An industry group representing TikTok, Meta, and X has issued a lawsuit against the US state of Utah over strict new limits to access social media.

As reported by the Associated Press, Utah instigated a first-in-the-nation law aimed at protecting children from compulsive behaviors and other harms linked to social media use. As part of the proposals, age verification would be required to maintain a social media account in the state and minors would require parental authority to access the apps between 10.30 PM and 06.30 AM.

Following the two laws signed in March by Republican Governor Spencer Cox, it is no surprise to see the social heavyweights returning the serve with legal action of their own and in doing so, they have claimed the regulations are unconstitutional although well-intended.

NetChoice, the trade body representing platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X, (and their parent companies), is arguing the new laws will restrict access to public content, compromise data security and undermine parental rights.

Chris Marchese, Director of the NetChoice Litigation Center stated, “We are fighting to ensure that all Utahns can embrace digital tools without the forceful clutch of government control,” in a move anticipated by Cox.

“I’m not going to back down from a potential legal challenge when these companies are killing our kids,” he intimated.

Burden of proof to be shouldered by social media giants

Under the new laws due to take effect from 1 March 2024, parents will be able to access children’s accounts with an accessible path to take legal action against social media companies if they believe their kids have been harmed.

In effect, the regulations will shift the burden of proof from the families onto the social media giants, requiring them to show their products were not harmful and any platform with a minimum of five million users will be subject to the new legislation.

This news comes after more than 40 US states sued Meta in October, whilst New Mexico filed a lawsuit against the company alleging it failed to protect children from sexual abuse and online solicitation.

Featured Image: Pexels/Stephen Leonardi

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Japanese electronics multinational TDK Corporation has announced it will produce lithium-ion battery cells for Apple iPhones in India, as reports Reuters.

The news provides another boost to the Indian economy, particularly for the state of Haryana, with a factory to be set up in Manesar.

It has been described as a “another big win” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi by State Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, with thousands of new jobs mooted. 

Another big win for PM @narendramodi ji's visionary PLI scheme in shifting the mobile manufacturing ecosystem to India.

TDK, a leading supplier of cells to Apple, is setting up a 180-acre facility in Manesar, Haryana to build cells for batteries which will be used in the… pic.twitter.com/hyJAf6yeqO

— Rajeev Chandrasekhar (@Rajeev_GoI) December 4, 2023

The battery cells manufactured at the Indian facility will then be supplied to Apple’s lithium-ion assembler Sunwoda Electronics as part of the overall process of creating iPhone products.

TDK joins Apple in India

TDK’s move comes as Apple seeks to switch much of its activity away from China, with India selected as the key location to drive fresh growth and expansion – finding a fit under PM Modi’s PLI scheme. 

Fourteen suppliers are currently in place within India for Apple, which has had their iPhones assembled there since 2017 and in part of this latest expansion, the Tata Group will be involved in the production of the parts.

TDK will now put in place, a top-class manufacturing facility in Manesar which could create as many as 10,000 jobs according to early projections and relayed by Chandrasekhar in his post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Apple reportedly plans to increase production in India to around $40 billion – a more than five-fold increase from its current $7 billion — in the next four to five years.

For the first time, Apple has outpaced Samsung in smartphone export volumes from India, shipping 49% of India’s 12 million total shipments, against 45% for Samsung as of the June quarter.

At the end of November another major US technology firm, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), opened its largest global design center in Bengaluru, often nicknamed India’s Silicon Valley.

The world’s most populous country looks set for explosive tech sector growth in the next decade thanks to an abundance of skilled and English-speaking talent within the Asian country.

Image credit, Dids, pexels.com

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Apple has unveiled the winners of its App Store awards for 2023, recognizing the high-performing apps and games that have displayed ‘the scope of creativity, technical innovation, and design possible across the App Store and Apple’s ecosystem’, as detailed in the press release from apple.com

AllTrails, Photomator, and “Hello Kitty Island Adventure” were amongst the titles to receive the highest acclaim, but artificial intelligence (AI) was singled out as the biggest emerging trend across the latest innovative apps with generative AI in particular for the accolade of Trend of the Year. In total, 37 apps were selected with 14 of those celebrated across 10 categories.

They were selected by the App Store editorial team for what they bring to users, in terms of ‘providing meaningful experiences and inspiring cultural change’.

The Apple App Store Awards 2023 winners were as follows:

iPhone App of the Year winner – AllTrails

iPhone Game of the Year winner – Honkai: Star Rail

iPad App of the Year winner – Pret-a-Makeup

iPad Game of the Year winner – Lost in Play

Mac App of the Year winner – Photomator

Mac Game of the Year winner – Lies of P

Apple Watch App of the Year winner – SmartGym

Apple TV App of the Year winner – MUBI

Apple Arcade Game of the Year winner: Hello Kitty Island Adventure

Positive change

Meanwhile, a further five apps and games were recognized as Cultural Impact winners

Finding Hannah, for connecting women across generations through gameplay.

Pok Pok, for helping kids learn, explore, and experiment in a digital playroom.

Proloquo, for supporting communication without speech.

Too Good To Go, for helping to reduce food waste at restaurants, bakeries, and supermarkets.

Unpacking, for crafting soul-soothing puzzles.

Having launched in 2008, Apple described its App Store as ‘the world’s safest and most vibrant app marketplace. Currently, home to 1.8 million apps and visited by over 650 million average weekly visitors across 175 countries and regions, the App Store is an engine of global economic growth, facilitating $1.1 trillion in developer billings and sales in 2022.’

Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO commented on the latest annual awards, channeling the outlook and purpose of the App Store.

“It’s inspiring to see the ways developers continue to build incredible apps and games that are redefining the world around us,” he said.

“This year’s winners represent the limitless potential of developers to bring their visions to life, creating apps and games with remarkable ingenuity, exceptional quality, and purpose-driven missions.”

Apple continues to grow and evolve with its App Store representing the plethora of options available whatever your need or interest. If you have an iPhone, check out the App Store for what could be your new favorite app.

Image credit: pexels.com

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At today’s Google event, the tech giant unveiled a suite of AI-powered photo editing features for its Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones, as detailed in a recent post on the company’s official blog.

The standout feature, “Magic Editor,” allows users to effortlessly reposition subjects within photos. This tool uses generative AI to fill in backgrounds seamlessly, offering suggestions based on existing lighting and surroundings. Users can also choose from multiple editing outcomes proposed by the tool.

Another innovative feature, “Best Take,” combines various group photos to create an image where everyone looks their best. If the auto-generated result isn’t perfect, users can handpick facial expressions from different shots and merge them.

In addition to photo enhancements, Google is also venturing into audio improvements with the “Audio Magic Eraser.” This feature allows users to isolate and remove unwanted background noises from their videos, ensuring clearer audio quality. Whether it’s street noise or chatter in the background, users will be able to focus on the primary audio subject, enhancing the overall video experience.

Launching on Oct. 12, both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro will include the new Magic Editor, Best Take and Audio Magic Eraser features. However, the Pixel 8 Pro boasts additional tools, such as an enhanced version of Magic Eraser that allows for the removal of larger objects in an image, as well as a future “Zoom Enhance” function that uses generative AI to improve the quality of zoomed-in photos.

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For the first time, some iPhone 15 models could be available in India — where Apple has been building some of its famous phones since 2017 — on launch day.

The news — first reported by Bloomberg — follows widespread reports that contractor Foxconn would aim to manufacture more iPhone 15 models at the Tamil Nadu, India facility than before as part of Apple’s plan to diversify manufacturing amid supply chain risks stemming from U.S.-China tensions.

The availability of iPhone 15 models in India — where Apple aims to eventually increase smartphone production from seven percent to 25 percent — on launch day will largely depend on Foxconn’s ability to scale production and the availability of components. However, the expected arrival of Indian-made iPhones alongside more common China-made units is widely heralded as a big win for the tech giant.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 15 — which is rumored to have thinner bezels, a titanium frame and USB-C charging — today at its Cupertino headquarters alongside its iOS 17, watchOS 10 and iPadOS 17 operating systems.

This article has been updated with additional information.

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Apple reportedly plans to increase production in India to around $40 billion — a more than five-fold increase from its current $7 billion — in the next four to five years.

The news — which ReadWrite has yet to verify independently — originates from news agency PTI, which cited government sources that said: “Apple has plans to increase production in India to over $40 billion in the next 4-5 years. It has crossed $7 billion in the last fiscal.”

“They don’t have any plans to participate in IT hardware PLI,” the officer added — implying the iPhone creator has no plans to make iPads or Macbooks in India. “They may come at a later stage but as of now their focus is to scale up existing production levels.”

However, The Cupertino-based firm reportedly plans to manufacture Airpods in India from next year.

Apple outpaces Samsung in smartphone exports from India

Apple is the largest exporter of mobile phones from India — where it, for the first time, made its new made-in-India iPhones available on launch day earlier this month. The iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max hit store shelves on Sept. 22, with Indian-made units available both domestically and abroad.

Apple has reportedly outpaced, for the first time, Korean rival Samsung in smartphone export volumes from India — shipping 49 percent of India’s total 12 million shipments in the June quarter versus Samsung’s 45 percent.

Industry sources are widely reported as claiming that Apple’s iPhone 15 series registered 100 percent growth compared to the iPhone 14 series on launch day.

Featured Image Credit: Laurenz Heymann; Pexels; Thank you!

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Most smartphone plans come with data and internet access, so why would you need a separate home internet connection through a cable or DSL connection? Although it seems redundant, there are some reasons to get home internet.

If you’re like most people, you can’t function without the internet at home. Having internet access outside the office has become more of a utility than a luxury in the last decade, especially if you manage social activities with groups, meetups, or community centers. Most people don’t connect solely over phone calls and, instead, prefer using email and social media to keep in touch and make plans.

Even though you need internet in your house, that doesn’t mean you necessarily need a separate internet connection. If you own a smartphone, you can use your plan’s data to access the internet or get a plan with more data if you don’t already have enough. The difference is that with a separate connection, you’ll access the internet via Wi-Fi through your phone rather than directly using your phone’s data. Both are workable options for getting a connection, but they differ in terms of cost, speed, and reliability.

Nine Reasons You Need Home Internet

If any of the following situations apply to you, it’s safe to say you’ll benefit from having a separate home internet connection in addition to your smartphone’s data plan.

1. Home internet is affordable.

When it doesn’t cost much to get an internet connection in your house, why not go for it? If you can afford it and have a use for it, there’s no reason not to get it.

It’s understandable if you want to avoid paying for yet another internet connection. A smartphone is an investment. You probably paid a good amount of money for your device, a durable, rugged phone case, and monthly plans aren’t always cheap. However, if you can get a home internet connection without overpaying, why not get one so you don’t have to worry about being charged for using too much data?

2. You need a high-speed connection.

If speed matters, and you can’t compromise here, then you need an internet connection in your house. No matter how fast the internet connection on your phone gets, it won’t compare to the fastest home connection speeds offered by the top cable internet companies. All wireless internet connections are slower than wired connections by default. Although some cell phone connections can get pretty fast, they still don’t compare to home internet.

For those still using 4G LTE, you can expect download speeds of between 5-12 Mbps. If you have access to a 5G device and network, you can get download speeds of up to 450 Mbps. With other devices, like the Meshforce M7, you can get up to 867 Mbps (theoretically).

When it comes to home internet, Xfinity’s download speeds range from 50 Mbps to 6 Gbps. T-Mobile’s home internet download speeds are still fast, but slightly slower, ranging from 33-182 Mbps.

Why the difference? T-Mobile only offers a fixed wireless connection. Wireless connections are always slower than if you were to use a cabled connection. When your internet connection is wired, as with Xfinity, you have the option of using a router to create a Wi-Fi connection, but you still have the option of using an Ethernet cable. You don’t have any hardwired options with a fixed wireless connection.

For most people, speed won’t be an issue. Hardly anyone would complain about any of the speeds mentioned above. However, if you need to perform work that requires super high speed, like downloading and uploading massive files on a regular basis, you probably need home internet.

3. You live in a remote area with poor or no cell reception.

No matter how great your smartphone is, even the fastest internet connection can’t overcome the problem of no service. If you live in an area that doesn’t get much or any reception at home, the only option you have is to get a home internet connection.

There are many rural areas that don’t have a lot of cell towers nearby, and some areas don’t even have the infrastructure for fiber optic cable internet connections. However, as long as you have a physical landline phone connection, you can at least get DSL in your home. Or, you can buy the equipment for satellite internet, like Starlink, if it’s available in your area.

4. You need to work on a standard laptop or desktop.

One of the biggest advantages of home internet is being able to broadcast a Wi-Fi signal throughout your house. If you need to work on a desktop or laptop computer, then home internet is a must.

It’s possible, but not practical, to use your smartphone as a hotspot or tether your internet connection to another device. Tethered connections via USB and Bluetooth tend to be slow, and it’s not easy to set up. While many people use both of these methods to get online at home, it can be a frustrating experience.

When you have a separate internet connection in your home, you only need to plug in an Ethernet cable or connect to Wi-Fi to get online from your laptop. If you use DSL, you have to set up a PPoE connection, but that’s just entering a username and password. It’s still relatively easy compared to tethering.

5. A mobile hotspot didn’t work for you.

If you need internet outside of what your smartphone can provide, you may have looked into hot spots. At first glance, they seem like a great idea. You get this little device that you can take anywhere and use with any device, even your phone if you want to preserve your data. However, there are several downsides to hot spots.

First, you have to pay more money upfront to buy a hot spot that is capable of higher speeds. Then, you have to pay a monthly fee for the connection. This can be done on a month-to-month prepaid basis, or you can sometimes pay for a full year in advance and get a discount. However, the prices aren’t that cheap and the speeds can be pretty slow.

If you tried using a hot spot and that didn’t work out for you, consider getting home internet. Your connection and speed will be more reliable and you’ll probably end up paying less.

6. You play games or stream movies often.

Smartphones are more than capable of streaming movies and running games, but that doesn’t mean your experience will be smooth. Even when your device has the resources required to stream movies and run games, that doesn’t mean your internet connection can keep up the pace.

If you’ve noticed your movies or games slowing down, glitching, getting frozen, or crashing your smartphone, it could be caused by a slow internet connection. If this is your experience, and you want to play games or binge-watch Netflix and YouTube videos, get a home internet connection fast enough to meet your needs. Also, if you’re the only one using the connection, you can get away with a slower speed than you might think, which will cost you less per month.

7. You need multiple, simultaneous connections.

Do you have multiple people in your home who want to stream movies and access the internet for other purposes? If everyone in your house is using their phone’s data to use the internet all night long, it makes more sense to get a home internet connection, connect a router, and broadcast the Wi-Fi signal for everyone to share.

8. You plan to rent out a room or area on your property.

If you’re planning on renting out a room in your home, or another building on your property, it’s a smart move to get a home internet connection so that you and your tenant can share the Wi-Fi. Most renters expect the internet as a perk, and it’s actually a great way to get a renter to move in quickly.

Instead of charging for rent plus internet, include internet in the rent and just bump the price up by around $20-$30 per month. For example, if you’d normally charge $550 for the room, rent it for $570 with internet included.

9. You pay too much for streaming TV services.

If you’re fed up with how much you pay for streaming services just to watch television and movies, consider getting a home internet connection to get TV and internet in one. You can also connect your game systems, tablets, and phones to the Wi-Fi and avoid using your phone’s data.

Is Home Internet Worth It? Absolutely.

Using the internet connection on your smartphone is convenient, but it can be costly and slow. It can also be inconvenient if you need a better connection that just isn’t possible with your device.

When you get home internet, you’ll not only be able to consolidate your TV and internet bills into one company, but you can usually get a good new customer deal that will last for a year or two. You’ll have the ability to share your connection with the rest of your household through Wi-Fi, and you’ll probably end up saving money in the long run.

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Features & Guides:

• User can use phone default camera for capture current photos
• User can pick up photos from gallery
• Set the photo smoothness
• Set brightness
• Adjust focus
• Set shade or filters
• Save the photo

Beautica is now available in Tizen store for the Samsung Z1, Z3 & also Samsung Z2 smartphones. Downloadable from the Tizen Store with a size of 1 MB MB.

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Video

Keep following Tizen Experts for the latest Tizen news ?

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The User manual gives us a hint on the smartphone’s design and some of the features it will likely host. One of the notable new addition with the Z4 is the Front facing camera’s flashlight or more commonly known as ‘Selfie Flash’. This gives a hint that the front facing camera is likely going to feature a high quality sensor unlike the Z1 and Z2 (Z3 had a decent 5MP front facing camera). The rear camera boasts of a dual flash setup which could probably be of dual tone for better colour accuracy.
The Z4 will support dual micro sims and has 4G LTE connectivity along with a dedicated microSD card slot (while our sources mentioned it featured a hybrid sim, the use manual mentioned otherwise). The manual also reports that the battery is of a mere 2,050mah capacity and can be charged via the good old micro USB slot. The Samsung Z4 is going to be the first phone to run on Tizen OS 3.0, the smartphone continues to feature the S-Bike mode like on the Z2.

Nothing else about the device is known at the moment, other than all the certifications of the device listed on the manual which means that the launch of the Samsung Z4 is right around corner. Keep following us for more details.

User Manual

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Samsung Z4 Product Specifications

Pictures

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The solution optimises Tizen-powered devices to become health tools thereby increasing their functionality. The function can be accessed through the addition of a modular strip pad which can be connected to a special back cover of the smartphone. The tester’s blood will have to be dropped on the strip for the Tizen Check to read the blood sugar level. Apart from the Tizen OS which does the actual reading, the system utilizes the device’s camera and LED flash. Armed with their sugar level, the user can then contact his or her doctor for advice or further management if needed.

Dr. David Rhew, Head of Medical Office and Head of Health and Fitness at Samsung Electronics underscored the importance of the initiative for Samsung electronics. In his own words Dr Rhew stated thus;

“Diabetes is a very important initiative for us at Samsung, it’s a lifestyle-driven condition.When you think of the things we can do to improve the technology people use every day, it’s an area that we think can influence Directly, “…… “We’ve been talking and working with people who spend a lot of time thinking about diabetes – everyone from practitioners to companies, app developers, software providers, and hardware manufacturers.”

This innovative health solution is another pointer to the dynamic nature of the Tizen operating system which is projected to be Samsung’s future operating system which would run on all its electronic devices, from the simplest to the most complex. Samsung seems to be using this cool feature to showcase the superior potential of the Tizen OS over its Android counterpart which presently enjoys wider patronage.
The Tizen OS is touted to have been more optimized for more efficient battery usage over Google’s Android according to Dr. David Rhew. Dr Rhew also touted that the Tizen OS, which has featured on Samsung’s smartTVs, smartwatches and some of its lower smartphone models, doesn’t need as much of the special requirements needed on the Android platform and this gives the OS a flexible nature as to what and what can be put on devices running on Tizen OS and also what modification can be done on the Tizen platform

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLLNU9maRSQ&feature=youtu.be

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How to use Tizen App Share

All you need to do is Launch Tizen App Share on your Android device, Search for the app you want, click on download, select the app to share. Then on the receiving Tizen device, launch the Tizen Store, Select More, Select App Share, Select Receive App. On sending Android phone select scan, select the Tizen device, and that’s it, your ready to start sending.

Features

• No network restriction 99% size of app file is transferred through Wi-Fi direct without data spending
• Fastest app share tool between Android and Tizen phones Transfer Tizen Apps to Tizen phone in seconds!
• No need for USB connection and PC software installation Share apps from device to device without any limit

Do you think you will find such an app useful? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Features

• All-New design with Advanced features
• Getting to your destination is easier than ever.
• Beat traffic with real-time traffic view, ETAs and traffic conditions
• Find nearby Cafes, Restaurants, ATMs etc.
• Discover nearby places & explore like a local
• Share your location with friends via email, SMS etc.
• Find top-rated restaurants and local businesses, wherever you are
• Decide best places to go with reviews, ratings, and pictures of the place

This app is now available for Tizen smartphones Samsung Z1, Z2, Z3 and coming soon to Samsung Z4. The App size is just 0.28MB.

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Now, the Tizen Store has taken the step of becoming accessible online with a search feature. You can find apps in the following categories: Essential Apps, Addictive Games, Top Camera Apps, Best Utility Apps, Racing Games and Music & Video. Clicking on each individual section gives you all the relevant apps, which have a full description and a list of supported devices. You can also find help if you are experiencing any issues when accessing the Tizen Store and a list of FAQ.

We have new smartphone apps and smartphone games, such as Modern Combat 5 by Gameloft, being added and therefore strengthening the ecosystem. In the future, we will see Tizen 4.0 extending the device ecosystem and possibly the Store will also cater to them. Recently, we have had a new addition to the Samsung smartphone range, the Samsung Z4, which was announced a couple of weeks ago. If your Interested in seeing what the new kid on the block looks like you can see our First Samsung Z4 Hands on.

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If you were active in the online dating scene 10 years ago or knew people who were — you might remember a very different world. Sure, a decade might as well be a lifetime in digital years, but it’s still remarkable how much has changed.

Some of these changes were easy to predict at the time. By the mid-2010s, leading-edge dating apps were already mobile-friendly and more or less gamified. The “swipe left/right” framework was already a thing. Modern versions of apps that existed back then, and new apps that have come online since, are (as expected) much further down the mobile, gamified path. Basically, everyone in the online dating market has a smartphone now, so why wouldn’t they?

But the most profound shifts in online dating have been cultural rather than technological. And DOWN Dating App, an under-the-radar platform that was actually more popular than Tinder when it launched in 2013, has arguably done more than any other to drive those changes.

DOWN is still pushing the envelope today, creating a fun, flexible, safe, and sex-positive environment for more than 10 million users worldwide. Here’s why it’s the most important dating app you’ve never heard of. Plus, why it’s poised for even greater relevance as it enters its second decade.

“Bang With Friends” Storms the Dating Scene

Launched in January 2013 as Bang With Friends (BWF), the app’s early marketing campaigns tracked with that provocative brand. Within months of BWF’s launch, it had prime features on The Colbert Report and in blue-chip digital publications like BuzzFeed, Gawker, and The Daily Beast.

BWF surpassed 1 million users in April 2013, about three months after its launch. The following month, it launched in the App Store and immediately ranked higher than Tinder, then (and arguably still now) the “reference” dating app. Founder Colin Hodge emerged from anonymity, parlayed their app’s popularity into a $1 million capital raise led by Tim Draper and Great Oaks Ventures, and rebranded to the slightly less salacious “DOWN.”

Breaking the Hush-Hush Dating App Mold

Hodge’s app did a lot of things differently in those heady early days. But its biggest innovation was simply being open and honest about its purpose.

Before BWF, dating apps largely danced around the “uncomfortable” fact that they existed to broker romantic — and sometimes purely sexual — relationships. Incumbents like eHarmony and Match.com (now just “Match”) used awkward questionnaires and opaque algorithms to pair users, often with disappointing results, all-the-while marketing their platforms to match users with their “soulmates.” Early iterations of Tinder employed euphemisms like “discovering new friends.”

BWF dispensed with all that. Its first version was a simple, anonymous “Facebook dating app” that let users choose which friends they’d like to hook up with. There was no fanfare, no beating around the bush, and no uncertainty about what a mutual match meant.

The cash infusion and DOWN rebrand led to a slicker, more feature-rich app that wasn’t so closely tied to users’ Facebook networks. But the spirit remained the same: to defeat the then-powerful stigma around digital hookups and show skeptics that no-strings dating could be safe and fun.

Up, Down, Left, Right

DOWN’s transition to a full-fledged mobile dating app brought a flurry of new features.

The app was familiar to users who’d tried Tinder, Grindr, Plenty of Fish, and other mobile dating/hookup apps. But DOWN was (and is) very much its own. Plus, its uniqueness helped it scale quickly to more than 5 million users by 2016.

DOWN added location-based matching early on. This allowed users to find potential partners — often at the same party. It also improved upon the “swipe left/right” binary popularized by Tinder and Grindr with a three-directional architecture:

• Swipe LEFT if you’re not interested (continue to the next potential match)
• Swipe UP if you’re interested in something more serious (DATE)
• Swipe DOWN if you’re interested in something more casual (HOOKUP)

With two buckets for potential matches, DOWN offers a more customized experience and gives users control over what they want. If you’re only in the market for hookups, that’s fine — just swipe DOWN whenever someone catches your eye — if you’re only in the market to date, it’s the same deal. And if you want both, well, you have the option. In any case, the risk of awkward, even painful miscommunication when you match, is much lower.

DOWN’s simple yet innovative approach to personal matching has pushed (or maybe pulled) other apps down this path. For example, once upon a time, Tinder’s reputation was exclusive as a hookup app. Though it’s still facilitating hookups, it’s now a bit more welcoming for users seeking deeper connections. The opposite is true for at least some legacy online dating sites like OkCupid and Match — they’re not go-tos for casual flings, but they’re a bit less awkward than before. Now, a plethora of casual dating apps are on the market, with DOWN leading the charge as a sort of “Tinder for hookups.”

Staying One (Or Three) Steps Ahead

In the years since the launch of its full mobile app, DOWN has steadily added first-in-class features. These include some for paired-up users eager to spice up existing relationships:

• • 3Some: This one pairs users open to (or actively seeking) threesome hookups or polyamorous relationships. It works if you’re single and looking for two new partners. Or if you’re already in a relationship and you’d like to add a third. According to DOWN’s own data, 22% of single users are looking for two people to join a new “3some,” and about 5% are looking to add one more to an existing pair.
  • Snap Match: A top alternative to Tinder’s Passport feature, you tap “Spin,” and DOWN instantly pairs you with a random person who fits your profile preferences. The catch: They could be anywhere in the world. It’s a great way to explore long-distance flings that may or may not turn into something more durable, or just to pass a few minutes chatting with someone you wouldn’t have encountered otherwise.

• Highlights: These profile stickers help you stand out from DOWN’s ten million-plus users, and help you find just the type of person you desire. Use them to express your out-and-about personality, romantic preferences, bedroom behaviors — whatever strikes your fancy.

• Icebreakers: These fun, low-pressure games are for those awkward early moments when you’re not quite sure what to say. DOWN has two right now: “Would You Rather,” which you might remember from high school, and “Photo Challenge,” where you share photos based on the app’s prompts.

Up Is the New DOWN

DOWN Dating App’s recent innovations have contributed to an impressive resurgence that’s much more than a byproduct of the post-COVID bounceback in online dating.

Since Q4 2019, the percentage of users who’ve found matches on DOWN has grown by a whopping 500% — that means five times as many people matching — while revenue has grown by some 250%. Downloads have more than doubled during that period. This suggests a mix of longtime users getting back in the mix and new users coming into the fold.

DOWN indeed operates in a crowded marketplace that big players like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge increasingly dominate. But its unique, sex-positive features and easy-to-use interface have helped it grow its niche. As of late 2021, DOWN was more popular (as measured by new downloads) than eHarmony and Her. Additionally, it sat just behind heavyweights like Match, OkCupid, and Grindr.

The future looks bright for DOWN, which is very good news for the future of online dating.

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Smartphone usage is exploding among kids, and it’s not difficult to see why. Smartphones may as well be attached to the hip on most adults: and kids are observing and mimicking that behavior.

Herein lies the problem: more and more kids want to use smartphones, and it’s essential to prepare children for smartphone usage when they’re older, but kid’s phones and kid-focused devices are few and far between. So how do parents properly prepare their kids?

While iOS and Android devices have parental controls that can be enabled and customized, they are limited and can even be disabled if a person isn’t careful.

So, to ensure that their children are getting the most out of their first cell phone experiences, more and more parents are opting for phones designed specifically for kids. Even once they decide to get a kid’s phone, the question remains: which one is best?

Here we’ll compare two different options that parents may be considering: Gabb and Troomi. While Gabb’s phones have a well-established reputation for keeping kids safe and minimizing screen time, Troomi is a relatively new entrant into the market. Here are how the two companies’ phones compare with one another:

Security: How Safe are Gabb and Troomi?

It’s the question on the mind of every parent getting ready to buy a new phone for their child: how safe is it? The answer for both Gabb and Troomi phones is exceptionally safe; both are designed with children in mind and are suitable for a wide range of ages as well. That being said, there are still some critical differences between the two that parents will want to be aware of.

If security is top priority, Gabb provides the ultimate safe experience, as their phone has no access to internet browsing, addictive games, or social media. A parent can have peace of mind that their kid won’t be exposed to pornography or other harmful material.

Troomi’s KidSmart operating system is their primary source of security. The goal of KidSmart is to give users a smartphone-like experience while still providing safety during usage.  Similar to iPhone and Android parental controls, the KidSmart OS aims to block and filter adult material when the child is using the internet. KidSmart connects Troomi phones back to software accessible by the user’s parents, allowing them to both monitor and customize the phone’s capabilities. However, KidSmart internet access costs extra.

App Security

The same principle that governs internet usage within Troomi’s KidSmart OS also applies with the app store. The system whitelists a number of “KidSmart Apps” that have been pre-approved for download by Troomi users.

In addition, the system excludes any apps that may feature inappropriate content or rely upon addictive mechanisms. However, if a parent would like access to their KidsSmart Apps, they will have to pay for the higher plan (more on pricing later).

On the other hand, Gabb phones place a hard embargo on capabilities like these. There’s no internet browsing, social media, or traditional app store access on Gabb’s hardware. While this may sound prohibitive at first, it’s the single best promise of security that a kid-focused phone can offer, relieving a parent of the burden of their child possibly being exposed to pornography or other addictive content.

Because a Troomi phone’s capabilities can be adjusted by a parent from another device, the possibility that a child could also find a way to do so themselves is a risk. With Gabb phones, not even parents could integrate internet access or app downloads onto the device.

Prioritizing Safety Preferences

Troomi phones try to block adult content in a way that most kids won’t bypass. But what if there’s an approved KidSmart app that parents don’t want their child having access to?

Kids can still access apps approved by KidSmart, even if a parent hasn’t vetted it first. This loophole may be too much for some parents. In this respect, Gabb is the “safer” option, since lack of internet prevents this issue in the first place.

Parents could also think of phone security in terms of their own peace of mind. As effective as Troomi’s security systems may be, they still require careful management on the part of the parent. This has its benefits; many of which will be discussed later. But, it’s also a potential negative for parents not interested in paying close attention to their child’s phone usage. With Gabb, there’s no need to manage parental controls because there are no parental controls built in; the phone arrives fully secure.

Additional Safety Preferences

Outside of the internet, both phones have a number of features that ensure security for younger users. Both phones include GPS-enabled location services. This means that a lost phone can be found at the push of a button. Gabb has additional GPS features that they call “Safe Zones.” Gabb’s Safe Zone feature can be set up by a parent, notifying them when their child has entered or left a specified area. Multiple custom safe zones can be set up: the neighborhood, school, or anywhere the parent chooses.

When it comes to security between Gabb and Troomi — ultimately, it comes down to how much the parent wants to manage their kid’s phone usage. The final takeaway should be that both phones are highly secure, but parents who want greater peace of mind may be attracted to Gabb’s more pared-down features list.

Gabb and Troomi Phone Capabilities

While parents may want their child’s phone to be as safe as possible, they also want their kids to learn the basics of how to use a smartphone effectively. In order to do that, a kid’s smartphone needs to have some of the capabilities that normal smartphones do — otherwise, a flip phone would do just fine.

Though both Gabb and Troomi’s phones look like traditional smartphones, neither works quite like a smartphone. The difference between the two companies is most pronounced in Gabb’s phones, which as previously mentioned, do not have internet capabilities. Instead, Gabb phones come pre-loaded with 14 apps ranging from music to photos to a calculator. This way kids get a taste of some of the most fundamental smartphone capabilities without the risk of getting exposed to any adult content.

Gabb ultimately focuses on the “phone” part of the smartphone so kids keep in touch with their friends and family, and don’t mindlessly surf the web. Adults can often be over-reliant on using their phones as personal computers, and Gabb’s software ensures that kids don’t fall into the same trap.

Security Capabilities

Because of the wide-ranging capabilities of their phones,Troomi may have some security oversights that can turn off certain parents. Gabb’s phones are great for kids who are just starting out with tech and perhaps are unprepared for more powerful smartphone features. Troomi’s phones are a good option for kids who are almost ready to use traditional smartphones.

How to Manage the Capabilities

Even though there are hard blocks on social media on Troomi phones, parents still have a big say in what their kids have access to. Parents can further limit certain sites or apps through the Troomi device manager. This also means that parents can give their kids access to more features as they grow more mature.

The Troomi device manager also allows parents to remotely manage screen time and phone capabilities. If, for example, a parent wants to make sure that their child isn’t using a certain app during school hours, they can command the OS to block access to that app during particular times of the day. This is another great way to seamlessly reward children for responsible phone use; parents can open up features once the child proves that they can handle the responsibility.

Choosing the Capabilities You Need

Of course, every smartphone feature comes with a tradeoff. As is the case with their security, the expanded capabilities of Troomi’s phones means that parents will need to put extra effort towards managing their child’s phone. Parents will need to make initial decisions regarding what their kids are allowed to access, which they may need to continually update those preferences as time goes on in order to keep pace with their child’s growth.

While there are obvious benefits to an internet-free device for parents, Gabb does limit the capabilities of some apps in consequential ways. Music, for example, is one side of this double-edged sword. MP3s can be added to Gabb phones for kids to listen to, but not all songs can be easily downloaded as or converted into MP3s.

Because music streaming is the norm now, having a device without it may disappoint some kids. Even so, the lack of streaming capabilities may be a relief for parents. Essentially, these measures prevent kids from listening to certain artists or songs featuring adult language and themes.

When it comes to the most important functions of the actual phone itself, both Gabb and Troomi are on even footing. Both offer calls and texting as well as the ability to send pictures and videos. This means that no matter what phone kids choose, they’ll be able to stay connected in all ways that matter.

Network, Specs, and Pricing

At length, all smartphones operate on two crucial levels: software and hardware. Most of this article so far has been dedicated to discussing the software of each device, but parents and kids alike may still want to know about the actual phones themselves. Neither Gabb nor Troomi actually designs and produces the physical products themselves; instead, each loads their own software onto existing devices.

The Gabb phone is a ZTE device that has been loaded with Gabb’s software. Some of its key product specifications include:

• More compact, portable 5.45 inch display
• 8MP main camera and 5MP front-facing camera
• 2GB of RAM and 32GB of long-term storage
• 2650 mAh battery
• Quad Core 2GHz processor
• Fingerprint scanner for device security

Troomi’s phone is a modified Samsung smartphone with specs that include:

• A 16MP main camera and 8MP front-facing camera
• Large, readable 6.5 inch display
• 32GB of internal storage
• 8-core processor
• 2650 mAh battery

Comparing Network and Specs

In terms of specs, both Gabb and Troomi’s devices have significantly more in common than not. Gabb’s phone has slightly less megapixels for its camera, but that may not be as important to parents. The Troomi phone also has a stronger battery, yet both phones keep a full day’s charge with normal use.

In terms of network, both Gabb and Troomi are operating at high calibers. Both networks feature a combination of 5G and 4G LTE and have widespread coverage across the country. Both are ideal for calling, texting, and staying in touch with friends and family alike.

Because Gabb phones do not connect with the internet, brief reductions in network bandwidth would not likely affect regular usage. Likewise, phone use wouldn’t be affected by occasional spots of low coverage. However, it might have an impact on Troomi phones’ regular usage.

Pricing Comparison

Both Troomi and Gabb phones are considerably cheaper than most smartphones on the market, which is a big win for parents when they consider how often kids may accidentally drop or break their phones.

• Gabb Phone Prices: At just $149.99, the Gabb Z2 phone is a very reasonable investment as a starter smartphone for kids. Gabb also provides a $4.99 a month extended warranty for the phone.
• Troomi Phone Prices: Troomi has the option between two phones, the lowest starting at $179.95 and the upper tier phone going for $279.95.

In comparison, the newest iPhone models could cost as much as 8 times that price. This doesn’t just make sense for a one-off investment but it also makes sense in the long term. Falls, accidents, and rough playing are part of being a kid. A child could break — and replace — their phone 5 times over and still incur a lower net cost than most traditional smartphones.

The two companies continue to diverge when it comes to the pricing of their actual plans. Troomi’s lowest plan starts at $19.95 a month for which users receive unlimited talk and text. If parents want access to Troomi’s KidSmart browser and apps, they would need to purchase their highest plan at $29.95.

Gabb, on the other hand, offers lower priced contract plans, as well as month-to-month. Gabb’s lowest plan starts at $17.99 a month, which gives users access to unlimited talk and text across the network. Also, for $4.99 more a month, pictures and group text messages are enabled.

The Gabb monthly plan may be more expensive than one of their contract plans, however the allure of a no-contract phone might be enough to justify the higher price to many parents.

Weighing the Network, Specs, and Price

Troomi’s $19.95 a month flat rate for their lowest plan is similar to Gabb’s lowest monthly plan of $17.99, but Troomi lacks some of Gabb’s additional cost-saving programs. One of these includes Gabb’s referral program. Families referred to Gabb by existing Gabb customers will see a $30 discount from their initial purchase. The Gabb phone plan is also completely free during its user’s birthday month every year.

Support and Community

The differences between Gabb and Troomi start to come to light with their customer support and community, and where Gabb pulls ahead. Troomi is a brand new company offering a new product whereas Gabb has been in the “tech for kids” space since 2018. For most industries, this would make no difference; for kid phones, though, the answer is a bit more complicated.

Every parent buying a smartphone for their child is beginning a long, tumultuous journey. How can parents expose their child to  relevant technology while also limiting their screen time, allowing them to connect with their friends, AND preventing them from any harmful content?

It’s difficult for one product to answer these questions all by itself. What parents need is something a little bit more substantial.

Gabb’s website features an extensive list of tips and tricks for parents that are just beginning this journey. Additionally, Gabb has a regularly-updated blog for staying abreast of the latest in the world of parenting tech-literate kids. Troomi simply hasn’t had the time to develop this kind of cultural infrastructure yet. When a parent buys a Gabb phone for their child, they’re buying into a community dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for children in the age of smartphones.

Additional Helpful Resources Offered

Dedication to helping children succeed is particularly evident when it comes to Gabb Life, Gabb’s primary outreach effort. Gabb Life regularly runs contests for young athletes, artists, singers, and other kids trying to make the most of their childhood. Then, the winners of these contests can receive cash prizes and gear to help them further their dreams. Even for those Gabb users that don’t win or even participate, there’s Gabb TV: a collection of videos, articles, and interviews featuring young Gabb Ambassadors showcasing their skills and inspiring other young people to do just the same.

While not all parents will be taken with this kind of community, many will be able to see just how valuable such a thing could be to a young smartphone user — seeing others successfully balance phone use with real-life activity and success. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how much a parent “dumbs down” a smartphone; kids are going to want to spend time on it. The key to reducing screen time is endlessly curtailing device capabilities but offering meaningful alternatives. The community and support offered by Gabb can help parents do just that for their child.

Customer Service

With Troomi being a newer company, it is no surprise that customer service can be one of the higher pain points of their product. Currently Troomi has shut down their customer phone support until May 1st, 2022.

On the other hand, you can be connected to a Gabb support representative within 60 seconds.

The Verdict

Any serious investigation of Gabb and Troomi phones will reveal the same answer; They’re both great options for parents looking to introduce their children to the world of smartphones. The differences are slight, but they may be significant for some families. The ability to add and remove features on Troomi phones may give it a longer lifespan for some kids. At the same time, the minimal security micromanaging required by Gabb phones will be a huge appeal for many parents. It’s not that one phone is decidedly better than the other; it’s that the two devices will have different levels of appeal to different parents and kids.

Both phones are safe, effective, and highly affordable for smartphones. Parents need to make the choice based on what they’re comfortable with. The Gabb phone offers more safety and security, providing peace of mind for avoiding addictive tech behaviors and harmful content. Troomi offers a more “hands-on” approach to monitoring what children can do while using technology wherever they go. Either way, making that extra step to protect children from the dangers of tech seems like a good way to go!

Updated April 16, 2022

Image Credit: Katerina Holmes; Pexels; Thank you!

The post Gabb Vs Troomi: Deciding Which is Right for Your Kid’s Phone appeared first on ReadWrite.

Up until the trial between Fortnite publisher Epic and Apple, most people probably weren’t aware of just how astronomically high a fee Apple charges developers for offering in-app purchases through the App Store.

I’d wager that most people would probably assume it’s somewhere close to the 3% average fee charged by merchant processors to take credit cards. It’s not. It’s ten times that.

That outlandish number means that for every $100 you spend on your favorite apps, app subscriptions, games, or other digital goods, $30 goes straight into Apple’s pocket.

And most of it is pure profit for one of the largest companies on the planet. While Apple relaxed this fee down to a still significant 15% for small developers until they earn their first million dollars, 30% is still the overall prevailing rate. It’s equal parts offensive and oppressive.

The Epic-Apple Battle

To briefly recap, Fortnite had been de-platformed — removed from the app store — for introducing its own proprietary payment method into the game, which was explicitly against the App Store Guidelines.

Apple wasn’t amused and booted one of the highest-grossing apps of all time from the store.

But U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple, despite being allowed to run its store and charge whatever rates in the process, is not allowed to muzzle developers from directing users to their own payment methods.

This is, at least on paper, a big win for developers.

Software development is really expensive. I’ve worked with clients who built business plans around fairly thin margins and focused on winning in volume — a risky strategy, but workable with enough growth and luck.

But when I informed them that their assumptions were off and that Apple would immediately siphon off 30% of their revenue, it completely blew up their business models.

They’d need more capital to get the subscriber count they’d need in order to hit their numbers. As a result, they’d see less money per subscription, unable to reinvest that cash in further development.

The ‘Apple Tax’ — Chilling Effect

And therein lies the chilling effect: Prospective innovators sitting on a compelling idea but finding it running headfirst into the buzzsaw of the “Apple Tax.”

And while it’s easy to wave your hands and suggest that a true entrepreneur should be able to pivot and innovate their way out of these constraints, at a certain point, we have to leave a lot of ideas and business models on the cutting room floor, unable to survive with these margins.

How Developers Could Respond

It’s too early to see how Apple complies with this ruling and how brave developers will be in their efforts to direct users to their own payment methods.

There’s a lot of room for “malicious compliance” here.

Apple could claim that allowing developers a small footnote-sized link is good enough, but that wouldn’t have the effect of actually offering that choice to users.

Reactions We’ve Already Seen

And we’ve already seen plenty of companies choose not to offer subscriptions or the ability to upgrade from a trial or free plan within the app directly. Spotify is one of the most famous examples of this, and it even launched an entire site devoted to its complaints about Apple’s practices.

But Epic took it a step further and spent millions of dollars fighting this fight, and I applaud them.

On the surface, the fundamental takeaway from this ruling is that we may see a trickle-down impact on the price we pay for specific apps.

Developers can be more competitive if they’re not required to pay 30 cents on every dollar they collect.

The Big Central Question

But there’s a bigger philosophical question at play that I think is worth exploring: What sort of ideas have fallen to the chilling effect of the 30% fee up to this point?

And what sort of business models and app innovations might we see now that developers can avoid such a steep fee?

Time will tell whether the ruling carves out enough daylight to impact the marketplace significantly.

Will the Ruling Open Up the Marketplace?

Probably not. After all, Apple is still allowed to require developers to include the In-App Purchase button that will still be subject to the 30% fee.

But developers can now offer their own payment options, presumably at a lower price to boot.

While some users may value the convenience of having their App Store subscriptions all in one place and the ability to one-click cancel, I’d imagine most people will gladly take a nearly 30% savings on their subscriptions. Sign me up.

The post Great Ideas Will Die on the Altar of Apple’s Fee appeared first on ReadWrite.

Our phones can now do a lot of things we never imagined. Here’s a list of some fun, new gadgets, all of which are smartphone-controlled.

With our smartphones, we can check our crypto wallets, utilize social media, take images that are as good as those taken by professional cameras, and so much more. Aside from that, there’s a lot more we can accomplish with them. In addition, we can ride and control robots, as well as cool devices, to brighten our day or even gather data for research. Such devices always increase the amount of fun you can have with a smartphone. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the finest gadgets that are smartphone-controlled and that will wow you.

1. Deeper PRO+ Smart Sonar Castable and Portable WiFi Fish Finder

Simply cast out your Deeper Smart Sonar PRO+ to obtain fast depth and water temperature information. When you recover your Deeper PRO+, it recognizes fish-friendly features including humps, depressions, and marginal shelf. You’ll note how diverse the greenery is.
Deeper water also aids in determining whether the bottom is hard or mushy and whether it contains gravel or silt. You can even find the fish using the Deeper PRO+’s sonar. As a result, if you’ve baited a place, you can monitor whether the fish are staying put or moving on. With Deeper PRO Plus, you’ll have all the information you need to capture the perfect fish you’ve always wanted.

2. POWERUP 4.0: The Smartphone-Controlled Paper Airplane Kit

You may sit in the pilot’s seat of a spectacular paper airplane that does high-speed stunts. The Bluetooth module links to your phone. In addition, it provides autopilot control for a wide variety of airplane models. A 30-minute charge allows you to keep your plane in the air for 10 minutes and 230 feet!
Your plane will spend a long time in the air because it can travel up to 20 mph (32 km/h). In addition, you can connect the bundled micro USB cord to a charging port and start planning your next adventure.

3. DEERC Radio Controlled Cars and DE36W Remote Control Car

Enjoy your time with this RC Truck. It’s not only able to be smartphone-controlled but it also takes amazing visuals with its camera. You can watch clear images and movies from the phone app thanks to the 720p HD wifi camera and first-person view transmission. Additionally, the 45° adjustable angle extends your shooting range.
It has advanced anti-skid tires, shock absorbers, and anti-collision beams. In addition, it has high-speed throttle response and sensitive steering. This gives assistance for unexpected drops and unstable ground surfaces. On a full charge, each 7.4V 1000mAh Ni-MH rechargeable battery may provide up to 25-30 minutes of gameplay. Speeds of up to 12 mph (20 km/h) are possible thanks to the two powerful motors.

4. Cheerwing U12S Mini Remote Controlled Helicopter

The Cheerwing U12S will help you have the most enjoyable helicopter ride imaginable. In addition, it will allow you to capture great photographs with the camera on your phone. Simply press one key to start the flight. This little helicopter will take off and hover at a preset height. Furthermore, it will keep even if you are not actively controlling it. This is because of the Altitude Hold Function.
In addition, it also has two speed settings. This makes it suitable for pilots of all skill levels. Further, it has a metal structure and flexible blades. These can withstand dozens of collisions. Therefore, this small helicopter is more strong and more durable.

5. Sphero SPRK+: App-Enabled Robot Ball

Sphero SPRK+ is a programmable robot ball that can be smartphone-controlled. It encourages creativity and curiosity through coding and gaming. A gyroscope, accelerometer, motor encoders, and colorful LED lights are among the SPRK+’s configurable sensors. This enables a wide range of play experiences and coding scenarios. Using the Sphero Edu app, you can program SPRK+ on a variety of platforms using JavaScript.
In addition, to double the fun, download the Sphero Play app to drive and play games with your coding bot. It’s also scratch-resistant, waterproof, and uses Bluetooth SMART to link to your smartphone. This allows you to see your commands and ideas come to life.

6. Brookstone Rover 2.0 App-Controlled Wireless Spy Tank

You may ride your futuristic SpyTank with your phone at any time of day or night. This device has its own Wi-Fi wireless connection. Therefore, it can travel up to 200 feet unobstructed. In addition, it can go up to 100 feet (30 meters) around walls and into adjoining rooms.
You can easily move and watch through Rover’s inbuilt video camera using the on-screen driving controls. Use G-Drive Mode to navigate by using your device’s accelerometer like a steering wheel for more realistic adventures. Rover 2.0 includes a built-in microphone and speaker. This allows you to hear what it hears and reply accordingly. Rover 2.0 provides you with a set of eyes and ears that may be used anywhere!

7. Robotic xArm 6DOF Full Metal Programmable Arm

The xArm 1S is a desktop robotic arm. It has an ARM core CPU, built-in Bluetooth, and 16 MB of storage. It can perform a variety of robotic gripping and sorting tasks. It’s ideal for project creation. In addition, it is great for bionic robot education and demonstrations of robotic automation.
It has powerful and dependable intelligent bus servos. Furthermore, it has position and voltage feedback functions. In addition, it has a newly designed mobile app so that it can be smartphone-controlled. Therefore, the UI is now easier to use. Additionally, you can alter the rotation angle and stance manually when designing actions.

The post Smartphone-Controlled Gadgets for More Fun appeared first on ReadWrite.

A bug in GPS and the GPSD daemon will change the time back to March 2002, at least for the systems that rely on the two. You may be wondering why this will happen, and here’s why.

A bug in the time rollback (or GPS Week Rollover) checking code scheduled for November 2038 is instead going to trigger this Saturday and will make 1,024 to be subtracted from October 24 2021. Lot’s of computers dates will hit a quick March 2002, as if time travel.

Stratum 1 servers will also go back in time, as they run off of GPSD to sync with clocks. So are Stratum 2 – secondary – servers usually are in sync with Stratum 1 servers.

Anyway, a fix to all this has been made. However, it won’t be backported to previous releases, and not all distros pick up GPSD updates or upstream patches. Even if your OS is at the latest, there’s a chance that it might not have the update. To fix this problem anyway, just attempt to update your computer.

You may be wondering what the cause is for the commotion of the GPS Week Rollover, and the answer is that it is a legacy GPS problem. It uses a 10-bit code that can go all the way up to 1,023. Every 19.7 years, the number rolls to 0. This for some reason isn’t rolling to 0, it will go back up to 1,024, meaning computers that do not have this update, shall say goodbye.

Source

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