[V-Day GIVEAWAY] Gaiam Cork Cases and Wood EarBuds
Valentines day is right around the corner boys and that means it is time to start thinking about what to get and do for your special someone. Roses and Chocolates are nice, but don’t always cut it. We are here to help you out a little bit with the help of our friends at Allsop.
This week we would like to offer up our readers a chance to win something truly unique and different for their ladies for Valentines Day. We have partnered up with Allsop and their recently launched Gaiam product line to help you guys come out on top this year. The new line of cases, earbuds and fitness armbands from Gaiam are aimed at style, comfort and fits great for the eco-friendly active lifestyle users. The designs on the cork cases are definitely a bit more feminine and both looks and feels great. They are super lightweight featuring a one-piece ABS cover that offers the flexibility of a skin and the durability of a hardshell case. The side bezels are slightly taller than the front of the devices screen to help keep the screen from flat surfaces when placed face down.
On the earbud front they have a series of FlatWire earbuds, Aluminum earbuds and the Wood earbuds. While we certainly like the looks of the FlatWire and the ALuminum, we thought matching the natural look and feel of a cork case with a set of natural wood earbuds was a better fit. The Wood earbuds have an inline mic for phone calls and come in either a black or white variety. Both color variants are made with a Maple housing with an aluminum body inside.
On to the important part. What are YOU trying to win and how do you enter. Well, five winners will be chosen and each winner will be able to choose a case and the color choice of wood earbuds.
One Cork Case
Or the unlisted Samsung Galaxy S4 Cork case (pictured below)
In addition to that choice, you also get to pick a set of wood earbuds.
On to how to win this combo for your lovely lady. We like to keep things simple and not make you jump through too many hoops most of the time. Especially since there are so many restrictions on using social networks as the method for entry and so many people aren’t on all the same ones.
How to enter
Simple: Leave a comment down below telling us why your lady should win. Maybe she gets you off to work every morning with coffee and breakfast. Maybe she always gives you time in the man cave or doesn’t complain about your excessive amount of time online. Pretty simple, but put a little thought into the answer, none of this “She is cool” or “She cleans a lot” garbage. Oh, yes, you can enter for that special friend, someone you are trying to woo or your mom also. If you are a single lady out there, feel free to enter too. You could be our Valentine.
*US shipping only. Contest open from now until February 7th (Friday) at 5 p.m. PST. Winners will be contacted Saturday for shipping details.
It doesn’t hurt if you happen to share the giveaway around on your favorite social networks either. The more entries we have, the better chance we have to offer up more giveaways. HINT: We have 9 weeks worth of stuff to have shipped out, so get involved. It won’t all be geared towards the ladies.
Apex Launcher Updates to v2.3 Updating Notifications and Adds App Sorting
Apex Launcher gets a fancy little update today. The popular launcher updates to v2.3, and adds app sorting to its list of features, while updating and polishing up current features.
- Sort apps in drawer (pro)
- Support Apex Notifier v2.0
- Added icon label shadow in drawer
- Fixed app/shortcut picker style
- Fixed notification action/gesture on TouchWiz
- Fixed indicator animation
- Updated translations
The new version of Apex Notifier also adds improved notifications, so make sure you update that as well. If you haven’t updated your Apex goodies today, then get into that Play Store and do so. Let us know how it is all working.
Apex Launcher
Apex Notifier
Google Cast API released for Google Play Services
Google Cast is the tech behind the Google Chromecast:
Google Cast is a technology that allows Android and iOS mobile apps and Chrome web apps to “cast” content – like video, audio, and screen sharing (mirroring) – to Cast-ready devices like Google Chromecast.
Chromecast has been out since last July, but has really only been available on a few limited apps. Its apps were popular including but not limited Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, and Plex, but was never made available to the average app developer.
Today Chromecast’s exclusivity changed and Casting will be available to everyone. Google released development to the public with its Google Cast SDK and inclusion of its API to Google Play services. It goes live with version 4.2, which will start rolling out today. Find out more from the Google Developer’s G+ posting or the Google Cast Developer’s page.
Google looses Chromecast SDK on developers
Google has rolled out the official Google Cast SDK for all developers, which could, in essence, open the door to a bunch of new apps with Chromecast support. Those developers wishing to utilize the tools should note that the SDK has “undergone a thorough overhaul since the developer preview release”. In other words, be sure to read through the documents, notes, and other files before starting up.
Just incorporate the SDK into your existing mobile and web apps to bring your content to the TV. You are in control of how and when you develop and publish your cast-ready apps through the Google Cast developer console. The SDK is available on Android and iOS as well as on Chrome through the Google Cast browser extension.
Is there a particular app or game that you would like to see take advantage of the Google Chromecast?
The post Google looses Chromecast SDK on developers appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Ting lowers off-contract data plans
Ting, a MVNO partner of Sprint, has lowered its data rates on the carrier’s two year anniversary. Nearly every rate plan on the no-contract carrier’s lineup has been dropped; one (XXL) has been removed altogether.
This is not a promotion, these are just our new rates. Current customers do not need to weigh a move to a new plan. New customers do not need to come from any particular provider or sign up for a particular plan. You don’t need to buy a device or make any commitment. We are simply dropping our prices.
Ting, as some readers know, piggybacks off of Sprint’s network and lets users choose their own rate plans based on specific needs. What’s more, it lets users bring a number of previous Sprint devices to their network to be serviced through the Ting brand.
Highlights in the new rate plans include:
- Every data graduation beyond the $3 ‘Small’ is cheaper.
- We’ve dropped the XXL level across the board so pure per-unit pricing kicks in sooner.
- Perhaps most importantly for our heavy data users and business customers, we have dropped the per-unit pricing on megabytes beyond 2,000 from 2.25 cents to just 1.5 cents. That means a gig (or gigabyte or GB) of data is $15 beyond the XL level.
- Finally, just to make sure that jump from XL to unit pricing is a win for everyone, we dropped the pricing on minutes beyond 2,000 from 2 cents to 1.9 cents, raised the ceiling on the XL minutes bucket to 2,100 and raised the ceiling on the XL messages bucket to 4,800. Do the math, I promise it works.
Existing Ting customers will see the new rate plans on the next billing period.
The post Ting lowers off-contract data plans appeared first on AndroidGuys.
WSJ: Sprint chairman, CEO want to meet with FCC
Sprint chairman Masayoshi Son and CEO Dan Hesse are expected to meet with the FCC this week to discuss the potential for a T-Mobile acquisition. The rumors of such a deal, as some know, have been circulating for more than a few months. As to why the duo want to meet with the government, the WSJ says it’s to convince the FCC that it’s better for consumer interest. According to a source, the chairman wants to argue that this would create a real competitor to Verizon and AT&T.
The meeting will cover a range of issues and wasn’t called to discuss a specific transaction…
…yeah, right.
Sprint and T-Mobile are said to be working on a deal which could range from $20 billion to as high as $50 billion. That is, of course, if the U.S. government doesn’t shoot it down first.
The post WSJ: Sprint chairman, CEO want to meet with FCC appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Google Now comes to the desktop in Chrome and Chrome OS betas
Rumblings of Google Now on the desktop first started surfacing back in December of 2012, but it wasn’t until a couple of weeks ago that it actually broke cover. If you were a user of the Canary build of the Chrome browser, you could enable the card alerts by ticking an option buried deep within the recesses of chrome://flags. This week though, Google will bring the desktop version of its virtual assistant to the betas of Chrome on Windows and OS X, as well as Chrome OS. You won’t need to dig through any advanced options; you’ll just need to sign in with the same account you use on your handset — so long as you have Now enabled on your phone. Unfortunately, it sounds like Linux users are left out in the cold for now. Presumably that has something to do with how Now ties into existing notification systems on those other platforms (we’ve asked Google to clarify). With Now hitting the beta channel, enabled by default, it’s only a matter of time before Mountain View brings the feature to the masses. But if you’re anything like us, you’re already using the beta build and are maniacally hitting the update button hoping to be among the first customers it rolls out to.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Google
Source: Google Chrome Blog
Google finally opens Chromecast SDK, invites developers to get hackin’
The Chromecast is already a pretty easy sell: It’s $35 and brings most of the biggest names in streaming media to your TV with minimal hassle. So, now that Google has opened the SDK to developers, it’s pretty much a no-brainer. While there are no specific apps to announce at the moment, it’s safe to assume the Play store will be flooded with updates soon enough. The SDK will allow coders to add a cast button to their app or site, be it on Android, iOS or in Chrome. The obvious use is for video apps, but there are plenty of other potential options here as well. If a developer decides to create a “custom receiver application” (rather than use the pre-built one provided by Google), they can put any standard web technologies on the big screen. So expect at least a few games and productivity apps to make the jump to Chromecast as well. Imagine firing up a presentation from Google Drive, displaying it on your 4K TV and controlling it with your phone. Or maybe Sony will build a version of Jeopardy where the board and clues are shown on the TV and your handset acts as the buzzer. Obviously, we’re just speculating right now, but if we see those ideas come to fruition, we’ll be expecting a nice royalty check. If you’re more technically inclined, check out the video overview of the Chromecast SDK after the break.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software, Google
Source: Google Blog, Chromium Blog
Mobile carrier Ting turns two, celebrates by lowering data prices
What would a birthday be without presents? Instead of receiving gifts, wireless provider Ting is celebrating its second birthday this week unwrapping lower data prices. Most data “buckets” on the service are now a bit cheaper, with the deepest discounts happening for its heaviest users.
While traditional carriers are looking at new and different takes on mobile phone contracts, Ting ditches the idea of having a phone plan entirely. Instead of picking a plan, Ting bills you at the end of the month based on how much (and how) you use your phone. Usage is divided up like shirt sizes (from S-XL); and you’re charged for messages, minutes and data based on your monthly usage. That could equal savings if your mobile mileage varies from month to month and there’s decent Ting coverage in your area.
XL data users already rocking one of the handsets on Ting’s fairly impressive list of supported devices will see the most benefits from Monday’s drop, scoring 100 more minutes and 800 additional messages each month for the same amount. New pricing automatically kicks off for existing customers on their next billing cycle, or for new customers starting today. Check out all the deets after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Source: Ting
Samsung’s Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 ships in the US February 13th for $850, up for pre-order now
Arriving in the US just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 is set to ship stateside February 13th with an equally beefy $850 price tag. If you’ll recall, the 12.2-inch behemoth was announced back at CES and sports the same S Pen chops as the Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 outed then as well. The 64GB WiFi version is up for pre-order for folks in the States over at Office Depot, should you be looking for extra screen real estate and don’t mind the added heft that it requires. Need a quick refresher on the device? Take a peek back at our hands-on to do just that.
[Thanks, Matt]
Source: Office Depot
AIVAnet 