Network and Security

Starting with iOS 8, your applications can extend custom functionality and content beyond your app, and make it available to users while they're using other apps or the operating system. One way of extending the operating system is by creating a custom keyboard. In this tutorial I'm going to show you how to make your own custom keyboard using Swift and the new app extension APIs. Before we do that, we are going to go over what a keyboard extension can do, what it can't do, and what it should to get approved for the App Store. 1. Overview A custom keyboard replaces the system keyboard for users who want capabilities, such as a novel text input method or the ability to enter text in a language not otherwise supported by the operating system. The essential function of a custom keyboard is simple, respond to taps, gestures, or other input events, and provide text in the form of an unattributed NSString object at the text insertion point of the current text input object. After a...

Talk about 15 minutes of fame: upstart social networking startup Ello burst on the scene in September with promises of a utopian, post-Facebook platform that respected user's privacy. I was surprised to see so many public figures and media entities jump on board—mainly because of what Ello isn't. It isn't an open source, decentralized social networking technology. It's just another privately held, VC-funded silo. Perhaps I'll get excited when BoingBoing posts there a second time ("we're not entirely sure what we're doing here yet") or if I get an invite; probably not. In reality, the road to a usable open source social networking technology is paved with the wreckage of good intentions. Remember Diaspora? In 2010, it raised $200,641 on Kickstarter to take on Facebook with "an open source personal web server to share all your stuff online." Two years later, they essentially gave up, leaving their code to the open source community to carry ...

One of our core philosophies at iWantMyName is openness. For example, we we don't force you to use our nameservers and DNS hosting services for your domain names. It might even make perfect sense to seperate domain registration and DNS hosting in some cases. That's why you can always update the nameservers of your registered domains in real-time through your online dashboard to host it somewhere else. There are many free DNS hosting services out there and depending on the level of service or amount of domains (some of them offer paid account upgrades) they might already be sufficient for your needs. Some of the most popular ones are: ZoneEdit.com (5 domains free) EveryDNS.net (from OpenDNS founder David Ulevitch ) editDNS.net (free for up to 5 domains) XName.org (non-commercial) FreeDNS (unlimited domains, 20 subdomains) Zerigo (also integrates with Heroku )

Google's Smart spoon reduces hand tremors by 76 pc and will help people suffering from Parkinson's disease. Google has introduced a "smart spoon" aimed to help people suffering from essential tremors and Parkinson's disease. The company states that the product can reduce shaking of the spoon bowl by an average of 76%. Internet giant Google has started promoting its Liftware spoon, a high tech device that employs hundreds of algorithms to sense how a hand is shaking and makes instant adjustments to stay balanced. The spoons have been launched for $295. Parkinson's disease affects more than 10 million people worldwide, including Google co-founder Sergey Brin's mother. According to reports Brin has also said he has a genetic mutation associated with higher rates of Parkinson's. He has donated more than $50m to research for a cure. "We want to help people in their daily lives today and hopefully increase understanding of disease in the long run,"...

Just when we thought that Nokia was done as an independent manufacturer, the Finnish brand surprised us by announcing a new tablet which runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop. The N1 Tablet looks like a decent comeback for Nokia and the device itself looks elegant with a similar design to the iPad mini. According to sources, the tablet is design by Foxconn (the same company that makes Apple products), features a 7.9-mm display with a resolution of 2048x1536 pixels, and is powered by a quad-core Intel Atom Z3580 64-bit SoC. It comes with a unibody design and is quite slim at just 6.9 mm. The price for the tablet has been put at $249 (Rs. 15,300 approx.) which sounds impressive. The tablet surprisingly runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop with the Nokia Z Launcher over it. Nokia says that it will brought to the market in Q1 2015 through a brand-licensing agreement with an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partner responsible for manufacturing, distribution and sales. Here are some interesting feature...

Many people take medication, sometimes multiple times per day, to help them stay healthy. Making sure meds are taken on time and in the right doses requires an individual to be vigilant and disciplined. Software developer Tim Corey saw a way to improve the error-prone process of tracking self-medication by using technology to provide an easy-to-use personal medication assistant, one that never forgot a dose and had a perfect memory. This idea led to his creation of My Health Assistant. My Health Assistant is an app that helps individuals manage and track their medication use through a simple interface. The app also features a health diary, a GPS-based pharmacy and ER locator, and personal health information. Corey developed My Health Assistant as an entry in the Intel® App Innovation Contest 2013 hosted by CodeProject in partnership with the Intel® Developer Zone, and the app went on to win in the Health Category. The app was initially built for Microsoft Windows* desktop, wit...

Innovations in computing form factors such as All-in-One (AIO) and tablet devices that combine desktop-like performance with multi-touch-enabled, high-resolution screens are giving people fun new ways to experience making music and giving new meaning to the often-said statement that music is a universal language. Recognizing this trend, TheBestSync, a China-based software company focused on integrated software and hardware solutions, entered the Intel App Innovation Contest 2013 (Intel AIC 2013) in partnership with Intel® Developer Zone with the idea of combining game and music technology with an AIO device to create an exciting new way for people to play and enjoy music. TheBestSync and its CEO, Alpha Lam, have been on a mission to create innovative, interactive experiences for the entertainment market for the last three years and are no strangers to Intel Developer Zone contests. They recently took the grand prize in the Intel® Perceptual Computing Challenge with their submi...

For first time buyers, Google has featured a special section that features every product at Rs. 299. Google is also conducting several contests before the annual shopping festival. Google's annual online shopping festival, also known as Great Online Shopping Festival (GOSF), is scheduled to be held between December 10-12. This year's GOSF features over 450 partners with brands ranging from Motorola Nexus 6, HP, Lenovo, Tata Housing, Karbonn, Van Heusen, Asian Paints For first time buyers, Google has featured a special section that features every product at Rs. 299. The section has brands such as Uber, JBL, Benetton, Alia Bhatt collection, EverPure water purifier. Google is currently running several contests and games on the official websites to promote the festival. Customers stand a chance to win 14 minutes of free shopping hosted by leading brands. Users will be able to participate in this contest across leading social media platforms from 25th November till 8th of December 2...

TEL AVIV: An Israeli company says it has developed technology that can charge a mobile phone in a few seconds and an electric car in minutes, advances that could transform two of the world's most dynamic consumer industries. Using nano-technology to synthesize artificial molecules, Tel Aviv-based StoreDot says it has developed a battery that can store a much higher charge more quickly, in effect acting like a super-dense sponge to soak up power and retain it. While the prototype is currently far too bulky for a mobile phone, the company believes it will be ready by 2016 to market a slim battery that can absorb and deliver a day's power for a smartphone in just 30 seconds. "These are new materials, they have never been developed before," said Doron Myersdorf, the founder and chief executive of StoreDot, whose investors include Russian billionaire and Chelsea soccer club owner Roman Abramovich. The innovation is based around the creation of "nanodots", which S...

A s with the release of any new operating system, some users have experienced problems installing and running Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1. On this page we'll report the most serious bugs or upgrade problems and offer potential solutions. Help us and fellow readers identify and fix other problems using the comments facility at the foot of the article. Windows RT 8.1 BSOD The most serious bug reported so far affects Windows RT 8.1, with some users experiencing the dreaded Blue Screen of Death or Boot Configuration Data File errors after installation. The problem is so severe that Microsoft has decided to pull the Windows RT 8.1 update from the Windows Store. Many users have been unable to repair devices affected by the Windows RT 8.1 update, so Microsoft has released a Surface RT recovery image to help restore tablets to working order. Beware that clicking on that link will immediately instigate the 3.8GB download. It's not yet clear when Microsoft will release a patched versi...

The Advanced Startup Options menu in Windows 8 is the central fix-it location for the entire operating system. From here you can access Windows 8 diagnostic and repair tools like Refresh Your PC, Reset Your PC, System Restore, Command Prompt, and much more. Advanced Startup Options is also where you access Startup Settings, the menu that includes Safe Mode, among other startup methods that could help you access Windows 8 if its having problems starting. The Advanced Startup Options menu should appear automatically after two consecutive startup errors. However, if you need to open it manually, there are six different ways to do so. The best way to decide which method to use to open Advanced Startup Options is to base your decision on what level of access you have to Windows 8 right now: If Windows 8 starts normally: Use any method, but 1, 2, or 3 will be easiest. If Windows 8 does not start: Use method 4, 5, or 6. Method 1 will also work if you can at least get to the Windows 8 logon sc...

Throughout this series, we've focused on building maintainable WordPress meta boxes. By that, I mean that we've been working to create a WordPress plugin that's well-organized, follows WordPress coding standards, and that can be easily adapted and maintained as the project moves forward over time. Though we've implemented some good practices, there is still room for refactoring. For this series, this is done by design. Whenever you're working on a project for a client or for a larger company, the odds of you having to maintain an existing codebase are rather high. As such, I wanted us to be able to return back to our codebase in order to refine some of the code that we've written. Note this article will not be written in the format that the others have been written - that is, there won't be a "First we do this, then we do this" approach to development. Instead, we're going to highlight several areas in need of refactoring and then handle them i...