[VIDEO] The Coca-Cola Social Media Guard is simple, elegant solution to a growing Problem
Do you ever wonder if we’re missing out on a lot of our lives because we’re too absorbed in social media on our mobile devices? Coca-Cola does. And to help solve this problem, they’ve come up with a genius, but simple, solution to this problem: the Coca-Cola Social Media Guard. Check it out:
Simple, no? Now before anybody gets too insulted by the implication that people can be treated like dogs, it is of course just a humorous advertisement, quite a smart one at that, that plays on the addiction that we are all gradually succumbing to which is social media on our mobile devices. There’s also some truth to it, so before you check your social networks after reading this article, spend some time with your loved ones. Maybe even share a Coca-Cola.
What do you think of this ad? Do you think we actually need these Social Media Guards in real life? Let us know what you think.
Source: YouTube via Phone Arena
Bing search results now show key events in famous people’s lives
Whether you use Bing or Google, you’re surely used to that box on the right side of the screen — you know, the one that gives you quick facts about whatever it is you’re searching for, whether it be a celebrity, animal or your next vacation spot. In the case of Bing, that box is about to get a little more informative: Microsoft just launched a new feature called Timeline, which shows a list of major events in a famous person’s life. So, if you search for Steve Ballmer, you’ll see that he graduated college in 1977 and was named CEO of Microsoft in 2000. (You’ll need to click “see more” to get to the part where he stepped down — guy had a long career.) So far, Microsoft says it’s generated timelines for about half a million famous people, and that more are being added all the time. Hopefully that includes new Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella — Bing gave us so little information we had to go all the way to Wikipedia for the full rundown.
Filed under: Internet, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft
Samsung Unveils Line of Gear 2 Smart Watches Featuring ‘Tizen’ Mobile Operating System
Samsung today unveiled its new line of Gear 2 smart watches, which follows the release of its Galaxy Gear smart watch last year. Like its predecessor, the flagship Gear 2 features a 1.63-inch touchscreen, 4GB of internal storage, 512MB of RAM, and mobile speakers, but also now contains a built-in camera and IR blaster. Meanwhile, the cheaper Gear 2 Neo is lighter than its higher-end counterpart, and does not feature a camera.
Samsung’s Gear 2 (left) and Gear 2 Neo (right) smart watches
Both watches are running Samsung’s new Tizen mobile platform, which was developed in collaboration with Intel as well as multiple telecommunications companies. Samsung says that users can expect an “enriched application ecosystem” as well as compatibility with over a dozen Samsung Galaxy smartphones at launch.
The Gear 2 is said to include a 300 mAh battery that provides anywhere from 2-3 days of typical usage, as well as a heart rate sensor and pedometer for fitness tracking.
The ability to monitor to health-related metrics will reportedly be one of the main features of Apple’s iWatch, which is in development and could be released later this year. Throughout the past year, Apple has hired a number of health experts in fields related to health metrics, and also is said to be developing a “Healthbook” app for iOS 8. It was also reported last week that Apple is interested in acquiring health wearable maker Basis, which currently integrates many advanced health-centric technologies into its current products.
Samsung will be releasing the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo in various colors, with both devices receiving Charcoal Black and Wild Orange options. Additionally, the Gear 2 will be released in a Gold Brown option while the Gear 2 Neo will be offered a Mocha Grey colorway.
The Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo will be available internationally starting April, with pricing to be announced soon. The company is also expected to unveil its flagship Galaxy S5 smartphone at its Unpacked 2014 event during Mobile World Congress 2014 later this week, with recent reports suggesting that the device will feature an integrated fingerprint sensor.
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SoundHound now lets you make Spotify playlists from discovered music, but only on iOS
Generally speaking, getting an earworm out of your head is a two-step process: figure out what the song is (if you don’t know already), and then listen to it over and over until you never want to hear it again. Apps like Shazam and SoundHound are great at that first bit: identifying songs whose title you may have forgotten. But once you figure out that “do do do do” was from “Tom’s Diner” and not “Semi-Charmed Kind of Life,” you’re on your own in terms of finding a way to actually listen.
SoundHound is trying to make that a bit easier: it just announced an “Add to Spotify” button that allows you to create playlists from songs you’ve discovered. Unfortunately, the feature is iOS-only for now, though we can only hope SoundHound will one day add it to its Android and BlackBerry 10 apps as well. If this is all intriguing enough to make you want to try SoundHound for the first time, you’ll be able to link your SoundHound and Spotify accounts when you’re getting set up for the first time. And if you already do use SoundHound, you’ll just want to update to version 5.8, at which point you’ll have the option of logging into Spotify. Enjoy– and whatever you do, don’t click that Tom’s Diner link. Trust us.
Filed under: Internet
Via: The Verge
Source: BusinessWire
How would you change Motorola’s RAZR i?
Here’s how it is: Intel is king of the PC hill, but in smartphones and tablets, you’re more likely to be using an ARM chip. For a tech behemoth to be beaten by a tiny firm in Cambridge is unacceptable, so Intel started cranking out mobile chips to redress the balance. For the Droid RAZR i, Motorola scooped out the guts of the RAZR M in favor of Intel’s Medfield chip and an “Intel Inside” sticker on the back. When we reviewed it, we found that it was fine at meeting similar mid-range devices head on, but that was about it. But what about you, gentle readers? What did you think? Why not head over to the forum and share your experiences with this device.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
Source: Engadget Forums
Alcatel OneTouch Pop Fit is a ‘wearable’ smartphone with a bundle of accessories
In the era of phablets, it’s rather odd to see a company launching a 2.8-inch device, let alone calling it a “wearable” smartphone. Meet the Alcatel OneTouch Pop Fit, a little QVGA 3G phone that costs from just €89 or about $120 unsubsidized, but it comes bundled with a bunch of accessories. These include five back covers in different colors (black, blue, yellow, pink and red), along with a semi-transparent flip cover (with three dedicated music buttons) and an armband case. You also get a pair of JBL in-ear headphones, which will come in handy while jogging with this splashproof device.
The phone itself is powered by a 1GHz dual-core MediaTek chip with 512MB of RAM, so the 1,000mAh battery should be sufficient. What’s surprising is that even at this price point, the Pop Fit comes with either 16GB or 32GB of internal memory, thus giving the iPod nano a run for its money. There’s a software bundle, too: RunKeeper GPS fitness tracking app, DoubleTwist music player and Fleksy keyboard (which should make typing a lot easier on this tiny screen). Expect this phone to hit the shops around May this year.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Alcatel introduces Idol 2 series to take on midrange competition
Alcatel OneTouch is slowly but surely climbing the ranks of the smartphone world, having evolved from a line of low-end featurephones and smartphones just a couple years ago to a more established brand with good quality hardware. It’s not slowing down the pace at which it introduces new devices, either — this week, it’s launching roughly a dozen or so handsets. Two of them are the first devices in the company’s new Idol 2 family (a successor to this lineup) — the self-titled 5-inch Idol 2 (shown above) and its smaller friend, the 4.5-inch Idol 2 Mini — and each one comes with a 3G option as well as an “S”-branded LTE variant.
The Mini, which measures 8.5mm thick, will come out first, with an estimated launch in the first week of March. The devices will feature a qHD display, a quad core 1.2GHz processor, Android 4.3 (upgradeable to 4.4), NFC, an 8MP rear camera and 2MP front camera. The 3G model will be available for 169 euro ($232), while its LTE sibling will go for 209 euro ($287). The former choice also offers a plastic build, while the higher-speed handset has been bestowed with a metal back and plastic at the top and bottom for attenuation. Each model comes in your choice of four colors, although the Idol S Mini includes a chocolate hue instead of hot pink.
As for the larger Idol 2, it should be inbound by April or May at a cost of 199 euro ($274) for 3G and 249 ($342) euro for LTE. The duo will be around 7.3mm thick and offer improved HD Audio, as well as Android 4.3 (upgradeable to 4.4 KitKat), a 720p IPS display with nice viewing angles, Cat 4 LTE, a quad core 1.2GHz processor, NFC, 8MP rear camera and 1.3 MP front-facing camera. Fortunately, all of the above devices fit pretty well into the Idol family, as most of them all have the same feel, texture and genuinely decent build. They’re also comfortable to hold. Overall, Alcatel OneTouch hopes that the Idol 2 series will compete well in the midrange market against legions of similar phones, but given its steady growth and increased marketing budget in 2014, we believe that they’re doing something right.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
Samsung jumps the gun, officially announces Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo prior to MWC 2014
Looks like Samsung couldn’t wait till its Unpacked 5 event at MWC 2014 to announce its new smartwatch line. Samsung has come out and announced its successor to the original Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch with these, the Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo. Notice anything strange? Yes, that’s right, the ‘Galaxy’ tag has been dropped, just as @evleaks said earlier today, and sure enough, since the ‘Galaxy’ tag denotes an Android-based product, Samsung has said that both these watches with have a Tizen-based OS.
Both devices will have 1.63-inch Super AMOLED screens, 1.0GHz processors, 512MB RAM, 4GB storage, heart rate sensors, pedometer, music player, supports Bluetooth, and a 300mAh battery which is said to be good for 2-3 days, hopefully with use. Samsung has also kept a 2MP camera on the Gear 2, though the Gear 2 Neo does not have this feature; the camera on the Gear 2 has also been moved to the watch itself instead of sitting on the wristband, which now makes it even sneakier. Both watches will also have an infra-red blaster which will allow you to control televisions via WatchON.
Keeping most of the colours available to the original Gear, the Gear 2 will be available in Charcoal Black, Gold Brown and Wild Orange, whereas the Gear 2 Neo will be available in Charcoal Black, Mocha Grey and Wild Orange. Overall, the appearance of the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo is different enough to their predecessor to warrant a fresh start, and there’s no telling what the new Tizen-based OS will be capable of, though it seems like Samsung hasn’t quite listened to some past criticisms considering they have still elected to include a Super AMOLED screen that will make mince meat of the battery. Still, they haven’t mentioned anything about Samsung-exclusive compatibility, and the inclusion of health based features should make these smartwatches a nice change of pace when they become available globally in April.
What do you think about the Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo: are you interested in getting one now that you’ve heard what it officially has? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Source: DroidLife
Samsung Gear 2 smartwatches coming in April with Tizen OS and better battery life
Even in an industry known for evolving at an impossibly quick pace, it’s rare for a product to be replaced in just five months. If you’ve read our review of Samsung’s Galaxy Gear smartwatch, however, it probably makes sense why the manufacturer would want to antiquate it as soon as possible — while an interesting concept, the wearable was clearly half-baked. This morning, Samsung is starting off Mobile World Congress by announcing the Gear 2 (shown above, right) and the camera-less Gear 2 Neo (above, left), both of which (the company hopes) will address most of its predecessor’s pain points when it arrives in stores worldwide this April.
The absence of Galaxy branding is no typo, by the way; the new Gear will run on the Tizen operating system, a platform which Samsung has been investing large amounts of money and resources into. It’s not the company’s first device running that OS — that honor goes to the NX300M camera — but regardless, it’s hard to know exactly how different the user experience will be on a Tizen-powered smartwatch instead of an Android-based one. According to Samsung, we can expect a battery life of 2-3 days (two to three times better than the first Gear’s one-day life), an “enriched application ecosystem” and some sweeping changes to the external design. Check out the gallery below and join us after the break for more details.
Let’s first talk about the design. The first thing we noticed was that the camera is now built into the front of the watch alongside the IR blaster, which is much better than the original Gear’s distracting wart on the wristband. The mic, formerly on the clasp of the strap, has now been moved up to the body of the device itself; this means that Samsung will now let you swap the wristband with either Samsung-specific models or third-party versions. Samsung didn’t elaborate on if this will be compatible with all 22mm straps (similar to Pebble) or if it’s a different spec, but this is nevertheless a splendid improvement over the first Gear. It also features a home button just below the display instead of on the side, like the previous version.
With the new pair of Gears, you’ll also get the same 1.63-inch touchscreen, a 1GHz dual-core processor (a bump up from 800MHz), 4GB internal storage, 512MB of RAM, infrared, S Voice, a heart rate sensor, IP67 certification for resistance to water and dust, a 2MP AF camera with 720p video capture (on the higher model, not the Neo) and a 300mAh battery. This means that the battery is technically smaller on the new Gear, but Samsung claims a life of 2-3 days; this is a drastic boost in performance over the original watch, even if the time between charges is still too frequent for many watch users. Lastly, both models will be compatible with “more than dozens” of Galaxy smartphones when it launches.
There are only a few slight differences between the Gear 2 and its Neo sibling: the Neo doesn’t have a camera, the Neo offers one different color than the Gear 2 and it’s a tad lighter (the Gear 2 is 68g, whereas the Neo is 55g; both are lighter than the original). Neither model has a price tag to go along with the announcement yet, but we like to see multiple options available at different price points. The top model will come in Charcoal Black, Gold Brown and Wild Orange, while the Neo replaces the Brown for a Mocha Grey hue. We hope to get hands-on time with the watches soon.
Samsung announces Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo ahead of MWC
Samsung on Saturday announced its next-gen smartwatch, the Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo. Dropping the “Galaxy” moniker this time around, the pair of watches run Samsung’s own Tizen OS and not Android.
Expected to arrive in April, the two devices share similar specifications. The key difference between the two is that the Gear 2 Neo does not offer the 2-megapixel internal camera.
The Gear 2 will be offered in Charcoal Black, Gold Brown and Wild Orange; the Gear 2 comes in Charcoal Black, Mocha Grey and Wild Orange. In addition to tailoring the watch bands customers will also be able to customize the home screen background, clock face and font.
Rather just telling users the time, the Gear 2 family is designed to provide a number of smart functions.
- Heart Rate sensor
- Pedometer
- Exercise
- Standalone Modes: Running, Walking
- Companion Modes: Cycling, Hiking
- Sleep & Stress (Downloadable)
Those looking for a wider compatibility for this round of smartwatch may be somewhat disappointed. Samsung promises support for “more than dozens of Samsung Galaxy smartphones at launch” but makes no mention of anything else.
The post Samsung announces Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo ahead of MWC appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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