FEATURED: 10 awesome hidden tricks to make iOS 7.1 feel new while you wait for iOS 8

%name FEATURED: 10 awesome hidden tricks to make iOS 7.1 feel new while you wait for iOS 8 by Authcom, Nova Scotia\s Internet and Computing Solutions Provider in Kentville, Annapolis Valley

The world just recently got its first glimpse at Apple’s next-generation iOS 8 mobile software, and we took an in-depth look at iOS 8 earlier this week. As great as all the new features look, there are still dozens of iOS 7.1 features you don’t know about. You shouldn’t worry about it too much, though — mobile software packs so many features these days that it’s impossible to figure them all out.

While developers (and anyone else willing to pay $100 a year for a developer account) have already gotten their hands on an early version of Apple’s new iOS 8 software, most iPhone and iPad users will have to wait until this fall before they can get install iOS 8 on their devices.

In the meantime, perhaps we can help make your iPhone feel new again with these 10 awesome iOS 7.1 features you might not have known about.

Read more here: Boy Genius Report

This is either the worst Xbox One ad Microsoft has ever made, or the best

%name This is either the worst Xbox One ad Microsoft has ever made, or the best by Authcom, Nova Scotia\s Internet and Computing Solutions Provider in Kentville, Annapolis Valley

Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul stars in a brand new Xbox One TV commercial that highlights one of the console’s main features, its Kinect voice commands. Of course, this might be a strange choice for Microsoft considering the ad is basically promoting the Kinect-less cheaper console that starts at $399.99. While the ad is supposed to be simple and to-the-point, users will quickly find out that it comes with a side-effect that gets more annoying each time you watch it.

Read more here: Boy Genius Report

We didn’t think it was possible, but Google Now just got even smarter

%name We didn’t think it was possible, but Google Now just got even smarter by Authcom, Nova Scotia\s Internet and Computing Solutions Provider in Kentville, Annapolis Valley

We have said it numerous times before and now we’ll say it again: Google Now is easily one of the best things to happen to mobile devices in the past few years. The service unburdens us by doing much of the thinking for us when it comes to the various events of each day.

What will the weather be like? What time should I leave for my meeting? Is my flight on time? When is the Keyboard Cat t-shirt I ordered finally going to arrive in the mail? These are all questions that Google Now answers before we even ask them — and now, Google’s eerily brilliant virtual assistant service is getting even smarter.

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Cord cutters might be the biggest losers in the AT&T-DirecTV merger

%name Cord cutters might be the biggest losers in the AT&T DirecTV merger by Authcom, Nova Scotia\s Internet and Computing Solutions Provider in Kentville, Annapolis Valley

AT&T hasn’t exactly been overwhelming us with good reasons to support its merger with DirecTV so far. Unsurprisingly, its latest regulatory filing hasn’t really changed any of that — the company is still saying that merging with DirecTV will save it money by giving it more leverage in its negotiations with content but it’s not pledging that customers will reap the benefits of those savings in the form of lower prices. However, Re/code has spotted a detail in the filing in which AT&T hints that the DirecTV might be a good deal for people who want to buy bundled services and a bad deal for cord cutters who want to get their TV fix over the Internet.

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Details leak for one of Google’s biggest I/O announcements

%name Details leak for one of Google’s biggest I/O announcements by Authcom, Nova Scotia\s Internet and Computing Solutions Provider in Kentville, Annapolis Valley

Google will apparently unveil a new health-related platform of its own at Google I/O in late June, following the failed Google Health initiative from a few years ago, Forbes has learned. The new service will be called Google Fit, and will allow smart wearable devices to connect to Android handsets and tablets to collect health and fitness data via various apps.

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Don’t forget to wirelessly charge your smartphone next time you overpay for coffee

%name Don’t forget to wirelessly charge your smartphone next time you overpay for coffee by Authcom, Nova Scotia\s Internet and Computing Solutions Provider in Kentville, Annapolis Valley

Next time you order your Caramel Ribbon Crunch Crème Frappuccino at Starbucks – or any other exorbitantly priced coffee that tickles your fancy – don’t forget to wirelessly charge your smartphone, assuming your device has such charging capabilities, and assuming you’re making your coffee beverage purchases in the United States.

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You’ll be able to stream one of the year’s best music festivals on your Xbox this weekend

%name You’ll be able to stream one of the year’s best music festivals on your Xbox this weekend by Authcom, Nova Scotia\s Internet and Computing Solutions Provider in Kentville, Annapolis Valley

Tennessee’s Bonnaroo is always one of the year’s very best music festivals and this year promises to be no different with a killer lineup that includes Elton John, Kanye West, Vampire Weekend, Lionel Richie, Jack White and many more. However, you won’t have to travel down to bluegrass country to watch all of the best shows this year because Microsoft is letting you stream the show right over your Xbox 360 or Xbox One if you’re an Xbox Live member.

Read more here: Boy Genius Report

The ultimate nightmare: Researchers learn how to hack connected ‘smart home’ toilets

%name The ultimate nightmare: Researchers learn how to hack connected ‘smart home’ toilets by Authcom, Nova Scotia\s Internet and Computing Solutions Provider in Kentville, Annapolis Valley

Imagine a world where a sleazy hacker can make your toilet overflow on a daily basis unless you pay him a daily fee. That’s the kind of nightmare scenario that researchers at Chicago security firm Trustwave are trying to prepare us for, as Bloomberg reports that they’ve figured out how to hack “a Bluetooth connection that controls toilets made by Japan’s Lixil Group,” which could “allow hackers to open or close the lid and even squirt a stream of water at the user’s behind.”

Read more here: Boy Genius Report