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iOS 18 Tips, Tricks, How-Tos, News

News: Virtual Reality, Coming to a Dentist's Office Near You

I don't know anyone that likes going to the dentist—few things are more uncomfortable than having someone else's hands in your mouth. But outside of that, not only can the pain of certain procedures be unnerving, the drugs used to numb those pains can be just as uncomfortable. Not being able to feel your mouth for hours on end is a disconcerting feeling. But all that could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to virtual reality.

News: We Went to the Google Glass Film Festival—Don't Expect Glass-Made Movies Anytime Soon

It was a chilly but otherwise beautiful night at YouTube Spaces LA—food trucks, ping pong, a photo booth, and the chance to view film school projects created completely with Glass. About a year ago, the Glass Creative Partnership was formed to explore how Glass could be used in filmmaking, with partnerships spanning from the American Film Institute to CalArts and UCLA. On July 16, 2014, the products of that partnership were screened under the Southern California night sky. Three films were sh...

The Passport: BlackBerry's Last Stand

BlackBerry was one of the first companies to put anything that resembles a modern-day smartphone on the market, but now, seeing one out in the wild is like stumbling upon a fossil. Now that they've announced the BlackBerry Passport, it seems as if this is their last-ditch effort at remaining relevant.

News: Sprint Agrees to Buy T-Mobile for $32 Billion

Sprint and T-Mobile have agreed to a $31.6 billion deal that, if it gets through federal regulators—which is far from a sure bet—would create a formidable carrier to really compete against AT&T and Verizon. The deal comes packaged with a $1 billion "breakup" fee that Sprint would have to pay T-Mobile in the event the deal does not go through. After the deal, Deutsche Telekom, which owns about 67% of T-Mobile, would maintain a 20% ownership stake.

News: Android Maintains Lead in Platform Market, Apple Dominates Device Market

For the month of April, Android maintained it's edge over Apple's iOS platform, 52.5% versus 41.4%, with Blackberry, Microsoft, and Symbian rounding out the top five (2.5%, 3.3%, and 0.2%, respectively). Due to the vast number of OEMs that manufacture Android smartphones, Apple does have a solid lead in the device market, with a dominant 41.4% market share, with Samsung, LG, Motorola, and HTC rounding out the top five (27.7%, 6.5%, 6.3%, and 5.3%, respectively). The research, compiled by comS...

News: Google Just Acquired Instant Translator Word Lens—All Language Packs Free for a Limited Time

According to a statement on its website, Quest Visual, the company behind the highly-regarded live translation app Word Lens, has been purchased by Google. This news has ripple effects across both the Android and iOS platforms, as it is likely Word Lens will be discontinued in the near future in favor of incorporating the technology into Google's own Translate app. For now, however, Quest Visual has made all Word Lens language packs available for free in celebration of their new deal with Goo...

News: Doctor Says Google Glass Saved His Patient's Life

There's been a lot of discussion lately about the practical uses of Google Glass. Sure, you can use them for translating text instantly or further engraining yourself in social media, but how about saving someone's life? That's precisely what Dr. Steven Horng of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has says happened with a recent patient of his. After launching a Google Glass pilot program late last year, the device was seen as a critical factor in saving the life of a patient in January.

News: The End of Dead Phone Batteries Is Closer Than You Think

The old "my battery is dead" excuse for not calling your mother may soon be a thing of the past. A team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), led by Professor Jo Byeong-jin, has developed a "wearable thermo-element" that can be built into clothing to power your electronic devices. The science behind the innovation converts body heat (thermal energy) into usable electric energy. Made with lightweight glass fiber, this small thermo-element strip can produce about ...

News: Google Adds Serious Style to Glass with New Partnership

They may not be the coolest looking things in the world, but Google is addressing some of the shortcomings of its Glass hardware by announcing a partnership with Luxottica Group. The company, with over 5000 retail stores in the US, has a strong portfolio of brands under its belt, including Amette, Persol, Ray-Ban, and Vogue. And for this Glass Explorer, the news is welcomed with open arms. Admittedly, these bad boys have come a long way over the past couple of years, just take a look at the i...

News: Want to Explore with Google Glass? Now's Your Chance

With all signs pointing to a late-2014 release of Google Glass, the company is opening up their Explorer program to the masses. If you're a US resident who is at least 18 years old, sign up right now to be a part of the initiative. It seems as if Google is really expanding the program, as invites are being sent out in masses. I'm happy to report that I received mine this morning, as did a slew of others. So, ready to explore? Sign up, become as early adopter, and stay with us for all the late...

News: The Government Is Stealing Your Data from Angry Birds, Candy Crush, Facebook, & Other Mobile Apps

If you're spending hours on your phone playing games like Angry Birds and Candy Crush Saga, or posting online to Google+ and Pinterest, you're probably being spied on. The latest releases from NSA whistle blower Edward Snowden reveal that the National Security Agency, and its UK counterpart, GCHQ, are mining the ad networks utilized in these apps to collect a trove of information on you.

News: Google & Samsung Sign Patent Agreement

According to the electronics giant, Samsung and Google have signed a global patent license agreement that, according to Samsung's official blog, "covers the two companies’ existing patents as well as those filed over the next 10 years." The patent war in the smart device realm has been raging for years; whether it's Apple and Samsung at each other's throats or one half of the tech sector suing the other, litigation has been the main weapon in a conflict that used to be won with innovation.