Apple confirms 'Frequent Locations' tracking option in iOS 7

Apple has confirmed the existence of a "Frequent Locations" option in iOS 7 beta 5, reports say. Leaving it on allows an iPhone or iPad to "learn places you frequently visit in order to provide useful location-related information," according to descriptive text. People can moreover see a rough map of where they've been since installing iOS 7, and even how long and how often they've been to a particular place.

Tracking is essential to apps like Siri and Reminders, which need to know where a person lives and works, for instance, for some functions to work. Some people have expressed concern however, since the idea of a viewable location history is reminiscent of the 2011 "locationgate," when it was discovered that iOS 4 was not only tracking location histories but creating backups of them that could be accessed by someone with a stolen/borrowed device. iOS 4.3 halted the creation of these backups.

iOS 7's history display may be intended to offer more transparency. At the moment, iOS 6 lacks not only the display, but also an option to turn off history tracking without also disabling location services entirely.

source :electronista

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Samsung announces 3D vertical NAND flash production

Samsung has begun mass producing 3D vertical NAND (V-NAND) flash memory after 10 years of research and development.
In a blog post Tuesday, the South Korean firm said that the V-NAND will be used widely in both consumer electronics and enterprise applications -- including NAND storage and solid state drives (SSDs).

Samsung's V-NAND includes 128gb density within a single chip through the vertical scaling and vertical cell structure of the product. The firm says that by utilizing 3D Charge Trap Flash (CTF) technology and vertical interconnect process technology to link the 3D cell array, V-NAND can provide over twice the scaling capabilities of 20nm planar, standard NAND flash products.

Traditional flash memory is based on two-dimensional structures. However, as technology developed and was able to go from 10nm and beyond, scaling limits have become an issue, as increasing nanometer circuit line width can cause a trade-off in reliability, as well as development time and overall costs.
Instead of using a planar structure, Samsung's product has vertically stacked planar cell layers. The 3D NAND memory architecture is described as such:

Samsung's CTF-based NAND flash architecture, an electric charge is temporarily placed in a holding chamber of the non-conductive layer of flash that is composed of silicon nitride (SiN), instead of using a floating gate to prevent interference between neighboring cells.
With the new vertical structure, Samsung can enable higher density NAND flash memory products by increasing the 3D cell layers without having to continue planar scaling, which has become incredibly difficult to achieve.

By making the CTF layer 3D, the company says both reliability and speed of the flash memory has improved. The product's write performance was doubled in comparison to standard 10nm NAND flash memory, whereas the company says the reliability at least doubled -- but in some cases became up to ten times more reliable than products on the market.
Jeong-Hyuk Choi, senior vice president of flash product & technology at Samsung commented:

"The new 3D V-NAND flash technology is the result of our employees' years of efforts to push beyond conventional ways of thinking and pursue much more innovative approaches in overcoming limitations in the design of memory semiconductor technology. Following the world’s first mass production of 3D Vertical NAND, we will continue to introduce 3D V-NAND products with improved performance and higher density, which will contribute to further growth of the global memory industry."

According to research firm IHS iSuppli, the global NAND flash memory market is expected to generate revenue of approximately $30.8 billion by the end of 2016.

source: zdnet

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LinkedIn turns your phone into a job-hunting machine

LinkedIn used to offer a pretty passive experience: Put your resume on the professional social networking site and hope it catches a recruiter’s eye. But LinkedIn isn’t resting on its laurels, especially when it comes to mobile—the network is making the job-hunting experience a little less stressful with a new update for iOS and Android to let you fill out job applications on the go.
LinkedIn overhauled its mobile apps in April and made it easier to search for jobs in July, but you couldn’t submit any in-app resumes.
“Our ‘Jobs you may be interested in’ feature has been a huge hit with job hunters and even professionals who may not be looking,” LinkedIn associate product manager Vaibhav Goel wrote in a Monday blog post. “As a result of our highly personalized job recommendations in the mobile feed, we’re seeing members who never view jobs on the desktop, viewing and saving jobs on mobile.”

 To capitalize on that growth, the network decided to add a mobile feature that lets you apply for jobs with your LinkedIn profile.

You can search for specific jobs in the app—just click on the Jobs tab and type in the position or title you’re looking for—then pick an open gig you want to apply for. If the company lets users apply with LinkedIn profiles (and many do), then you can edit your profile with any additional information and submit it. If the company doesn’t let applicants submit their profiles, then LinkedIn will take you the external application site within the app.

 The application feature has long been available for LinkedIn’s desktop users, but now more than 30 percent of the network’s 225 million users surf the site on their smartphones. LinkedIn is doubling down on mobile growth with better search results and more content, so it makes sense to add a job application feature. It rolls out in an update for iOS and Android on Monday to English-speaking users.

source: pcworld

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Toshiba, SanDisk invest $4 billion in flash memory production

 Toshiba, in conjunction with SanDisk, plans to build a new memory chip production factory in Yokkaichi, Japan.
According to Reuters, Japanese publication the Nikkei says that a total of 400 billion yen (approximately $4 billion) will be spent to construct the new building.
The new factory will be built on the grounds of the Toshiba-SanDisk plant in Yokkaichi, Japan.
The tech giant intents to build chips of 16-17 nanometers circuit line width. At the moment, the Yokkaichi plant produces chips with a width of 19nm -- and so by making more chips from silicon wafers, the firms may be able to gain some ground while competing with Samsung's flash memory offerings.
The Nikkei says that after beginning production next year, the plant's output capacity will increase by roughly 20 percent, based on current estimates of 450,000 300mm wafers currently being produced each month.
At part of the deal, the new factory's bill will be split between the two manufacturers.
Toshiba and SanDisk's long-term joint venture focuses on the production of NAND flash memory. The joint venture has managed to survive through the recession and has come a long way from 2009, where the companies were forced to cut the production of chips due to low consumer demand.
While flash memory is in constant demand due to the popularity of mobile devices, other areas of business are not doing so well. Last month, Toshiba announced restructuring plans which will slice away $300 million in costs from its television and PC businesses over the next few years. The firm cited a weak global economy and poor consumer demand as the reasons to make restructuring necessary.

Source:  zdnet

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Motorola Introduces the Customizable Moto X

The Moto X is expected to launch in late August or early September

Motorola Mobility has finally revealed its first flagship smartphone since being acquired by Google -- the "Moto X" -- and it looks to be an All-American, fully-customized smartphone experience that can't be ignored despite a crowded market.

Motorola knew it would have to come up with a very different Android-powered device in order to get any attention in a market dominated by Samsung's Galaxy line, and phones by other tech giants like Apple's iPhone. The Moto X seems to be the answer, with customization being the key differentiator.

Customers can make their Moto X all their own, designing the front, back, memory, wallpaper, accents and even engraving. There are over 2,000 designs and colors to choose from, and more are on the way -- including very different ideas like real wood backs.

Aside from customization, Motorola is proud to say that the Moto X is assembled in the U.S. (more specifically, Fort Worth, Texas). So when a customer is done designing the Moto X of their dreams, the phone can be shipped to them for free in four days or less.

Motorola has touted features such as Touchless Control, which brings up information on the Moto X like weather and directions just by voice (no touch necessary); Active Display, which keeps important and relevant information on the Moto X's screen without any annoying notifications or without the need to wake it up, and Quick Capture, which allows the user to turn on the camera quickly with just two quick twists of their wrist.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Google and Motorola Mobility were spending as much as $500 million on Moto X marketing. This is a pretty significant amount, considering Apple spent $333 million and Samsung spent $401 million to market their smartphones last year in the U.S. -- and they're the two largest smartphone makers in the game.

This goes to show that Google and Motorola are betting big on the Moto X and want to make it stand out amongst the crowd. Think the Moto X might be for you? Read on for the specs, reviews, photos, pricing and availability before you decide. 

Specs

• 4.7-inch RGB AMOLED display
• 1280x720 resolution
• Motorola X8 processor (dual-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU/quad-core Adreno 320 GPU)
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB/32GB storage options
• 10MP ClearPixel rear-facing camera
• 2MP front-facing camera
• 1080p video recording 
• dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 4.0 LE+EDR
• NFC, Miracast, USB 2.0 connectivity
• 2,200 mAh battery with up to 13 hours of talk time; 24 hours of mixed usage

Reviews

CNET, TechCrunch and Mashable have had a quick hands-on demonstration of the Moto X, and this is what they're saying:

Brian Bennett, CNET:

"Motorola really needed to make a big splash -- or at least a cunning maneuver -- with the Moto X, and that it did. Instead of the traditional tactic of beating potential customers over the head with powerful components and every feature under the sun, Motorola decided to cater to shoppers' softer side -- how they most use their phone every day. Don't get me wrong; the handset certainly packs in plenty of interesting abilities and functionality. When you add up the specs, though, this really is a midrange phone. Hard-core Android enthusiasts likely won't find the Moto X awe-inspiring. The key to the Moto X's fate, as with any new device, is whether its unique blend of capabilities and design will prove valuable to ordinary consumers."

Chris Velazco, TechCrunch:

"I’m reserving final judgment on this thing until I’ve had the chance to play with it for more than three hours, but I actually rather like the X. Do I wish Motorola could have pushed the technical envelope further? Sure. I also think the customization angle, neat as it is, is essentially a ploy to make an unassuming phone stand out in a crowd. And frankly, it’s a little frustrating to see that a solid chunk of what the Moto X can do will soon be replicated by — you guessed it — just about every other new Motorola phone in the works. It’s far, far too early to tell if Motorola has a hit on its hands — especially because the X will ultimately compete with Motorola phones with similar feature sets. If nothing else though, Motorola’s X represents a dedication to creating a smarter breed of smartphones, and I doubt that’s something the rest of the industry is going to ignore."

Pete Pachal, Mashable:

"The Moto X is an amazing smartphone, just not revolutionary. Its name implies the phone is built in the spirit of Google's X program, which seeks to improve things by monumental leaps rather than increments. The first phone to be designed and built by Motorola as a Google company isn't going to transform mobile communication as we know it (the company's stated goal since the acquisition), but it is a fantastic phone with many great features. My favorite is Touchless Control. Apple likes to talk about the "magic" of its products, but this feature is the most magical thing I've seen in mobile in a long time. With your phone sitting on the table, you can utter the words "OK, Google Now," and it immediately comes alive, listening for voice commands. Ask it the weather, to call a friend or do a Google search, and it'll just do it, and you never have to touch the phone."

source : dailynews

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Google setting up 'lost phone' feature for Android devices

While the iPhone arguably doesn't come with the best native app for maps, at least users had a better shot of finding them with the Find My iPhone app if something went awry.

Now Android owners will soon be able to enjoy a similar level of security.

Google is rolling out the Android Device Manager for locating a lost device and/or erasing it completely remotely if the smartphone or tablet falls into the wrong hands.

Android product manager Benjamin Poiesz explained in a blog post on Friday how it works in a nutshell:

    If you ended up dropping your phone between those couch cushions, Android Device Manager lets you quickly ring your phone at maximum volume so you can find it, even it's been silenced. And in the event that your phone or tablet is out of earshot (say, at that restaurant you left it at last night), you can locate it on a map in real time.

This lost device functionality will be rolled out to devices running Android 2.2 or above at yet unspecified date later this month.

Users will need to be signed into Google Accounts to make use of it, and there will be a standalone Android app (again, similar to Apple's Find My iPhone app) for managing (and locating) devices.

source:zdnet

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Facebook Launches Job-Listing App

Facebook has launched a job-hunting app in hopes that its network of more than 1 billion users will help people find their next career opportunity.

The Social Jobs app announced on Wednesday is a result of Facebook’s year-old partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, the National Association of Colleges and Employers, DirectEmployers Association, and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies. The app has job listings from other online job boards like BranchOut, DirectEmployers Association, Work4Labs, Jobvite and Monster.com. Right now, users can browse through more than 1.7 million openings. A ticker at the top of the app shows the exact number of available jobs.

So will a site typically considered a casual social network be useful for professional purposes? Facebook is a repository for users’ day-to-day activities, including updates that might be inappropriate if you’re using the site to look for a job. There have been cases where people have lost their jobsbecause of updates they posted on Facebook, and employers have gotten sued for asking for their employees’ Facebook passwords.

Sites like LinkedIn are built to cater to people’s professional identities, targeting very specific qualities — skills, past jobs, languages spoken, and more — that someone might want to highlight when searching for a job or presenting themselves to recruiters. Unlike LinkedIn, Facebook has a very hazy boundary between social and professional. But the Social Jobs partnership found in its research that Facebook is a useful site for both job hunters and recruiters. In a survey of 530 employers, the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that half of employers use Facebook in the hiring process, and more than half anticipate it becoming a more important tool for finding and recruiting talent. The vast majority said that Facebook helps decrease print advertising for job openings, and that the site can be used as a networking tool to get jobs.

That said, Facebook isn’t actually hosting the job listings. At launch, the app functions more as an aggregated search tool than anything else. Users can find jobs through the app, but once they try to learn more about a job, it points them to another app. The Work4Labs listings, for example, often links back to the hiring company’s Facebook page. If someone wanted to apply for the Head of Lighting position at Cirque Du Soleil, the new Social Jobs app would link to the Cirque Du Soleil hiring page on Facebook. The user would have to access the separate Work4Labs app if they wanted to see if anyone in their network could refer them. Should they want to apply, they would get pointed all the way back to Cirque Du Soleil’s official website.

It’s far from a seamless process, and there are several other glitches (Monster jobs showing up in the Work4Labs page, links going to a company’s Facebook Timeline, etc.). There is a lot of potential for Facebook to connect users to jobs — and create another source of revenue in the process. But in its current state, Facebook’s Social Jobs app is more of an extra side tool than an actual player in the job-hunting space.

source: internet

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