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Google announces the next Project ARA modular phone event and we get a video of the prototype booting up

Oct29
by on October 29, 2014 at 5:46 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Google, Insider, Mobile

Ara Prototype with single module missing
The Project Ara modular phone is exciting, but taking a while to actually come to market. It turns out creating a phone with developer-created hardware modules is tough. But that hasn’t stopped Google’s ATAP group before. Today, ATAP announced the second Project ARA Module Developers Conference which will take place in Mountain View, California on January 14. Another event will be held in Singapore on January 21. Both events will have satellite locations. In the meantime, here’s a video of a Project ARA prototype booting up. Something that didn’t happen during a demo at Google I/O. Project Ara is Google ATAP’s…

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Google Maps now lets you sign in to maps embedded on third-party sites

Oct29
by on October 29, 2014 at 5:39 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Google, Insider

Google_Maps
While Google Maps is a massively useful service in its own right, the fact that Google makes the platform available for third-party developers to integrate in their own applications is what gives it true scale. However, thus far, developers haven’t been able to connect their users into the broader Maps ecosystem via their Google account – something that’s about to change. Much in the same way as you can sign in to Google Maps on the Web and through its own mobile apps, Google has revealed that it’s making moves to ensure that “no map is an island” elsewhere on…

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Facebook ups its Internet Defense Prize award to $300,000

Oct29
by on October 29, 2014 at 5:00 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Internet Defense Prize

Internet Defense Prize
Facebook announced today that it is upping its commitment towards internet security with larger awards in 2015 for winners of the Internet Defense Prize. DDoS attacks and user data theft are becoming increasingly common on the Web, with black-hat hackers around the world taking a stab at penetrating servers from top companies and popular online service providers that have large user bases. This puts both users and companies at risk of identity theft, harassment and financial loss. A statement issued by Facebook’s Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan outlines the social network’s increased commitment towards the cause: Facebook will offer up…

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Skype’s refreshed Windows desktop app with side-by-side calls and messages officially launches

Oct29
by on October 29, 2014 at 4:37 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Insider

Skype has been steadily iterating its Mac and Windows desktop apps of late, with the refreshed Skype 7 for OS X landing earlier this month alongside a preview version for Windows. Well, today the full and final version of the updated Skype Windows app is available to download. The new Skype features strives to bring consistency between the desktop and mobile versions, with a bigger focus on text chat and better inline photo support. You can also now see messages and video calls side-by-side. You can check out a full list of the new features here. ➤  Skype [Windows]

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CurrentC, the much-hated Apple Pay rival, has been hacked

Oct29
by on October 29, 2014 at 4:27 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

If you want to build a reliable mobile wallet service, you should probably avoid being hacked before you launch. CurrentC, a retailer-backed payment system billed as one of the chief competitors to Apple Pay, has notified customers that hackers may have acquired their email addresses, as first reported by Business Insider. Parent company MCX asserted that only emails were obtained during the breach, but it did warn customers to avoid opening any suspicious emails or attachments. Even so, the hacking does raise questions about the security of CurrentC’s system, which stores financial data in the cloud and uses QR codes and…

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