More than skin covers | Skinthemoon

Google Drive Third-Party Apps: An Introduction

skinthemoon — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:04:11 +0000

Google Drive (formerly referred to as Google Docs) provides cloud storage and web-based applications. Up until recently, the handful of applications were all provided by Google and focused on the office functions of word processing (Document), slide deck presentations (Presentation) and spreadsheets (Spreadsheet). On Feb. 8, 2013 Google announced that third-party web applications could be installed and launched from the Google Drive Create button. The ability to access apps from a common Google-provided launch point and work with Google Drive’s cloud storage, creates a unified platform that (Google hopes) has the potential to challenge Microsoft’s long running dominance of the desktop application space.

Selecting the “Connect more apps” option in the Create button menu lets you browse through these third-party apps for Google Drive.

Currently, there are several dozen Google Drive apps in nine broad app categories: Business Tools, Education, Entertainment, Games, Lifestyle, News & Weather, Productivity, Social & Communication, and Utilities. A 10th category collects the apps developed by Google itself. Some of these apps are the ones that have long been associated with Google Drive. Others (Drawings and Forms) are optional apps. The experimental Fusion Tables data visualization tool is also available.

You can also view Google Drive apps in a collection in Google’s Chrome Web Store. Note that while most apps in the Chrome Web Store are intended for use in Google’s Chrome web browser, third-party Google Drive apps, like Google’s own Drive apps, are browser independent. The screenshot here and a few that follow were taken using Internet Explorer 10 running on a Microsoft Surface with Windows RT tablet.

All of the third-party Google Drive apps are free to install. However, some have fees associated with continued usage or access to additional features. This is not obvious at all if you choose to install an app from the tiled app selection view. It may not be obvious even when reading the product overview page accessed by clicking on a tile. Previously installed apps are identified with a green diagonal band with a white checkmark symbol.

Page 2: Using the apps…

Oscars 2013: red carpet fashion – as it happened

skinthemoon — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:03:44 +0000

Oscars 2013: Hadley Freeman and Rosie Swash keep you up to date with every ‘fashion’ moment the Oscars has to offer

Hadley FreemanRosie Swash

NVIDIA Tegra 4 Benchmark Results Revealed

skinthemoon — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:13:13 +0000

The new NVIDIA Tegra 4 processors are expected to start shipping in mobile devices later this year in mobile devices, but already Nvidia Tegra 4 benchmark results have been released showing what the new mobile processor is capable of providing users.

The NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor comes with 72 custom NVIDIA GeForce GPU cores, which has been reported to deliver six times the GPU power of the Tegra 3 processor which is currently available.

Mophie Juice Pack Air Battery Case For iPhone 5 Adds 1,700mAH Of Extra Juice

skinthemoon — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:13:07 +0000

Mophie has announced the launch of a new external battery case designed for the iPhone 5 in the form of the Mophie Juice Pack Air, which has been created to add an extra 1,700 mAH for battery power to your iPhone 5 without adding lots of extra bulk.

The new Mophie Juice Pack Air has arrived just two weeks after the launch of the Mophie Juice Pack Helium external battery case also for Apple’s iPhone 5 device. Watch the video after the jump to see it in action.

Carry Zelda’s Homework In This Fantastic Hylian Shield Backpack

skinthemoon — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:09:48 +0000

It’s bad news if you’re a rabid Legend of Zelda fan. It turns out there’s only one of these brilliant Hylian shield backpacks available from Ivana Roso’s Etsy store. So if you’ve got $60 to spare, and are quick on the ‘Add to Cart’ draw, you can snatch it up and save your own princess from having to carry her books to class.

And hopefully if Ivana’s flooded with requests from here to Kakariko Village, she’ll be inspired to make more of these packs as it’s all but guaranteed they’ll sell as fast as she can make them. [Etsy via Insanely Gaming]

Just How Incomprehensibly Massive Is the Universe? (Hint: Even Bigger Than That)

skinthemoon — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:09:31 +0000

Have you ever stared up at the stars and wondered just how far you’d have to travel before you reached the edge of the universe? The answer—as Minute Physics illustrates—is far. Like really far. Like somewhere in the neighborhood of 46 billion light years starting wherever you’re standing.

And not only is that distance getting greater every second as the universe continues to expand, it only accounts for the area we can actually observe. Astronomers believe the universe is technically an infinite void, so while you could keep on sailing past the 46 billion light year marker, but there wouldn’t be much to see after that. [YouTube]

Privacy and security in the age of iPhone mics and cameras

skinthemoon — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:10:01 +0000

iOS has experienced its fair share of privacy fiascos over the last few years. From user locations being tracked , to Address Book data being exposed, to full on malware in the App Store, privacy and security concerns over iOS are very much a reality. Two components often overlooked are your iPhone’s camera and microphone.

Apple has always required apps request permission to access a user’s location and to send them push notifications. More recently we’ve seen things like Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders added to the list of resources that apps have to explicitly get permission to access. In iOS 6, Apple went as far as to give Privacy its own category in the Settings app. So we should be covered now, right? Well, maybe not.

As platforms evolve and new functionality and trends arise, implications for privacy and security constantly need to be re-evaluated. One of the more recent trends is an increasing number of apps moving in to the second screen market. Rather than strictly using iPhones and iPads as primary devices, functionality is now being explored where these devices becomes an accessory; a secondary device to supplement a primary device like a TV. Large media companies like Fox, CBS, TBS and HBO, sports networks and game makers are among the many who are actively trying to engage their audiences by providing additional content to mobile devices. So how does this technology work?

Whether a viewer is on the east coast, west coast, or in another country, and whether they’re watching a show live or on their DVR, the app has to be able to deliver the relevant content at the appropriate time. In order to do this, the application makes use of audio fingerprinting, much like the technology that apps like Shazam use to figure out what song you’re listening to. An algorithm is used to generate a hash that serves as a fingerprint for a given timeframe of audio. This hash can then be compared against hashes calculated by a remote server. Once the application identifies where the viewer is in the broadcast based on their hash, it is able to determine which content should be displayed to the user for their current time.

In order to generate these hashes, an app needs access to your device’s microphone. When you’re in an application that is trying to sync second screen data, the app is continually recording audio from your device’s microphone in order to generate audio fingerprints. Mind you, this doesn’t just mean whatever sound is coming from your TV, but also conversations you might be having with friends, or your dog barking in the background, or music you have playing in another room. Just think about that for a minute.

What’s strange here is that iOS does not require applications to get a user’s permission before doing this. Any app can record audio and transmit it to their servers at any time without asking you. Most applications will display some type of notice that audio syncing is about to begin, but this is because for legitimate apps, they usually want to explain the experience and give the user instructions like turning up the volume on their TV and making sure their device’s microphone is clear. What about a nefarious app? It could start recording audio as soon as it is launched without any additional user interaction. Similarly, there is nothing preventing an application from taking photos or recording video from your device’s camera. While iOS requires apps to obtain permission to access the camera roll for saving photos and videos to it, there’s nothing stopping a malicious application from recording photos or videos and saving them within the application or sending them to a server, without asking the user. Apps like this aren’t unheard of on other platforms; OS X, Android, and Windows have all seem their share.

So what could Apple be doing? Currently iOS turns the status bar red when an application is recording audio, but apps can control the status bar while running, so this can’t be relied on. A small light could be added to the front of the iPhone that turns on when audio or video are being recorded, like MacBooks have. Apple could also add the microphone and camera to iOS’ privacy settings, require applications to get a user’s permission before accessing either of them, and give users the ability to revoke this access on a per-application basis at any time. A request in Apple’s bug reporting tool for this last feature was recently closed as a duplicate, indicating at least one other developer would also like to see this functionality added.

In the meantime, there’s not much users can do to protect themselves. The more adventurous folks among us may try spying on apps with tools like Charles Proxy or PhoneView to look for any suspicious activity or files. Perhaps Clueful will even consider adding detection for such practices to their service and add the results to their app reports. Of course if you’re really concerned and want a solution immediately, a few pieces of strategically placed electrical tape may help to put your mind at ease.

‘Hollywood’ – Latest iPad TV Ad Aired During Academy Awards

skinthemoon — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:09:57 +0000

Apple debuted their latest new TV ad for the iPad – ‘Hollywood’ – last night during the Academy Awards ceremony. This latest ad follows the new rapid-fire style of the ‘Alive’ and ‘Together’ iPad ads we saw released last week.

Hollywood features a fast scrolling set of keywords related to movies and highlights three of them with a selection of apps that show off the iPad’s ability to work with videos, images, and other things that go intio movie making: Lights, Camera, Action.

This is another typically stylish iPad ad, though I still don’t like this new series as much as the ‘old school’ iPad ads.

I also think that last night Samsung may have outdone Apple – this tablet ad starring Tim Burton is hilarious.

What do you all think? Loving the new iPad ads? What do you think of the Samsung ad?

Stereo 3.5mm Hands-Free Headset + Car Kit Vehicle Plug in Adapter + Home Travel Wall Charger for Verizon LG Dare – Tracfone LG Cookie Style, T310, Plum – Tracfone LG Wink Style 800G – US Cellular LG Banter Touch VX9700 Cell Phone

skinthemoon — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:14:06 +0000

Stereo 3.5mm Hands-Free Headset + Car Kit Vehicle Plug in Adapter + Home Travel Wall Charger for Verizon LG Dare – Tracfone LG Cookie Style, T310, Plum – Tracfone LG Wink Style 800G – US Cellular LG Banter Touch VX9700 Cell Phone

Highest quality NON-OEM Home Wall Travel AC DC House Charger + Car Kit Auto Cigarette Lighter 12V Plug in Vehicle Adapter for your Cell Phone – Durable coil cord for extendable reach and use – Provides power to your phone while simultaneously charging your phone’s battery.
Small and lightweight for convenient portability and storage. Provides power to your phone while simultaneously charging your phone’s battery. Charge time is approximately one to three hours when the phone is powered off.
Brand new premium quality MP3 Earbud and hands-free headset for your cell / smart / PDA phone. Acoustically tuned speaker for improved sound clarity even in noisy environments.
Soft covered ergonomic earpiece for comfort even over extended periods. **Phone & Ear bud features are limited to the phone’s capability and the service provider’s default settings. Please consult with your phone’s user manual and your service provider for the availability of these features.
Compatible with: Verizon LG Dare VX9700

Brand new premium quality MP3 Earbud and hands-free headset for your cell / smart / PDA phone. Acoustically tuned speaker for improved sound clarity even in noisy environments. Soft covered ergonomic earpiece for comfort even over extended periods. **Phone & Ear bud features are limited to the phone’s capability and the service provider’s default settings. Please consult with your phone’s user manual and your service provider for the availability of these features. — Highest quality NON-OEM Ho

Nikon LC-77 77mm Lens Cap

skinthemoon — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:14:02 +0000

Nikon LC-77 77mm Lens Cap

Nikon snap-on lens cap
Protects selected lenses of SLR cameras
Fits lenses with a 77mm filter size

Nikon is a precision optical company with worldwide manufacturing, research and marketing capabilities. The Nikon name is equated with extraordinary photographic performance, innovation, precision and optical quality.