Month: December 2016

Entlassungen: Gopro streicht 200 Vollzeitstellen

Der Actionkamera- und Drohnenhersteller Gopro entlässt 15 Prozent seiner Angestellten. Damit fallen 200 Vollzeitstellen weg. Außerdem schließt das Unternehmen seine Entertainmentabteilung. Schon im Januar wurden Stellen gestrichen. (Gopro, Digitalkamera)

Der Actionkamera- und Drohnenhersteller Gopro entlässt 15 Prozent seiner Angestellten. Damit fallen 200 Vollzeitstellen weg. Außerdem schließt das Unternehmen seine Entertainmentabteilung. Schon im Januar wurden Stellen gestrichen. (Gopro, Digitalkamera)

Reparatur: Austauschakkus für iPhone 6S sind knapp

Apple repariert Akkus des iPhone 6S kostenlos, wenn dieses sich unvermittelt abschaltet. Doch die Tauschaktion führt zu Knappheit bei den Stromspeichern. Kunden müssen sich gedulden. (iPhone 6S, Apple)

Apple repariert Akkus des iPhone 6S kostenlos, wenn dieses sich unvermittelt abschaltet. Doch die Tauschaktion führt zu Knappheit bei den Stromspeichern. Kunden müssen sich gedulden. (iPhone 6S, Apple)

“OK Google” support finally comes to Android Auto

Almost two years after launch, Android Auto finally gets a hands-free voice system.

Android Auto's cards view. (credit: Megan Geuss)

Android Auto is finally adding support for the "Ok Google" hotword. Auto launched nearly two years ago with a decent baseline of functionality, but it felt like a "beta" product thanks to a few missing features. The biggest was the absence of Google's ubiquitous "Ok Google" hotword, which is present on Nexus and Pixel devices, Android Wear watches, Google's Android and iOS apps, and the Google Home voice appliance. As a product designed to not distract you while you drive, the lack of a hands-free voice option was a big omission. Previously, you had to press a button on the screen or the steering wheel.

The "Android Auto" mention here is new.

The "Android Auto" mention here is new. (credit: neo5468)

We haven't seen an official announcement from Google, but the feature is starting to pop up for some users. Reddit user neo5468 was the first to spot the change and was nice enough to post a screenshot of the hotword's new settings.

Android Auto "OK Google" support actually shows up in the Google app—not the Android Auto app—where under the "while driving" option you'll see a new description that reads "Works in Google Maps and Android Auto." The checkbox isn't new, but the "Android Auto" mention is. The newest version of the Android Auto app, version 2.0.6427, seems to be a prerequisite for enabling the feature, but it's not the only prerequisite. It seems there's a server side component that needs to get enabled too. So if the hotword doesn't work for you immediately, there isn't much you can do other than wait for support to roll out to your account.

Read 1 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Reports: Fitbit wants to acquire Pebble

Reports: Fitbit wants to acquire Pebble

Fitbit is one of the biggest players in the wearable gadget space thanks to the company’s popular line of activity trackers. But as fitness tracking features are increasingly being built into other devices including smartwatches, smartphones, and even some smart headphones, it looks like Fitbit may be looking to expand.

According to reports from The Information and The Financial Times, Fitbit is in talks to acquire smartwatch pioneer Pebble.

The reports suggest Fitbit is primarily interested in Pebble’s intellectual property including its smartwatch operating system,rather than the company’s current line of products.

Continue reading Reports: Fitbit wants to acquire Pebble at Liliputing.

Reports: Fitbit wants to acquire Pebble

Fitbit is one of the biggest players in the wearable gadget space thanks to the company’s popular line of activity trackers. But as fitness tracking features are increasingly being built into other devices including smartwatches, smartphones, and even some smart headphones, it looks like Fitbit may be looking to expand.

According to reports from The Information and The Financial Times, Fitbit is in talks to acquire smartwatch pioneer Pebble.

The reports suggest Fitbit is primarily interested in Pebble’s intellectual property including its smartwatch operating system,rather than the company’s current line of products.

Continue reading Reports: Fitbit wants to acquire Pebble at Liliputing.

FDA’s OK on trial opens possibility of prescription ecstasy in five years

Researchers get go-ahead after party drug turns lives around in small trials.

Enlarge / Girl with an ecstasy tablet on her tongue, smiley faced pill, UK 2004 (Photo by Universal Images Group via Getty Images) (credit: Getty | UniversalImagesGroup)

The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the first large-scale, phase 3 clinical trial of ecstasy in patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the New York Times reported.

The regulatory green-light follows six smaller-scale trials that showed remarkable success using the drug. In fact, some of the 130 PTSD patients involved in those trials say ecstasy—or 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)—saved them from the devastating impacts of PTSD after more than a decade of seeing no improvement with the other treatment options available.

Currently, the best of those established treatment options can only improve symptoms in 60 to 70 percent of PTSD patients, one expert noted. However, after one of the early MDMA studies, the drug had completely erased all traces of symptoms in two-thirds of PTSD patients.

Read 8 remaining paragraphs | Comments