Saturday, February 28, 2015

This could be the best-looking Android Wear smartwatch yet

It looks like Huawei is taking smartwatches very seriously. And it must be said, the company has made a very attractive looking smartwatch. As spotted by Droid Life , Two official promo videos for the "Huawei Watch" have accidentally been set live on YouTube ahead of the device's likely announcement tomorrow at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Before the videos were released, the watch was pictured in an advertisement at Barcelona's El Prat airport.


The metal watch has a circular face like the Moto 360. Unlike that device, however, it has an entirely circular display that measures 42mm in diameter. One of the promotional videos reveals that the device has a sapphire display and a stainless steel unibody casing. There is also a...


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Source: The Verge - All Posts http://j.mp/1vL1Mbo

Huawei teases a luxury Android Wear watch through awkward videos

Huawei apparently just can't wait to show some of the wearable tech it has in store this year. While the company isn't supposed to reveal its Mobile World Congress plans until a press event on March 1st, it has already posted both videos and airport ...



Source: Engadget RSS Feed http://j.mp/1BqRT3i

Huawei Accidentally Revealed Its First Android Watch


All the cool kids are peddling Android wearables these days, and it looks like Huawei is no exception: in advance of the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, it looks like the Chinese phone giant has revealed its upcoming watch in an ad.


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Source: Gizmodo http://j.mp/1AFcksM

Friday, February 27, 2015

YouTube for Android now lets you trim your videos before uploading


Whenever I shoot a video with my smartphone, I usually end up with a minute or two of terrible footage surrounding the 10 or 15 seconds (if I'm lucky) that are actually worth holding on to. If you're like me and also like sharing your creations to YouTube, things are getting a little easier. An update to the YouTube Android app is set to roll out that'll prompt users to trim their videos to capture the best moments before sharing. It's a feature that most Android phones have buried somewhere in the gallery app, but it's still nice to see YouTube making an effort to help users shoot and share better video. The update is rolling out now, but it might not be live yet for all users. When you get it, just please make sure you shoot your...


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Source: The Verge - All Posts http://j.mp/186Srzj

This Wildly Nerdy App Gives Android Wear Watches Super Geek Powers

Google's augmented reality game 'Ingress' comes to Android Wear

Remember Ingress, the Google-developed project that entices you to get outside with the promise of some light gaming? On top of iOS and Android, it now works on Android Wear, meaning you can join in the fun with your smartwatch rather than your smart...



Source: Engadget RSS Feed http://j.mp/1DZe3u1

Microsoft made an Android keyboard especially for Excel

Because we do spreadsheets on the move. Because we simply need numpad. Because we didn't buy a Surface. Microsoft has launched a new keyboard on Android, expressly made for Excel, with the main keyboard being truncated to make space for an unassuming...



Source: Engadget RSS Feed http://j.mp/1Dh91oI

Thursday, February 26, 2015

The Golden Age of Jailbreaking Is Over


Your smartphone may be as powerful as a computer, but it's also hobbled. You can only install apps on it from the walled garden of the official app store. Your options are limited to the small, vetted collection of "approved" apps as opposed to the unlimited options available for PCs. That's where jailbreaking comes in.


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Source: Gizmodo http://j.mp/1BiSl3z

The Golden Age of Jailbreaking Is Over


Your smartphone may be as powerful as a computer, but it's also hobbled. You can only install apps on it from the walled garden of the official app store. Your options are limited to the small, vetted collection of "approved" apps as opposed to the unlimited options available for PCs. That's where jailbreaking comes in.


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Source: Gizmodo http://j.mp/1BiSl3z

Bits Blog: Google Puts European Operations Under a Single Executive

Google, which is facing various regulatory issues in Europe, has consolidated the region’s operations under a single executive.

















Source: NYT > Technology http://j.mp/1DviITf

Our Favorite Android, iOS, and Windows Phone Apps of the Week


Hello fellow app enthusiasts. This week was a good one for smartphone app stores across the board. An automation juggernaut makes putting your digital life on autopilot even easier. Sending short video messages is now as easy as texting. Sending email is as easy as texting. Sending texts is as easy as texting! Just kidding on that last one.


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Source: Gizmodo http://j.mp/18qw1u1

JXE Streams: Taste the rainbow in 'Kirby and the Rainbow Curse'

What seemed so novel and strange about Kirby: Canvas Curse ​when it came out now seems almost quaint. Only one part of the screen can be touched at a time? There aren't gyroscope controls? What is this, an Android store launch game? Please. Just shy ...



Source: Engadget RSS Feed http://j.mp/1Bi7imt

New 'Final Fantasy' game is a retro mash-up, coming to US smartphones soon

Are you ready to get those nostalgic Final Fantasy memories rattled back to life? Well, grab your rose-tinted glasses, because Final Fantasy: Record Keeper, coming to the US on iOS and Android in the next few weeks, pulls together all the FF heroes (...



Source: Engadget RSS Feed http://j.mp/1zhSO0c

Go Try Out All of Microsoft's Experimental Apps


Looks like we'll have Android Pay to answer to Apple Pay, and the RadioShack name may wind up in the hands of some millionaire. Welcome to Bitstream, all the best news tidbits and rumors you missed in the last 24 hours. Goes down great with a cup of coffee.


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Source: Gizmodo http://j.mp/1LIZVWn

Google's bringing sponsored app placements to the Play Store

Google is about to allow software companies to promote their apps on the Android Play Store, a space that was previously off-limits for advertising. That means alongside regular search results, you'll soon see apps from companies with the biggest mar...



Source: Engadget RSS Feed http://j.mp/1AvAbeg

Sponsored search results coming to Google Play Android app store


Today, Google is announcing a "pilot program" on the Google Play app store which will allow app makers to purchase a spot at the top of search results. The program will work very similarly to how ads work on a traditional Google search, but instead of highlighting websites, developers can highlight their apps. That means that individual search terms will be bid on by advertisers, and sponsored results will have a small "Ad" tag on them.


Google says that the pilot program will begin in a very limited way, accessible only to a pre-chosen "pilot group" that has already begun pushing their apps via ads in traditional web searches — but it's reasonable to assume it'll open up to more app makers in relatively short order.


To go along with...


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Source: The Verge - All Posts http://j.mp/1MUssM5

This Might Be Our Best Look Yet at the Samsung Galaxy Edge

WhatsApp makes web client compatible with Firefox and Opera

Next time you have to access WhatsApp on your desktop, you won't need to fire up Chrome if it's not your preferred browser. The messenger's web client now works on both Firefox and Opera, giving you more choices on the computer, though you'll still o...



Source: Engadget RSS Feed http://j.mp/1DVPaiF

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Don't judge this One by its cover


What you see pictured above is 99.99 percent certain to be the HTC One M9, a flagship Android smartphone that will steer the fortunes of its maker for the coming year. HTC would have preferred to keep it all a big enigmatic secret until this Sunday’s grand unveiling, but circumstances have once against conspired against its best-laid plans. The silver-and-gold cat is out of the bag and it looks an awful lot like its One M8 predecessor. Reactions have swiftly coalesced into two polarized camps: there are those who liked the incumbent design and see the new phone as just more of a good thing, and then there’s the more vocal group that’s already writing off HTC’s chances because of its apparent stagnation and lack of innovation. Both are...


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Source: The Verge - All Posts http://j.mp/1A9uiyw

LG's premium smartwatch now comes with LTE and mobile payments

Believe it or not, LG already has an upgraded version of its luxurious Watch Urbane: meet the Watch Urbane LTE, a souped-up version that focuses on speedy mobile data. The timepiece (which isn't using Android Wear) isn't as substantial a phone replac...



Source: Engadget RSS Feed http://j.mp/17ZVtoV

Android for Work is ready to make your phone office-friendly

Remember Android for Work, Google's big effort to make your smartphone safe for business? It's finally ready for prime time. The officially launched initiative lets you keep work-related accounts and app info separate from personal affairs while main...



Source: Engadget RSS Feed http://j.mp/1DbVFu0

Google Calendar for Android lets you link files to events

Want to make sure everyone at your next shindig has a copy of the itinerary? You'll probably want to snag the updated version of Google Calendar for Android, then. The refreshed app lets you associate Google Drive files with events -- you don't have ...



Source: Engadget RSS Feed http://j.mp/1A7LPXZ

App Smart: Video Feature: Apps for Meditation and Calming on iPhone and Android

A number of smartphone apps guide users through exercises intended to provide calm, mindfulness and positive thinking.

















Source: NYT > Technology http://j.mp/1BdJmRo

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

T-Mobile details the progress of your Android phone's updates

Many US carriers don't tell you how close you are to an Android update -- in some cases, you'll be thankful if you get a forum post after the new software hits. T-Mobile, however, just became more accommodating. It just launched a tracking site that ...



Source: Engadget RSS Feed http://j.mp/1BaJTnc

7 Slow-Mo GIFs That Show Off Android Lollipop's Delightful Animations

This is the superhero hidden in the new Avengers: Age of Ultron poster


Marvel has released a new poster for Avengers: Age of Ultron, and while it isn't as intense as the first one (see "fighting a swarm of robots," below), this poster underscores the studios' ongoing tease of the film's brand new superhero, Vision.



See him just above the Hulk? Here he is again in the top left corner:


Now... enhance!


In the comics, Vision (or "The Vision") is an android created by Ultron, our eponymous villain, but is convinced by The Avengers to fight alongside the good guys. That's not necessarily how it'll play out in the film, but we do have one...


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Source: The Verge - All Posts http://j.mp/1JI0DaQ

What is a smartphone? A helpful explainer from What's Tech?


My smartphone is my most personal electronic. It's the first and last screen I see each day. I give it a look a couple hundred times in between. I don't think much of my smartphone, though. And while I could confidently tell you what makes this phone "smart," I would be wondering in the back of my mind if what I know is wrong.


On this week's What's Tech?, The Verge's Executive Editor Dieter Bohn explains smartphones. The iPhone and Android have made smartphones ubiquitous. But when did cell phones become smartphones? And what makes them so smart anyway?


Subscribe to What's Tech? on iTunes.


Listen to What's Tech? on SoundCloud.


Subscribe via RSS.


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Source: The Verge - All Posts http://j.mp/1EMVsji

Pebble returns to Kickstarter for its next-gen color smartwatch

Three years ago, Pebble made crowdfunding history by raising over $10 million on Kickstarter for its simple e-ink smartwatch -- a whole two years before Android Wear even existed. The company has rolled out some new designs and features since then, b...



Source: Engadget RSS Feed http://j.mp/1wk8mG8

Google employee reveals a new Chromebook Pixel's due out soon

The first Chromebook Pixel wasn't exactly a huge seller, what with its hefty price tag and all, but Google's apparently still preparing to release a second version. OMG! Chrome! spotted a video of Renee Niemi, who's in charge of Android and Chrome fo...



Source: Engadget RSS Feed http://j.mp/1D79oSR

Monday, February 23, 2015

Uber drivers in India will start collecting area data to improve safety

Uber's connecting with a crowdsourced safety app and, eventually, local government to help improve conditions in New Delhi, India. The company announced a partnership with SafetiPin, a firm that collects location-based info and offers a "safety score...



Source: Engadget RSS Feed http://j.mp/1D6g1oo

Google Wallet Will Be the Easiest Way to Pay on Your New Android Phone


Apple has Apple Pay. If you have an iPhone 6, your mobile payments platform of choice is pretty much set in stone. But Android has no true de facto e-wallet, but Google is now making that decision much easier by working with Softcard and mobile carriers to come standard on every smartphone sold by AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.


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Source: Gizmodo http://j.mp/1DOaR4o

Google makes good with carriers for Wallet, buys their mobile payment tech

In an ironic turn, Google is now partnering with AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile to bring the Google Wallet mobile payment app to their Android phones later this year. Yes, those are the same carriers who made life pretty difficult for Google with their ...



Source: Engadget RSS Feed http://j.mp/1D3X9GP

YouTube Kids delivers a library of age-appropriate streaming

Last week we heard about YouTube's new app for little tykes, and now, it's ready to go to work. YouTube Kids is available on iOS and Android, delivering access to shows and music (Thomas the Tank Engine) with options for learning or exploring (Readin...



Source: Engadget RSS Feed http://j.mp/17NqwEz

Google is being investigated by Russia's antitrust agency


Google may soon be facing another antitrust action, this time from Russia. Russia's antitrust agency is currently investigating a complaint against Google's Android operating system, according to a report from The Guardian. The complaint was filed by Yandex, a Russian-owned competitor to Google, which controls more than half the search traffic in the country. By comparison, Google controls only a quarter of the country's search market, but the popularity of Android has given the company a strong foothold in its fight with Yandex.


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Source: The Verge - All Posts http://j.mp/1D3a2kk

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Rivals Google and Apple Fight for the Dashboard

In the coming months, dealerships around the country will begin selling vehicles capable of running Android- and Apple-compatible dashboard systems.

















Source: NYT > Technology http://j.mp/1JArMfT

Hack puts iPhone notifications on an Android Wear watch

Android Wear isn't going to officially support iOS devices any time soon, but that doesn't mean that the two platforms can never see eye-to-eye. Developer Mohammad Abu-Garbeyyeh has tweaked Android Wear to make it display an iPhone's notifications us...



Source: Engadget RSS Feed http://j.mp/1AjUKKy

Developer finds a way to make Android Wear work with his iPhone


If you have an iPhone and want to use Android Wear, you're pretty much out of luck. Google has hinted in the past that it might bring iOS on board, but if you can't wait you'll be glad to hear that one popular Android developer has found a way to make it kinda work. Mohammad Abu-Garbeyyeh, better known within the aftermarket Android development community as MohammadAG, released a brief video yesterday showing his iPhone 6 pass along a notification to his Moto 360 smartwatch.


It turns out he got the two devices to talk to each other the same way a Pebble smartwatch communicates with an iPhone for notifications. He used the Apple Notification Center Service (ANCS), a feature built into iOS 7 and later, that connects via Bluetooth to pass...


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Source: The Verge - All Posts http://j.mp/1wdoNEb

Leaked Renders Show HTC's New Flagship Phone From All Angles


HTC's flagship phone, the One M9, is due to be announced a little over a week from now at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. You don't have to wait to see it though, a new leak from Mobile Geeks looks to be preeeeetty on the money.


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Source: Gizmodo http://j.mp/1Lugx63

Microsoft will soon help you find friends with Windows phones

It's fairly easy to locate friends and family if you have an Android or iOS device, but finding your pals with a Windows phone? Not so much, unless you come across the right third-party apps. That may not be a big challenge for much longer. Spanish s...



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