April, 2016

• 6 April

  Facebook live

  

  Facebook Live is about to get livelier. The social network on Wednesday introduced new features for its live-streaming service, which lets people broadcast live video feeds over the Internet using a phone’s camera. The video streams can be watched by other people on Facebook. Among the new features: Viewers can click on Facebook’s gamut of …

  Read More »
• 6 April

  Facebook’s live video service gets more emotional (The 3:59, Ep. 23)

  

  Facebook wants to get us to start oversharing on video, too. The social-network’s Live video feature, which lets folks broadcast live from their smartphones, got a handful of new tools, including more “reaction” buttons, such as Love and Wow, as well as filters like sepia tone. Facebook needs to keep building more features onto Live to keep up the competition …

  Read More »
• 6 April

  Android Marshmallow uptake doubles since last month

  

  Android 6.0 Marshmallow has bitten off its biggest piece of the market so far. After showing little growth since its release in November, the latest edition of Google’s mobile software doubled its adoption rate from a month ago, according to Tuesday’s update of the Android Developers Dashboard. Over the past week ending Monday, Marshmallow was found on 4.6 percent of …

  Read More »
• 6 April

  Apple squashes Siri bug that allowed access to your photos and contacts

  

  Apple has quickly put the kibosh on one of the latest bugs found in its iOS mobile software. Demoed Monday in a YouTube video, the flaw enlisted Siri to run a Twitter search to look for any results with an email address. On an iPhone 6S or 6S Plus, you could then “force tap” the email link to access the …

  Read More »
• 6 April

  FBI stays mum on whether data on terrorist’s iPhone is useful

  

  What’s inside Syed Farook’s iPhone remains a mystery, at least for those of us not in the FBI’s crime labs. The FBI is saying only this much publicly: It has obtained data from the phone and is putting it to use, according to The New York Times. Whether that data is in any way meaningful is another matter. “We’re still …

  Read More »
• 6 April

  Hands

  

  I continue to be amazed by the virtual-reality experiences you can have right on your smartphone. To ride a virtual rollercoaster, sit onstage with Paul McCartney or blast away at waves of incoming aliens, all you need is Google Cardboard or a similar headset. In fact, now you don’t need a headset at all. With VR Cups, you just suction …

  Read More »
• 6 April

  How to adjust the Oculus Rift for a perfect fit

  

  Now playing: Watch this: Get your VR headset to fit just right 1:35 Right out of the box, the Oculus Rift probably won’t fit perfectly. But this one-size-fits-most headset just needs a few tweaks to get the best fit. Here’s everything you need to know about adjusting the headset to your head and eyes. Fit the outside first Loosen the …

  Read More »
• 6 April

  Facebook perks up Live video by copying ideas from other apps

  

  It’s just like Periscope’s hearts… but sideways? Facebook livens up its Live video with floating reaction icons and color filters. Also, Facebook-owned WhatsApp is making some big changes to boost encryption. Get the details by watching CNET Update below, along with news on changes coming to Twitter, Etsy and the expansion of Amazon same-day delivery: Now playing: Watch this: Facebook …

  Read More »
• 6 April

  How to make your GIFs load fast every time

  

  Have you ever excitedly turned a video into a GIF…and then realized it took forever to load on your phone? Or didn’t load at all? It sucks the joy right out of GIF-sharing. An unoptimized GIF can look jumpy and strange and even look pixelated or jittery. The good news is that you can make fast-loading GIFs with just a …

  Read More »
• 6 April

  Where we’re going we don’t need headsets: Samsung receives patent for AR contact lenses

  

  Now playing: Watch this: Samsung gets the green light for augmented-reality contacts 1:07 With Gear VR, Samsung was one of the first companies to get its foot in the virtual reality door. Now, it looks like the South Korean electronics giant is experimenting with augmented reality. Samsung has received a patent for “smart” contact lenses, which it originally filed in …

  Read More »