Engadget Mobile Podcast 201 – The proposed Sprint / T-Mobile merger
Spring is approaching and change is in the air, not only for the Mobile Podcast, but also for US carriers. Your host Brad is kicking off a new podcast format by interviewing industry analyst Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research about the ins and outs of a potential Sprint and T-Mobile merger. This segment is followed by a continuing dialog on the topic with Engadget editor and self-proclaimed mobile fiend Chris Velazco. What you get is a double dose of cogent discussion about the proposed merger, delving into the potential impact on the consumer and the companies involved. Head on down to the streaming links below to catch this week’s episode of the Engadget Mobile Podcast.
Hosts: Brad Molen
Guest: Jan Dawson, Chris Velazco
Producer: Jon Turi
Music: Tycho – Coastal Brake (Ghostly International)
Hear the podcast:
01:22 – Technology analyst at Jackdaw Research: Jan Dawson
34:14 – Engadget editor: Chris Velazco
Subscribe to this podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes
[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically
[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Mobile Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator
Download this podcast:
LISTEN (MP3)
LISTEN (AAC)
Contact this podcast:
podcast (at) engadgetmobile (dot) com
Follow us on Twitter:
@phonewisdom, @engadgetmobile, @chrisvelazco, @jandawson
Google’s new Android Wear project adds HTC, LG, Motorola, Qualcomm, Fossil and others for new smartwatches
Last week at SXSW, Android and Chrome head Sundar Pichai said we’d be hearing more about Google’s foray into wearables in two weeks’ time. And it looks like the company’s delivering quite early on that promise. The newly announced Android Wear initiative, which makes a Google-approved SDK available to developers eying the wearable space, will initially focus on smartwatches created by the likes of industry heavyweights like LG, HTC, Motorola, Samsung and Asus. While Qualcomm, Intel, Broadcom, Imagination and Mediatek will also be pitching in on the chip side. The inclusion of Fossil in this Android Wear partner mix will be, from the sound of it, mostly a fashion play. As for when we’ll actually see the fruits of these wearable partnerships, Google’s only committing to the very vague “later this year.” Which means news on these Android Wear smartwatches could land anytime. But for now, at least, LG’s giving us a look at what to expect from the project with its recently unveiled G Watch.
Filed under: Wearables, Wireless, Mobile, Google
Source: Google
The new HTC One M8 will go on sale minutes after being announced
The general trend when releasing a new phone is that it doesn’t necessarily hit retail stores until it a few weeks or months after being announced. It seems that HTC are looking to break that trend in the UK at least as Carphone Warehouse have announed that the next-generation HTC One will be available for immediate purchase just minutes after it is officially announced on March 25th.
Carphone Warehouse confirms that you’ll be able to pick up the brand new HTC One M8 from around 4pm from their retail stores, and shortly after from their online store.
As soon as the announcement is made at the HTC events in London and New York City next week, handsets will be transported from the venue to six retail locations around London.
“We know how keen customers are to get hold of the latest tech as soon as possible and that is why we are so excited to be able to offer the new HTC One so quickly after it is unveiled.”
The selected stores are Westfield Stratford, Westfield White City, Oxford Circus, Centrepoint, Tottenham Court Road, and Selfridges. It’s definitely a welcome move from both HTC and the Carphone Warehouse to get the handsets into consumers hands as soon as possible, and hopefully something more manufacturers will adopt in future.
Will you be picking up a new HTC One M8?
The post The new HTC One M8 will go on sale minutes after being announced appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Swappa expands to wearables, get your gently used futuristic watches now
Swappa, a marketplace of gently used smartphone and tablets, recently started expanding its offerings to smartwatches, which are becoming a norm in the world of technology.
If you head over to the site now, you can pick up either a Samsung Galaxy Gear or Sony Smartwatch 2, while there are also placeholders for the Motorola MotoActv, Omate TrueSmart and the original Pebble and Pebble Steel.
Swappa even has been taking to Google+ to ask its supporters what devices it would like to see on the site, so you may see more soon.
One person asked if used Google Glass would be available through the site, which there was no reply, but in a previous dealing them them, I was able to find out that since selling it is against Google’s terms of service with the original purchaser, it will not allow people to buy and sell Explorer Editions on the site, but that could change once it’s commercially available.
“Unless otherwise authorized by Google, you may only purchase one Device, and you may not resell, rent, or lease your Device to any other person. If you resell, rent, or lease your Device to any other person without Google’s authorization, Google reserves the right to deactivate the Device, and neither you nor the unauthorized person using the Device will be entitled to any refund, product support, or product warranty.”
Hopefully the public release of Google Glass will be coming soon and we will start to see other smartglasses come to market as well.
If you’ve been in the market for a wearable, but didn’t want to pay full-price for a new device and wanted one in top condition, be sure to check Swappa out.
Just a quick note, here at AndroidGuys, while one of our writers, Tony McAfee, is the director of customer service at Swappa and many of us here are supporters of the marketplace since it is usually a better option than buying on Ebay and easier than selling in other markets that may take a higher percentage of the sale, we are here to cover the news either way.
Swappa Smart Watch via Google+
The post Swappa expands to wearables, get your gently used futuristic watches now appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Facebook Messenger beta lets Android users test new features
Following Facebook‘s introduction of the Beta program for their Android application last year, the company have just announced the Facebook Messenger for Android Beta program which will give users who opt-in the latest versions of the messenger app before general release.
As with the main Facebook application, our goals with this program are to expand our pool of testers and gain feedback across a more diverse set of devices. Simply by using the app and reporting issues, beta testers will be able to help us improve performance and the overall experience on a wide variety of Android devices at scale.
Anyone is able to join the Beta program for Facebook Messenger, but be aware that since the purpose of the app is for testing, Facebook will be closely monitoring user activity. The monitoring will be looking for bugs and how people use the app and the new features, but to do so it means providing increased awareness of your activity within the app, which for something as social and personal as Facebook Messenger may not be entirely desirable.
The beta program will provide us with an early warning system that will help make everyone’s experience with the app better, once we push it more broadly. Also, since Messenger is all about private sharing and small groups communication, the beta program will give us another channel to understand what kinds of sharing tools resonate with people using Messenger.
If you’re not yet put off by Facebook watching your every move, then it’s simple to sign up for the Beta program.
1) Join the Facebook Messenger for Android Beta Testers Google group:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/messenger-for-android-beta-testers
2) Allow beta downloads by clicking “Become a Tester” in the Play Store (you need to join the Google Group before becoming a tester)
3) Download Facebook Messenger from the Play Store to update your app
4) Turn on automatic updates, as the beta version of Facebook Messenger for Android will be updated multiple times per week
As ever, remember it’s Beta software so is bound to be riddled with bugs and unexpected occurrences, but with the latest Facebook Messenger features at our fingertips who cares, right?
The post Facebook Messenger beta lets Android users test new features appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Paranoid Android introduces Peek, its own version of active notifications
One of the most useful and innovative features of the Moto X, besides its voice control, is its Active Display and today Paranoid Android announced its own implementation codenamed Peek.
Peek is PA’s effort to overhaul the Android notification system with smartwatch convenience.
The way it works is when you receive a notification, Peek will start listening for movement, such as being taken out of a pocket or lifted off a table, and if movement is detected within 10 seconds of receiving a notification, the UI displays your active notifications. There is also no need to press any buttons or unlock any screens, just click or slide to select a notification and the app is launched. This is very similar to what Motorola did with Active Display on its current flagship device.
If you’re running the latest PA beta, activate Peek by:
Settings > Display > Peek notifications checkbox (right under notifications title)
Peek is just the next step in Paranoid Android’s innovation in the platform and if you haven’t been following its development, PA’s reworked PIE controls were just integrated in recent betas, plus it seems like it’s somewhat of an inspiration for an update to menus that Google is working on.
via Google+
The post Paranoid Android introduces Peek, its own version of active notifications appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Features of Search engine optimization
If you have decided to try and create an income online, be it with a website and product of your own, an affiliate scheme or through YouTube, eBay et al, once you have decided what you are going to actually sell, the biggest challenge faced is getting people to see the product, offer or service being sold. The web is a big place, and without some strategy here no matter how good the thing you are selling is, no one will ever find out, and search engine optimization (SEO) is the place where most people start.
SEO is a way to improve the placing of the website or page within the search engine results for a given word or phrase. The higher up the list (nearer the first place in the search) a website is, the more likely it is the person searching will visit that site, so competition for the highest positions is fierce.
How does that happen?
The key behind SEO is understanding how the search engines themselves work. Search engines use a couple of tools to gather information about web pages, the first one is the spider or web crawler, this downloads a webpage or site onto the search engines own servers, where the second tool, the indexer, examines the page, what words it contains, where the words are and what other sites the page links to. The search engines then use this data incomplex computer algorithms to decide which websites are most relevant and useful in relation to the word or phrase being searched, and it is those algorithms that SEO takes advantage of.
The exact way each search is prioritized changes regularly, and as such anyone looking to promote their site or offer this way should always look to keep up to date on any changes or new strategies that are taking place, VisitMetrix.com is a site that has regular posts of new information and tips on a regular basis.
Although the algorithms do change, the basis of the search engine prioritization is how relevant a given web page is to the phrase being used, so how many times it, or any other associated words, appear on page, it also looks at how many links, both into and out of the site, there are, and what types of websites link to them.
There are other factors, and the algorithms vary what they are looking for – too many appearances of keyword phrases can be detrimental because of repetitive language being treated as a poor website to read for instance- but the basic premise is to best match the algorithms requirements by adjusting the on page language and linking to suit.
How to take advantage of SEO
There are, basically, two options for anyone looking to use SEO to improve their website’s position on a given search. They can optimize the page themselves or hire in specialists to evaluate the entire website and alter the layout and wording accordingly. Whilst the former is naturally more cost effective than the latter, in either case it is always best to be informed, and as such regular visits to sites like VisitMetrix.com where there are regular updates and tips for the current viable marketing strategies is always recommended.
Data Recovery Software – Why it is important
In the last few decades, technology has evolved quite dramatically – people and companies have become very dependent on computers. New methods of data storage have been developed in the meantime as is the niche for data recovery as well. Data recovery software plays an important role and is quite indispensable to customers. Individuals and companies can take a few steps to ensure that they don’t lose critical information.
Tips to avoid Data Loss:
Users should pay attention to the following guidelines to avoid losing data permanently:
- If the hard drive is making noises like clicking, whirring or grinding, it is prudent to shut down the computer right away. This could be due to the read/write head scraping against some element.
- Unplug the computer from the power source before attempting to remove hard drive. Handle it carefully to make sure static electricity is not present and with jolting or dropping.
- Many companies choose to use the best data recovery software or companies to retrieve information from damaged drives. Even if the recovery is a simple method, if it is not done right, it could result in non-recovery.
- The first attempt is usually the best one – there are no do-overs and information should be gotten right away.
What to do in case of a disaster:
When one is faced with disk failure, data should be backed up if possible. It is best not to use utility software if the hard drive is making unusual sounds. It is also best not to power up a computer or laptop if there is obvious damage. It is usually a good idea to shut down the computer to avoid damage to the drive and by extension the data. In cases of serious damage, it is best to let data recovery firms use methods available to them including the best data recovery software to retrieve information. These firms have the expertise and tools to recover data safely.
Strategies to protect information:
It is vital for individuals and companies to adopt a technique or strategy to ensure that critical data and information is safe and available in the eventuality of loss due to corruption. Some practices to adopt are:
- Never do system upgrades without having a verified backup source
- It is important to get the latest hardware and software, even utilities to ensure that data is secure. Make sure that firewalls and virus software is current.
- All incoming data and files should be scanned to ensure there are no viruses, even including software packages.
- Computers of all kinds should have good ventilation so that servers and hard drives don’t overheat.
- Make sure that systems are connected to a good power source and protected against power surges etc.
- When one is in the process of moving computers and reorganizing, they have to be powered down and hooked back together.
- Static discharge should be avoided as much as possible especially in very dry environments to ensure that media and drives are not damaged.
Amazon’s Apple TV Competitor to Launch in April as Chromecast-Like Dongle [Mac Blog]
Despite an earlier report suggesting a March launch, a new report from the Wall Street Journal now claims Amazon will start selling its video-streaming device in April through its own website and retailers like Best Buy.
The device will run a version of Android akin to the company’s Kindle Fire readers and will support common media streaming services like Netflix.
The Amazon device will carry a variety of apps available on Roku Inc. and Apple set-top boxes and run on a version of Google’s Android software, like Amazon’s tablet computers, these people said. Roku’s most popular apps include video services Netflix and Hulu Plus and music service Pandora, as well as Amazon’s own video-streaming service.
An earlier report from TechCrunch claims the Amazon device will have a stick form factor similar to Google’s Chromecast and will plug into the HDMI port of any HDTV. These same sources believe the device will support online gaming, streaming top-tier titles to the device at 30 frames per second from Amazon’s servers in a manner similar to remote gaming service OnLive.
Pricing for the Amazon device is not yet known, but it is expected to be consistent with competing devices which are priced under $100. Google’s Chromecast is the cheapest option at $35, while Roku’s new Streaming Stick is priced at $49. Sources claim Amazon Prime customers will receive extra incentives for purchasing the device.
     |
E-Commerce mobile solutions for Magento store
E-commerce mobile solutions have emerged with a lot of excitement in the past few years. With the amplifying growth and demand of online stores, there has been a great competition in the world of retail business. It is vital for a business owner to get their online portal crafted in a user-friendly manner. There are a variety of platforms that help developers to develop amazing e-commerce web designs. Magento development took a great plunge into the mobile industry, providing an excellent e-commerce solution. It is available under license version 3.0 asan open source platform and gives flexibility to online merchants to maintain and control the functionality of their e-commerce store. Magento mobile application development helps in managing payments, catalogue, order management, shopping and other facilities. Magento extensions are basically divided into four categories – SEO, Customer, Sales and Enterprise level. Mobile Magento order tracking extension gives you the privilege to track the payment and shipment status throughout the delivery with ease through mobile devices.
With the help of e-commerce mobile solutions, business owners are provided with online stores with a variety of components such as mobile Magento shopping cart extension, mobile Magento order status tracking and Magento template integration to achieve the desired goal. Magento salesis one of the important extensions it helps organize the orders, carts, shopping list, currency, currency switching and so on.
Latest e-commerce mobile solutions
Mobile commerce is the current trend that emerged as a help for mobile users. It made the life of professionals convenient and comfortable. Today, more and more businesses are getting involved with e-commerce solutions that are optimized for mobile devices. Magento has an extensive capability of developing online stores that are compatible with almost all kinds of mobile platforms. It is also a highly scalable tool that can change its shape as per the needs and requirements of the user. In addition to this, shopping carts by Magento delivers the best performance and faultless user-experience. The websites that are running on Magento holds are kin won to earn a high rank on almost all the reputed search engine results. High ranking is a boon to business owners, as their websites grabs the attention of more viewers and drives huge traffic.
Drive more traffic by using Magento themes
One of the important things that you should consider before developing an online store is ‘theme’, which is the appearance of the website. A good looking website will attract as much as visitors. The main purpose of a website is to grab the attention of a large number of people. TheMagento mobile theme has the advantage of a clear design that is suitable for different products. Some of the popular Magento themes include –My House, Mobile Store, Furniture theme, etc. These themes are very easy to install, edit and use.There is a great scope of customizing mobile applications using Magento mobile. Nowadays, Smartphone is considered as one of the best ways of staying in touch with the customers.Magento mobile solutions are cost effective and deliver the best mobile experience to the users.
AIVAnet 