Month: June 2018

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Polarity had an AWESOME time in Florida, USA

In Polarity Technologies Ltd, we really enjoy our multicultural interactions. We have recently travelled in Florida, US to meet, mingle and have some good time with the cool people of Spigot Inc, our affiliate company.

   

As Polarity and Spigot share identical values and culture, fun couldn’t be missing. Spigot’s office is a CRAZY playroom. We had some fun breaks playing Table Tennis, Foosball, Basketball and Mario Karts. We’ve also enjoyed a huge variety of yummy craft donuts and other delicious food that Spigot Inc brought to the office for everyone. And that’s not all.

                

At the end of each day people of Spigot Inc, were making sure that we would return to our hotel rooms tipsy and happy. They took us to the best restaurants and the coolest bars of the area where we had fantastic food and amazing cocktails under the sunset.

Thank you Spigot. We will definitely be back to Florida soon!

 

Our Culture is Far From Boring!

Polarity Technologies Ltd is HUGE on collaboration! We love our fun, collaborative environment and interactions, especially with all of the team members of Spigot Inc. Our culture is far from boring. Cool Parties, Fun Games, Team Outings, Delicious Meals and other Awesome Activities are only some of the perks that keep us excited and bonded.

We have created an environment where we all work hard together to achieve our goals. Not only are we driven individuals that Work Hard, but we Play Hard too. This culture not only generates creativity and innovation, it also creates a warm and fun atmosphere that everyone enjoys.

According to The Huffington Post, “Collaborative environments are at the core of the modern workplace, not only do positive relationships with co-workers raise job satisfaction and, by extension, employee retention, fostering collaboration helps companies make the most of their knowledge resources.”

If you think you have the passion and motivation to join our Fun, Innovative and Collaborative team, be sure to follow us in Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter for future job openings.

Windows 10’s Mail App Will Finally let You Write Emails With a Stylus

Polarity Technologies Ltd learned that Microsoft first got serious about digital inking in Windows 10 a year after the operating shipped. The software maker added Windows Ink in the aptly named Anniversary Update to improve stylus support for devices with a pen. Windows Ink was a good first step, and Microsoft has been gradually improving its inking across Windows 10 ever since. Microsoft is now finally bringing stylus support to the Mail app in Windows 10.

Windows Insiders can test the latest Mail app update, and it includes a new draw tab in the ribbon interface when you compose a new email. You can now write an entire email with a stylus if you like, and it’s something that has been strangely absent from Windows 10 for three years now. There are plenty of pen options and colors with this new feature, and it should ship in time for Microsoft’s next major Windows 10 update, currently codenamed Redstone 5. Microsoft is expected to make this update available in September, and the company is getting close to finalizing its feature set.

Read the full article from The Verge.

Facebook Groups May Soon Charge Monthly Subscription Fees for Access

Polarity Technologies Ltd learned that Facebook will now let group administrators start charging $4.99 to $29.99 a month for exclusive membership in certain groups. Parenting, cooking, and home cleaning groups will be the first ones to get the new feature as part of an early test.

As it stands now, free groups will remain intact, but they will soon have the option to launch premium sub-groups.

Facebook says the new feature is so that group admins, who put a lot of time and dedication to growing their communities, can also earn money at the same time. The company also says admins could take the money they earn to create higher-quality content for the group as well, whether that be more posts, videos, or offline meet-ups and events.

For now, the feature is still an experiment on mobile and Facebook won’t be getting a cut of the subscription fees. As part of standard App Store and Play Store policies, Apple and Google will be taking a percentage of user subscriptions fees via iOS and Android, however. Still, this is just the beginning for Facebook’s efforts to monetize groups, which, unlike the News Feed, does not rely on advertising.

Read the full article from The Verge.

Microsoft Starts Testing New Diverse Xbox Live Avatars

Polarity Technologies Ltd learned that after months of delays and leaks, Microsoft is finally unveiling its new Xbox Live Avatars. Originally scheduled for last fall, the new avatar system will be available to Xbox Insiders later today to test before being broadly rolled out to all Xbox One users. The new avatars will let you fully customize your online character with body type options, clothing, and props.

Microsoft is starting its testing by letting Xbox One users access the new Avatar Editor. It’s an app that includes customizations for avatars, and Microsoft says it will add accessories, props, moods, clothing, and appearance categories in the future, alongside more content after launch. Microsoft’s Xbox Avatar Editor lets you customize body, face, hair, makeup, limbs, and even fingernails. All the options include color pickers, and the ability to buy additional items from an avatar store.

Read the full article from The Verge.

 

Android Messages Will Let you Send Texts From Your Computer Starting Today

Polarity Technologies Ltd learned that Google is beginning to roll out desktop browser support for Android Messages, allowing people to use their PC for sending messages and viewing those that have been received on their Android smartphone. Google says the feature is starting to go out to users today and continuing for the rest of the week. Text, images, and stickers are all supported on the web version.

To get started, the Android Messages website has you scan a QR code using the Android Messages mobile app, which creates a link between the two. That’s very similar to how the web client for Allo — remember Allo? — worked. Unfortunately, that section of the Messages app isn’t yet live. Hopefully it won’t be long before it shows up and you can start chatting across platforms.

This is one of the first significant steps in Google’s push towards Chat, which is the company’s implementation of Rich Communication Services (RCS) inside Android Messages. If you’re going to be a viable competitor to iMessage, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and other chat platforms, a desktop version is pretty critical. Allo was one swing at that goal, but Google is pausing all efforts and investment in that failed app and betting that Android Messages — the out-of-box default messaging app on many smartphones — represents its best chance at success.
Read the full article from The Verge.

Uber Booking has Been Removed From Google Maps for Android

Polarity Technologies Ltd learned that Google Maps can no longer be used to book an Uber on Android. It brings the app in line with the iOS version, which lost the feature last summer, as noted by Android Police.

Google has had the ability to show price estimates and pickup wait times for ride-sharing apps for a while. Back in January 2017, Uber alone gained the ability to actually book rides in the Google Maps app by pulling up your account window and hailing your ride without ever leaving the app.

Google has officially removed the feature from the Android app, demoting Uber back to the same level as the other ride-sharing apps it supports, like Lyft and Gett. You’ll still be able to see the estimated cost of different Uber rides in Maps, but you’ll now have to go to the actual Uber app to finish the booking process.

It’s not entirely clear why Google is removing the feature. For what it’s worth, Alphabet’s venture capital business has made a large investment in Lyft. But the Google Maps help page regarding the function has been updated to explicitly note that “you can no longer book Uber rides directly in Google Maps. But you can still look up the route in the Maps app and then request the ride from the Uber app.” That applies to both the iOS and Android versions of the app, so it appears that this feature is gone for good.

Read the full article from The Verge.

Microsoft Announces Big, Multi-Studio Push to Create More Xbox Exclusives

Microsoft’s anemic supply of first party games for the Xbox One isn’t a secret, but Polarity Technologies Ltd learned that the company took big steps to rectify that at E3 this year, announcing that five new studios would be joining Microsoft Studios to create more Xbox One exclusive titles in the future.

Leading the charge is newly founded Santa Monica-based studio The Initiative, set to be lead by former Crystal Dynamics head of studio Darrell Gallagher. Additionally, Microsoft is acquiring Undead Labs (which previously made the Xbox-exclusive State of Decay and State of Decay 2), Playground Games (which has developed the Forza Horizon games, and is also said to be working on a new open world game as well), Ninja Theory (Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice), and Compulsion Games (currently working on We Happy Few, set to release later this year.)

While Microsoft largely didn’t have any announcements of any new games that these newly-founded and acquired studios would be working on, it’s a big push from the company going forward to ensure that there’s a steady supply of games that its customers will be able to only enjoy on the Xbox One.

Read the full article at The Verge.

Apple Maps Embeds Have Come to Web Browsers in Beta

You may now start to see Apple Maps embeds in websites around the internet. Polarity Technologies Ltd learned that Apple has opened up a web-based API for developers in beta, it announced today at WWDC.

In the past, Apple has embedded maps on some of its websites like iCloud.com’s Find My iPhone page or the Apple Store site. But the company has kept the ability to embed Apple Maps on web browsers internal until now, unlike its rivals, Google Maps and Microsoft’s Bing Maps.

Apple Maps website embeds will work pretty much the same way as they do on iOS, letting developers select a map area and allowing users to search for specific locations within the area and get directions between two points. The map embeds will also support touchscreen gestures like pinching to zoom, or rotating the orientation on the map with two fingers. You can also choose to display the map in street view or in satellite mode.

Developers can start using embedded maps on their websites now for free, so you should soon start seeing Apple Maps around outside of Apple’s own websites.

Read the full article from The Verge.

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