Kim Dotcom previews new music streaming site with his own europop album
Kim Dotcom has done it again. Two years after he rented a bunch of musicians (including Will.i.am) to promote his doomed Megaupload service, he’s turned to a group of presumably more affordable artists to support his next project, Baboom. The music streaming site launched in preview mode today, with a design that looks like a cross between Rdio and the new MySpace, and with just a single album in its library: a sort of europop medley made by Dotcom himself with contributions from Printz Board (one of Will.i.am’s buddies), Mona Dotcom (Kim’s wife) and some others we’ve never heard of.
Although this teaser album is free, Baboom will ultimately let you pay to download music in addition to streaming it, and the site appears to offer a degree of support for high-definition audio too (including FLAC and MP3 320Kbps). The big selling point, however, will be a reward scheme that gives you free music in exchange for installing an advertising plugin into your browser — but that’s likely still a few months off. In the meantime, Dotcom’s talent for self-publicity (if not singing) seems to be working: Baboom is reporting 80,000 plays in its first hour online.
[Image credit: Thierry Ehrmann, Flickr]
Source: Baboom
Android 4.4 for LG Optimus G and Optimus G Pro spotted in Testing
After HTC announced that its HTC One X and One X+ would not be moving past Android 4.2.2, many phone owners could be forgiven for thinking that their manufacturer would also be leaving them high and dry without a software update past Jelly Bean. Not so for some LG owners as Android 4.4 for LG Optimus G and LG Optimus G Pro has been spotted in the wild being tested.
The User Agent profiles, first seen on Phone Arena, appear to list quite a few models of both the LG Optimus G and LG Optimus G Pro suggesting that Android 4.4 is being tested for these devices. This is great news for Optimus G owners in particular as many of them have been wondering what’s been taking so long seeing as it is basically the same device as the Nexus 4. All the same, it’s great to know that LG is still support at least some of its devices, even if Android 4.4 for its flagship LG G2 is still no where to be seen. No word on when the update will become available, but we’ll let you know when we do.
Any owners of an Optimus G or Optimus G Pro excited to hear that Android 4.4 exists for your device and is being tested right now? Let us know how you feel in the comments.
Source: Phone Arena
[LEAK] The Sony D6503 “Sirius” gets a few more leaked Details
A few days ago, we were treated to some candid photos of a device simply known as the Sony D6503, code named “Sirius”. While it wasn’t clear whether this device is going to be a refresh of the Sony Xperia Z1 or a completely new flagship i.e. the Sony Xperia Z2, what was clear was that the device was based on the Z1′s hardware with a few key tweaks (check out the photos here). XperiaBlog has gotten the next scoop on this Sony D6503, apparently getting a hold of new information about the device’s hardware specs.
According to the leak, the “Sirius” will have a Qualcomm MSM8974AB chipset clocked at 2.3GHz (and for those that don’t speak the lingo, that’s a Snapdragon 800 processor), as well as a 5-inch screen with 1080p resolution, 3GB RAM, a 20.7 megapixel camera and a 2.1 megapixel front camera. Overall, these specs are only a minor upgrade over the Z1 (slightly faster processor, a bit more RAM and a slightly better front camera), so if this leak is to be believed, it looks like the Sony D6503 is more likely a refreshed model of the Xperia Z1, probably to be released at MWC 2014.
One more leak about this device will probably make those of you bummed that the Z1 ships with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean a little happier; XperiaBlog has revealed that this device will mostly likely launch with Android 4.4 KitKat, which should but it in a good position to do battle with its other Snapdragon 800 toting competitors.
What do you think about the Sony D6503? Do you think its a refreshed Xperia Z1 or the Xperia Z2? Give us your opinion in the comments below.
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.
Source: XperiaBlog
Sony’s Smart Tennis Sensor hits Japan in May, offers topspin advice for $175
Sony’s theme for its CES press event was “Play” and part of the fun was a smart tennis sensor that adds vibrational and gyro detection to your racket, linking up with your smartphone through Bluetooth to offer up improvement suggestions and surprisingly deep information on your racket game. While we got in a few serves and forehands right after the event, the announcement, like its incoming Core life-logging / wearable sensor, was a broad one. A spokesperson told us back in Vegas that Sony hadn’t yet decided on a concrete name, let alone a price or release date. Well, Sony had plenty of answers at today’s press event, announcing at a tennis club near its Shinagawa HQ that the sensor will launch (in Japan only, for now) this May, priced at 18,000 yen (around $175).
We’ll admit, we had some suspicions that Sony’s Smart Tennis Sensor might never arrive in the real world (the demonstration area wasn’t that far away from a row of conceptual smart glasses), but it seems that Sony’s taking this new possible market pretty seriously. The sensor will launch compatible with around six Yonex EZone and VCore tennis rackets, with more models promised after launch. At the moment, you’ll need a dedicated sensor for each player: if your buddy uses your racket, their data will be folded into yours, but the team added that this is something that they’ll be working on in the future.
Sony has also readied a companion app on both iOS and Android to launch alongside the sensor hardware when it arrives in late May. The app, alongside displaying stats and heat maps of where the ball hits the racket, will also be able to record a video of your earth-shattering serve and replay it alongside the metrics captured by the sensor. Maybe that ace wasn’t quite so earth-shattering. We’ve added Engadget editor Michael Gorman’s attempts right after the break.
Microsoft fixes some of the Surface Pro 2’s battery and sleep problems
Microsoft vowed that it would fix the numerous bugs plaguing the Surface Pro 2 in the wake of the flawed December update, and it made good on that promise by rolling out a patch this weekend. The company tells us that the update addresses the most serious problems for affected tablet owners, including reduced battery life and unexpected wake-ups. Future software will tackle the remaining glitches, Redmond says. The partial remedy isn’t quite what some were hoping for — we’re still seeing a few complaints — but it’s at least a step in the right direction. Check out Microsoft’s full statement below.
This weekend we released an update that addresses the unexpected wake and battery drain behavior experienced by a small number of Surface Pro 2 customers who installed the December Windows Update. This should have no impact on users already running the October Windows Update. We’re working hard to address the remaining Surface Pro 2 items from the December Windows Update.
Filed under: Tablets, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft Community, Surface Forums
Fujifilm teases a new X-mount camera with full manual dials and possible weather sealing
Fujilfilm’s current range of X-mount cameras have hardly struggled to attract a following, but there’s always room for a fresh addition, especially if it brings quicker manual controls. Judging from the official teaser image above, we should expect just such a camera to arrive on January 28th, with a nice big ISO dial to complement the shutter and exposure compensation dials already found on the X-Pro1. If we’re happy to indulge in a bit of gossip, courtesy of MirrorlessRumors, then it’s also possible that the coming model will add something else the X-Pro1 was missing: a weather-sealed body. If that turns out to be true, then the Nikon Df could have some competition on its hands — not over raw specs perhaps (because it somehow feels unlikely that Fujifilm has suddenly come up with a full-frame X-TRANS sensor that could match the Df’s), but at least over weight and price.
Filed under: Cameras
Via: Engadget Chinese (translated)
Source: Fujifilm-x
The Rise And Fall Of Google Chrome – A Review
Google is acknowledged as the biggest search engine. In fact, it owns two more search engines, Google and YouTube. For quiet a sometime Google search was their bread and butter. No doubt they will strive to continue this business in the foreseeable future, but there is something more. According to financial results (2013), their earnings were in excess of 14 billion, one would say that they are doing quite well, but Google won’t stop here and it is pretty obvious.
Google Chromebooks
In the year 2011, Google launched its new operating system Chrome OS. It was warmly accepted by many, and the other laughed at it. It’s a fact that Chromebooks didn’t fare well in their first year, and Google didn’t expect it too. In 2012, the trend continued. People didn’t believe that a laptop had to be connected to the internet to work effectively. Despite of the fact that laptops are connected to the internet on a dedicated basis. As a result of this skepticism, Google Chromebooks accounted for just 1% of the notebook market.
Believers of Chromebooks were scorned. In the midst of this failure, something else happened like Microsoft launched Windows 8. Immediately, everyone’s attention was drawn from Chrome to Microsoft- the recent innovation. Unfortunately, Windows 8 was not heartily welcomed by the masses, and its sales lagged. In a meanwhile, Google reinvented their strategy and started offering Chromebooks on free of cost basis to both local and international students at affordable rates. No one knew exactly how Chromebooks were doing in 2013, until NPD reported that they have approximately 21% share in the notebook market. The increase in sales is stupendous and is expected to increase.
Devices (announced, not yet released) like LG all in one Chrome PC, showcases the different facets of the Operating System, and there is no doubt notebook sales will continue to rise. According to the latest report the laptops are consuming sales of Macbooks.
Chromecast- New Leap by Google Strategists
The chromebooks were not only pieces of Chrome affiliated hardware; another thing that entered in the scene was the Chromecast. It was a surprise announced by Google Chrome head Sundar Pichai. This allowed users of Android and Ios to share the content with televisions. Google always wanted to enter into a living room, and this innovation made it to do so. Needless to say, it also entered into hearts of individual.
The speculation is rife that in December this year, several new apps will be added in Chromecast line up. Further, Google promised to build their way at times to come. Now, Google wants to enter in new domain-television. We are all keen to see what benefits are in store for consumers.
If anyone didn’t know about the Chrome operating system or was unable to recognize the name of Chrome before 2013, then they probably know it now. This year has proven to be a good year for Google camp, and it is speculated that they will strive to do so in future also.
In a nutshell, technology market has undergone a paradigm shift and Google has been part of it.
This article brought to you by http://bigdropinc.com/
Samsung’s Revamped UI Shows Up in a Screenshot
Looks like Samsung wants to change the game up a little bit, by changing their UI to something “somewhat” fresh. The image above comes from our leak king, evleaks, and it shows a Windows/Google Now-like style UI.
Very similar to Google Now, these “cards” will show you information to get you through your day, but they have also added a somewhat social element to this UI. I guess they are trying to simplify the user experience, which almost resembles HTC’s stab at trying to simplify feeds with Blinkfeed. Let us know what you think about this new Samsung revamped UI. Something you find appealing?
Source: evleaks
[Review] myCharge Hub 6000 mAh Power Bank
One of the gems I received at CES while visiting the great folks at myCharge was their Hub 6000 mAh Power Bank. Note that this has also been listed simply as the 6000 Power Bank, as it’s called in the instruction manual. No matter what you call it though, the myCharge Hub 6000 mAh Power Bank is an external battery unlike any other.
What You Get
The myCharge Hub 6000 mAh Power Bank has a clean look. Everything is contained in a small rubber-accented, smooth plastic, and lightweight package without any ports or cables exposed. Its dimensions (per Amazon) are 2.5 x 1.1 x 4.5 inches and it weighs 9.3 oz. Mine came with pull-string bag, an instruction manual and a quick start guide (retail versions may be slightly different).
It Transforms
As mentioned earlier, there’s no ports or cables exposed. Quickly though, you’ll notice that you can start pry away the rubber port protectors and cables to reveal what makes this external battery unique. You’ll find a fold-out outlet prong for wall charging, a micro USB Cable (0.5-1A output depending on load), a Lightning Cable (1A output), and a USB port (2.1A output). This can charge on all three ports simultaneously giving a combined 27 extra hours of talk time at a maximum output of 3.6 amps. You can click the power indicator button to see how much power is left in the battery: Green is 71-100%, Yellow is 41-70%, Red is 11-40%, and Flashing red is 0-10%. Note that the cables are short, but are very flexible, so you can charge a single devices and hold the battery right underneath it all in one hand easily.
Performance
The myCharge Hub 6000 mAh Power Bank had an output while charging my One near 1A constantly. It actually charges faster than the wall does; in a charge vs time graph, the myCharge has a steeper slope (meaning it’s charging more in a shorter time) than plugging into a wall charger. This can been shown below, highlighted by my crude blue effects:
First slope is myCharge, second is wall charger
Final Thoughts
Pros:
- $78
- 6,000 mAh capacity, high grade Lithium ion battery (no cheaposshere)
- Fast charging
- No cables required (unless you have a tablet) for charging devices or the unit itself
- Very light
Cons:
- Wider shape doesn’t fit so well in a pocket as other external batteries do
- $78 may be more than anyone is willing to spend on an external battery
The myCharge Hub 6000 mAh Power Bank is my go-to external battery at the moment. I bring it with me wherever I go (or it’s always in my car). I’ve used countless external batteries in the past and I must say that this is probably one of, if not the favorite of mine. If you’re interested in getting a myCharge Hub 6000 mAh Power Bank, check it out below:
How would you change HP’s Envy Spectre XT?
We’ve always prided ourselves on having a crack team of laptop reviewers, who run the rule over almost every mobile computer available. One that earned a measure of praise was HP’s Envy Spectre XT, which addressed plenty of our complaints that we’d lodged against the original Envy 14 Spectre. The only things that remained stuck in our collective craw were the unimpressive battery life and poor audio, but otherwise it received a clean bill of health from us. But now that you’ve had some time to spend with this hardware, you can share with us what it’s been like to live with it on a daily basis. So why not come on down to our forum and dish the dirt?
AIVAnet 