FUNKY GREEN: 01/22/15

Thursday, 22 January 2015

Microsoft Build 2015 developer conference sells outs in 45 minutes

via Tech http://ift.tt/1BMIXpK

Apple Watch battery life gets rumored

The long-awaited Apple Watch is still a few months away and, without knowing all the official specs for all different variations, rumors about everything from software builds to battery life are starting to make their way across the internet. 9to5mac:

According to our sources, Apple opted to use a relatively powerful processor and high-quality screen for the Apple Watch, both of which contribute to significant power drain. Running a stripped-down version of iOS codenamed SkiHill, the Apple S1 chip inside the Apple Watch is surprisingly close in performance to the version of Apple's A5 processor found inside the current-generation iPod touch, while the Retina-class color display is capable of updating at a fluid 60 frames per second.

Apple initially wanted the Apple Watch battery to provide roughly one full day of usage, mixing a comparatively small amount of active use with a larger amount of passive use. As of 2014, Apple wanted the Watch to provide roughly 2.5 to 4 hours of active application use versus 19 hours of combined active/passive use, 3 days of pure standby time, or 4 days if left in a sleeping mode. Sources, however, say that Apple will only likely achieve approximately 2-3 days in either the standby or low-power modes…

Knowing how much battery life the Apple Watch has during testing is sort of like knowing a director wants Christian Bale cast in a lead role before production starts. It's super interesting if you love all the behind-the-scenes stories but ultimately what matters to you is how Michael Fassbender does in the movie you actually end up seeing — and how much battery life you get under typical conditions for the watch you end up wearing.

That Apple is including a powerful processor and high-density screen will be great for features as we're using them, less great for how long we'll be able to use them for. Everything is a tradeoff. Put in a really slow processor and a monochrome e-ink screen and it'll go for days... if you want to use it for that long.

For example the low-power, e-paper Pebble gets nearly 5-7 days of use off a single charge but doesn't offer anywhere nearly the same experience. Android Wear devices like the Moto 360, which have brilliant full-color screens, and robust notifications and apps, can make it about a day. It still comes down to how much you actually use your watch, however, and what you're doing with it. Like with your iPhone and iPad, the more you use it, the more you'll need to charge it.

So, if Apple hits the 19 hours of combined active/passive battery life they're reportedly targeting, where does that fit for you? Would you sacrifice power and display density for more? Would you want even higher performance for less?

from iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog http://ift.tt/1yKrSef

via IFTTT

Did you live here before it was cool? Neighborhoods that’ll become hotspots in 2015

Think your neighborhood is a hidden gem? Watch out! It may be on Redfin's list of 2015’s 10 hottest neighborhoods. Don't blame them, though. It means the secret's out, and everyone wants to live there.

The post Did you live here before it was cool? Neighborhoods that’ll become hotspots in 2015 appeared first on Digital Trends.

from Digital Trends http://ift.tt/1uzsnb3

via IFTTT

Nicolas Cage to play an ex-con hunting for Bin Laden in a comedy based on a true story

Nicolas Cage will play an ex-convict hunting for Osama Bin Laden in a comedy based on the true story of an American arrested in Pakistan in 2010.

The post Nicolas Cage to play an ex-con hunting for Bin Laden in a comedy based on a true story appeared first on Digital Trends.

from Digital Trends http://ift.tt/1uzsnb2

via IFTTT

Verizon gives prepaid customers more data

Big Red's latest move gives prepaid subscribers more wiggle room for data consumption.

from CNET http://ift.tt/15h0vMs

via IFTTT

The Lego Movie Video Game arrives for iOS

Everything is awesome in this mobile version of the console game.

from CNET http://ift.tt/1E7fvvx

via IFTTT

Microsoft looks for love, but will there be a happy ending?

Technically Incorrect: CEO Satya Nadella now says Microsoft's aspiration is for Windows to be loved. Here's the underlying reality of Microsoft's relationship with the world. In, well, romantic terms.

from CNET http://ift.tt/15h0vw6

via IFTTT

Replay XD's Prime X action cam shoots for pros

The company's fourth-gen camera has one of the most compact designs we've seen, built with components and features that raise it above your average action cam.

from CNET http://ift.tt/1E7fxnb

via IFTTT

Yes, you can stream any audio to Amazon Echo

You're not just limited to Prime Music, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn. Kind of.

from CNET http://ift.tt/15h0x6X

via IFTTT

Monitor your favorite websites from iOS 8's Notification Center

Glimpse is a Notification Center widget, providing regularly refreshed previews of your favorite webpages.

from CNET http://ift.tt/1E7fvf8

via IFTTT

How to use IFTTT to win at social media

Dominate Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with automated tasks.

from CNET http://ift.tt/1E7fvf4

via IFTTT

Bad News: Barrett Brown's Going to Jail For "Linking to Hacked Material"

A federal judge just sentenced journalist Barrett Brown to 63 months in prison and ordered him to pay nearly $890,000 in restitution for charges related to the 2011 hack of Stratfor Global Intelligence. Brown's supporters maintain that the young writer and activist was "merely linking to hacked material." For that, he'll spend about five years behind bars. That sucks.