Showing posts with label Control. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Control. Show all posts

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Android 4.3 may let third-party apps take control of notifications

Android 4.3 may let third-party apps take control of notifications data = {blogUrl: "www.engadget.com",v: 322};when = {jquery: lab.scriptBs("jquery"),plugins: lab.scriptBs("plugins"),eng: lab.scriptBs("eng")}; var s265prop9 = ('20645204' !== '') ? 'bsd:20645204' : ''; var postID = '20645204'; var modalMNo = '93312529', modalVideoMNo = '93320648', modalGalleryMNo = '93304207'; when.eng("eng.omni.init", {pfxID:"weg",pageName:document.title,server:"acp-ld39.websys.aol.com",channel:"us.engadget", s_account: "aolwbengadget,aolsvc", short_url: "",pageType:"",linkInternalFilters:"javascript:,",prop1:"article",prop2:"cellphones",prop9:s265prop9,prop12:document.location,prop17:"",prop18:"",prop19:"",prop20:"", prop22:"jon-fingas", prop54:"blogsmith",mmxgo: true }); adSendTerms('1')adSetMOAT('1');adSetAdURL('/_uac/adpagem.html');lab._script("http://o.aolcdn.com/os/ads/adhesion/js/adhads-min.js").wait(function(){var floatingAd = new AdhesiveAd("348-14-15-13f",{hideOnSwipe:true});}); onBreak({980: function () { adSetType("F");htmlAdWH("93312529", "LB", "LB"); adSetType("");}}); EngadgetMenu NewsReviews Features Galleries VideosEventsPodcasts Engadget ShowTopics Buyers Guides Sagas Store Hands On More Betterer HD Mobile Alt Announcements Cameras Cellphones Desktops Displays Gaming GPS Handhelds Home Entertainment Household Internet Laptops Meta Misc Networking Peripherals Podcasts Robots Portable Audio/Video Science Software Storage Tablets Transportation Wearables Wireless Acer Amazon AMD Apple ASUS AT&T Blackberry Canon Dell Facebook Google HP HTC Intel Lenovo LG Microsoft Nikon Nintendo Nokia NVIDIA Samsung Sony Sprint T-Mobile Verizon About UsSubscribeLike Engadget@engadgettip uswhen.eng("eng.nav.init")when.eng("eng.tips.init") onBreak({980: function () {htmlAdWH("93312530", "215", "35",'AJAX','ajaxsponsor');}});Android 4.3 may let third-party apps take control of notifications MobileBypostedJul 2nd, 2013 at 5:51 PM 0

Android 43 leak hints at notification listening service

Now that a leaked build of Android 4.3 is in the wild, curious users have been poring over the code to see exactly what's new. Kevin from TeslaCoil Software may have found one of the first real gems: there's now a notification listening service under the hood. The feature would let third-party apps read notifications and perform common notification-level tasks. While we don't have new software to show exactly how the service will work, it's possible that future apps will have limited control over each other without relying on the hacks that we see today. We'll know the full story when Google makes Android 4.3 official -- whenever that is.

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Posted by Chris Holman at 3:12 AM 0 comments
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Sunday, August 11, 2013

Comcast launching Xfinity-branded cloud-based home control, muni-fi services

Comcast Unveils Plans for Millions of Xfinity WiFi Hotspots Through Its Home-Based 'Neighborhood Hotspot' Initiative

WASHINGTON & PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Comcast, a global media and technology company, today announced plans to create millions of WiFi access points for its customers through a neighborhood hotspot initiative. Comcast is beginning to give its Xfinity Internet customers an additional "xfinitywifi" signal (or SSID) in their home that is completely separate and distinct from the family's private and secure home WiFi signal. Offered at no additional cost to Xfinity Internet residential customers, the additional WiFi hotspots will enable friends, relatives, visitors and other Xfinity Internet customers instant, easy access to fast and reliable WiFi.

"WiFi is at the center of our strategy to offer our customers the best online experience, whether it's the fastest WiFi experience in the home, or a fast and reliable WiFi environment outside the home," said Tom Nagel, Senior Vice President of Business Development, Comcast Cable. "WiFi is an important part of our strategy to be the place where customers connect all devices, anywhere and at any time."

Comcast's newest Wireless Gateway broadcasts two WiFi signals. By default, one is securely configured for the private use of the home subscriber. The second is a neighborhood "xfinitywifi" network signal that can be shared. This creates an extension of the Xfinity WiFi network and will allow visiting Xfinity Internet subscribers to sign in and connect using their own usernames and passwords.

As the nation's largest ISP with nearly 20 million customers, Comcast started a neighborhood hotspot trial last year in parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Northern Virginia and the Greater Washington, D.C. metro area. Currently, more than 100,000 Xfinity Internet subscribers already enjoy these WiFi access points being offered by other Xfinity Internet subscribers.

WiFi is part of Comcast's broader strategy to create the foundation our customers need to power their Internet-connected devices in and out of the home. Comcast recently introduced a new Wireless Gateway that gives customers the nation's fastest wireless speeds with the most coverage throughout the connected home. By combining WiFi speeds with the latest Xfinity apps, home control technology and other Internet-enabled services, Comcast is giving customers new, simple and convenient ways to take advantage of the speed delivered on its broadband and WiFi networks.

Comcast's WiFi strategy currently includes two approaches. The first is the inclusion of tens of thousands of Xfinity WiFi access points in the CableWiFi Alliance, which enables Xfinity Internet customers access to more than 150,000 indoor and outdoor WiFi hotspots on the go in more than a dozen major cities across the country through the "CableWiFi" SSID. The second is this launch of the new home-based, neighborhood hotspot initiative.

Comcast has invested tens of billions of dollars to create a network across the U.S. that makes broadband widely available. The company has changed the Internet experience for millions of customers by providing the nation's fastest speeds, reliable service, trusted security and online content. Comcast has increased Internet speeds for its customers 11 times, most recently doubling two of its most popular Xfinity Internet speed plans, Blast! and Extreme 50, for no additional cost across the company's entire footprint.

A coverage map and more information about Xfinity WiFi are both available at: www.xfinity.com/wifi.

For more information, please follow Comcast on Twitter and Google+.

Comcast Launches New Xfinity Home Control and Energy Management Service

Xfinity Home Adds EcoSaver, a New Cloud-Based Solution that Learns Heating and Cooling Patterns of a Home for Additional Energy Savings

WASHINGTON & PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Comcast, a global media and technology company, today announced the launch of Xfinity Home Control, a new product under the Xfinity Home umbrella of services. Xfinity Home Control is for customers who want smart home solutions like video monitoring and the ability to either schedule or remotely access lighting and thermostat controls, but do not choose the professional security monitoring that is offered with other Xfinity Home services, which are now called Xfinity Home Secure.

"The home control market is growing tremendously, and it's being driven by innovative technology, affordability and consumer demand," said Mitch Bowling, Senior Vice President and General Manager of New Businesses for Comcast Cable. "With the launch of Xfinity Home Control, we're adding yet another way customers can remotely manage their homes anywhere and at anytime."

Xfinity Home Control provides customers with the ability to get real-time text and email alerts when doors and windows open or close; watch live streaming video of their home via wireless cameras; and manage home devices including lights and thermostats remotely or by using automated schedules. Comcast is offering Xfinity Home Control service starting at only $9.95 per month. A "starter pack" of Xfinity Home Control monitoring equipment is available starting at $99.95.

Additionally, Comcast is adding to its Xfinity Home service today with the launch of EcoSaver, a new cloud-based solution that can help customers potentially reduce their energy use and save money on their utility bills year-round. The EcoSaver service, paired with the Xfinity Home thermostat, learns the unique heating and cooling patterns of a home and makes automatic and incremental adjustments to the thermostat based on real-time weather data, the thermal characteristics of the house and the temperature preferences of the occupants. The homeowner maintains full control over the thermostat. Over time, the system adapts to user inputs to help reduce energy while keeping the home comfortable.

Comcast continues to enhance its' Xfinity Home platform. Last week, Comcast and OSRAM SYLVANIA announced an agreement to offer energy efficient light bulbs that can be controlled remotely from anywhere through the Xfinity Home platform.

Xfinity Home is one of the primary services that takes advantage of the WiFi speeds that Comcast delivers. Comcast recently introduced a new Wireless Gateway that gives customers the nation's fastest wireless speeds with the most coverage throughout the connected home. This is part of Comcast's broader strategy to create the foundation for customers to power their Internet-connected devices and experiences, in and out of the home. By combining WiFi speeds with the latest Xfinity apps, home control technology and other Internet-enabled services, Comcast is giving customers new, simple and convenient ways to take advantage of the speed delivered on its broadband and WiFi networks.

For more information on Xfinity Home pricing, equipment and features, visit www.xfinity.com/home.

Please follow Comcast on Twitter and Google+.


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Posted by Chris Holman at 7:09 PM 0 comments
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Friday, June 28, 2013

Pioneer announces XDJ-R1 all-in-one digital DJ deck with MIDI, iOS control features (video)

PIONEER INTEGRATES IPAD®/IPHONE®/IPOD® TOUCH CONTROL IN LATEST DJ SYSTEM
XDJ-R1 is the Industry's First Wireless DJ System with iOS Device Control Capability

LONG BEACH, Calif. (May 30, 2013) – Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. Professional Sound and Visual Division today unveiled the XDJ-R1, the industry's first1 all-in-one DJ system to feature wireless control functionality through an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch via Pioneer's specially designed "remotebox" app2. The versatile system features Wireless Direct, to enable reliable wireless connectivity with an iOS device even when a WiFi® network is not available, Auto Beat Loop, Beat Sync, USB device connectivity, built-in CD players and MIDI control.

"Pioneer continues its efforts to build innovative DJ products that match today's consumer lifestyle with the introduction of the XDJ-R1," said David Arevalo, marketing director, Professional Sound and Visual Division for Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. "Expanding on Pioneer's latest connectivity philosophy, with the XDJ-R1, iPhone and iPad devices can be used as additional control devices so the DJ is free to move around the room he/she is performing in while still having complete control over the music playing."

XDJ-R1 Mobility
By utilizing the "remotebox" app with an iOS device such as iPhone or iPad, the XDJ-R1 can be remotely controlled wirelessly, giving DJs the ability to continue their music mixing performances even when they move away from the system. The remotebox app provides access to many of the system's functions directly on the display of a compatible smart device including controlling volume levels, choosing and changing songs, as well as the ability to mix songs from a USB device plugged into the system. Users can also apply the "Auto Beat Loop" function3 that automatically loops music at a specified tempo as well as intuitively control various effects using the X-Y pads from a smart device.

Media Support
Unlike conventional systems, the XDJ-R1 is equipped with dual CD players in addition to a USB port for media playback. The system supports a variety of different music formats including conventional compact discs and MP3, AAC4, WAV and AIFF files stored on CD-R/RW and USB storage devices. For added convenience, the unit also offers MIDI support for operation of various DJ software.

Mix and Match Features
The XDJ-R1 offers a multitude of fun and convenient features for creating unique mixes including:

Beat Sync5 – With a touch of the Sync button, the system automatically synchronizes the beats of songs analyzed through Pioneer's rekordbox music management software

Hot Cue – The unit features three points of Hot Cues to enable playback of music from specified points

Sampler – For added effects, the system's Sampler function enables recorded sampling sounds to be added with the press of a button. Sound sources can be recorded from songs on a USB storage device or a compact disc

Beat FX – Four different effects including Trans, Flanger, Echo and Roll are available to combine with songs currently playing

Sound Color FX – The unit offers four additional effects (Filter, Crush, Noise and Jet) for more creative mixing options
Quantize Function – Automatically corrects synchronization of effects when using Auto Beat Loop or Beat Effect.

Additional Features
Noise Reduction – To significantly reduce noise, internal analog and digital circuits were separated, and the distance for digital conversion of analog input signals was shortened. All signal processing is conducted using a high-performance CPU for clear audio output
Independent 3-band isolator
Internal sound card (Audio Interface)
Complete with Master Out (XLR), Booth Out, AUX and MIC ports

Free Virtual DJ Limited Edition
The Virtual DJ® Limited Edition DJ software6 by Atomix Inc. is included with the purchase of a XDJ-R1. The software features an easy-to-use user interface for the XDJ-R1 and enables optimum enjoyment of various DJ play styles with features including loops, effects, a sampler and 4-channel mixing.

The XDJ-R1 will be available in June with a suggested retail price of $1,099.


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Posted by Chris Holman at 9:01 PM 0 comments
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Monday, June 24, 2013

Reproductive Coercion: When Men Sabotage Birth Control

Lindsay Clark, M.D., couldn't figure out why her patients were getting pregnant. An obstetrics and gynecology resident in Rhode Island, she was treating women who very recently had been pregnant, or had come to her with the opposite intent. “I wondered why women were getting pregnant so soon after they came to me for birth control counseling,” she told the Cut. “I became interested in the idea that women might not have as much control over their birth control as they think.”

Surveying 641 women who received routine ob-gyn care at Providence’s Women and Infants Hospital, Clark found that 16 percent had received unwelcome pressure to get pregnant. Their boyfriends and partners made it hard for them to use birth control — poking holes in condoms or hiding their pills — or threatened to leave or harm them if they didn’t get pregnant.

If you don’t hear much these days about the stereotypical gold digger who lies about being on the pill to ensnare a man into marriage or eighteen years of child support payments, that may be because doctors are now being told to look for just the opposite: The woman whose partner sabotages her birth control. She’s not so hard to find.

Early this year, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG) issued a committee recommendation urging ob-gyns to screen patients for these behaviors, collectively known as reproductive coercion. Whether women were in for an annual exam, a pregnancy test, or a second trimester visit, it recommended asking questions like, “Does your partner support your decision about when or if you want to become pregnant?”

The ACOG’s strategy reflects a growing body of research that identifies reproductive coercion as a unique form of domestic or intimate partner violence, and offers an explanation for the high rates of unintended pregnancies among women in abusive relationships. Increasingly, birth-control sabotage is viewed as a tool not for baby-crazed female stalkers, but for a class of predominantly male abusers who want to exercise control over their partner’s body, make her dependent upon them, or secure a long-term presence in her life.

One of the subject’s leading experts, the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh's chief of adolescent medicine Elizabeth E. Miller, M.D., Ph.D., began looking into the phenomenon less than a decade ago, after seeing a 15-year-old patient who said her boyfriend only used condoms some of the time. Rather than asking whether the boyfriend refused her request to use condoms, she assumed the patient needed to be educated about birth control. Two weeks later, the girl was in the emergency room with a severe head injury. “Personally, it was incredibly destabilizing,” Miller recalled. “It was like, ‘How could I have missed this?” Later, she interviewed girls who were known to have been in violent relationships for a 2007 paper on the topic. “A quarter of them said, ‘He was trying to get me pregnant.'”

In Miller’s 2010 study, one of the largest on reproductive coercion to date, 15 percent of 1,300 women who visited federal- and state-subsidized California family-planning clinics had their birth control sabotaged. One in five had been urged by a boyfriend not to use birth control, or told by a boyfriend he would leave her if she wouldn’t get pregnant. A larger portion of respondents, 35 percent, who reported intimate partner violence (IPV) also reported birth-control sabotage.

Because Miller’s study examined low-income-friendly clinics — and because domestic violence disproportionately affects low-income women — some have conjectured that reproductive coercion is a classed issue. But Dr. Clark’s survey, which looked at a general population of patients, with and without private insurance, suggests birth-control sabotage and pregnancy coercion happen at a similar rate across socioeconomic and educational backgrounds. In her study, the single highest risk factor for reproductive coercion was being unmarried and sexually active.

Miller’s co-author Rebecca Levenson, a senior policy analyst for Futures Without Violence, said she expects more and diverse women will come forward as information about reproductive coercion spreads and women recognize it as a kind of abuse. “Naming something is powerful,” she said. But first, she hopes the research will inform the many doctors who are in a position to directly intervene and reduce the reproductive harm facing IPV victims — be it an unwanted pregnancy, an expensive abortion, or the unhappy extension of a bad relationship — but don’t know to ask. Harm-reduction strategies range from offering birth control or emergency contraceptives in plain packaging to switching women to a stealthier method, like Depo Provera hormone shots or an IUD with the strings clipped.

Levenson described a 17-year-old she interviewed whose boyfriend claimed the condom broke six times in a row before she sought out Depo Provera for herself. This was before reproductive coercion was widely discussed, she said, but “Imagine how powerful it would be if when she went to the clinic the clinician would say, ‘Hey, you’ve come in for emergency contraceptive three times. Are you at all worried about that?’”

When Futures Without Violence took their findings to Eve Espey, M.D., M.P.H., a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of New Mexico and an author of the ACOG’s committee opinion, she was “totally embarrassed,” she said. “I’ve always asked patients about intimate partner violence, but I had not asked specifically about reproductive coercion,” she told the Cut. “I was amazed that a seasoned ob-gyn like I am was not aware of that as an entity.”

Once she became aware, she wasn’t surprised how common it was among her patients. In addition to the IUD and the shot, in some cases Espey recommends patients switch to a non-hormonal IUD because “there are some men who count the days of women’s periods,” which can be fewer if she’s on hormonal birth control. “When people have power and control needs, they will seek the information,” she explained.

Citing the high rate of response to her survey, Dr. Clark told the Cut that patients are equally quick to identify reproductive coercion once aware of its existence. “In my practice, they say, ‘Oh, I’ve never really thought about it like that, but, yeah, I do get pressure,'” she said. “Women want to talk about it.” Finally, they will have someone with whom they can.


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Posted by Chris Holman at 4:09 AM 0 comments
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Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Glass Nest lets users control their homes from their heads

Glass Nest apps lets us control our homes from our heads

Those who already own Google Glass are more likely than most to embrace new technologies like Nest's thermostat, so it only makes sense that an especially eager adopter would find a way to combine the two. That would be James Rundquist and his new Glass Nest app: Glass owners now just have to announce that they're coming home (or heading out) to make their Nest units change the climate. More exacting homeowners can fine-tune the temperature, too. While the utility is both unofficial and quite limited at this stage, Rundquist has posted source code that lets anyone expand on the project. If you're in the rare position of owning both gadgets, we'd suggest giving Glass Nest and its code at least a cursory look.

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Posted by Chris Holman at 11:13 PM 0 comments
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Monday, April 22, 2013

Kenneth Cole Draws Ire Over Gun Control Tweet

Kenneth-cole-storeLauren Indvik2013-04-19 01:34:58 UTC

Perhaps fashion designer Kenneth Cole should stay off Twitter during sensitive political moments — or at least, his social media manager should.

After provoking harsh criticism for a February 2011 tweet, in which the designer used the protests in Cairo to promote his spring collection, Cole was at it again Thursday.

This time, the brand used the fact that the Senate voted down a mild gun control measure on background checks — one supported by 90% of Americans, according to polls — to make a joke about footwear.

On Twitter, the joke went down like a lead balloon. Some sample reactions:




The tweet is by no means as offensive as his previous tweet about Cairo, which suggested that the pro-democracy rioting was brought on by the brand's spring collections. Still, you might expect Cole would have learned not to take advantage of trending topics on sensitive issues to fete his own products. Or, for that matter, his views on bare feet.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Ian Muttoo

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Posted by Chris Holman at 8:28 AM 0 comments
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