Get location-based photo sharing with Snaptivity for Android

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There’s no shortage of ways to share your photos with the world, but the free Android app Snaptivity does it differently: by time and location.

What does this mean? Imagine you’re taking a picture of a group of friends. Use Snaptivity, and it only takes a tap to share the shot with everyone in the photo (as long as they also have the app).

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Twitter account no longer mandatory for Periscope use

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Live streaming video from your phone is such a stupidly genius idea, that many people are probably kicking themselves for not coming up with a solution themselves. While the concept is not new, the innovation of Meerkat and Periscope is their simplicity and ease of use. In other words, sometimes it is the execution that makes something take off.

As far as I am concerned, Meerkat is dead -- replaced by the arguably superior Periscope. Since Twitter owns Periscope, it pulled a wise, yet evil move -- block Meerkat from tapping into the social network. Today, in an odd announcement, Periscope announces that a Twitter account is no longer needed for the video service. Why do I call this odd? Periscope could drive Twitter account sign-ups -- why impede that?

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Kingston HyperX announces world's fastest 128GB DDR4 memory kit

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As someone who grew up in the 80's and 90's, I was a huge fan of the sitcom "Home Improvement". If you aren't familiar, the premise was that the father / TV host, played by Tim Allen, would often hurt himself and cause damage in an attempt to get "more power". Yes, he was always trying to squeeze additional power from machines, much like computer enthusiasts and gamers do nowadays.

Unlike the sitcom, however, more power with computers does not have to result in injury, but it does often cause damage to one's wallet. Today, Kingston HyperX announces the world's fastest 128GB DDR4 Memory Kit. Not yet available to consumers, the RAM is insanely fast and will likely be very expensive when it hits the market.

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At $145, Cube i6 Air sports Retina display and dual boots Android and Windows

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Every once in a while we come across a few exciting gadgets that stand out from the crowd. We’ve seen a dirt-cheap phone, a dirt-cheap TV, a dual-OS capable smartphone, and today we’re learning of another similar gadget. Called the Cube i6 Air, the $145 tablet runs both Android and Windows while sporting an impressive set of hardware.

This is a modified version of the Cube i6 Air 3G which was launched earlier this year in China. As the name gives away, the tablet supports 3G connectivity, but only supports Chinese bands. The Cube i6 Air fixes that problem introducing universal supported Wi-Fi. It’s also cheaper.

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Harman/Kardon Nova is bright [Review]

Harman Kardon Nova

My daughter's cat Cali loves to chew cords—a habit we will eventually break. Meanwhile, it's good excuse to invest in new wireless speakers that diminish some of the cord clutter. Our 20 year-old also is moving home for the summer, putting more wires at risk and necessitating some speaker swaps. She takes my Harman/Kardon SoundSticks, which subwoofer meets her requirement for thumping bass; I don't need it and switched to a space-saving, cord-reducing duo set.

Spectacular sound is my description for Harman/Kardon Nova, which deliver rich treble, magnificent highs, fine detail, and more-than-adequate bass for the kind of kit. Separation and soundstage are bold—dynamic! The speakers are best appreciated when matched to the right source. I stream from lossless leader Tidal on Chromebook Pixel LS, connected via Bluetooth. The combination is immensely enjoyable and makes me happy while working, which boosts the quality and speed of my productivity.

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Windows Insiders will need a valid license to upgrade to Windows 10 RTM

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At the moment you don’t need a Windows license to run the Windows 10 Insider Preview. Anyone can download an ISO, install it, and update the OS as new builds arrive. Microsoft wants to get feedback from as many users as possible to avoid repeating the catastrophe that was Windows 8.

But what happens when the preview versions stop and we reach RTM? We know the operating system will be free (in the first year) to anyone running a copy of Windows 7 or 8.1, but if RTM is a straight update, like all previous Windows 10 builds, does that mean every Windows Insider will be able to upgrade to RTM for free?

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Lakka is a DIY retro games console emulator

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If you’re a retro gaming fan then installing something like MAME gives you access to a host of classic arcade games on your PC.

You don’t need a modern PC to run some 25-year-old game, of course, but that’s where Lakka comes in. It’s a lightweight OpenELEC/ RetroArch-based Linux distribution which transforms small computers into retro games consoles.

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Microsoft invests in cables to cope with increasing cloud capacity

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Microsoft's focus on the cloud means that the company and its users are more data-hungry than ever before. To help cope with a seemingly insatiable appetite for bandwidth, the company is investing in undersea cables to improve connectivity and bandwidth across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

With an increased push towards services like Azure and OneDrive, Microsoft's infrastructure needed to grow. The company has spent the last nine months forming fiber partnerships to improve intercontinental data connectivity and now new cable deals see North American datacenters connecting Ireland and the UK at greater speeds.

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Extend PowerShell’s command line with PSReadLine

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Let’s be frank: Microsoft’s command line environments are terrible. When we’re having to wait until Windows 10 to get proper Ctrl+C/ Ctrl+V copy/ paste support -- something which the GUI has had for as long as many PC users have been alive -- you know there’s a problem.

Moving to PowerShell doesn’t in itself improve the situation, but at least you get access to PSReadLine, an excellent PowerShell module which does a lot to improve the command line editor.

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The reasons why Apple Watch will succeed

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Only the most fortunate among us will ever be able to afford $15,000 for the 18k gold Apple Watch, yet millions around the world recently watched as Tim Cook -- in his first new product launch as CEO -- unveiled Apple’s first major push into the wearables market.

According to The Wearable Future report, adoption rates of wearables parallels that of tablets. After two years, adoption of tablets was 20 percent and today, and 21 percent of American adults already own a wearable device -- so it’s safe to assume that wearables will begin to take off. There are several reasons that Apple’s launch of the Watch will be the beginning of the wearable breakout period.

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MODE launches cloud platform for the Internet of Things

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The Internet of Things offers huge scope to change the way we live and work. But for developers it introduces a whole new set of problems in allowing applications to talk to and use the information generated by IoT devices.

Californian company MODE is launching a cloud platform designed to help developers and emerging brands deliver IoT solutions quickly and easily.

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Apple goes green and aims for 100 percent renewable energy usage

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Apple is not just a company concerned with boosting its profits, it's also interested in image and -- as its latest pledge shows -- the environment. Today Apple announces that it is setting its sights high when it comes to reducing the environmental impact of its operations. The ultimate goal is to switch worldwide operations to 100 percent renewable energy sources.

The company is teaming up with World Wildlife Fund to protect areas of responsibly managed woodland, and is also investing in renewable energy projects in China. Investments are also being made in solar energy projects that will produce more than enough electricity to power Apple's entire collection of Chinese offices and stores.

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Sharegate streamlines Office 365 migration

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Cloud-based services like Office 365 offer an attractive proposition for businesses, but can present problems when it comes to migrating data from existing systems.

Montreal-based Sharegate is releasing the latest version of its SharePoint and Office 365 migration product with support for the Microsoft Office 365 Migration API which will allow customers to move their data to the cloud faster than before.

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The smartphone craze is over in China, as shipments decrease

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China's smartphone market has declined year-over-year for the first time in six years, according to a new report from IDC. In the first quarter of the year, shipments decreased by 4.3 percent compared to the same period from 2014, with the likes of Samsung and Lenovo posting huge drops.

Apple leads the pack in China, shipping 14.5 million iPhones in Q1 2015, 62.1 percent more than a year ago. Meanwhile, rival Samsung, which comes in fourth place, saw shipments of just 9.6 million units, a whopping 53 percent lower compared to Q1 2014.

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Safety is an essential concern for the future of wearables

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Wearables, from smart wristbands to smart clothing, hold vast potential to enhance everyday life, from a person’s health to workplace productivity.

Their potential is vast as demonstrated by predictions of the market growth for wearables, anticipated to exceed more than $100 billion (£64 billion) in annual sales by 2018, according to Generator Research. The recently launched Apple Watch only adds momentum to this promising new technology category.

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