Virtual Joey app arrives with satellite TV for your PS3
Dish Network earned one of our Best of CES trophies a few months ago for its Virtual Joey app, and now PS3 owners (with the satellite TV service and Hopper DVR) can try it out. Instead of plugging in yet another set-top box, just open up the app and watch live TV, video on-demand or recorded programs, all through your console. You can even control the experience with your regular Dish Network remote — all without changing inputs away from your gaming / Netflix / Blu-ray machine. A PS4 version is still waiting in the wings, which is fine if you prefer extending the life of older consoles. It should be available under the My Channels section on your PS3 right now, download it and see if you liked it as much as we did.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony
Source: PlayStation Blog
Verizon Debuts XLTE, Doubling Bandwidth for iPhone 5s, 5c [iOS Blog]
Verizon yesterday introduced its XLTE service, doubling the LTE bandwidth in some select markets to improve peak speeds on a range of devices, including the iPhone 5s, the iPhone 5c, the iPad Air, and the Retina iPad mini.
XLTE is the name given to Verizon’s AWS spectrum, which the company initially purchased back in 2012. Akin to opening another lane on a congested freeway, XLTE will open up new bandwidth for those using an AWS-compatible device, which includes the iPhone 5s and the 5c, ultimately resulting in faster LTE speeds. XLTE simply refers to LTE on the AWS spectrum, with Verizon’s described speed increases resulting from more available bandwidth.
While not directly beneficial to users of older iPhones, XLTE does have the potential to result in increased bandwidth on the standard 700MHz spectrum used by those devices, as newer devices will automatically take advantage of the AWS spectrum.
XLTE delivers faster peak data speeds and a minimum of double the bandwidth to 4G LTE customers in high traffic areas in markets nationwide where AWS spectrum has been activated.
While XLTE network enhancements are invisible to the customer, the mobile experience is not. XLTE Ready devices automatically access both 700 MHz spectrum and the AWS spectrum in XLTE cities. Customers with 4G LTE devices operating solely on the 700 MHz spectrum in XLTE markets also benefit from the extra capacity created by XLTE Ready device traffic moving to the AWS spectrum.
XLTE is currently available in multiple cities across 44 different states, which can be found on Verizon’s website [PDF]. According to Verizon’s estimates, the newly available AWS spectrum will improve LTE speeds for approximately 35 percent of the active devices on its network.
It is important to note that XLTE is simply a marketing term for LTE on Verizon’s AWS spectrum rather than a new wireless standard. It is similar to AT&T’s move to call HSPA+ 4G back in 2012 in order to distinguish it from standard HSPA 3G speeds.
Verizon has also announced VoLTE — or Voice over LTE — which is set to roll out to its network later this year. VoLTE, much like AT&T’s HD Voice, will improve voice quality by allowing users to make calls over LTE.
Watch Game of Thrones’ mysteries explained (or disproved) with science
Sure, works of fiction are hardly subject the rules of science, but the folks behind It’s OK To Be Smart set out to explain many of the enigmas surrounding Game of Thrones. In the PBS digital short that awaits after the break, topics like the plausibility of Daenerys’ dragons, winters that last a decade, the origins of Valyrian steel and more are given real-world significance through the lens of scientific explanation. Also, it’s decided that the planet on which Westeros resides should be called Hodor — an honor of which he’s pretty deserving, if you ask me.
Source: It’s OK To Be Smart (YouTube)
Samsung Galaxy W to sport a 7″ screen?
We all know that Samsung like to throw everything the come up with out there for people to try, what sells they stick with and continue selling what doesn’t they simply discontinue. One good example of that is the Galaxy Note line, which was a huge revelation back when the first Galaxy Note device was launched, people grew to like in a short period of time. They’ve been trying to do the same thing ever since.
I believe you all remember Galaxy Mega, a midrange phablet device that Samsung introduced about a year ago. Well, this recent leak reminds us of that devices. If recent leak from SamMobile is to be believed, Samsung is going to release a Galaxy W phablet that looks like every other Galaxy device and is going to sport a 7″ screen. I’m going to give you a moment to read that last sentence one more time, and no, we didn’t make a mistake when we wrote 7″ screen. Apparently Samsung is trying to sell us a 7″ device and call it a phablet instead of a tablet, considering 7″ is small tablet category. This device should sport a 720p screen, a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of storage expandable via microSD card and an 8MP camera. It should run Android 4.3 and not the latest iteration of Android 4.4 KitKat. A part of that Android 4.3 offering should be “Phoneblet UX” which will let you run 2 apps at once on your homescreen, although that just sounds like “Multi-Window” feature Samsung has been baking into their devices for a while now.
Maybe this device is a successor to Galaxy Mega and Galaxy W is just a codename, who knows. All we know is that this is going to be (if it ever sees the light of day) way too big for a smartphone or a phablet. The device should launch in South Korea as an SK Telecom exclusive, no word of it coming to Europe, U.S. or any other part of the world for that matter.
SOURCE: SamMobile
The post Samsung Galaxy W to sport a 7″ screen? appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Samsung Gear Blink to compete with Google Glass
More and more evidence is piling up that Samsung plans to compete with Google Glass in the wearables industry. We just learned recently that Samsung has a mighty lead over the current competition on the smartwatch industry, controlling over 70% of the market. Now we have evidence of a trademark for Galaxy Gear Blink in the Korean Intellectual Property Office.
The reported Galaxy Gear Blink has not been confirmed by Samsung and is likely to launch early next year.
Also in the database is the Samsung Rounded, which is likely to be the successor to the Galaxy Round, which never made it to the United States and was sold in limited quantities.
Notice the word “Galaxy” is not in either of these devices, further signaling a desire for Samsung to move on from its successful Android-powered brand. Samsung hopes to one day power of of its devices with Tizen, its own operating system. However as Android has become more and more mature lately with just about the same amount of apps as Apple, it’ll be a difficult thing to convince its customers to ditch Android in the future.
All of this, of course, is just speculation and a while away. Sundar Pichai from Google not too long ago stated that Google’s relationship with Samsung has “no tension whatsoever” and that the “Galaxy S6 would sport Android so there is nothing to worry about.” Rest assured, it seems Google and Samsung are still close buddies.
source:Sammy Today
The post Samsung Gear Blink to compete with Google Glass appeared first on AndroidGuys.
HTC One M8 Prime gets full 360-degree leak
One of the most trusted leakers, @evleaks, has released a full 360-degree view of the new HTC One (M8) Prime.
From the picture and gif file, you can see that the camera has undergone some drastic changes, which hints at a much better camera than the current One’s packing. However, there is always a tradeoff which is giving up the smooth rear shell.
Below is a spec list that the rumored HTC One (M8) is packing:
- 5.5-inch quad HD (2,560 x 1,440)
- 2.3 GHz Snapdragon 805 processor
- 3GB of RAM
- USB 3.0 port
- 18-megapixel Duo Camera
- Water resistant
Thanks again to @evleaks for getting his hands on the render and we hope it shows up soon!
Source: Evleaks
The post HTC One M8 Prime gets full 360-degree leak appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Study suggests e-cigs trump patches for quitting smoking
E-cigs or vaping as it’s often called, is not only more acceptable as far as stink factor and convenience go, but may now finally be considered a real tool in the quest to kick the habit. Fans of vaping have always claimed that this was the case but there’s never been a real study to back them up, and let’s face it, “we think it is” is a bit vaporous. Researchers from the University College London, followed some 6,000 people’s efforts at quitting between summer 2009 and February 2014. The adjusted results suggest that e-cig users were 60% more likely to succeed than those trying nicotine replacement or quitting cold turkey. Of course, all of these people have had to find their own path or program, seeing as the e-devices aren’t a recognized method to most in the health industry. Perhaps now we’ll start to see programs put together tailored to help smokers butt out. While this research does bode well for the e-cig industry, bear in mind this is only one study and we’ve yet to hear anybody weigh in on the health concerns. By the by, we expect a study claiming the exact opposite findings from the nicotine patch people to land in three, two, one…
[Image credit: Shutterstock/PhotoSGH]
Filed under: Science
Via: Business Insider
Source: Addiction
Spyglass beefs up iOS navigation with augmented reality for the great outdoors
Sure, you can use the regular maps available for iOS to get around, but those who trek around the wilderness need a bit more muscle. Well, Spyglass offers just that, employing all of the sensors Apple’s devices house and tossing in a bit of augmented reality for good measure. The app overlays compass, GPS and location info on top of visuals captured by an iPhone camera or the map itself. There’s also a load of more advanced navigation tools for in-depth tracking — options that include a hi-tech viewfinder (HUD), milspec compass, gyrocompass, tactical GPS, speedometer, altimeter, rangefinder, sextant and more. Real-time tracking based on the location of stars, the sun and the moon is possible too, as is the ability to save waypoints for the return trip. You can also save specific spots for later, snap pictures with the data overlaid and employ one of a dozen different coordinate systems ranging from civilian to military. Sound too good to pass up for that next mountain excursion? Spyglass is available now via the iTunes App Store for $3.99.
Via: Uncrate
Source: Spyglass (iTunes)
Microsoft reportedly axed a smaller Surface
We’d surmise that a few folks were disappointed then Microsoft’s Surface event concluded earlier today. Rumors swirled that the “small gathering” tease meant a more compact version of Redmond’s tablet was imminent, but instead the festivities focused on a larger 12-inch pro model. Now, Bloomberg reports that a more compact model was on tap before being nixed ahead of its official debut. The report states that CEO Satya Nadella and EVP Stephen Elop concluded that the device didn’t offer enough pizazz to differentiate it from the options that are currently on the market — smaller Windows-powered slates from the likes of Dell and others. MS engineers had reportedly been working on the so-called Surface mini alongside Qualcomm for the better part of a year before the plug was pulled ahead of final approval.
Filed under: Tablets, Microsoft
Source: Bloomberg
Box for Android App Updates in a Big a Way with Redesigned UI and More
The cloud storage company and app, Box, has just pushed out a pretty major update to the app for Android today. The update moves the app to v3.0 and with a whole number move comes a whole new experience. Finally Box has updated the UI to make cleaner and more polished, not to mention a bit more functional. Going through the old and new app clearly shows a big difference. Lets take a quick look at some of the changes below. All the images on the left are after the Box 3.0 update and the images to the right are the previous app.
Nothing huge in the left slider, but the removal of the blue bar is pretty nice.
The overflow menu has a cool new animation for the popup an it certainly looks quite a bit better than it used too.
The image gallery got an overhaul as well that makes viewing images much faster and when you are scrolling through you images you get a ’3 of 144′ or whatever image you are on in the folder. You can see w quick demo of the new features and look in the New Box 3.0 promo video below.
I dig the ‘swipe’ for action on a particular folder or file. The new update also works seamlessly with OneCloud apps that you might have installed also, which allows you to sign contracts, annotate reports and more. The OneCloud app gallery is native inside Box.
The last little bit of information is that box is extending the MobileIron AppConnect to Box for Android. Now IT admins can deploy Box straight to employees devices with AppConnect policy controls including specific passcode locks and file saving restrictions.
As an added bonus Box has also announced a partnership with LG. Box will come pre-loaded to the new line of G series devices and will be offering new and existing Box customers 50GB of storage for free for one year. This deal also applies to current LG device owners, with the exception of the nexus line.
“Mobility and the cloud are revolutionizing the way businesses and individuals connect, collaborate and stay productive,” said Ramchan Woo, Director of Product Planning at LG Mobile of LG. “We’re incredibly excited to partner with Box and offer our customers a simple, yet powerful solution for sharing and accessing content from LG smartphones and tablets wherever work may take them.”
More detailed info can be found on the Box for Android blog. You can also pick up the Box for Android app through the Play Store.
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