Japan has put "selfie stands" at popular destinations

The selfie has come out of nowhere like a narcissistic whirlwind and become one of the most popular things we can do with our smartphones.

Don't believe us? Sony has gone so far as to release a handset dedicated to taking selfies. And now, over in Japan there are even dedicated selfie stands at popular locations allowing you to snap yourself for social media bragging rights.

The stands feature a special slot where you can keep your smartphone secured for the duration of the selfie and are expertly positioned to take in the majesty of the surrounding scenery.

It's also an excellent hangout spot for snatch-and-run thieves, but that's probably just us being cynical.

We've not heard any news regarding UK-specific selfie stands but who knows, this could be the future of holiday photography.

By: fdfffs On 21:25

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Newly revealed details show how Microsoft plans to steal you away from iOS and Android

Is there anything that Microsoft can do at this point to create a substantially larger user base for Windows Phone? At this point things don't look great, but we wouldn't completely count Microsoft out just yet. Neowin's sources say that Microsoft is working on two new smartphones that will both have the most intriguing Windows Phone feature we've heard about so far: 3D Touch.

For those who need a refresher, 3D Touch is a new feature that will take advantage of Microsoft's Kinect technology to make your phone much more responsive to gestures and placements than any other phone now on the market. So for instance, 3D Touch will let you answer your phone just by holding it up to your ear and to turn on speaker phone just by placing your phone down on the table when you're on a call with someone. You'll also apparently be able to end your call by putting your phone into your pocket, as Kinect will be able to automatically tell what you'd like to do based on lighting and positioning.

Neowin says that the first device is a phone codenamed “McLaren” that will release by the end of the year and that will feature a 5.2-inch 1080p display with a 20-megapixel camera and 64GB of storage. The second device will be a massive 6-inch phablet that's on par with the gigantic Lumia 1520 and that may release by the end of the year.

The key in all this is whether Microsoft can show us why 3D Touch is a big differentiator from other smartphones — otherwise, it's likely to be seen as a Samsung-style gimmick that looks cool at first but is never really used.

Source: BGR

By: fdfffs On 04:46

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Isis mobile wallet abandons name to militant group

Mobile wallet service Isis is changing its name to distance itself from an acronym used to refer to militant group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

US telecom companies AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon four years ago teamed together to back Isis, software that takes advantage of near-field communication chips in smartphones to allow people to consumate transactions by tapping mobile devices on sensor-enabled pads at shops.

"We wanted a name that brought life to our company and our values," Isis chief executive Michael Abbott said Monday in an online message about the decision to dump the name inspired by an Egyptian goddess.

"We have no interest in sharing a name with a group whose name has become synonymous with violence and our hearts go out to those who are suffering."

The company has not yet decided on a new name, Abbott said.

source: AFP

By: fdfffs On 04:37

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Social Site Orkut to Close down after 10 years on September, 2014

Google's Social media platform Orkut is going to shut down on 30th of September this year. Orkut wrote on its blog about its dissolution yesterday.

Orkut, Google's first social
networking site, will cease to exist after
September, with the Internet giant deciding
to shut down the service launched 10 years
ago.

Google said it will shut down Orkut, which is
very popular in India and Brazil, on
September 30. The service, however, did not
do so well in other parts of the world and lost
sheen to rivals like Facebook.

Orkut, which popularised posts or "scraps"
between friends, did not disclose the number
of users on the website.

However, according to its website about
50.6 per cent of its users were from Brazil.
Another 20.44 per cent came from India,
while the US and Pakistan accounted for
17.78 per cent and 0.86 per cent,
respectively.

"Over the past decade, YouTube, Blogger
and Google+ have taken off, with
communities springing up in every corner of
the world. Because the growth of these
communities has outpaced Orkut's growth,
we've decided to bid Orkut farewell," Google
said in a post on the Orkut blog.

Orkut was launched in 2004, the same year
when Facebook was founded. Facebook is now the world's largest social network with 1.28
billion users.

Orkut was the result of a "20 per cent project" in which Google workers got to spend a fifth of
their time on ideas not necessarily related to their job responsibilities.

source: ET

source: http://en.blog.orkut.com/2014/06/tchau-orkut.html

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By: fdfffs On 19:49

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