Google's Nexus Player offers streaming and gaming for $99

<b>Remember the Nexus Q? Yeah, we'd rather forget it, too. Google regained its streaming cred with the Chromecast, and now it's looking to offer up another set-top box. The compact Nexus Player will handle streaming, games and run Android apps. An included remote wrangles navigation with voice controls for finding the content you're after on the ASUS-made gadget. For those gaming sessions, a $39 controller can be tacked on as an additional purchase.</b><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlgzOTztMAm-XYP5zACKSc_8RFzMlK9CWJgq8_nXEL2vBnmk2aXvRpuJcGWVT2bDclrT3TDD61-DwOVUH9YEiCCZvRBqEYLfv2hW89sIc9gY_lXnBt3SVrX_NQ3Oxbnk4vv4bO3ecO99TD/s1600/Google-Nexus-Player-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="alt" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlgzOTztMAm-XYP5zACKSc_8RFzMlK9CWJgq8_nXEL2vBnmk2aXvRpuJcGWVT2bDclrT3TDD61-DwOVUH9YEiCCZvRBqEYLfv2hW89sIc9gY_lXnBt3SVrX_NQ3Oxbnk4vv4bO3ecO99TD/s1600/Google-Nexus-Player-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" title="Google's Nexus Player offers streaming and gaming for $99" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google's Nexus Player offers streaming and gaming for $99</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div> The Nexus Player will offer much of the same functionality as Mountain View's diminutive dongle, adding the ability to leverage those mobile apps as well. It's also the first device to run Android TV, an effort detailed back at I/O and promised to arrive alongside Android L, er... Lollipop. And yes, you'll be able to "cast" stuffs from other devices to your TV. In terms of content options, you can expect Netflix, Hulu, Food Network, Travel Channel and more for now -- but there's no mention of either WatchESPN or HBO Go. Inside, the unit packs a 1.8GHz quad-core Intel Atom processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB of storage and Imagination PowerVR Series 6 graphics. Intel tells us that 64-bit chip is capable of "console-like graphics" alongside 1080p video streaming. As you might expect, the Player will connect to your TV via HDMI with WiFi for grabbing content and Bluetooth for the included remote.<br /> <br /> If all of that sounds somewhat familiar, Amazon's Fire TV touts a similar set of entertainment abilities for the same price. Of course, one taps into Prime Instant Video while the other leverages the Google Play repository. Speaking of cost, the $99 unit will be available on November 3rd, however if you're anxious to lock one down, you can pre-order the Nexus Player on October 17th.</div> <div> <br /></div>

Google's Nexus Player offers streaming and gaming for $99

Remember the Nexus Q? Yeah, we'd rather forget it, too. Google regained its streaming cred with the Chromecast, and now it's looking to offer up another set-top box. The compact Nexus Player will handle streaming, games and run Android apps. An included remote wrangles navigation with voice controls…

Read more »

Google reveals the $649 Nexus 6, pre-orders begin on October 29th

<b>Forget the pomp and circumstance that comes with a formal launch event -- Google just outed the new Nexus 6 on its official Android blog, and it's just about everything the rumor mill said the Motorola-made device would be. The Nexus 6 is the first phone to run Android 5.0 Lollipop, and while it might look like a super-sized version of this year's Moto X -- down to the dual speaker grilles and the lock button/volume rocker placement along the phone's edge -- it packs plenty of notable improvements over its smaller, non-Nexus cousin.</b><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDOVSWVEQnMTm5nibPgPoye7F1zgOrKl-RQAY4RRlDjGHheI9KCCDk3ycOzi6EwwexnCaeS6I5v3qiYOxfgXX4MnIYgM0Kb-1XpPs9y_bKSXEyBUtm81dmJ5HmBkpqTEp4FeYNi-iTXaN/s1600/Nexus-6-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="alt" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDOVSWVEQnMTm5nibPgPoye7F1zgOrKl-RQAY4RRlDjGHheI9KCCDk3ycOzi6EwwexnCaeS6I5v3qiYOxfgXX4MnIYgM0Kb-1XpPs9y_bKSXEyBUtm81dmJ5HmBkpqTEp4FeYNi-iTXaN/s1600/Nexus-6-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" title="Google reveals the $649 Nexus 6, pre-orders begin on October 29th" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google reveals the $649 Nexus 6, pre-orders begin on October 29th</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div> A 5.9-inch Quad HD screen? Check? A more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chipset, clocked at 2.7GHz? You betcha. Hefty 3,220mAh battery? Of course. A camera with optical image stabilization? Sure (though it's still a 13-megapixel sensor). It's as if Motorola addressed nearly every issue we had with the Moto X, and capped things off with a big ol' Nexus logo on the back. In fact, the only component that doesn't seem to have been upgraded is the dual-LED flash on the Nexus 6's back. What's a bit curious is that the Nexus 6 seems to come with at least one Motorola-conceived feature that isn't part of stock Android: Ambient Display debuted on the Moto 360, and fires up the screen when it can tell the user wants to check the time or their notifications.<br /> <br /> That's great and all, but what about the really juicy tidbits? Well, the Nexus 6 will be available with either 32 or 64GB of internal memory (no word on a microSD slot, alas) and you've got your choice of Cloud White and Midnight Blue color schemes. Pre-orders for the Nexus 6 will kick off on October 29th with a full retail launch to follow some time in November, but expect to shell out more than a few pretty pennies for it. You'll be able to nab your own 32GB Nexus 6 sans contract for a whopping $649, making it the most expensive Nexus phone to date (though the decidedly non-Nexus Sony Z Ultra came in at the same price). Itching to pick it up with a little carrier discount? Not to worry: AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, US Cellular and Verizon Wireless will all be getting the Nexus at some point, and if a recent slip-up is any indication, it could be damn cheap. An error on AT&T's site suggested that the 6 could go for as little as $49.99 with a two-year contract -- if true, that'd make the Nexus half the price of the Moto X.</div> <div> <br /></div>

Google reveals the $649 Nexus 6, pre-orders begin on October 29th

Forget the pomp and circumstance that comes with a formal launch event -- Google just outed the new Nexus 6 on its official Android blog, and it's just about everything the rumor mill said the Motorola-made device would be. The Nexus 6 is the first phone to run Android 5.0 Lollipop, and while it mig…

Read more »

Facebook Stickers Are Now Available In Comments On Timelines, Groups And Events

<b>Facebook Stickers – the cute, cartoonish images Facebook Messenger users take advantage of to spice up their conversations – are now rolling out to a wider audience. Facebook announced today that stickers will be available on comments found on people’s Timeline posts, Group posts and Event posts.</b><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpElW5nyZFn3rZRtglMAUuIxz3oySQnDNND1v8JQEjMKFa6vTX9yxK9LN-RDw2PwVVEbwgPP34mxSbsM9wNT8I9fOJ-ulb4FBhhCWoXlLQXD3nx0T08cOfqmhDbVnkXIWmaSvLeC-C1iL/s1600/Facebook-Stickers-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="alt" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpElW5nyZFn3rZRtglMAUuIxz3oySQnDNND1v8JQEjMKFa6vTX9yxK9LN-RDw2PwVVEbwgPP34mxSbsM9wNT8I9fOJ-ulb4FBhhCWoXlLQXD3nx0T08cOfqmhDbVnkXIWmaSvLeC-C1iL/s1600/Facebook-Stickers-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" title="Facebook Stickers Are Now Available In Comments On Timelines" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Facebook Stickers Are Now Available In Comments On Timelines</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div> To access the stickers, users tap the smiley face icon in the bottom-right of any comment field on Facebook in order to pick the sticker they want to share with the others on the thread. The engineer on the project, Bob Baldwin, shared his thoughts on stickers when announcing the news on his own timetime this afternoon, explaining that “stickers will allow people to reply to a variety of posts in a more fun way than words alone.”<br /> <br /> “You can now easily show your excitement for a post with good news, cheer up a friend who’s feeling down, and express a variety of more nuanced reactions,” he says.<br /> <br /> Stickers and emoji are sometimes seen as silly things — and, well they are to some extent. After all, you can’t take a picture of a dog eating a cheeseburger or a cat riding a scooter all that seriously. But they also allow users to express their tone in a way that may not always come across in a digital format where interactions historically have been text-based.<br /> <br /> Many times, we’ve seen threads where one friend makes a sarcastic comment and others jump on them in a viral mob of Facebook abuse – but the original commenter was only making a joke, as it turned out. It just fell flat. And they were attacked.</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IS0aQWHfL1vN7SdSL3OarvCux_1qMgn0PNktOCqqaKg_QBMlLpsCElPLLvVzL7xIUY8kxAK9585is6J80jJibBynOjugPPik9hcwjqvDuYkW7eN9sryozhGJwMGY4AumXSfGjf200Efr/s1600/Facebook-Stickers-01-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="alt" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8IS0aQWHfL1vN7SdSL3OarvCux_1qMgn0PNktOCqqaKg_QBMlLpsCElPLLvVzL7xIUY8kxAK9585is6J80jJibBynOjugPPik9hcwjqvDuYkW7eN9sryozhGJwMGY4AumXSfGjf200Efr/s1600/Facebook-Stickers-01-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" title="Facebook Stickers Are Now Available In Comments On Timelines" /></a></div> <div> <br /> A sticker could have diffused the situation at the forefront by letting others know the poster was not serious. In a world where cyberbullying is now rampant, I’d actually argue that anything that can prevent comment threads from turning ugly is fairly important – even if it comes in the form of a bird with a lampshade on its head. (Yes, this is an actual sticker.)<br /> <br /> Stickers also allow social networking and messaging users to engage in conversations more easily from a mobile phone since they can sum up an emotion or thought with just a picture. That’s obviously another key area for Facebook to focus on as it continues its shift to mobile.<br /> <br /> However, enabling stickers in comments could also make scrolling through longer threads — like those on public pages — more time-consuming.<br /> <br /> The stickers are now available to Facebook users across web and mobile, the company says.</div> <div> <br /></div>

Facebook Stickers Are Now Available In Comments On Timelines, Groups And Events

Facebook Stickers – the cute, cartoonish images Facebook Messenger users take advantage of to spice up their conversations – are now rolling out to a wider audience. Facebook announced today that stickers will be available on comments found on people’s Timeline posts, Group posts and Event posts. Fa…

Read more »

Doctors report a case of Google Glass addiction

<b>You've probably heard of Google Glass owners who seemingly can't put the wearable down, but there's now at least one reported instance of genuinely addictive behavior.</b><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYN0YLpoHHnIpVEtAv_x_oLUY_NommZnEDA0vogRl_bYLLKSQ6AizI2CVQ2tlFkocT8dKauoMFRBMMuFx4j8qX67ztivAYo4xgNvamL8m4uABrEn9mKsGVj3NIy4b8siYA2FpChB70EJqI/s1600/Doctors-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="alt" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYN0YLpoHHnIpVEtAv_x_oLUY_NommZnEDA0vogRl_bYLLKSQ6AizI2CVQ2tlFkocT8dKauoMFRBMMuFx4j8qX67ztivAYo4xgNvamL8m4uABrEn9mKsGVj3NIy4b8siYA2FpChB70EJqI/s1600/Doctors-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" title="Doctors report a case of Google Glass addiction" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doctors report a case of Google Glass addiction</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div> <div> Doctors at Naval Medical Center San Diego claim that a 31-year-old Navy serviceman is the first person to be diagnosed with a Glass-related internet addiction disorder. The patient wore the head-mounted computer for up to 18 hours a day, and was so attached to it that he would instinctively reach for his right temple (to activate Glass) whenever you asked him a question, whether or not the device was there. He's getting better after having spent 35 days in on-site treatment, according to doctors; that reflexive movement doesn't come up so often, and the man is both less irritable and more focused.<br /> <br /> The case certainly raises concerns about the effects of always-on wearable devices on mental health, but there's no guarantee that you'll get hooked. As the Medical Center notes, the patient originally checked himself in for alcohol abuse -- while the Glass addiction ultimately proved more severe, the history suggests that the patient was prone to compulsive activities in general, not just when using wearables. This is also just one incident, so there's no definite evidence that Glass is more alluring than other technologies and substances. You're probably fine splurging on that Explorer Edition headset as a result, but you may want to hold off if you already have trouble saying "no."</div> </div> <div> <br /></div>

Doctors report a case of Google Glass addiction

You've probably heard of Google Glass owners who seemingly can't put the wearable down, but there's now at least one reported instance of genuinely addictive behavior. Doctors report a case of Google Glass addiction Doctors at Naval Medical Center San Diego claim that a 31-year-old Navy serviceman i…

Read more »

Breakthrough batteries last 20 years, charge 70 percent in two minutes

<b>Over the years, consumer electronics have improved in almost every way, becoming thinner, lighter, and more pixel-packed, all while increasing exponentially in performance. But beating at the heart of many mobile devices and even electric cars is a technology that hasn’t kept up with the rapid pace of innovation: batteries. Specifically, lithium-ion batteries.</b><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKvsbeDZsWwmnzs-hcZvK2Kw4S2fpKW3EaHVh05f7S0yww2I_CGRiMTvdM51JHqUrQTM7PFWt_xRJMl4gR8F1onDfeultJDwIK1_2g_n3UHwdtuJO9c40t3Tcimm8V_fe3oZcoQKfDo0w/s1600/Breakthrough-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="alt" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKvsbeDZsWwmnzs-hcZvK2Kw4S2fpKW3EaHVh05f7S0yww2I_CGRiMTvdM51JHqUrQTM7PFWt_xRJMl4gR8F1onDfeultJDwIK1_2g_n3UHwdtuJO9c40t3Tcimm8V_fe3oZcoQKfDo0w/s1600/Breakthrough-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" title="Breakthrough batteries last 20 years, charge 70 percent in two minutes" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakthrough batteries last 20 years</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div> Battery tech is a limiting factor in the design of many of today’s technologies.Researchers at Nanyang Technology University say they’ve discovered a way to build a better battery, however—a battery that charges in mere minutes and lasts an amazing 20 years.<br /> <br /> Why this matters: If these batteries begin trickling into mass production, they could kill two of the biggest irritants in today’s mobile electronics: Long charging times and forced obsolescence.<br /> <br /> The benefits of fast charging need no explanation, but many of today’s smartphones and tablets won’t let you remove their batteries, essentially forcing you to buy a new device when the lithium-ion battery inside starts to fade after 500 or so charges. A battery that lasts 20 years could dramatically change how long people hang on to their smartphones, especially with the mobile industry’s recent trend of decoupling hardware fees from services subscriptions. Together, the combo could further reduce the two-year upgrade cycle so common in the mobile industry.</div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCcSXgFa-VGWYi_hAnMsGPFH81kmaNhAQoS7HZPTI4iyDaAR3Zugp4UFtqWkSVbb27h-wvqQXkrpOTfuwFQ9olL7crVz2CViTdmfhbuDAEH2ucBeLbOLmn9X8uK-P_Uzt5DLOv949TBaBc/s1600/Breakthrough-01-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="alt" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCcSXgFa-VGWYi_hAnMsGPFH81kmaNhAQoS7HZPTI4iyDaAR3Zugp4UFtqWkSVbb27h-wvqQXkrpOTfuwFQ9olL7crVz2CViTdmfhbuDAEH2ucBeLbOLmn9X8uK-P_Uzt5DLOv949TBaBc/s1600/Breakthrough-01-tech24h.blogspot.com.jpg" title="NTA associate professor Chen Xiaodong with research fellow Tang Yuxin and PHD student Deng Jiyang." /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NTA associate professor Chen Xiaodong with research fellow Tang Yuxin and PHD student Deng Jiyang.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div> Enabling the nifty new tricks doesn’t require a full reimagining of how we design batteries, either. The researchers replaced the graphite used in the anode of lithium-ion batteries with a gel made from titanium dioxide nanotubes "a thousand times thinner than the diameter of a human hair."<br /> <br /> Using tiny titanium dioxide nanotubes rather than graphite also speeds how quickly electrons and ions flow in and out of the battery, by ditching an energy-slowing additive needed in today’s batteries. The NTU researchers say their battery charges far faster than traditional lithium-ion batteries, going from empty to a 70 percent charge in just two minutes. Two minutes!<br /> <br /> NTU associate professor Chen Xiaodong, the inventor of the titanium dioxide gel, says batteries built with it could hit the market within two years, with an unnamed company already licensing the technology. The Nanyang Technology University press release has more detail about the technical aspects of the discovery if you’re interested.<br /> <br /> <br /></div>

Breakthrough batteries last 20 years, charge 70 percent in two minutes

Over the years, consumer electronics have improved in almost every way, becoming thinner, lighter, and more pixel-packed, all while increasing exponentially in performance. But beating at the heart of many mobile devices and even electric cars is a technology that hasn’t kept up with the rapid pace …

Read more »