EwtNet

Author: Jake Bruton

  • Google plans to add Android directly into your vehicle

    Google plans to add Android directly into your vehicle

    The company is working on a new Android version that will power a car’s entertainment and navigation systems, connect it to the Internet, and integrate with the vehicle’s sensors, a Reuters report says.

    Sometime in the not-too-distant future, cars from many automakers could feature a version of Google’s Android operating system built directly into the vehicles.
    If Google’s plans take shape, its operating system will power the car’s entertainment and navigation systems, connect it to the Internet, and integrate with the vehicle’s sensors, camera, fuel gauge and other components.

    That’s according to a report by Reuters Dec. 19 that it said was based on conversations with two unnamed officials with knowledge of the matter. According to Reuters, Google could announce plans for integrating Android directly into cars when it rolls out Android M, the successor to its recently released Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system, sometime next year.
    Google did not confirm or deny the report. In an email, the company merely noted that it does not comment on rumors and speculation.

    But if Google were indeed to integrate Android directly into vehicles someday, that would mark a significant step forward for the company.  At the I/O conference this year, Google announced Android Auto, software that will allow drivers to basically stream most of their smartphone’s functions to the in-car display. Android Auto is expected out next year. It will allow drivers to take advantage of Google Maps, Google Now and other Android applications more easily when driving using simple voice commands and touch commands.

    With the new version of Android that Google is reportedly working on, drivers will no longer be required to connect their phones to the vehicle. Instead, a lot of the same functionality that is currently available on Android smartphones will be accessible directly from the vehicle in a manner that is optimized for in-vehicle use.

    Google’s big challenge though will be to persuade automakers to integrate its technology into their vehicles. Google has said that Android Auto will be available in vehicles from several major domestic and international automakers, including Ford, Chrysler, Honda and Audi.
    However, some automakers may be wary of giving the company too much access to internal components for safety reasons and because of branding concerns, Reuters noted.
    Google will also have to deal with the myriad safety concerns that have been expressed over connected cars recently. Security researchers have already shown how hackers can exploit a connected vehicle’s electronic control unit and take remote control of functions like steering, braking and acceleration.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration highlighted several of those concerns in a report on connected cars earlier this year while advocating the need for intrusion detection, access control and other security technologies in vehicles over the next few years. One of the areas of concerns highlighted in the report has to do with in-vehicle entertainment and navigation systems becoming potential attack vectors in connected cars of the future.

    For safety-conscious automakers to allow any version of Android to be integrated into their vehicles, Google will likely have to first considerably bolster the security of the operating system. Currently, Android is one of the most attacked operating systems in the world, with more malware targeting it than any other mobile operating system.

    via eWeek

  • Amazon is getting “Fired” up for another smartphone

    Amazon is getting “Fired” up for another smartphone

    In June of 2014, Amazon tried to launch their newest product – the Fire phone. It was essentially a modified Android phone with a “unique” 3D display and a ton of references to different Amazon shops. It turned out that “Fire” was pretty cold, being a complete failure. The phone hit Amazon with a $170 million loss in its most recent financial quarter to account for “inventory valuation and supplier commitment cost.” The major commerce company is finding it hard to even give these things away; if you wander into a Amazon warehouse, you may just find a big pile of these lonely little buggers hoping; waiting for someone to come and make them theirs.

    However, Bezos & CO aren’t giving up without a few punches here, truly living up to the phrase “if at first you don’t succeed, try again.” On Friday, Amazon released a software update for their Fire phone that adds new features and sources close to the giant company says they have plans of releasing a second Fire phone, just not anytime soon.

    Among the new features in the Friday update is text translation for the Fire Phone’s Firefly app, where you can scan text and have it converted to or from English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.

    Firefly has also been trained to identify 2,000 famous paintings, for those of you who like to walk around art museums with your mobile in your hand.

    The update introduces a new camera feature named Best Shot, a (camera) app that takes three quick photos and lets the user choose the best ones. Amazon said this would be great for group photos or pictures of children or pets. There are also some minor UI changes, such as adjustable SMS settings and blocking phone calls by the number. Added to their “flop” phone was a office-document editing app, VPN support, and even more which you can find in the full list of changes here.

    On the topic of making another phone that customers will actually like, VentureBeat reports that several sources agree that the online megastore will take another shot at it, but it’s not in a hurry. It has “gone back to the drawing board,” one source claimed, and is currently pondering which features to put into the new device that would make it appealing, with an eye to ship it sometime in 2016.

    And we may be able to expect more phones to come from Amazon after that. The company CEO Jeff Bezos gives the Fire Phone line full support and believes it’s a young product that the company will need to “iterate” over time.

    What do you think of a new Fire phone coming out, or about the changes in the new update? Leave a comment below.

    source(s);
    TheRegister

  • Sony Hack: President of United States vows responsibility for FBI claims

    Sony Hack: President of United States vows responsibility for FBI claims

      A couple of days ago, North Korea was posed as the fault to the SONY FILMS hack, formally by the FBI. This all followed the major GOP hack on SONY FILMS databases, media, and employees. There is no doubt that the news of and following the SONY FILMS hack is the most breaking and worrisome in both the political and technological industries at the moment. The following article is from BBC News: President Barack Obama has vowed a US response after North Korea’s alleged cyber-attack on Sony Pictures. The US leader also said the studio “made a mistake” in cancelling the Christmas release of The Interview, a satire depicting the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Sony said it still planned to release the film “on a different platform”. On Friday US authorities linked North Korea to the hack, which saw sensitive studio information publicly released. Sony said it cancelled the planned Christmas release of the film after a majority of cinemas refused to show it following anonymous threats. “We will respond,” Mr Obama told reporters on Friday, declining to offer specifics. “We will respond proportionately and in a space, time and manner that we choose.” He added: “We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship in the United States.”

    Sony HQ in California

    The US leader said it was important to protect both public and private cyber-systems from attack which could have significant economic and social impacts. Mr Obama also noted he believed Sony Pictures was mistaken in failing to go ahead with the release. “Americans cannot change their patterns of behaviour due to the possibility of a terrorist attack,” he said. “That’s not who we are, that’s not what America is about.” Analysis: Dave Lee, BBC technology reporter The FBI say it spotted distinct similarities between the type of malware used in the Sony Pictures attack and code used to attack South Korea last year. Suspicious, yes, but well short of being a smoking gun. When any malware is discovered, it is shared around many experts for analysis – any attacker could simply reversion the code for their own use, like a cover version of a song. But there’s another, better clue: IP addresses – locations, essentially – known to be part of “North Korean infrastructure” formed part of the malware too. This suggests the attack may have been controlled by people who have acted for North Korea in the past. What is the FBI evidence?   Sony Pictures chief executive and chairman Michael Lynton later told CNN it had not made an error in pulling the film. He said the president, press and public were mistaken about the withdrawal, saying the decision had only been taken after major chains had refused to screen it. He said: “We have not caved, we have not given in, we have persevered and we have not backed down.” A Sony statement on Friday said that the firm was “actively surveying alternatives to enable us to release the movie on a different platform”. “It is still our hope that anyone who wants to see this movie will get the opportunity to do so,” the statement said. Earlier on Friday, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation officially tied North Korea to the cyber-attack, linking the country to malware used in the incident. Hackers had earlier issued a warning referring to the 11 September 2001 terror attacks, saying “the world will be full of fear” if the film was screened. Poster for The InterviewThe duo play journalists enlisted to kill Kim Jong-un The movie features James Franco and Seth Rogen as two journalists who are granted an audience with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The CIA then enlists the pair to assassinate him. The film was due to have been released over Christmas. The film’s cancelled release drew criticism in Hollywood, with some calling it an attack on the freedom of expression. Actor George Clooney told the trade website Deadline on Thursday the film should be released online, saying Hollywood shouldn’t be threatened by North Korea. In November, a cyber-attack crippled computers at Sony and led to upcoming films and workers’ personal data being leaked online. The hackers also released salary details and social security numbers for thousands of Sony employees – including celebrities. Kim Jong-Un with North Korean soldiers' familiesNorth Korea says the film hurts the “dignity of its supreme leadership” North Korea earlier this month denied involvement in the hack – but praised the attack itself as a “righteous deed”. An article on North Korea’s state-run KCNA news agency, quoting the country’s top military body, said suggestions that Pyongyang was behind the attack were “wild rumour”. However, it warned the US that “there are a great number of supporters and sympathisers” of North Korea “all over the world” who may have carried out the attack. In the article, Sony Pictures was accused of “abetting a terrorist act” and “hurting the dignity of the supreme leadership” of North Korea by producing the movie. source: BBC news

  • Facebook is dropping in Popularity with Teens Again, Study Shows

    Facebook is dropping in Popularity with Teens Again, Study Shows

  • Reddit plans on giving back to the communities and users with Reddit Notes

    Reddit plans on giving back to the communities and users with Reddit Notes

    After securing $50 million in outside funding back in September, Reddit had promised it would find a way to let the community own 10 percent of those shares. Today, it is revealing some details as to how: Reddit Notes.

    Details are still vague, but Reddit will host a random lottery to give away around 950,000 notes to divide among active users. They will then be able to deposit their notes into a virtual wallet, after which they can use the funds to “tip, donate or trade.”

    Reddit Notes started taking shape after listening to thousands of requests from users and considering some ideas of its own. The company notes its still working out the kinks – such as how the plan will work under government regulations – and plans to start handing out the notes in fall of 2015.

    Artilce via TheNextWeb
    Sources: Announcing Reddit Notes

  • Will our privacy problems be solved by 2025? Responses released in Pew study

    Will our privacy problems be solved by 2025? Responses released in Pew study

    As more innovators and tech gurus crawl into the ever-growing technology and internet market, the concern between users and their privacy online become more and more dominant. According to a Pew Research Center study, policymakers and tech innovators will have a hard time to respond.

    Experts responded to a survey with split opinions on the matter that politicians and tech innovators can create “secure, popularly accepted, and trusted privacy-rights infrastructure by 2025 that allows for business innovation and monetization,” while offering people accessible options for protecting their personal info.

    Looking at the results of the survey, about 55% of the 2,511 people surveyed said they believed a accepted privacy-rights infrastructure would exist in the next decade. The other 45% said it would, however. Regardless to the surveyed thoughts on the future of online privacy, many had agreed that online life is public nature.

    “Almost everybody agrees this new environment is coming,” said Lee Rainie, co-author of the study. “About half say we will make accommodations and about half say it’s an inexorable blob that will swallow people’s lives…and leave people in an environment where they have little control over their privacy.”

    Pew’s survey uncovered common threads among responses; many experts agreed that security and privacy are “foundational issues of the digital world” and that people don’t require much more than the draw of convenience to share their personal information.

    “Lack of concern about privacy stems from complacency because most people’s life experiences teach them that revealing their private information allows commercial (and public) organisations to make their lives easier (by targeting their needs), whereas the detrimental cases tend to be very serious but relatively rare,” Bob Briscoe, chief researcher in networking and infrastructure for British Telecom, wrote in his response.

    We are living in an unprecedented age of surveillance, said John Wilbanks, chief commons officer for the biomedical research company Sage Bionetworks.

    “I do not think 10 years is long enough for policymakers to change the way they make policy to keep up with the rate of technological progress. We have never had ubiquitous surveillance before, much less a form of ubiquitous surveillance that emerges primarily from voluntary (if market-obscured) choices,” he said.

    What does this mean for the media, which often relies on targeted ads mined from readers’ personal data? The widespread use of personalized ads is a fait accompli, Rainie said. They aren’t going anywhere.

    “People don’t freak out now when they see ads that they see on other sites, or ads related to things they search for,” he said. “What experts would say is it’s a settled issue, not a top-of-mind problem.”

    The tricky part is figuring out “the Internet of things,” Rainie added, and adapting to future changes in the display and rendering of information.

    And social and cultural norms are ever-changing, said Homero Gil de Zuniga, director of the Digital Media Research Program at the University of Texas-Austin. That includes perceptions of privacy.
    “By 2025, many of the issues, behaviors, and information we consider to be private today will not be so,” he told Pew. “Information will be even more pervasive, even more liquid, and portable. The digital private sphere, as well as the digital public sphere, will most likely completely overlap.”

    What do you think of the idea of still not having an accepted, private-rights infrastructure by the next decade? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.

    sources:
    latimes.com

  • BlackBerry launches their Classic smartphone with a traditional keyboard

    BlackBerry launches their Classic smartphone with a traditional keyboard

    BlackBerry is hitting the market by returning to their roots; releasing a new “Classic” smartphone with a traditional keyboard which seems like an un-logical choice in the time when rival Apple and Android devices – and most smartphone customers – have come to accept and use their screen for almost all functionality.
    BlackBerry is calling out to it’s core customer with the Classic – business folk. The physical keyboard is a traditional asset that BlackBerry users have found to be more easier and comfortable to use than to type using a touch-screen keypad. The company is also putting their emphasis on security and long battery life, however there is little released facts to prove the ladder.
     “A lot of people say the Classic is aiming for loyal customers. And that is true,” CEO John Chen said at the gadget’s launch event, tellingly held in New York City’s Financial District. But he also invited people who haven’t used a BlackBerry “especially people who are young,” to try the BlackBerry Classic.
    1999 was the year BlackBerry came up with the RIM 950, and allowed on-the-go business people to access their email wirelessly. Soon however more and more competitors came around, and BlackBerry seemed to have turned ancient. Apple showed that phones could definitely perform to a greater extent past the use of email and phone calls, and all while BlackBerry was too late to overhaul its operating system.
    A obvious sign to BlackBerry’s decline is their hold on the smartphone market – they only hold a small fraction compared to the nearly 50% that they continuously had going up until as late as 2009. The company is trying to stay relevant on making hardware even as it tries to transform into an enterprise security and consumer software company. Whether the Classic will sell enough to keep it in the hardware business is unclear.
    “It’s going to be a niche product based around enterprise, based around security and pockets of the world where there is still strengths. The future of this company is not the hardware,” BGC analyst Colin Gillis said. The BlackBerry classic is on sale as of Wednesday (12/17/2014) for $449 in the U.S through Amazon.com and BlackBerry.com. The phone will soon be available at AT&T and Verizon shops and their respective websites.
    What are your thoughts on the BlackBerry Classic? What do you love/hate about it? Let us know in the comments.
    source:
  • Instagram now bigger than Twitter with 300 Million Users

    Instagram now bigger than Twitter with 300 Million Users

    Instagram has reached over 300 million active users, a tremendous milestone for the company. Across the abundance of users, there are roughly about 70 million photos shared each day, accompanied by 2.5 billion “likes.”

    Since March, the active user count for Instagram has grown over 100 million. Quite fast and quite good indeed. This also makes Instagram now more popular than Twitter; only amassing to 284 million active users a month, it’s market cap being around $23 million. Why this detail? Because Instagram was acquired by Facebook back in April 2012 for only $1 billion.

    More than 70% of Instagram’s users are outside of the U.S., and across the network the users have shared over 30 billion photos.

    “We’re seeing a lot of people coming in the fashion world, a lot of people coming in, in the youthful teens world, and a lot of people internationally as well,” 

    CEO Kevin Systrom said in an interview with CNBC. Can Instagram keep up with this change of pace? “That’s the big challenge for me and my team going forward,” he said. One way Mr. Systrom aims to do so is to make it easier than ever for people to find new content they would love and more and more people to follow to keep updated with said-content. “There are photos pouring in from everywhere in the world. If you’re interested in really eclectic topics, I guarantee you there are accounts that are related to that. So we need to make sure to connect you with the content that matters most to you.“

    There is more to the announcements by Instagram than just the 300 million user marker. To help combat spam on their app, they are rolling out a verification badge to be displayed on the profiles of celebrities, athletes, brands and other user types, to help ensure the majority of users know they’re connecting with the real person behind the account. Instagram also said it was planning to remove all “spammy” accounts from the service to improve the app for everyone.

    The removal of spam is required whilst Instagram ramps up in popularity and usage. Mr. Systrom said that Instagram doesn’t aim to compete with tech companies in their advertising platform (which is another major reason for the removal of the spam), but to compete against print and television ads – something you don’t really hear in the comparison of online ad competitors.

    “We are selling brand advertising that shifts perceptions, for instance like Chobani,” said Systrom.

    “Chobani did a really wonderful yogurt campaign on Instagram to shift perceptions away from the fact that they were just yogurt. And they had a 7 point incremental lift on shifting that perception through a brand advertisement on Instagram. That’s the type of thing you typically see in a magazine or on TV. If you look at those markets, they are very, very large. And I think that’s what we’re going after. So you can see where we’re headed.“

    Though Instagram has outnumbered Twitter in active users, they still have a long while to catch up to the company in revenue terms; which was $365 million in the last quarter. “I think it’s hard to compare Twitter and Instagram,” he said. “Twitter has a more mature business. They’re public. We’ve just started monetizing. We have a lot to prove before we’re, you know, worth many billions of dollars,“

    When asked if he felt like he wasted billions on the Facebook acquisition, Kevin Systrom denied, saying he doesn’t think of it that way, and that he has Facebook to thank for the intense growth of the company.

    sources:
    CNBC
    Google News
    blog.theadvocate.com (image)

    What do you think of the good news Instagram has released? Leave a comment below.

  • NSA has a spying program that targets many mobile networks

    NSA has a spying program that targets many mobile networks

      The NSA has recently conducted a campaign focused on the interception of internal communications of operators and trade groups in order to infiltrate mobile networks around the world, according to recent revelations from Edward Snowden.   

    The U.S. National Security Agency ran two undisclosed operations, the Wireless Portfolio Management Office and the Target Technology Trends Center, operating under the aegis of a program called Auroragold, according to an article Saturday in The Intercept, which also published related documents.

    Operations closely monitored the GSM Association with a maintained list of 1,201 email targets or “selectors” used to intercept internal company communications and gathered information of network security flaws in the process.

    As of May 2012, NSA documents shown that the company had collected technical information on about 70% of  the  estimated 985 mobile phone networks worldwide. Besides mentioned names of operations in Libya, Iran, and China; no other names of the targeted networks were disclosed in the documents revealed by Snowden. Intercept founding editors Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras have been instrumental in helping Snowden leak NSA documents to the public through various media outlet

    The mentioned NSA operations collected information in “IR.21” documents used by  the GMSA members to report security weaknesses and encryption details used by mobile operators, according to the documents of Mr. Snowden. The NSA used this information to circumvent encrypted communications, according to the documents.

    “NSA collects only those communications that it is authorized by law to collect in response to valid foreign intelligence and counterintelligence requirements — regardless of the technical means used by foreign targets, or the means by which those targets attempt to hide their communications,” the NSA said in an emailed statement. “Terrorists, weapons proliferators, and other foreign targets often rely on the same means of communication as ordinary people. In order to anticipate and understand evolving threats to our citizens and our allies, NSA works to indentify and report on the communications of valid foreign targets.”

    Since June 2013, Snowden’s leaked documents have lead to a series of of reports on the extent of NSA’s spying on Internet and telecom networks worldwide. The documents have also shown that the NSA has hacked into emails of leaders of U.S. allies as well as into networks and equipment of foreign companies including China-based Huawei.

    Additional to the covert spying, the NSA has a bulk telephone record collection system highly criticized by many. Last month, NSA Director Michael Rogers said the agency is planning no major changes in its domestic telephone records collection program after a bill to curb those efforts failed in the Senate.

    sources:
    computerworld.com – computerworld.com(2)
    firstlook.com
    pcworld.com

    What are your thoughts on the NSA’s mobile spying intentions thus far? Leave a comment below.

  • It’s the Holidays, here are 10 Apps/Movies/Albums on Google play to get to get in the spirit.

    It’s the Holidays, here are 10 Apps/Movies/Albums on Google play to get to get in the spirit.

    SantaDroid-1 (1)
    Hey, are you an Android user? Good, because the end-year Holidays are rounding up on us quick, and you need to snap into the spirit! We live in a amazing age where we can set the mood from the power of a small device, in this case your Android. So, with that out of the way let us make like Santa to our list of 10 Apps/Movies/Albums to get on Google Play to help get you “ho-ho-ho’ing” into the spirit of the season.

    1) Frosty the Snowman: Holiday Collection (Movies)

    Ah, a classic! Fortunate for you this Holiday Seaon, Frosty the Snowman: Holiday Collection is available on the Google Play store. Each episode starts at $9.99 but you can save by getting the entire bundle for $12.99. If you have a Chromecast and you’ll be having a lot of kids around this season, then you should definitely look into this classic set of short-films.

    2)Wish – Shopping made Fun (App)

    You or someone special to you a fashonista? Then you should definitely check out this Android application conveniently named “Wish.” Their slogan; Shopping made Fun. I personally am using this app (yep, that means an app review to come soon), and so far I can definitely recommend it. It’s focus is letting worldwide customers get constant deals stacked on deals on awesome clothes, accessories, and other fashion items that are sold from vendors around the world. Take my word on it, it is cheap. Perfect to make you some quick “ugly sweater” shopping for X-mas.

    3)Christmas Fun (App)

    Step one: get some friends. Step two: put on ugly sweaters. Step three: make hot chocolate. Step four: sit down and pull out this game. Step five: ??? = Merry Memories. This newly found app on the Play store is a Christmas oriented piece of work. Developed by SMARTSTUDY, this app is meant to make your Christmas season more fun with songs and activities. It comes with features like 16 Christmas songs with a sing-a-long feature, little seasonal games, and more all accompanied by amazingly cute graphics and animations.

    4)Mr. Hankey’s Christmas Classics (Music)

    It’s Christmas, and you are wanting some funny sh*t. This album is for you. You will be greeted with a total of 18 songs all across the South Park history of Christmas and Holidays. No doubt that this could help make your office Christmas party less quiet and more fun (no guarantee on how it will effect the status of your job) for everyone!

    5)NOW Today’s Christmas (Music)

    This album is for those looking to move onto new traditional music for the Holidays. This “NOW” album is a good pick up for a great price ($5.99) that focuses on Christmas music from today’s hottest artist.

    6)Betty Crocker Christmas Cookies (Books)

    Mmmm..imagine waking up to the smell of delicious, beautiful cookies on Christmas morning – only to find out that Santa had eaten them. Anyways, this book on Google Play Books is filled with Christmas-oriented cookies recipes. Perfect gift for your mom, or yourself if you love to bake!

    7)Allrecipes Dinner Spinner (Apps)

    Staying on the trend of recipes and cooking (I like to cook in my spare time), next on this list of Holiday Android goods is the Allrecipes (Dinner Spinner) application. Having personal experience with this app, I can definitely recommend it for everyone preparing multiple items for that Christmas dinner, or that New Year’s Eve punch.

    8)Hotwire Hotels & Cars (Apps)

    This app will be best for those travelling around this Holiday Season. Hotwire helps their users get discounts on great hotel rooms and rental cars. No more stressing over the pre-planning stage of your family Holiday travels!

    9)Kids Paint Christmas Cards (Apps)

    Kids Paint Christmas Cards is a neat little app that offers a cutesy painting system that your children will love. You can use the replay mode to re-watch your coloring session, and share created cards to friends on social media. There are 60+ templates, so get to it!

    10)Amazon (Apps)

    And to tie off the list with a fan-favorite: the official amazon app for Android. Download, tap items into your cart, and get those last-minute gifts in quickly and safely.
    There, now you have your Christmas and New Year’s Eve setup from your friends at EWTNet! However, this is just our own personal list of recommendations, if you’re looking for more go and check out Google’s Holiday Prep Kit on Google Play! Happy Holidays from EWTNet.
    BONUS: Love our tech-related news and updates? We also offer tech profiles and job vacancies in the US and Africa. You can get our official Android app here and make your technical Holiday Season better and more informative.
  • Nintendo’s new Star Fox Game said to release before the new Zelda Title for the WiiU

    Nintendo’s new Star Fox Game said to release before the new Zelda Title for the WiiU

    Nintendo has revealed that it will be releasing it’s new Star Fox for WiiU game ahead of the more anticipated Legend of Zelda title.
    During the Game Awards in Las Vegas, CA, the developer of the ever-lasting Mario franchise show cased in a video that the game will be released in 2015 – a head of the next installment for The Legend of Zelda series. During the announcement, Shigeru Miyamoto also announced that the game would be employing some new features that will take the gamepad experience for the game to the next level.

    Several people that played the game have stated that players can now control the Airwing using the gamepad’s analogue sticks when aiming and firing at enemies. There are also now special effects during the transition of the Airwing into a Landmaster; two pinnacles of the series’ vehicles.
    One last thing noted is the added creation of a seemingly two-player mode where one player controlls a helicopter, and the other a small robot that collects items and materials.
    If you’re anything like me, you’re very excited for the release of the new Star Fox game. Having played the original, 3DS remake, and the original Gamecube Star Fox; I am a bit excited to see the execution of this game, especially much sooner than the new Legend of Zelda.
    (Story developing)
    sources:
  • Larry Page; the main man of Google; puts Sundar Pichai in control of more of Google’s products.

    Larry Page; the main man of Google; puts Sundar Pichai in control of more of Google’s products.

    On Friday of last week, Google boss Larry Page sent out a memo to staff that Sundar Pichai – the man responsible for Android, Chrome, and Google Apps, will be taking on the responsibility of even more Google products. These products include Maps, Search, Research, Commerce, Ads, Infrastructure, and Google+.

    Page said that the move would help free up more time for him to focus on bigger projects, such as new products and strategies for the corporate, while Pichai puts his concentration on the already-existing business units. Such a move like this makes most believe that a move like this is putting Pichai steps closer to getting the top job of Google, and he will most likely be taken over the seat when Larry Page decides he’s done.

    Pichai was born Pichai Sundararajan in the Indian city of Chennai (formerly Madras) in 1972 and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Technology from IIT-Kharagpur in West Bengal, a Master’s degree from Stanford University, and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
    After a brief spell at management consultants McKinsey & Company, Pichai held various positions at Applied Materials before joining Google in 2004 as a product manager. He originally focused on Google Apps but later took responsibility for Chrome and Chrome OS, too.
    After Andy Rubin left the Android team in March of last year to concentrate on Google’s robotics ambitions, Pichai also added the mobile OS to his responsibilities, and has been the public face of the division ever since.  – history source from theregister.co.uk.

    What do you think of this move by Mr. Page? Comment below with your opinions.

  • WeeShare! is now hubshr.com

    WeeShare! is now hubshr.com

    Today (10/26/2014) WeeShare! re-branded, it’s new name now “hubshr” and it’s new url www.hubshr.com. The changes began earlier in the morning, and were in active development up until late in the evening. The original post from the hubshr news blog:

    “WeeShare! will no longer be WeeShare! Hi, nice to meet you, my new name is hubshr. hubshr.com to be exact! … is what the website WOULD say to you if it COULD talk.

    Anyways, I’ve been wanting to do rebranding on the name of WeeShare! (now hubshr – remember!) for quite some time, so I decided to do it while it was still small. hubshr is also now a top level domain, we are now a .com! You can still access hubshr by using weeshare.ws but the main domain will be hubshr.com forever now. Along with this, our logo and icons have changed to – just a different name and font however. This re-brand was for our name and domain only; I will admit I was thinking about theme color changes as well but black is the color of sophistication and luxury: which is what I believe transparent and open-source social networking is like. So, enjoy the new name and ease of domain!”   With that, the official Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ pages for the online service made changes. The homepage of the website was re-styled as well, with a new “modern” look (picture below). As another additive to the re-brand, the support of third-party videos was added to the website as well.  

    New logo
    New singe-letter icon
    The 1st promotional image for the new named service
    The brand new homepage shows you the info of the service and a nice, quiet motionimage of New York City.
  • The alternative networking site to Facebook: WeeShare! – The World’s Social Network.

    The alternative networking site to Facebook: WeeShare! – The World’s Social Network.

    A new social website has sub-merged, though it isn’t exactly “new.” We’re sure you’ve heard of the site “Ello” that recently appeared, and the rise and fall of Diaspora*, and now a new social network (a social discovery network to be exact) has merged claiming to be the alternative to Facebook: WeeShare!
    WeeShare! is a website started by Jake Brunton all the way back in 2011; hence it not being so “new.” It started out as a mobile chat site, and then eventually adapted to be a desktop social network around the end of 2011/beginning of 2012.
     
    WeeShare! from May 1st, 2012.
    WeeShare’s mission since 2012 of June was to be the world’s safe, fast, and open-source alternative to Facebook. It stands true to it’s open-source ways, being powered on the Open Source software “Oxwall” and with many functions/designs contributed by users and everyday people.
    WeeShare’s owner and his colleague Mateo Celis continued the project without ever shedding more than a couple dollars on it; none of which went to advertising. The site made it to 800+ members by April 2014, right before it was removed by the host it was on due to a late bill.
    Jake took the project on again and it was live as an [alpha] project in mid-July, now being live and online as a beta project for anyone to contribute to since mid-September of this year.
    The goal of WeeShare! is to be the people of the world’s alternative to Facebook; to protect their info, data, and privacy while letting them connect with the people they know with similar tools to that of Facebook’s. Such features include non-filtered Newsfeed, instant chat, a sleek mobile website, photos, etc. Users are free to do this all while knowing they’re safe and their data/info and swapped messages and content are safe and are NOT used for marketing purposes, or used at all even except for making the website better.
    WeeShare! as of September, 2014.
    WeeShare! stands by its claims over Ello, and other networks aimed at being Facebook alternatives by being a project: not owned by any company or business. WeeShare! is simply a project of the creator, and that’s that. Anyone can contribute code, designs, donations, suggestions, and more via the right resources like the About Website or the Developers Site (not live yet).
    The project also has a list of Contributors that have made some more outstanding changes to the website. WeeShare! doesn’t seem to have any “invite only” registration, and users are free to customize their profile’s info and content at will. The entire site uses CSS and Javascript compressions to make sure it’s fast for almost all connections, and if a user can’t access via the desktop site; they can always use the mobile site that lacks some features but let’s user instant chat, message, post updates, photos, etc.
    Jake chatting with his friend on WeeShare! mobile.
    Despite being a project of the Ohio high school student for only 4 years, WeeShare! has been through a lot of changes and major blows. Since it’s initial start as a desktop site, the overall design has changed at least 20+ times, and features have been added and removed quicker than hotcakes at a restaurant. However, it is believed that those contributing to the project will leave the design the way it is as of now – with some minor customizations here and there in the future. It was also the target of a hacker from the UK that Jake and a friend got in a scruff with online – however nothing really happened.
    The project had (up until it’s first time being live until removed) little to no budget for advertising and promotion. Jake and his friend Mateo both worked hard in their spare times by spreading the word online, at school, around town, and more – with little but still satisfying results. WeeShare! is also stated to have no main funding behind it since it is not the property of a business or company; it’s only monetary sources are any of Jake’s jobs, or donations from contributors.
    The contributors and project creator knows that being a “alternative to Facebook” or anti-Facebook is a bold claim to make, but they have a full-page article telling users why they should switch from Facebook to WeeShare! It seems the project’s new promotional push is to inform users as to why Facebook isn’t a evil villain, but why it’s not a good social tool. Several reasons the about site lists are that Facebook limits you from truly unlocking social media power, filters your newsfeed; all the way to others like it being accused of spying on user’s chats.
    Naturally, WeeShare! collects cookies on users to make the site work but in their soon-to-update privacy policy, they state how they use no third-parties to make cookies for account data collection; meaning their affiliates (J-List and Amazon) may use their own cookie systems, but they get no info about you from WeeShare! However, WS! has come to believe neither of their affiliates are collecting info – and they hope their affiliate ads will become a good source to keep the project alive. On the subject of ads, WeeShare! claims to only show ads from their two affiliates that aren’t targeted or data-based, and are simply copy and pasted JS code. The ads are also placed in non-interruptive places around the website.
    All in all, WeeShare! wants to be a social discovery network by the people, for the people, made by the people. Users are the coders and contributors: and no changes are made to anything based on the idea of pleasing “shareholders” or advertisers, making this a sleek safe haven for social networking and meeting new friends.
    With that in mind, we of EWT would like to humbly recommend trying out WeeShare.ws as it seems to be shaping up to be a good social networking alternative with more user control. Have you already made the switch? Let us know below in the comments.
  • Windows 9 will be free to Windows 8 users; Microsoft Indonesian president says

    Windows 9 will be free to Windows 8 users; Microsoft Indonesian president says

    Yes, you’ve heard right. According to a recent article from an Indonesia news website “Detik.com,” the Windows Indonesian president Andreas Diantoro said, rather confirmed, that Windows 9 will be available for free to users of Windows 8(8.1). According to Andreas, the “update will be automatic” for Windows 8 systems. Whether this update will occur also for Windows 7/Vista users is yet to be announced nor confirmed.

    While this can surely be just rumors, we might get the 101% confirmation when Microsoft unveils its new OS at an event at San Francisco tomorrow (September 30th, 2014). This all comes ahead of an announced “preview edition” of Windows 9 which is expected to come round October of this year.

    Why would Microsoft make their new OS free?
    Well, some should take in account of how much negative feedback that was received to Windows 8, their OS that released two years ago; reason of the hate to it happened to be that Windows 8 removed the traditional start menu popup, and gave everyone a “Retro Start Menu” in its place. Not only that, but it is an OS solely aimed at mobile systems, and I think it’s safe to say that the design may have been a wrong choice, given the stop coming to the production/support of Windows 8 and Windows 7.8 phones.

    Anyways, with the hate, their blunder of the Xbox One reveal, and more; Microsoft is letting fan and/or user loyalty slip away and they do this even more by not standing for support of free OS support. Apple’s updates to OS X’s are always free to owners of previous versions, however with Microsoft’s “Windows,” the case hasn’t been the same. No one got a free update from Windows 7 right to Windows 8, or from any other versions that preceded it. Some believe that giving Windows 8/8.1 a free update to Windows 9 or “Threshold” (official name still unknown) will be an incentive of Microsoft saying something like “sorry we’ve screwed you over recently.” This could also be them contributing to being more free on OS’; this can definitely gain them some big media points, along with their names eventually hitting all game systems thanks to their acquisition of Mojang: the creators of Minecraft.

    So, all-in-all it’s only right to give some incentive back to their users that stayed with them even through the muck of the buggy, unattractive to most; Windows 8.
    What are your thoughts on the announcement of the free upgrade? Let us know in the comments below.

    Sources:
    PC World – Microsoft Indonesia president; Windows 9 will be free to Windows 8 users
    PC Gamer – Windows 9 will be free to windows 8 users, according to report By Jake Brunton, 2014.

  • Launcher 8 for Android Review: Turn your Android into Windows 8

    Launcher 8 for Android Review: Turn your Android into Windows 8

    Launcher 8 (fake wp8) is a Android application that turns your boring, dull Android home UI into a fluid, mock-up UI of that of a Windows 8 phone! Developed by the QiHang Team, this application has been downloaded over 5 million+ times, and really turns your Android into something else! Now, I (Jake) of EWT will go into detail of my review and thoughts of the app!  

    Installation

    The installation process is very easy, smooth, and simple. Just download from the Google Play Store, install, and press your home button and set Launcher 8 as your main action for “Home.” Wa-la! There’s no hacking, modding, or rooting needed to install this application.   Installation is very simple, great work there.  

    New UI & Logics

    The app’s added new ui and logics is very helpful and astonishing! After installation, you instantly have the power of an Android phone with the look and options of a Windows phone. There are many themes users have made that you can effortlessly download and install, or you can customize yourself!   You can add/edit/remove tiles, re-size, and even use special “widget” tiles that are included in the app. You can bind your installed applications to tiles, change individual tile background colors, names, and more. This application truly gives you control over everything! It also is programmed to work with certain apps, such as SMS, Phone, and Facebook – showing the number of new notifications, missed calls, and new SMS messages. It’s very convenient! The app also has a setting for a customizable lockscreen, which completely overrides the default Android lock screen – you can add custom backgrounds, change the layout, etc to it and add a password. The only problem with the lockscreen in this app is if you had a lock screen set up on the default Android UI before this installation, applications like “Camera” and such will not work correctly, and pressing your Home button will try and take you to the original Android lock screen rather than the Launcher 8 lock screen.    You can, however, fix this by simply going to System Settings -> Security -> Passwords and turning off any locks, pins, etc. You can set your lockscreen pin for Launcher 8 in the Launcher 8 settings.  

    Effect on Battery

    One of the main, if not the only, downside to this application is the power consumption. You’ll be loosing more and more phone battery life every 2 to 3 minutes even if you’re in idle mode. However, the QiHang team brags that their Pro version is more power efficient. This application really does take a toll on your battery life, my Android has been on the charger more then often since the install.   

    Final Thoughts

    I believe this is a great Android application for those who want the power of Android/Google products but the look and feel of a Windows product. It has great potential, and I believe it would be even more widely popular if the free version was less battery-consuming. It could use some literary work (the grammar for settings are poor), and some of the ads are a bit mis-placed and annoying, but all around it’s pretty amazing and I’m sure to never uninstall it!  

    Final Rating

    Price When Rated:

    $2.58Free

    Our Rating: 4.5

    Requires Android:

    2.0 and up

    Content Rating:

    Low Maturity This is a great app, and does everything that it says in it’s description. However, there is room for improvement and the battery drainage is what really kills it from being 5 stars.

    Pros:

    • Complete customization; Easy to customize to your liking
    • Downloadable themes; For those living in the fast lane
    • Beautiful and fluid; Includes smart widgets and is beautiful with live tiles
    • Free with minimal ads, and many options and settings to configure

    Cons:

    • Drains the battery of your device VERY fastly
    • Lockscreen issues occur if you have the default Android lockscreen already set up
    • Can be a bit laggy once you first boot up your Android

    Download So, what are you waiting for? Go download Launcher 8 now, you won’t regret it!