New Technology News

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Apple has just updated its developer website for the iOS App Store to show the distribution of devices on different versions of iOS, and iOS 7 now commands a significant league, with 74 percent of devices using the major overhaul released alongside the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in September.

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iOS 7 usage has increased 10 percent since October according to Apple’s numbers, which is remarkable growth especially given the drastic nature of the changes in this update, which includes a complete visual overhaul of all OS elements. Even more impressive is the fact that another 22 percent of active App Store users are running iOS 6, which means that together, a full 96 percent of iOS customers are running just the two most recent versions of the mobile OS, while Android still has a much more scattered distribution.

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That kind of traction is great news for developers, since they can target the vast majority of active iOS users with less effort than if that distribution reflected earlier versions of the OS. In the case of iOS 7 specifically, however, since it’s so different from older versions of iOS, getting just about everyone into that big bucket of current version users becomes even more important.

Outside firms are seeing similar adoption rates, with Chitika noting in a recent study that over 70 percent of traffic on iPhone and iPad in North America is coming from iOS 7 on its network. That means uptake is happening at a much quicker pace than it did with iOS 6, which took half a year to reach 83 percent, so apps targeting iOS 7 only likely have little to fear in terms of limiting their user pool.

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Apple Puts iOS 7 Adoption At 74% Based On App Store Usage Numbers

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Apple has just updated its developer website for the iOS App Store to show the distribution of devices on different versions of iOS, and iO...

Every day, the United States National Security Agency collects nearly 5 billion cellphone location records worldwide, The Washington Post reported. The information, obtained from documents released by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, indicate the records are stored in the agency's FASCIA database. Data on Americans' cellphones both in the U.S. and abroad is collected "incidentally," the NSA contended. However, "there's no restriction that would stop them for searching for Americans in the database," noted CDT's Jake Laperruque.

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NSA Harvests 5 Billion Cellphone Locations Worldwide Daily: Report

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Every day, the United States National Security Agency collects nearly 5 billion cellphone location records worldwide, The Washington Post ...

There are, of course, many libertarians in Silicon Valley who see Washington DC as the mortal enemy of innovation. But according to Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who was appointed to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) by Barack Obama in 2012, Silicon Valley needs to “participate more” in DC. Entrepreneurs “need a referee”, she told me, especially in critical areas like spectrum policy – what Rosenworcel describes as the “consummate scarce resource” that, she insists, is critical for “generating innovation” in our increasingly mobile future.

But just as Silicon Valley needs Washington DC, Rosenworcel acknowledges, the Beltway needs to do a better job working with Silicon Valley which, she says, is “justifiably revered”. And Rosenworcel herself might be a model for a more switched-on legislator who not only is wired into the start-up tech community but is even on Twitter. So rather than spectrum, perhaps, it’s Rosenworcel who is the consummate scarce resource – the cool FCC Commissioner as much at home in Silicon Valley as she is in Washington DC.

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Keen On…Jessica Rosenworcel: Why Silicon Valley And Washington DC Can’t Live Without Each Other

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There are, of course, many libertarians in Silicon Valley who see Washington DC as the mortal enemy of innovation. But according to Commiss...

eBay has long been known as the defacto marketplace for buying and selling physical goods. But today the marketplace giant is making an interesting move into digital goods, launching a dedicated marketplace for digital comics. Via a limited beta test in the U.S., the marketplace allows you to purchase and read digital comics, in the same way you would via the App Store or through Amazon.

Previously, eBay allowed some digital items to be sold by merchants but it’s limited. Now eBay is actually taking a part in the curation and selling of content.

We’re told eBay is partnering with comiXology, an online marketplace for digital comics, to power the purchasing and reading experience. Via the new eBay Digital Comics marketplace you can browse and view collections by character. When you click on a comic book of interest, you are taken to the comic book’s page on the comiXology site. Purchasers will need to create a comiXology account or log in with an existing account to complete the purchase.

You need to buy on the desktop experience but you can access and read comics on a phone or tablet, we’re told. By next year, we hear that eBay will be launching a similar test in Europe. Obviously extending eBay’s presence in digital goods could even expand to other verticals like movies, books and more verticals are likely, we hear.

The company seems to be testing a number of out-of-the-box ideas over the past few months. This latest initiative is part of the eBay Innovations Group, which is also responsible for the company’s new Angie’s List-competitor, and its connected glass in physical storefronts.

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eBay Pushes Into Curating And Selling Digital Goods, Launches Dedicated Marketplace For Digital Comics

2:09 PM

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eBay has long been known as the defacto marketplace for buying and selling physical goods. But today the marketplace giant is making an inte...

Image (1) worldcuptrophy.png for post 144417

We are about to embark on amazing adventure and we need your help. In January we are holding our first Hardware Battlefield in Las Vegas, Nevada to coincide with CES. We will bring 15 great hardware startups, a gaggle of amazing judges, and a 3D-printed trophy of your design.

We need 3D designers to build us an amazing, open source trophy that Shapeways will print for us. If your model is chosen you will receive a Makerbot Digitizer and our unending appreciation as well as a link to your work.

How do you enter? Create a 3D model taller than six inches and submit it to Shapeways with the tag “Techcrunch.” Email me, john@techcrunch.com, when you’ve uploaded your model and we will pick a winner at the end of November. You will receive a print and we will use another copy as our Hardware Battlefield trophy.

What are we looking for? Anything as long as it looks great as a trophy, is sufficiently regal-looking, and is amazing. We want robots, planetoids, and 3D printer nozzles blown up to maximum resolution. We want something that epitomizes the spirit of adventure, fun, and hard work that it takes to make a cool hardware startup.

So enter today. We need you and we want our Hardware Battlefield winner to go home with an amazing trophy of your design.

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We Need Your Help To Design The Hardware Battlefield Trophy

1:53 PM

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We are about to embark on amazing adventure and we need your help. In January we are holding our first Hardware Battlefield in Las Vegas, N...

Wi-Fi routers are usually boring. Designed to look as innocuous as possible, designers basically go for the “black box with lights on it” approach and head home. Not Airfy.

Originally introduced at Disrupt Berlin, Airfy is one of the sexiest Wi-Fi routers I’ve ever seen. It looks like a cross between an Art Deco lamp and a Legend of Zelda Rupee. While the device is a fully-complaint 802.11ac/n router, it also acts as a Bluetooth iBeacon and allows you to set up a sort of local, wireless point-of-sale system in your office or shop. Using a mobile app, the service supports mobile payments via a proprietary POS gateway. Finally, the device can also act as a shopping aid.

Not running a corner shop? The Airfy also has 50 built-in LEDs that light up when various things happen on your system. For example, you can have it change color for Facebook updates, commerce sales, or phone calls and you can use IFTTT to program interactive features. You can also add features like “paid” surfing, commercial-based free wi-fi (users can watch a quick commercial to log into your router) and the data is WPA2 encrypted. As a stretch goal the team will add a camera to the mix, allowing you to use the router as a home security device and a built-in audio out for wireless streaming. In short, they stuck everything in here but the kitchen sink.

The team is looking for $169 for the 802.11N model and their standalone beacons will cost $49. They are looking for $100,000 and have raised $2,000 so far. The site is a bit nebulous as to how they’re going to pull off their most exciting features – especially the virtual POS system – but that’s what Indiegogo is for. Considering we’ve seen these routers in the flesh and came away impressed, however, I’m sure the team will figure out all the vagaries before they hit the stores.

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Airfy Is A Wi-Fi Hotspot That You Wouldn’t Be Ashamed To Take Home To Mother

1:25 PM

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Wi-Fi routers are usually boring. Designed to look as innocuous as possible, designers basically go for the “black box with lights on it” ap...

Taking pictures is fun, frustrating and rewarding. But the right gear helps minimize the frustration and bump up the other two. This guide covers a range of photographers, from amateur mobile shooters to those with the best gear operating at or near the professional level, so there should be something for everyone. And remember: When in doubt, batteries.

Fujifilm X100s ($1,299)

This is a camera lover’s camera, with an extremely pleasing outer design and functionality that will make the biggest rangefinder nerd sing with secret joy inside their heart. The X100s debuted at CES last year, but it’s not showing its age yet &#8211 and it improves autofocus greatly over the original X100, which was itself a strong performer save for that one failing. If it’s low light and candid you’re after, in a relatively portable package with extensive manual controls, the X100s is it.

Sony NEX-5T ($599)

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The Fujifilm camera listed above is great for advanced users, but the Sony NEX-5T is an affordable mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that fits the needs of much more novice and general photographers. The 5T offers Wi-Fi sharing over the lower cost 3N, which is why it gets my vote, since that’s becoming a much more important convenience factor with the increased mobile editing power built-in to many of today’s best smartphones and tablets.

iPad Air ($499)

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Speaking of those devices, Apple’s iPad Air takes the cake as the photographer’s best friend while on the road. That big, beautiful Retina display combined with the thin and light design of Apple’s latest 9.7-inch tablet make it the perfect blend of form and function for use in the field. And that A7 processor promises big improvements for image editing performance on the tablet, especially as software makers like Adobe capitalize on its newfound abilities.

Glif ($30)

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Also for the mobile photographer, the Glif from Studio Neat has just undergone a redesign that makes it compatible with virtually any smartphone device. The original was a single piece of ABS plastic, but this one introduces a single moving part to accommodate devices of different thicknesses. You might not think that tripod-mounting your iPhone or Galaxy S4 is going to make a huge difference to your pictures, but with apps that cater to long exposures and for surprisingly sharper results, traditional tools like a tripod can’t be beat.

Incase DSLR Pro Pack ($149.95)

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I am constantly rethinking my ideal camera bag, but the Incase DSLR Pro Pack has remained on top of the heap for the longest time now, and I don’t foresee ditching it anytime soon. It lugs everything I need with ease, including laptop, chargers and cables in addition to one or two bodies and a number of lenses. It’ll weigh a ton fully loaded, but the straps distribute the weight evenly to save your back, and it’s so sturdily constructed it’ll last for years even under the heaviest of loads.