feature for Android will allow devices to listen for each other

Google is working on a new connectivity feature for Android that would allow users to share and receive information based on their proximity to other devices.

According to information obtained by Android Police, the new toolset will automatically connect users in order to share contact information, receive offers from in store beacons or interact with in-home tech.

"Nearby lets you connect, share, and do more with people, places, and things near you," Google writes on the on-boarding page for the feature.

That, according to the site will also allow users to set a reminder on their phones for next time they happen to meet a particular person, or go to a particular store.

Listening in

However, as neat as the feature sounds, it wouldn't be Google without some privacy concerns.

Once Nearby is turned on users are giving their permission for their phone's microphone to be enabled in order to 'listen' for other devices, which will apparently emit sounds inaudible to the human ear. It also grants permission to turn on the device's Wi-Fi automatically and shares the user's location history.

With continuing fears over phone tapping and government snooping, many users may be unwilling to sign up for a service that's always listening in on whatever they're doing, even if it is to find other devices.

"When Nearby is turned on for your account, Google can periodically turn on the mic, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and similar features on all your current and future devices. Google+ and other Google services need this access to help you connect, share, and more," the company writes.

The site reports this feature, which in many ways is a progression of the Bump app Google purchased in late 2013, may be announced at Google I/O later this month.

Google reportedly in the mood for music streaming app Songza

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Google reportedly in the mood for music streaming app Songza

Google is chasing mood-based music streaming service Songza, according to reports on Friday.

The New York Post says the web giant is looking to boost its music portfolio by adding the online radio service that allows users to pick playlists based on their mood, the time of the week, activities and more.

According to the report, Google has offered in the region of $15m (around £9m, AU$16m) for the six-year-old start up, which has approximately 5.5m active users.

Google, which already offers custom radio stations through its Play Music All Access service, may have focused its interest in Songza's playlist curation and recommendation algorithms.

Lowballing?

The firm is seeking to gain a better foothold in the streaming market as it seeks to battle the likes of iTunes Radio, Spotify, Beats Music and Pandora.

It is also rumoured the company is looking to launch a dedicated YouTube streaming service at some point in the near future. Could Songza play into that?

Neither company has commented on the reports, but it does seem that in this era of start-ups selling for billions, a meagre $15m bid for a relatively well-known and established service seems a bit low.

We'll keep you informed should this one develop further.

Apple snaps up Spotsetter social reviews app to boost Maps effort

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Apple snaps up Spotsetter social reviews app to boost Maps effort

Apple has reportedly dipped into its rather deep pockets once again, this time to buy the map-based social reviews app Spotsetter.

TechCrunch claims Cupertino has agreed a deal to acquire the firm and its founders, former Google Maps engineer Stephen Tse and Johnny Lee, who announced they were shuttering the Spotsetter app last week.

The app had aimed to being users recommendations by highlighting places that people in their circle had visited on a map. In that way, it was rather similar to the likes of Foursquare.

Its distinguishing factor was the ability to bring in reviews from services like Yelp, Trip Advisor, Michelin and more and in doing so it had racked up more than five million users.

Boosting Maps

Apple is likely to plug the technology into its Maps app, which despite improving dramatically since its unpopular displacement of Google Maps, still carries the legacy of its early stutters.

Neither firm has officially announced the acquisition, but TechCrunch, who broke the story points out, both founders' LinkedIn profiles now reveal they work at Apple.

It isn't the first time Apple has dipped into the market to boost Maps. In recent times it has snapped up companies like Locationary, WiFiSlam, Broadmap, HotStop and Embark. Add Spotsetter to that list.

Apple and Spotsetter may make Maps your app of choice

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Apple and Spotsetter may make Maps your app of choice

Apple may not have given up on ousting Google as the leading mobile map application on the market. According to reports, Apple has agreed to acquire location-based social search engine Spotsetter.

Spotsetter combines maps, business location information, user images and reviews to form a personalized recommendation engine across a user's social network. The technology enables consumers to search for venues, or search by location, to read about their friends' experiences.

Industry reports suggest Apple will leverage the social aspect of Spotsetter to improve interactivity within its own Maps application.

Apple Maps … oy vey

With Spotsetter's technology, it may be possible for users to open Apple Maps and receive personalized recommendations based on their social networks without leaving the application.

Two years ago, Apple pre-installed its Maps application on the iPhone, but ultimately urged users to install and use Google Maps after its own app was deemed unreliable.

Prior to the acquisition, Spotsetter had processed more than five million user profiles, 40 million venues, and one million curated venue content items from around the world, according to TechCrunch. The company was founded by ex-Google Maps engineer Stephen Tse and Johnny Lee.

Spotsetter has been removed from Apple's App store. Tse announced Spotsetter would be shutting down six days ago in a blog post. Lee and Tse now both list Apple as their current employers on LinkedIn.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Oh great: Is this new OpenSSL flaw worse than Heartbleed?

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Oh great: Is this new OpenSSL flaw worse than Heartbleed?

The Heartbleed flaw discovered in OpenSSL was one of the worst web vulnerabilities in history, but believe it or not it may have already been dethroned.

Even more incredible is the fact that once again, OpenSSL may be to blame.

The "CCS Injection Vulnerability" was discovered by Tatsuya Hayashi, who said it "may be more dangerous than Heartbleed," according to The Guardian.

Attackers can reportedly use this weakness to intercept and even alter data passing between computer and websites in a classic man-in-the-middle maneuver as long as they're on the same network, like a public Wi-Fi hub.

Hopelessly flawed

The flaw was reportedly introduced into the OpenSSL encryption standard 16 years ago, when OpenSSL was introduced in 1998, but it's only just been discovered.

It affects all past versions of OpenSSL and servers running OpenSSL 1.0.1 or the beta version for 1.0.2.

Meanwhile it's not even the only flaw to be uncovered this week; another allowed hackers to send malicious code to machines running OpenSSL. This flaw was reportedly added four years ago by Robin Seggelmann, the same dev who created Heartbleed.

The OpenSSL open source project has already issued a patch, but this newest discovery has nevertheless revived the question of whether it's time to kill OpenSSL once and for all.

PayPal ready to play with Touch ID support for its iPhone app

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PayPal ready to play with Touch ID support for its iPhone app

Apple delighted iOS developers this week with the announcement of more than 4,000 new APIs, one of which enables apps to take advantage of the fingerprint sensor built into the iPhone 5S.

Business Insider reported that PayPal engineers were indeed in the audience for Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco this week, and one upcoming iOS 8 feature in particular has piqued the interest of the online payment service.

PayPal Senior Director of Global Initiatives Anuj Nayar confirmed company developers were on hand for a WWDC session detailing forthcoming changes to Touch ID, which could, for example, be used to log into PayPal's mobile app to send payments.

"It seems to be a fairly easy API to use, but we're still kicking the tires," an unnamed PayPal insider elaborated.

Thumbs (and fingers) up

When Cupertino's latest mobile operating system lands this fall, the fingerprint sensor built into the iPhone 5S will no longer be limited to just unlocking the device or authorizing iTunes Store purchases.

Thanks to a new API, Touch ID can now be integrated into third-party apps, such as the official PayPal solution that currently allows customers to send and receive payments using a password or PIN code.

While many pundits believe Touch ID is only the opening salvo in an all-out assault by Apple on a mobile payment system, existing services such as PayPal have been dabbling with similar efforts on finger-friendly smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S5.

Presumably, owners of Touch ID-enabled iOS devices would be able to log into their PayPal account to transfer funds or manage settings without the need for a password or even cell phone login credentials, which currently are secured by a four-digit PIN code.

  • For more Apple love, check out our full review of the latest MacBook Air!
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