Quadro Icon Pack Review
Quadro icons have hit the Play Store and they bring a nice, flat, and unique look to your homescreen. The color schemes are what pleases the eye when looking at these icons, and there are many to choose from.
When accessing the Quadro app, you get a nice list of features within it. Of course you get a complete list of icons, but your get a slew of wallpaper choices. I means tons. When accessing the wallpapers, you get sent over to the Quadro G+ page, and there are over 100 just sitting there waiting for you. There is then extra wallpaper, and that is a nice list of over 400 wallpaper choices. The developer definitely has you covered.
If you feel like trying out the Quadro icons, you can do so by spending $2.00 in the Play Store. Some might think that is a little pricey for an icon pack, but let me remind you: over 500 wallpaper choices. Check out my video review below to see them on my phone. Let us know if you picked them up.
Homeland Security reconsiders plans for a national license plate recognition database
Homeland Security has decided it doesn’t need a database of everyone’s license plates after all — at least not yet. Law enforcement officials across the country are already using license plate readers to track vehicles, but currently those cameras aren’t connected together in any sort of meaningful way. The Department of Homeland Security was interested in tying together the nation’s cameras, and posted a call for contractors earlier this week to find someone to create a new National License Plate Recognition Database to house them all.
Originally reported by Ars Technica, a 29-page document detailing the program describes a technology where officers could upload a photo of a license plate from their smartphone, and then get alerts on their phone regarding the location of a vehicle. The database could allow officers to track vehicles over state lines, and quickly locate criminals on the run. Turns out that document and the contractor listing were posted prematurely. An ICE representative told the Washington Post Wednesday that the documents had not reviewed by the organization’s leaders, and they’re pulling the request for now. That doesn’t mean your wheels are in the clear just yet — the group plans to revisit the idea, and could potentially repost the listing in the future.
Filed under: Transportation, Wireless, Mobile
Via: Ars Technica, The Verge
Source: FedBizOpps
HTC’s new smartwatch rumored to debut next week with Qualcomm guts
Remember when HTC’s Cher Wang said that his company solved the smartwatch battery life conundrum? Rumor has it the answer was Mirasol. According to Bloomberg sources, the company is preparing to unveil three wearable devices at Mobile World Congress next week, including a prototype smartwatch based on Qualcomm’s Toq. If the would-be watch matches that model blow for blow, it’ll have a Mirasol touchscreen, wireless charging capabilities and the ability to handle calls, music, calendar data and limited text messaging (read only) directly from the device. Bloomberg’s leaker also said that the firm might show off a second watch that leverages the power of Google Now as well as an “electronic bracelet that plays music.” Variety may be the spice of a good product portfolio, but we’ll admit, we’re not sure what to make of that last item. Either way, we’ll let you know how these rumors pan out once we’re on the ground in Barcelona.
Source: Bloomberg
Galaxy S5: Invisible Side Touch Camera Button, 3D Tour, Aqua Shots and More
Mobile World Congress is getting much closer every day. While we sadly won’t be able to spring for the trip to Barcelona Spain, we will be here getting the info that comes from it out to you guys. All the major, and a bunch of the minor, OEMs will all be in attendance. Of course the big news that everyone is waiting on is the the Samsung Galaxy S5, which is supposedly going to be unveiled at the Unpacked 5 event on February 24th. True to tech tradition, all sorts of leaks about what the Galaxy S5 will and won’t have are circulating and a new round of treats have surfaced over at SamMobile that gives us some more to talk about.
Shortly after their news that the Galaxy S5 will have a finger print scanner they received a flood of information that they claim is “trusted”. They are working through it all and doing lots of posts about the whole device and the obtained information. Today they let loose details on the camera aspect of the device. Here is what they have –
- 16 Megapixel sensor
- Shoots 4k UHD video at 30fps
- Shoot 1080p video at 60fps
That is cool and all, but it is the rest of the information that makes it a bit cooler. The Galaxy S5 will have a dedicated camera button. No, not one you actually push down. Instead they are referring to it as ‘Side Touch’. Apparently it will similar to capacitive buttons, but on the side of the device where a normal physical hardware camera button would be. Unfortunately they say their are limitations to its use. For instance you won’t be able to use it in Portrait Mode, Easy Mode or while recording a video.
The Galaxy S5 will also have an enormous amount of camera modes built-in at launch. The list includes ones we are all familiar with like HDR, Night, Eraser, Best Face and Best Photo. There are a number of new modes that will be added in though, like 3D Tour Shot, Focus Select and Golf. The 3D Tour Shot lets you create a interactive virtual tour of your surroundings. Sounds like photosphere to me, but I am sure it has some element of a Samsung twist to it. Focus Select is what it sounds like. It lets you draw the focus to a particular spot or focal point and and give the image the great depth of field that we all love. Golf is a cool addition where someone can take a photo video of you during your gold swing so you can play it backwards and forwards to see where your mistakes are.
There is one more camera mode that is mentioned, but no one seems to have really talked about it. SamMobile lists it, but apparently its presence doesn’t mean much. There is a Aqua mode. They say it is ”Appropriate for taking pictures underwater.” Does that mean the Galaxy S5 is also on par with the Xperia Z line and is water resistant to a point? I am not sure. That leads me to think that either the Galaxy S5, or one of its planned variants, will be submersible on purpose. Samsung didn’t have much luck with Galaxy S4 Active and water damage. It could simply be a mode that is specifically set up to take images of water too. For instance lakes, waterfalls and rivers where the blues and whites and reflective surface properties would be handled automatically. That is what I am more inclined to lean towards, but a Galaxy S5 Active style device is also weighing heavy on my mind.
They go on to talk about various camera effects to spice up your images also. With so many apps like instagram, Snapseed and even Photoshop express, all the additional effects seem like extra fluff. While the list of effects is rather large, Samsung will also be allowing you to download even more custom effects when you want. Again, sounds like they are taking the direction of Sony with the Xperia Z lines new camera.
Source: SamMobile
[Discussion] Which Smartphone has the Worst Name?
If you’ve been following the rumours surrounding the phone codenamed the HTC M8, the phone expected to he the HTC One’s successor, you would have heard that the probable official name for the device leaked out yesterday. The leak from evleaks says that the M8 will bear the name “The All New One”, but while it might be quite a intuitive name, it’s not exactly inspired or catchy, and I can foresee some confusion for various parties wanting to buy it.
This piqued my interest in the topic of ill-suited or uninspired names for smartphones, and I wanted to know what you all think: which smartphone has the worst name? Maybe it’s because it’s too long, too ambiguous, or perhaps too vague, we want to hear which smartphone you think has the worst name yet.
Why did Facebook spend $19 billion on a messaging app? (video)
WhatsApp is a voice and text instant messaging platform with apps for most every smartphone OS. It provides free service for the first year and costs a dollar annually after that. Why then, did Facebook just buy WhatsApp — aside from the obvious cachet and free advertising that comes with its omnipresence in Katy Perry’s Roar video — for $19 billion (with a ‘b’), when it already has Facebook Messenger?
In a word: users. 450 million of them to be precise, and 315 million of those are active on a given day. In fact, WhatsApp’s users are so prolific, its messaging volume is roughly equal to that of the entire world’s SMS traffic. And, WhatsApp is huge overseas and in emerging markets. According to a report from mobile marketing and research firm Jana, the app is far and away the most used messaging service in India, Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria and South Africa. The Information, which got a more in depth look at Jana’s research, shows that Facebook Messenger usage is far, far lower in those same countries.
Now, is that massive international user base worth $19 billion? It’s hard for us to understand how it possibly could be. WhatsApp’s founders have pledged to keep the app ad- and gimmick-free, so there aren’t any indications that new revenue streams are coming. And, while the acquisition fits in perfectly with Facebook’s plan to expand its app offerings, the social network has promised to use the same hands-off approach it did with Instagram — leveraging its “expertise, resources and scale” to grow the platform, while keeping WhatsApp operationally independent. So, we’ll have to wait and see how WhatsApp plans to prove its worth. Maybe some more music video synergy like the kind found after the break?
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile
Source: WhatsApp blog, Jana, Facebook
Daily Roundup: Ubuntu’s first phones, Lumia Icon review and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Nokia Lumia Icon review
Nokia’s latest smartphone, the Lumia Icon, packs the same high-end specs and imaging tech as the Lumia 1520, just in a smaller, 5-inch package. The Icon will be available February 19th from Verizon for $200 on-contract.
Ubuntu phones arriving in 2014
Canonical is finally ready to enter the mobile market, and it’s already got two manufacturers on board. Details on the Ubuntu-based handsets are scarce, but we’ve been told to expect more information during Mobile World Congress.
Early upgrades: should you take the bait?
No one likes waiting two years for a new smartphone, but are plans like T-Mobile’s Jump and AT&T’s Next all they’re made out to be? Our own Brad Molen tallies the pros and cons of early upgrade programs from the major US carriers.
The FCC will rework its net neutrality rules
The FCC announced it won’t seek an appeal following a recent ruling that secured Verizon’s right to favor certain types of internet traffic. The commission will instead write a new set of guidelines to ensure net neutrality, with the goal of enshrining them by late spring or early summer.
Filed under: Misc
Tesla CEO Confirms ‘Conversations’ With Apple, Says Any Acquisition ‘Very Unlikely’
Following a report earlier this week suggesting Apple had considered purchasing Tesla, Tesla CEO Elon Musk today confirmed in an interview with Bloomberg that his company “had conversations” with Apple. Musk went on to say that he could not comment on whether the conversations had revolved around any kind of acquisition, but he did confirm that at the current time, an acquisition of Tesla seems “very unlikely.”
If one or more companies had approached us last year about such things there’s no way we could really comment on that. We had conversations with Apple, I can’t comment on whether those revolved around any kind of acquisition.
News of Apple’s meeting with Tesla first came to light over the weekend, when the San Francisco Chronicle reported Musk had met with Adrian Perica, Apple’s head of acquisitions, and possibly Apple CEO Tim Cook. While the site speculated the meeting pertained to a possible acquisition, other sources have since suggested Apple may have been meeting with Tesla over iOS device integration in the company’s electric cars or about a potential battery deal between the two.
As noted by The Los Angeles Times, Musk last month announced plans for a massive lithium-ion battery plant, which will be constructed in partnership with “some other companies.” Tesla is expected to make an announcement about the plant later this month, and it’s possible Apple, which uses lithium-ion batteries for many of its portable devices, could be involved in that venture.
When asked whether Tesla was for sale, Musk told the interviewer that an acquisition was unlikely because the company needs to stay “super focused” on its goal of creating an affordable electric car, though he did not rule out the possibility of an acquisition entirely.
If there was a scenario where it seemed like it would be more likely that we would be able to create the mass market sort of affordable, compelling car then possibly it would make sense to entertain those discussions. I don’t currently see any scenario that would improve that probability, so that’s why I think it’s very unlikely.
Apple CEO Tim Cook recently said the company is open to making large acquisitions if it makes sense, but he has also said that Apple will focus on the very few products that “deserve all our energy.” Apple currently holds nearly $160 billion in cash while Tesla has a market cap of approximately $24 billion.
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NYC’s subway wireless will soon reach Grand Central Terminal and Queens
New Yorkers won’t have to wait long to get internet access at some of the biggest commuting hubs in their fair city — Transit Wireless has started the second phase of its subway wireless rollout. The initial construction will bring cellular and WiFi access to 11 subway stations in midtown Manhattan, including the all-important Grand Central Terminal. Those in the borough of Queens, meanwhile, should start seeing underground coverage in March. When the current phase wraps up in June, the expanded service should give internet access to about 250 million riders per year. That’s no mean feat when even some of the bigger public WiFi projects have much smaller potential audiences.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Networking, Mobile
Source: Transit Wireless
T-Mobile will give you $250 if you trade in your old BlackBerry for a new one
If you hadn’t heard, BlackBerry chief John Chen isn’t happy with T-Mobile — he believes the carrier fired a shot across the bow when it enticed BlackBerry users to switch phones in a recent promotion. To mend that bruised relationship, the magenta network is launching a limited-time trade-in offer that gives loyal users a strong incentive to upgrade. As of February 21st, T-Mobile will give you $200 for your existing BlackBerry, and $250 if you’re upgrading from a T-Mobile BlackBerry to a BB10 device like the Q10 or Z10. The payout is the same regardless of the device’s age, so long as it’s in good condition; if you’re still rocking a Curve 3G, you’ll get the full amount. Market share trends suggest that there won’t be too many people upgrading to new BlackBerrys, but the olive branch is welcome all the same.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Blackberry, T-Mobile
Via: Recode
Source: T-Mobile
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