eBay attempts to lure back UK users with 20 free listings a month
Amazon might now be the defacto marketplace to buy and sell goods in the UK, but eBay believes its “good surprise” might just lure customers back into the world of online auctions. In a bid to make things things a little easier for users to understand, eBay says that from May 13th it’ll allow UK users to list up to 20 items every month completely free of charge. Listings can include any item, as long as it’s not a car. While US users have traditionally enjoyed greater access to free listing periods, the company remains quiet on whether international sellers will be extended the same privilege. With consumers now turning to Amazon to get their electrical goods, online media and groceries, eBay may be forced to expand those incentives if it wants more “A++++ seller, would buy again” reviews on its site.
Filed under: Internet
Via: The Next Web
Source: eBay UK
Delivery Status Touch Updated with Revamped Background Notifications, Various Bug Fixes [iOS Blog]
Junecloud has updated its popular delivery notification app Delivery Status touch to version 5.1, bringing a revamped notification system, a large number of fixes, support for new features, and more.
The app now includes a revamped background notification system that informs users of packages in transit more frequently and makes non-essential updates less frequent, with badges now representing all notifications. Support for Bluetooth keyboard shortcuts, manual sorting, and swipe to delete while searching is also included, along with various bug fixes that address issues with iOS 7.1, AirDrop, and iCloud.
– Improved background notifications—updates are more frequent when they’re needed, less frequent when they’re not. We’ve also gotten rid of some unnecessary notifications, and fixed some problems where notifications weren’t appearing when they should.
– Badges are now shown for background notifications. If you don’t want them, just open the Settings app, tap Notification Center, find Deliveries in the list, and update your settings there.
– “Delivered” notifications now start with a checkmark to make them immediately clear.
– Manual sorting is back.
– The “…” menu now includes an option to Archive—or Delete for already archived items.
– You can now type a space in the search field to show everything.– You can now swipe to delete an archived delivery while searching.
– Keyboard shortcuts for Bluetooth keyboards in iOS 7. ⌘N: add a new delivery. ⌘F: search. ⎋: close the current view or cancel search.
– iCloud improvements.
– Fixed various display quirks on iOS 7.1.
Originally launched in 2008, Delivery Status touch saw its last major update this past October which added a redesigned interface for iOS 7 and new features such as background notifications for tracking info, iCloud sync, and barcode scanning.
Delivery Status touch is a $4.99 app for iOS devices and can be downloaded through the App Store. [Direct Link]
Project Ara gets more details as Google show developers what they can do
The modular phone is becoming more of a reality with Project Ara and Google have now shown developers just what is required to create swappable parts for the modular device.
As part of this, Google has posted the Module Developers Kit (MDK) which contains the information required for developers to get started.
Essentially, Google, and only Google at this moment in time, create the skeleton of the devices and the slots are then populated by third parties. This creates a lot of combinations and form factors of devices for Project Ara, some of which are detailed in the guide which breaks the devices into three sizes.
Google is also planning on putting together an online marketplace to offer guidance and the tools for customers to create their own modular phone, and whilst the developer kit is still very immature, it shows Project Ara is gaining some traction.
The post Project Ara gets more details as Google show developers what they can do appeared first on AndroidGuys.
LG’s G Pad 8.3 gets Android 4.4.2 KitKat update early
LG have begun rolling out Android 4.4.2 KitKat to their LG G Pad 8.3 tablet via an over-the-air (OTA) update in Europe. LG were expected to release the update, so we knew it was coming, but LG jumped the gun and are issuing the update early.
The 4.4.2 KitKat update for the LG G Pad 8.3 weighs in at around 300MB so is quite a significant package for the tablet, which brings some added functionality:
- Android 4.4.2 OS upgrade.
- LG Knock Code.
- Improved system performance.
The Knock Code bundled with the update builds on the popular Knock On feature by LG, whereby you could tap on the screen to wake the device. Knock Code takes this one step further by enabling the user to unlock the device using any one of 86,367 different combinations.
You should see your device prompting you that an update is available on the LG G Pad 8.3, but if not it can be manually triggered in the Settings app.
The post LG’s G Pad 8.3 gets Android 4.4.2 KitKat update early appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Death of Windows XP can’t quite reverse slowing PC sales
The official end to Windows XP support may have sent many companies into a panic, but it was good news for PC manufacturers this winter… well, sort of. Both Gartner and IDC report a big increase in PC shipments during the first quarter thanks to companies scrambling to replace old XP computers at the last possible moment. However, the two analyst groups note that the sudden spike only managed to soften ongoing declines in PC shipments, rather than reverse them. Depending on which research firm you ask, the number of PCs on the market dropped between 1.7 percent to 4.4 percent year-over-year. That’s better than what system builders have seen over most of the past two years, but it’s not exactly a recovery.
As for the companies that came out on top, it’s a familiar story. Market share gains largely went to major players like Lenovo, Dell and HP, while the biggest blows came to a long-suffering Acer as well as small vendors. What happens next is less than certain, though. Gartner believes that the tablet boom isn’t hurting PCs as much as it used to, and expects upgrades from XP to help shipments over the course of 2014. IDC, meanwhile, isn’t so optimistic. Although the outfit sees the tablet market slowing down as it matures, it’s not anticipating a turnaround for computers any time soon.
[Image credit: AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Apple, ASUS, HP, Dell, Acer, Lenovo
Pre-orders for the Surface 2 with LTE are now open in the UK
Microsoft’s LTE-equipped Surface 2 has only been available in limited markets since it was formally announced, but today the company has said it’s opening pre-orders in the UK. As per the company’s usual sales approach, the 4G tablet is already live on the Microsoft Store for £539, with shipments making their way to doorsteps by May 8th. From that date, Microsoft says customers can also pick up the Surface 2 (4G) from a number of high-street retailers, including Dixons, complete with 200GB of free OneDrive storage for two years and a year of unlimited Skype WiFi calling and landline calls.
Filed under: Microsoft
Source: Microsoft Store (UK)
Lenovo Announces New A-Series Android Tablets with May Launch
With the budget-conscious in mind, Lenovo has announced a new trifecta of android tablets focused on work and play. These A-Series tablets, as Lenovo VP Shao Tao puts it, “is designed to meet the demands of today’s young, active users who are always on the go, and have lifestyle requirements that are as diverse as their own personalities.”
Pricing starts out low, but there is a good reason for that. Starting at $129, these tablets don’ t come off as top spec’ed powerhouses. The specs are modest at best with MediaTek quad-core processors and 1GB of RAM under the hood. The tablets’ will also sport 4.2 JellyBean at launch. Rounding out the specifications is 16GB of onboard storage, front and rear cameras and 1280X800 displays.
The new Lenovo tablets will debut in May and come in the 7, 8, and 10 inch varieties with the 7 inch tablet focused on reading and web surfing, the 8 inch dedicated to media consumption, and the 10 inch designed for work and relaxation.
The post Lenovo Announces New A-Series Android Tablets with May Launch appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Instago Map Street View: A simple app with great potential
Instago Map Street View holds true to its name, and takes two things that Google does well, and puts them in front of you simultaneously. The GPS built into Android devices is only as good as the software that accesses it, and whether you use Google Maps or not, replacements for Google Maps’ Street View function is not as easy to replicate. Developer Theredsunrise recognized the awesome potential of viewing a Google Map and Google Street View at the same time, and created Instago.
The concept of Instago is simple- pick a point, and the application will show you an arrow on how to get there. Along the way, the application will also show you a map (you can choose your map type), and the street view as you make your journey. However, the application will not show you directions or a line on how to get there, just the point you have chosen, and the pin to mark it. It is interesting and helpful watching the map and street view adjust in accordance with your GPS along the way, and the application a slick augmented reality feel to it.
There are some limitations in the application, that will hopefully be addressed in future updates. You are unable to search for landmarks, and are limited to either manually dropping a pin on the map, or entering an address. If you know your address, or are trying to return to a point you were previously at (like a parking spot at an arena), this application is useful, but its use as a navigation assistant is limited.
It will be great to see how this application continues to develop, but in the mean time it is one worth checking out.
The post Instago Map Street View: A simple app with great potential appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Welcome to Mars on Earth
We already know the radiation levels on Mars’ surface are safe enough for us to go ahead and start building vacation homes. But, before we can finish our plans for the pool, there are still a few more tests that need to be done. There’s just one problem: the planet has a way of destroying all of the scientific equipment we send to check it out. (If we’re pointing fingers, mostly because of the magnetized dust on its surface.) Rather than send another rover to be demolished far away from home, Madrid’s Center for Astrobiology thinks they’ve created a way to test out every robotic arm and camera while they’re still on Earth using a device called MARTE.
The chamber can recreate Mars’ unique atmosphere, including temperature, wind speeds and pressure, gases and even that troublemaker dust. The device is set to be used for the first time to test a weather station for NASA’s InSight mission, set to launch in 2016. The goal is to have earth-bound testing help pinpoint problems early, and create stronger, more weather-resistant equipment. All that means we’ll be one step closer to a (pressurized) cabin getaway on the billion-year-old beaches of the red planet’s dried-up lake.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Filed under: Science
Via: iO9
Source: Review of Scientific Instruments
Nikon’s J4 mirrorless camera has bigger sensor, 20fps burst speed
Good things happen when you cram a fast image processor into a small camera body, as Nikon has shown with its new mid-range 1 model, the J4. With the latest Expeed 4A imaging engine, the CX-sensor camera can now pump out 20 images per second in burst mode with continuous AF, which Nikon claims is the world’s fastest (along with the pricey new V3). That’s also a big bump over last year’s J3, and most other specs have also improved: there’s now 18.4 instead of 14.2-megapixels, 1080/60p video in lieu of 1080/60i (with 120fps at 720p), a 105 point PD/171 point contrast AF, a new touchscreen and built-in WiFi. One change photographers may not like is the use of MicroSD memory cards instead of industry standard SD cards, but at least the J4 is slightly smaller and lighter than the J3. It’ll come in black, white, silver and orange (with an optional underwater housing) but there’s no word on when, where or for how much. As a rough starting point, though, last year’s model was $600 with the 10-30mm kit lens.
Source: Nikon
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