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Google’s Android mobile operating system is open source, which means anyone can, in theory, build their own mobile operating system based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). Why, then, are there not many different versions of Android to choose from?

Well, the good news is that there are a few alternatives to Android—some of them are excellent if not better than the version of Android that ships with your smartphone. But the reason there are only three or four good options highlights the fact that there is more, much more, to the mobile experience than the operating system.

Android’s operating system is open source, but it runs device-specific drivers and Google’s various Play Services application programming interfaces (APIs) with a suite of built-in apps for basic functionality. All of this stuff is another layer atop the Android operating system, and it’s this layer that’s very difficult for other projects to reproduce. It’s not hard for projects to get the AOSP code running, but it’s difficult to create a great mobile user experience on top.

One project that has created a great user experience on top of AOSP is /e/OS. For the past six months, I’ve used nothing else, and I am here to say that the world of Android alternatives has never been better. If you’re looking to get out of the Google box, come on in, the water’s fine.

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Android Alternatives

It’s worth pausing here to answer the question of why you’d want to use an Android alternative like /e/OS. Despite my general dislike of surveillance capitalism, it was not privacy-related issues that initially drove me from Android but poor user experience. I got tired of Android’s constant updates. Every time I picked up my phone, the internet was ridiculously slow because Android was downloading yet another update and prompting me to install it. I lived through Windows 98; once was enough.

This was some years ago, and I did not know about /e/Os. When I decided to ditch Android, I installed LineageOS (probably the best-known Android alternative) and never looked back. LineageOS is a solid platform and provides a good set of basic applications. I never had any trouble with the open source apps I primarily rely on, nor did I have much trouble with the handful of proprietary apps I use. Outside of work, I don’t depend on or use any Google services, so my transition from stock Android was smooth.

However, due to my position at WIRED, I still needed to install the Google Play Services layer on LineageOS to access the apps I needed for work—Slack, Airtable, and Gmail. While I like LineageOS, the fact that Google was still embedded into my device bothered me, because my perspective changed. The boot screen was what did it.

via Wired Top Stories https://www.wired.com

May 22, 2024 at 02:05AM

May 22, 2024

Emory University awarded two students $10,000 for their AI study tool, then suspended them

https://www.engadget.com/emory-university-awarded-two-students-10000-for-their-ai-study-tool-then-suspended-them-120026233.html?src=rss

Individuals and organizations are still struggling with how and how much to integrate AI into daily life. Rarely has that been more clear than a case out of Emory University in which the school went from awarding students with an entrepreneurship prize worth $10,000 for their AI-powered studying tool to suspending them for it, 404 Media reports. No, the students didn’t suddenly misuse the tool, known as Eightball, in any way; they did just as they said they would, and all the while, Emory promoted them — until they didn’t.

Eightball allowed students to turn any coursework or readings into practice tests or flashcards for studying. It also connected to Canvas — the platform professors at Emory use to share course documents with their students. A demo video for Eightball called it similar to ChatGPT but trained on Canvas courses, looking at everything from lectures to slides, rather than students having to upload each PDF individually to the tool.

Emory’s Honor Council accused Eightball’s creators of cheating, plagiarizing and helping other students violate the Honor Code in November 2023 and the duo shut the tool down. The Council also claimed Eightball attached to Canvas without permission, despite it being stated during the awards competition in Spring 2023. The body launched an investigation into the students, which found that Eightball hadn’t assisted with cheating and that the student creators had never lied about its capabilities.

Yet, the Honor Council recommended a year suspension for one of the students, Benjamin Craver, and expulsion for the other (who ideated Eightball). The Council’s director called the situation "unprecedented" due to the harm it could cause at Emory. Craver was eventually suspended for the summer and fall 2024 semesters — after which he would need to apply for readmission. He was also given a mark on his permanent record and required to complete an educational program. His co-creator received a one-year suspension.

Craver filed a lawsuit on May 20 against Emory detailing how Eightball came to be, teachers’ support and use, articles promoting it in the university’s newspaper and that the students had always been transparent in its use. Among other evidence, the lawsuit also shares words of support from the associate dean of Emory’s business school about Eightball following the award and her choice to connect the students with an outside entrepreneur, an Emory Alumnus. "While nothing about Eightball changed, Emory’s view of Eightball changed dramatically," Craver’s lawsuit states. "Emory concedes that there is no evidence that anyone has ever used Eightball to cheat. And to this day Emory advertises Eightball as an example of student innovation and entrepreneurship."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/3vZkiLS

via Engadget http://www.engadget.com

May 22, 2024 at 07:06AM

May 17, 2024

How often should you turn off your phone? Here’s what the NSA says

https://www.pcworld.com/article/2330195/security-experts-advise-this-is-how-often-you-should-switch-off-your-mobile-phone-the-reason.html

Many people need to learn how to use a smartphone properly. After all, these all-rounder devices require regular maintenance and important updates in order to be optimally protected against wear and tear and attacks.

Switching you phone off completely protects it

Surprisingly, this includes a very simple function: switching off the smartphone completely. According to security experts at the NSA, this alone helps to protect the device from hacking attacks. It is now not only common to gain access to smartphones via malicious links, but also via so-called zero-click exploits.

This involves bypassing the smartphone’s security functions step-by-step. Starting with a missed call, then the first installed files that gradually allow access to the system and tap into information. This usually goes unnoticed, but can fortunately be prevented by completely rebooting the device.

So how often should I turn off my phone?

The simple answer from security experts as to how often a mobile phone should be switched off completely is: at least once a week. In the best case scenario, however, you should remember to reset our phone even more often. This is because, in addition to eliminating the security risk, it also allows the smartphone’s operating system to run all functions smoothly.

By the way: To see how long your device has had to go without switching off, you can easily check the system settings. On Android devices, this can usually be found under “Device” and then “Status.” The uptime is displayed there in hours.

Further reading: The ultimate free digital security guide: Stay safe without spending a dime

via PCWorld https://www.pcworld.com

May 17, 2024 at 05:38AM

May 16, 2024

India makes breakthrough by test-firing new 3D-printed rocket engine (photo)

https://www.space.com/india-test-fires-3d-printed-rocket-engine

India has announced a breakthrough that could boost its efforts to grow as a space-faring nation.

On May 9, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) performed a successful hot-fire test of a liquid-fueled rocket engine that was built using additive manufacturing (colloquially known as 3D printing) technology.

The engine, which burns a hypergolic mix of nitrogen tetroxide and monomethyl hydrazine, fired for a duration of 665 seconds, marking a major milestone. The engine is used in the upper stage of India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

ISRO said the new laser powder bed fusion technique used to make the engine has brought down the number of engine parts from 14 to a single piece. This has eliminated 19 weld joints and saved significantly on the raw material usage per engine: The new process uses 30.2 pounds (13.7 kilograms) of metal powder, for example, compared to the 1,245 pounds (565 kg) of forgings and sheets needed with the conventional technique. The new process also reduces the overall production time by 60%, according to ISRO.

The 145-foot-tall (44 meters) PSLV is one of India’s workhorse launchers, along with the LVM-3. The rocket can deliver up to 3,860 pounds (1,750 kg) of payload to sun-synchronous polar orbits 370 miles (600 km) high.

The milestone will help the country boost its launch rate. India also has grand plans in human spaceflight including landing an astronaut on the moon and establishing a lunar base by 2047.

Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

via Space https://www.space.com

May 16, 2024 at 09:05AM

May 15, 2024

Gemini AI Will Now Help You With Your Physics Homework

https://gizmodo.com/gemini-ai-homework-help-google-ai-1851476005

As if using ChatGPT for college essays wasn’t enough, students are now getting a Gemini tool to help with their Math and Physics homework, too. Google is utilizing its Circle to Search gesture, which was received quite well, to introduce a new feature.

No Google AI Search, I Don’t Need to Learn About the “Benefits of Slavery”

With this update, you’ll be able to simply circle the part you’re stuck on and then use a long-press shortcut to find a step-by-step solution to your homework questions. Google sounds proud about the fact that they’re not just giving you the answer, but also all the working for it. All you have to do to use the feature is opt-in for help with word problems from the Search Labs menu.

According to Google’s blog, it’s using its LearnLM tech to make this happen, which is apparently its “new family of models fine-tuned for learning.” The new feature is Android only for now and is available on 100 million devices today. Google says that number will double by the end of this year. The Alphabet company also adds that it will soon extend its feature to include reading and analyzing graphs, symbolic formulas, and diagrams as well.

Google Keynote (Google I/O ‘24)

If you ask me, I don’t have a good feeling about this feature. I’m well aware of how much I’m sounding like a Boomer now, but I’m worried that students are going to stop using their brains if advancements like these continue to happen. I was in college when ChatGPT came out and witnessed how students frequently turned to it for plagiarism. Thankfully, we now have tools to detect ChatGPT-generated content, and I’m guessing something like that will eventually come out for Gemini content, too.

We will be covering all of Google’s big announcements during I/O this week. However, it seems one thing that won’t be announced at this year’s I/O is any new hardware.

via Gizmodo https://gizmodo.com

May 14, 2024 at 02:09PM

May 15, 2024

Google’s Project Gameface hands-free ‘mouse’ launches on Android

https://www.engadget.com/googles-project-gameface-hands-free-mouse-launches-on-android-123029158.html

At last year’s Google I/O developer conference, the company introduced Project Gameface, a hands-free gaming "mouse" that allows users to control a computer’s cursor with movements of their head and facial gestures. This year, Google has announced that it has open-sourced more code for Project Gameface, allowing developers to build Android applications that can use the technology.

The tool relies on the phone’s front camera to track facial expressions and head movements, which can be used to control a virtual cursor. A user could smile to "select" items onscreen, for instance, or raise their left eyebrow to go back to the home screen on an Android phone. In addition, users can set thresholds or gesture sizes for each expression, so that they can control how prominent their expressions should be to trigger a specific mouse action.

The company developed Project Gameface with gaming streamer Lance Carr, who has muscular dystrophy that weakens his muscles. Carr used a head-tracking mouse to game before a fire destroyed his home, along with his expensive equipment. The early version of Project Gameface was focused on gaming and uses a webcam to detect facial expressions, though Google had known from the start that it had a lot of other potential uses.

For the tool’s Android launch, Google teamed up with an Indian organization called Incluzza that supports people with disabilities. The partnership gave the company the chance to learn how Project Gameface can help people with disabilities further their studies, communicate with friends and family more easily and find jobs online. Google has released the project’s open source code on GitHub and is hoping that more developers decide to "leverage it to build new experiences."

Catch up on all the news from Google I/O 2024 right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://ift.tt/C9TqrDj

via Engadget http://www.engadget.com

May 15, 2024 at 07:33AM

May 14, 2024

NASA’s Plasma Rocket Could Reach Mars in 2 Months

https://gizmodo.com/nasa-s-plasma-rocket-could-reach-mars-in-2-months-1851469611

A downtown gateway sign showing Vehicle City in Flint, Michigan.

Image: Atomazul (Shutterstock)

A constant feeling of strange tingling and numbness along a person’s legs might be much more common than assumed in some parts of the U.S., new research out Wednesday suggests. Researchers have found evidence that a substantial majority of older adults in Flint, Michigan are experiencing neuropathy, an uncomfortable ailment caused by nerve damage that can raise the risk of other serious health problems such as infections and falls. Often, these patients were even unaware that they had it. – Ed Cara Read More