Homegrown Apps in Australia get their own Play Store Page
It looks like Google might be experimenting with some location based style app marketing in the Play Store. At least in Australia anyways. A new section was recently made available to the user down under simply titled “Made in Australia” It offers up a list of games and apps that were created by local developers in the country.
The section opens up as a Homegrown list of free and paid games and apps that have all been developed locally. Some titles you will easily recognize, like Pocket Cast, Jetpack Joyride and LinkBubble. Interesting to learn where some of these devs originate from.
You do need to be in Australia, or at least fake it that you are there, in order to pull up this section. At the time of writing this there hasn’t been any other locales showing up with their own lists, yet. It is possible that this is a promo, but we are thinking it is more likely a test to see if it is well received or not. We all love to support our favorite developers, but we also like to support our local communities and our country. Some might be more inclined to buy an app if they know the developer is local.
Any thoughts on this?
Via Android Police
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Google Now officially lands in Chrome
If you’re the adventurous type, you’ve probably been enjoying Now notifications in Chrome for a little while now. But starting today, those running the stable version of Google’s browser will be able to enjoy the benefits of Now’s preemptive search and virtual assistant. The desktop version works more or less the same as it does on mobile, except that the cards pop up from the system tray or notification area in your OS. You’ll get access to voice search, reminders for events flights etc… and you’ll even get some location-based cards like commute times. Interestingly, some of those alerts are based on the location of your phone, not your laptop or desktop. All you need to do to start using Google Now on your computer is make sure you’re signed into Chrome with the same account you use on your mobile phone. If you’re not seeing it just yet, don’t panic. As is the case with most of Mountain View’s products, it’ll be rolling out gradually over the next several weeks.
Source: Google Chrome (Google+), Google
Spotify shifting focus to web and mobile, ends desktop Apps program
Spotify’s been busy lately, what with its new iOS SDK and recent purchase of Echo Nest. As it further shifts its focus toward mobile and the web, the company will stop accepting submissions for its App Finder platform. For those who aren’t familiar, Spotify launched an API in 2011 that allowed developers to publish apps inside the desktop client. Moving forward, the streaming giant plans to release several new mobile SDKs and expand its web API with additional features over the next few months. So users should still have access to their favorite Pitchfork lists, just on more devices. But what about apps that have already been published? Spotify says as long as they’re using the latest API 1.x framework, they’ll remain available. It’s important to note, however, that they will only receive critical updates from this point on.
Source: Spotify
ASUS introduces Zenfone smartphone line, hitting China on April 11
ASUS has decided to launch a new smartphone line in China. The line contains Zenfone 4, 5 and 6, and they are all powered by the Intel Atom chipsets. The devices will be launched in China on April 11, and about the pricing, Zenfone 4 will be available for $100, the Zenfone 5 for $150, and the Zenfone 6 for $200.
ASUS Zenfone 6 is a 6″ phablet with glove and pen touch support and 720p resolution, featuring Intel Z2580 chipset, 2GB RAM, 13MP f/2.0 with the same PixelMaster tech, storage of 8GB/16GB and also MicroSD card slot.
ASUS Zenfone 5 features a 5″ IPS LCD screen with 720p resolution and same gloves and pens support, dual-core Intel Atom Z2580 clocked at 2.0GHz, 1GB of RAM, 8MP “PixelMaster” camera with f/2.0 aperture, dual-SIM, and there’s 4GB of built-in storage with a microSD card expansion slot. And the Zenfone 4 features a 4-inch WVGA display, dual-core Intel Atom Z2520 (clocked at 1.2GHz) with 1GB of RAM, and a 5MP camera.
Are you planning to grab any of them? Let us know in the comment box below.
Source: Weibo
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Android 4.4.3 rumored to address camera bug, report says
A new version of Android could be released within the next few weeks, according to new reports. A 4.4.3 release said to address camera bugs is being tested under the KTU72B. The source of the rumor is a reputable one and has accurately predicted plenty of Android announcements as it pertains to the platform. Check out the tweet below:
Android 4.4.3 is under testing. Build number is KTU72B. Probably it will fix known camera bug.
— LlabTooFeR (@LlabTooFeR) March 24, 2014
We will update you as soon as more details emerge regarding Android 4.4.3. Are you facing the bug as well? Let us know in the comment box below.
via: PhoneArena
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Sketchy iPhone 6 Dummy Unit Surfaces in New Photos [iOS Blog]
Photos of a new “dummy unit” of Apple’s alleged iPhone 6 have surfaced on the site of case manufacturer Bling My Thing (via 9to5Mac community post). The photos show a black device that could be used as part of a mold to create cases based on that body design.
There are several issues with the case shown in the photos, however, including a round hole for the LED flash on the rear camera instead of the oval hole introduced on the iPhone 5s to accommodate the new True Tone dual-LED flash. Given the improved flash performance possible with dual LEDs, Apple will presumably continue to use dual-LED flash in future iPhones.
The photos also appear to show a slight change to the design of the earpiece area of the iPhone, with the proximity sensor window moving from next to the earpiece to next to the front camera. The ambient light sensor (not easily visible) is currently in this location. The dummy unit also shows the earpiece/camera/sensor features moved higher on the device’s front, to the point where the front camera unreasonably appears to sit at the very top edge of the device.
The dummy unit depicted in the photos carries a screen size of approximately 4.7 inches if relative sizing compared to the iPhone 5s shown next to the model is accurate. That size is in line with circulating rumors, with the company also rumored to looking at even larger version with a display in the range of 5.5-5.7 inches.
The blog post also includes a list of features for the iPhone 6, although it appears to simply be a recitation of circulating rumors rather than specific claims.
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Apple Manufacturer Pegatron Reports Quarterly Earnings Increase of 22% [iOS Blog]
Apple iPhone 5c manufacturer Pegatron reported a 22 percent jump in fourth quarter earnings due to a revenue increase in its communications products division, which is responsible for manufacturing smartphones, tablets and game consoles (Via The Wall Street Journal).
Apple is a major client of the Taiwanese manufacturer, accounting for approximately 40 percent of the company’s revenue, estimates KGI Securities analyst Angela Hsiang. While revenue from its Apple-dominated communications products increased, Pegatron’s overall revenue fell slightly year over year due to sluggish sales from its personal computer business.
“While PCs will still be around, mobile devices are a faster growing sector, and we want an even balance between the different parts of our business,” Pegatron Chief Executive Jason Cheng said at an investor conference on Monday.
Pegatron has long been a manufacturing partner for Apple, working on previous iPhone and iPad models, including the iPad mini. Last year, though, the company for the first time assumed the role as the primary manufacturer for a new iPhone model — the iPhone 5c.
Pegatron also is rumored to be producing the iPhone 6 along with Foxconn in the second quarter of this year. The company supposedly is opening a new factory in Kunshan, China and recruiting workers in an effort to meet manufacturing orders for the upcoming phone.
Apple has moved beyond relying only on Foxconn for its manufacturing needs and has turned to Pegatron as it expands its product lineup and tries to minimize supply problems by balancing production between multiple assemblers.
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Panasonic’s HX-A500 wearable action cam serves up 4K video at 25fps
If you don’t mind your wearable action cam being tethered to a separate unit for wrangling controls, Panasonic’s HX-A500 offers 4K video capture in return. The company touts the camera as the “world’s first” option for said resolution, recording the those exploits at 25fps. There’s also a 1080p option at 50fps, 720p at 100fps and 480p an a 100fps crawl for judging that swing in time for baseball season. It will also capture up to 30 minutes of video in up to three meters (about 10 feet) of water, should the need arise. Need to get the footage to another device? NFC and WiFi connectivity are built in with compatibility with Ustream for live broadcasts. The HX-A500 carries a similar look to the outfit’s HX-A100, but the “main body” now packs a 1.5-inch LCD monitor for keeping an eye on things and tweaking settings. Other notable features include a IPX8 waterproof rating, automatic leveling correction, image stabilization and a variety of mounts to keep the dustproof cam in the right spot for optimum capture. The HX-A500 is set to arrive in May with a £379.99 (around $626) price tag in tow.
Filed under: Cameras
Apple’s iTunes Radio now streams the news, thanks to NPR
It’s been nearly a year since Apple announced its plans to join Spotify, Rdio and Pandora as a music streaming service provider. However, while beats, melodies and harmony are great, some would say iTunes Radio‘s sonic buffet is lacking — it has no news channels. No longer. NPR has joined the service as a 24-hour news streaming station, with broadcasts starting right now. Of course, folks have long been able to get their public radio fix via NPR’s website, but now fanboys and girls can get it straight from Apple’s service. For now, NPR is the first and only news channel on iTunes Radio, but we’ve a sneaking suspicion that exclusivity won’t last for long.
Source: NPR
HTC resume Android 4.4 KitKat update rollout in UK
Following the halt HTC put on the rollout of Android 4.4.2 KitKat for its devices in the UK after many users began experiencing difficulties following the update, HTC have resumed the rollout.
Customers on all the major UK carriers should begin to see the update trickle down to their devices following the lift of the hiatus.
HTC took to their Facebook page to issue a statement:
“We can confirm that the 4.4 KitKat update has now been re-released in the UK”.
The update comes with build number 4.19.401.11 and is around 308MB in size. The update is being rolled out to Vodafone, O2, and Three, as well as unlocked devices, but those devices locked to EE will have to wait since HTC state the update is still in the integration phase.
Go ahead and hit that update button in the Settings app to see if the KitKat goodness has been readied on your device.
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