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12 Mar 2015
Sticky Post By Posted in Industry News Permalink

Breakthrough 3D fingerprint with Snapdragon Sense ID

Sticky Post By On March 12, 2015

Have you seen a new ultrasonic fingerprint scanner that Qualcomm has showed off at MWC 2015? If the answer is NO you must know that Qualcomm will create a 3D map of our fingerprints. The result will be a more accurate reading that is also more secure. Ultrasonic reader will work through pretty much any material. That means its bio-metric reader could be built into any part of a device.

Snapdragon Sense ID 3D Fingerprint Technology will form part of the Snapdragon 810 CPU that will be making its way into flagship devices throughout 2015. So we can expect the first phone with Sense ID 3D before the end of the year.

 

10 Mar 2015
Sticky Post By Posted in Industry News Permalink

Google unwraps Android 5.1. Lollipop

Sticky Post By On March 10, 2015

Good  news! Google announced the roll out of the Android 5.1. Lollipop. The new update improves stability and performance and also offers some new features like HD voice and Device Protection.

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The last one is perhaps the most essential as it ensures that the device will remain locked if it is stolen or lost. The only way to unlock is by signing with the personal Google account. According to Official Android blog Device Protection will be available on most Android phones with Android 5.1.

The blog also reports that Lollipop 5.1 also will have the ability to join Wi-Fi networks and control paired Bluetooth devices directly from Quick Settings. Other basic enhancements include high definition voice calls on compatible phones.

The Black Bears are waiting to check it out!

[Image credit: Official Android blog ]

09 Mar 2015
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Apple Watch is coming

Sticky Post By On March 9, 2015

Just a few more weeks left to greet the Apple Watch! According to Apple, it will be the biggest new product since the iPad. And the most personal one they have ever made.

It is made to run its own applications, to connect with iPhones and be a fashion product on its own. Next to timekeeping and healthy & fitness features, Apple promises to show us ”all-new ways to do all kinds of things” with the Watch.

On one hand we cannot wait to own that piece of hardware since Apple has always kept its promises. On the other hand perhaps we should wait a bit.  Mario Aguilar in  his article gave us a good reason why not to buy one .. and, yes, has a point!

“… if you hold on even one year for version two, it is all but guaranteed to be measurably better in countless ways. Granted, this is always true to some degree, but it’s extra true for first-gen gadgets.”

03 Mar 2015
Sticky Post By Posted in Industry News Permalink

Those who believe in magic will find it

Sticky Post By On March 3, 2015

Obsessed with the Virtual Reality as The Black Bears are, we too are curious about the new project of Google – Magic Leap.

Here are some facts summarized by Mariella Moon in her article What we know about Magic Leap so far. It looks like the new invention will sweep away that feeling of ‘presence‘ in the Virtual Reality by … well, some kind of magic!

We just cannot wait.

[Image credit: Magic Leap]

19 Feb 2015
Sticky Post By Posted in The Black Bear News Permalink

Impasto Art is now available on iOS

Sticky Post By On February 19, 2015

We’ve just launched the second app for the Impasto Art Project on iOS platform. The app is Chromecast and Airplay Enabled so you can easily convert your TV into the digital painting.

Just download the app and connect it to your Chromecast device. The artworks will be streamed directly to your TV screen. If you have an Apple TV, you can view the artworks using AirPlay.

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You can set ‘Preferences’ according to your taste, or just enjoy the whole collection: paintings by old masters, modernists and impressionists in addition to drawings, prints and vintage photographs by world-famous artists.

In this pre mass-market version of the app you can view the works from the J. Paul Getty Museum (the United States) and the Rijksmuseum (the Netherlands). We will soon add more museum collections so there will be even more art to choose from. Enjoy!

04 Feb 2015
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Site Me for Holland Call

Sticky Post By On February 4, 2015

After three months of hard work with Het Erfgoedkabinet we have presented our joint creation – Site Me – at the Holland Call symposium on January 28th, 2015.

Holland Call was a call from the Province Noord-Holland to the creative industry in search for a new Cultural Touristic Product (CTP). The assignment was to create a product which would stimulate more visits  to the heritage sites of the Province. So here is our idea in a nutshell:

Site Me offers a new way of discovering all the rich heritage that the Province Noord Holland has to offer. Swipe along the (heritage) sites, stay up to date of everything what happens at your favorite locations and plan a getaway around the site of your choice!

Even though we did not win, we are investigating opportunities to take the project further and are looking for partners.

Our special thanks to Kristiaan der Nederlanden and  Klevr for making the beautiful animation of the Site Me concept. We are also extremely grateful to all the experts from the FreedomLab who were helping, inspiring and supporting us during this project.

09 Dec 2014
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Impasto Art is live on UPC Horizon Box!

Sticky Post By On December 9, 2014

Convert your TV into a digital painting! This is a motto of our new project – Impasto Art.

Impasto offers tens of thousands of artworks in the highest possible image quality so that you can enhance your living room, office, kitchen, restaurant or any other room with beautiful art.

We’ve started to work on Impasto during the Liberty Global Appathon in September and … voilà! On December 9th the app went live. If you reside in the Netherlands and have a UPC Horizon Box, you can find the Impasto App in the Lifestyle section.

More about Impasto

Coming soon: Impasto for  iOS supporting Chromecast and Airplay functionality.

11 Nov 2014
Sticky Post By Posted in The Black Bear News Permalink

Totally Revamped Travelling Connect iOS App

Sticky Post By On November 11, 2014

Fresh in the App Store – a new app  that we have developed for Travelling Connect, a loyalty program for frequent travelers whereby they earn air miles or hotel points when roaming abroad.

The app boasts of new features including not only rewards tracking but also data usage monitoring, city guides and deals on activities in more than 250 countries. All wrapped in a clean, modern look with geolocation and offline mode.

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