Watch This App: Chron Watch
So you’ve got an Android Wear device and now you’re looking for some Android apps to go along with it. We’ve got you covered. Our Watch This App column is designed to help educate readers in the various apps available for the platform and highlight the best of the bunch. Watch This App: Chron Watch Customization of your watch… Read more »
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How to instantly speed up the Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One M8 & LG G3
Hidden deep in Android, following the KitKat 4.4 release, is a feature that can be enabled to instantly speed up your Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One M8, LG G3, and pretty much any Android device that supports KitKat.
It’s called ART, and that stands for Android Runtime, which is the successor to the Dalvik system currently used since Android’s inception. ART uses what Google calls an ‘ahead of time’ compiler as opposed to Dalvik’s ‘just in time’. Dalvik worked by converting each app on the fly when it was called upon to be launched. ART on the other hand converts it during installation, ultimately resulting in a larger app file size, but meaning the app launches pretty much instantly. The result? The device is quicker and battery life is improved.
So how do you do it?
The new ART runtime system isn’t enabled by default in Android 4.4 KitKat so you’ll need to head into the hidden ‘Developer Options’ menu in the Settings to access it. To enable the hidden ‘Developer Options’ go into Settings > About Phone > Build number and Tap the build number 7 times. Once there, go to ‘Select Runtime’ and change the selection from ‘Dalvik’ to ‘ART’.
You’ll have to reboot after changing the setting and you may have to wait a few minutes whilst ART does its thing in the background converting all your installed apps, but once the progress meter is done you’re good to go.
Whilst ART provides increased speed and improved battery life, you may find that not all Apps are 100% compatible; however since Android L has been released with the developer preview, the chances of finding an incompatible App has greatly reduced.
Drop us a comment and let us know if you’ve noticed a speed improvement on your device.
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Google banks on its own tech to protect Chrome users from another Heartbleed
Last month Google said that it was tired of mashed-together bug fixes for OpenSSL and decided to create its own fork called BoringSSL. It has now implemented that variant in the latest Chromium build, the open-source software that eventually arrives in Chrome. OpenSSL is software used for secure connections — created largely by volunteers — and an overlooked code problem recently caused the infamous Heartbleed bug. When BoringSSL was first announced, there was some grumbling from the security community about yet another flavor of SSL. But Google said that with over 70 patches now in OpenSSL, it was becoming much too unwieldy to implement in Chrome. It added that it wasn’t trying to replace OpenSSL and would continue to send any of its own bug fixes to that group. It’ll likely be implemented in the next version of Chrome, but you’ll be able try the beta soon here, if you’re feeling lucky.
[Image credit: AP/Mark Lennihan]
Filed under: Internet, Software, Google
Source: Google
ZTE’s latest fitness tracker looks just like a FuelBand
Why yes, here’s yet another fitness band from China! Just two days after Xiaomi’s $13 Mi Band, ZTE will no doubt have a hard time getting attention for its awkwardly named Grand Band. The company’s second smart wearable device reminds us of the Nike+ FuelBand with its dot-matrix LED screen plus the positioning of its sole button, but it uses an adjustable snap-on strap instead of the latter’s fixed-size type. As you’d expect, the 14mm-thick, shower-friendly band packs all the common features: pedometer (with distance and calorie calculator), sleep monitor and smart alarm. Better yet, it’s compatible with all Bluetooth 4.0 host devices running on iOS or Android 4.3 and above. The Grand Band will be launched in China first next month, and as a “reasonable, affordable premium” product, ZTE hinted that it’ll be priced somewhere around the common 800 yuan ($130) to 1,000 yuan ($160) tier. Hmm, looks like we’ll stick with Xiaomi’s cheaper and slimmer device — only if we can even get hold of one. Hands-on video after the break.
Filed under: Wearables
One terabyte of storage in your device could be a reality in the near Future
The days of running out of storage space on your device may be numbered. A couple of very smart chaps at Rice University are very close to being able to mass produce their next-generation memory. Their memory, classified as “resistive random-access memory” or RRAM (not to be confused with RAM!), uses a dielectric material to form paths across two wires, but only when sufficient voltage is supplied. And the key behind the Rice team’s work is that their dielectric material is silicon oxide. The properties of the memory device allow it to be much denser, lasting 100 times longer and being able to store 3 times as many bits per cell as conventional flash memory, making one terabyte of storage in a mobile device a real possibility. Head of the Rice team, James Tour, says:
“This memory is superior to all other two-terminal unipolar resistive memories by almost every metric… And because our devices use silicon oxide — the most studied material on Earth — the underlying physics are both well-understood and easy to implement in existing fabrication facilities.”
This concept has actually existed for about 5 years, however, it hasn’t been till recently that a way for manufacturers to create the memory in conventional conditions has been discovered. As you can imagine, memory companies are very interested in the technology and the team at Rice have already said that interested companies are already inquiring with them.
What do you think about the possibility of one terabyte of storage in your device? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Rice University via engadget
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You can pilot one of the robots from ‘Pacific Rim’ in virtual reality at Comic-Con
We’re not sure how many of the new Oculus Rift VR kits have shipped out to developers already, but it looks like a healthy amount are in San Diego right now. That’s where Comic-Con is happening this week and, following the X-Men VR demo we already heard about, Legendary Pictures and Oculus have teamed up for Pacific Rim: Jaeger Pilot. It lets attendees take control of the 250-foot tall Jaeger “Gipsy Danger” (no drift connection necessary) and do battle in a virtual reality combat simulator against the kaiju Knifehead (the first one you see in the movie). The whole experience is built in Unreal Engine 4 using the same assets Industrial Light & Magic worked with for the movie. Sure, you’ve seen the movie, and maybe even in IMAX 3D, but we’re pretty sure even Guillermo del Toro’s directing tricks can’t add up to feeling like you’re there, fighting an 8,700 ton monster off the coast of Alaska. It’s all in Legendary’s booth #3920 for all four days the show is open, from Thursday through Sunday. Don’t have a ticket? There’s a video preview embedded after the break, but it can’t compare to diving into a VR world with Oculus — maybe we’ll be able to enjoy it at home by April 2017 when Pacific Rim 2 arrives.
Join the fight! ‘Drift with the Rift’ exclusively at the @Legendary booth (#3920) & prepare to pilot a 250ft Jaeger. http://t.co/C6CeXE7ldp
– Legendary (@Legendary) July 24, 2014
Filed under: Displays, Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Halfbrick Studios’ Colossatron is now free for all on Android
Colossatron is now free for all to play on Android. Colossatron: Massive World Threat is one of Halfbrick Studios‘ latest games, which they say is best described as “a match-3 puzzle game that takes place on the back of a giant robotic snake which never stops moving.” While that sounds pretty crazy, that’s almost standard fare for the developer who came up with games like Jetpack Joyride and Fruit Ninja. Don’t think it can be that crazy? Check out the launch trailer:
Who doesn’t want to destroy an entire city? Even if you’re not convinced by the trailer, you really can’t go wrong with a free game from the guys who made Fruit Ninja. And it looks like it’s a permanent price drop, so you’ll be able to enjoy it whenever you feel like destroying things. Lots of things.
If you’re interested in picking up Colossatron and trying it out, you can find the Play Store link below. Note: don’t be alarmed by the $0.99 on the link; clicking through to the Play Store page will show that it’s actually free. Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments below.
Source: Halfbrick Studios
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Future phones could house a terabyte of storage
You may think that the 3GB of memory in your new smartphone is hot stuff, but that pales in comparison with what Rice University has in store. Its scientists have detailed a form of resistive RAM (RRAM) that can be made using regular equipment at room temperatures, making it practical for everyday gadgets. The trick is the use of porous silicon oxide where metals (such as gold or platinum) fill the gaps. Using the silicon material doesn’t just give manufacturers something familiar to work with; it requires much less power than previous techniques, can last through 100 times as many uses and isn’t fazed by heat. It’s also far denser than earlier RRAM, storing nine bits per cell where even conventional flash storage stops at three. The result should be an easy-to-make RAM chip with the kind of capacity that you’d normally expect from much larger permanent storage, like an SSD — as the company Crossbar hinted when it first discussed this approach, you could stuff 1TB into a component the size of a postage stamp.
That’s just about ideal for mobile devices, and could mean that future phones and tablets won’t have to worry about low memory errors for a long, long time. Crossbar’s technology is due in later this year in chips destined for embedded uses like appliances and cars, so the breakthrough won’t be noticeable at first. Research lead James Tour tells MIT that he expects a deal with an unnamed manufacturer in the next couple of weeks, though, so it’s entirely possible that this super-capacious memory will become commonplace.
Filed under: Storage, Science, Mobile
Source: Rice University
Now TV arrives on the PlayStation 4 today, Xbox One in the coming weeks
A couple of months back, Sky revealed that it was working on bringing Now TV to Sony and Microsoft’s next-gen consoles. Today, it finally started that rollout with the PlayStation 4, ensuring Sony fans have all of their bases covered in the process. Although the Xbox One app is still in development, the broadcaster notes that it will become available in the coming weeks. Neither the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One require a subscription to access the Now TV app, meaning you’ll only need to put money down for Sky’s movie, entertainment or sports packages to get streaming.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
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