Barnes & Noble launches the $179 Galaxy Tab 4 Nook
Barnes & Noble has officially kicked off a new era — one in which it doesn’t manufacture its own tablets. The struggling book outlet announced last summer that it would work with other manufacturers going forward and Samsung is first in line. The Galaxy Tab 4 Nook is the fruit of this partnership. It’s a tablet built for reading first, as opposed to gaming or web browsing. While the device is undeniably Samsung, the software still retains some of that Barnes & Noble flair. Anyone who’s used the previous Nook tablets will immediately recognize some of the features baked in here. The default homescreen has a widget showing recommended and recently read titles. Naturally, too, Barnes & Noble’s Nook store is the primary content source, rather than the Play Store or Samsung Hub. But it’s obvious that Sammy is in the driver’s seat. Key features like multi-window mode are even included for some multi-tasking (say, if you want to tweet a quote from your favorite novel). B&N is pitching it as “the first full-featured Android tablet designed for reading.” Then again, the company has said the same about every other Nook tablet.
To be clear, it’s the same hardware as the existing Galaxy Tab 4 7.0, which is to say it’s exceptionally small, even for a 7-inch tablet. In fact it doesn’t appear to be that much larger than your average e-reader. To give you some perspective, an executive stashed the device inside his suit pocket during an onstage demo — something this editor would never dream of trying with a Nexus 7. All told, it’s only 0.35-inch thick, so it’s quite the svelte little device.
Obviously, though, content is king here. The company is including what it claims is $200 in free content with the latest Nook. You’ll get copies of Freakonomics, The Wanderer, and I Am Number Four, along with trial subscriptions of Sports Illustrated and Cosmo among others. Oh, and free episodes of shows like Orphan Black and Veep. We’ll be testing one out in the coming days but in the meantime, stay tuned for our hands-on post.
Dana Wollman contributed to this report.
Filed under: Tablets, Mobile, Samsung
.CPlase_panel display:none;
The world’s largest solar thermal power plant is incinerating thousands of local birds
A common sight in the sky above the world’s largest solar thermal power plant is a “streamer,” a small plume of smoke that occurs without warning. Closer inspection, however, reveals that the source of the smoke is a bird which has inadvertently strayed into the white-hot heat above the plant’s many reflecting mirrors. Because the BrightSource Energy plant near Ivanpah uses supercritical steam rather than photovoltaic energy, the sun’s heat is reflected off more than 300,000 mirrors to a single point, which is used to drive a steam turbine. The downside of that, of course, is that it’s lethal for any wildlife that strays into the picture — a problem that was recognized well before the facility opened, but now the government has gotten involved.
Government wildlife inspectors believe that insects are drawn to the highly reflective mirrors, which in turn lures local birds to their doom. BrightSource feels that the issue has been overblown, claiming that only 1,000 living creatures will die in a year, but the Center for Biological Diversity believes the actual figure is closer to 28,000. The US Fish and Wildlife service is pushing for more information and an accurate calculation of the deaths before California grants the company any more permits for solar plants. That’s because the next planned facility, close to the California – Arizona border, is directly beneath a flight path used by rare birds like the Golden Eagle and Peregrine Falcon.
Filed under: Misc, Science, Google
Source: CBC
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Uber embeds itself in United, OpenTable and other major apps
Uber, the on-demand car startup that’s apparently twice as valuable as SpaceX, apparently isn’t satisfied with just one paltry mobile app. That’s why it finally did what many Silicon Valley prognosticators thought it would: it launched a free API (application programming interface, if you were curious) to coax developers into baking Uber features into their apps. The company’s ultimate goal? To quietly invade the rest of your mobile world so you can’t help but flag down a black town car with your smartphone someday.
Let’s back up for a second: what’s an API? Long story short, think of it as the not-so-secret sauce that lets app creators tap into data from other companies for use in their own software. Companies who open APIs up to the public have some tough decisions to make, like exactly what sort of data everyone gets access to. In this case, Uber says apps you make “can pass a destination address to the Uber app, display pickup times, provide fare estimates, access trip history and more.”
Anyway, moving on. For now, Uber has 11 app partners in its stable, and the full list is… eclectic to say the least. Sure, it makes sense for travel players like TripAdvisor, Hyatt Hotels, United Airlines and OpenTable to get in on the action – after all, what good is crafting an itinerary if you don’t have the means to get around? A few of the others like Starbucks and social dating app Hinge, seem like more of a stretch. Are you ever really that desperate for a caramel frappuccino? For the sake of your glucose levels, we hope not. Here’s the thing though: don’t expect to download all these apps and start hailing Escalades in an instant. The company said in its official announcement that this functionality will only be available to “a small set” of app partners for now, though it didn’t elaborate on who they were.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Uber Blog
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Team Meat teases ‘A Voyeur for September’ a so-called live-action stealth game coming to Android
Team Meat is best known as the studio behind Super Meat Boy, one of the most fast, frenetic, and frustrating platforming games to grace the gaming landscape in recent memory. While it was believed the two man team of Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes had been working on their next game, Mew-Genics, that project has been put on hold while they work on another game, A Voyeur for September. Team Meat describes the game as a “live-action stealth game” and the teaser trailer appears to adopt the perspective of someone spying on others. Check it out:
While it’s hard to infer anything from the teaser, it does seem like A Voyeur for September will be a bit of a departure for Team Meat’s generally absurdist games. The game is due to be shown at PAX Prime at the Indie Mega Booth and is said to be releasing on Android, iOS, PC and Linux. No word on release schedule, but you can tabs on the A Voyeur for September website for any updates, and there will definitely be more news come September 1st when PAX Prime begins.
Does A Voyeur for September look like a game you want to play? Let us know your thoughts on it in the comments below.
Source: Gamespot via Pocketgamer
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('‘);
//]]>
The post Team Meat teases ‘A Voyeur for September’ a so-called live-action stealth game coming to Android appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
.CPlase_panel display:none;
AT&T’s gigabit internet beats Google Fiber to Silicon Valley
Well, this has to be awkward: the first company to bring gigabit internet to Silicon Valley isn’t Google, it’s AT&T. The telco’s ultra-high speed U-verse service will land in Cupertino in a few months, meaning that Apple employees (or any other subscribers in the area) will be able to test AT&T’s claim that you can download 25 songs in a single second sometime soon. AT&T’s senior VP of U-verse Eric Boyer tells Bloomberg that bringing Gigapower to the city is a “no brainer” considering how intrinsic bandwidth is to the area. For its part, Google has plans to expand Fiber’s rollout into nearby San Jose, but when that’ll happen is anyone’s guess — maybe this could, ahem, speed that along.
[Image credit: Associated Press]
Filed under: Internet, Apple, Google, AT&T
Source: PRNewswire
.CPlase_panel display:none;
ZTE’s camera-heavy mini flagship makes rare leap to the US
Chinese phone makers are smacking Samsung and others around right now, but it’s still hard to find high-end, non-carrier-branded devices stateside. That said, ZTE — which has quietly become the world’s number five smartphone brand — has just launched its Nubia 5S mini LTE in the US unlocked for $280. You may be more tempted by a Nexus 5 if specs are your thing, as the Nubia 5s mini is “merely” equipped with a quad-core Snapdragon 400, 2GB RAM, 16GB expandable memory and a 4.7-inch, 720p screen. But ZTE’s wooing a younger crowd by touting the ample 5-megapixel front/13-megapixel rear cameras with f/2.2 iris and manual controls, along with the photo effects, LTE (for GSM carriers) and pocketable size. It also vows to repair any damage you inflict for any reason up to 18 months after purchase for $80 — a boon to any of us who’ve broken a screen. It’s now up on pre-order at Amazon, with shipping set to start on August 27th.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
.CPlase_panel display:none;
LG’s Music Flow offers multi-room speakers controlled by a messaging app
LG has just announced a new range of wireless speakers, sound bar and network bridge called Music Flow, and by the looks of it, the company wants a piece of whatever action Sonos is getting. The system even comes with the Music Flow Player app that’s a lot like Sonos’ controller app, which can access your entire music library, even songs saved on other devices connected to your home WiFi network. Also, the app serves as the command center for all the pieces in your Music Flow network, streams internet radio stations and turns into an ordinary phone player when you step out of the house. Obviously, you can use the app to select among the system’s modes, including a multi-room one that plays a single song on all the Music Flow speakers in your house, say, when there’s a party.
What’s interesting, though, is that its HomeChat function uses the Line app to communicate with your other Music Flow devices. For instance, you can use the feature to chat with your network if you want song recommendations while you’re out. Finally, LG claims this is the first Hi-Fi audio system that you can control with one-tap through NFC. LG will release two Music Flow speakers (models 40W and 70) and the network bridge in the UK this month and in other European countries by September. The 30W speaker and the Sound Bar will be available globally after that. You can, however, see the whole system on display in September at IFA 2014 in Berlin, along with the company’s new curved TVs.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, LG
Source: LG
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Twitter to delete photos of deceased upon family request
After saying it would take a more hands-on approach to bullying, Twitter will now remove images of deceased persons upon family request in “certain circumstances.” That follows an atrocious instance of harassment, in which several users sent Zelda Williams fake images of a body in a morgue following the death of her father, Robin Williams. After she decided to leave the social network, Twitter said it “(would) not tolerate abuse of this nature.” The new policy states that users can request the removal of such images “from when critical injury occurs to the moments before or after death” by emailing privacy@twitter.com. However, Twitter added that it would also consider “public interest factors” and may not accommodate all requests.
Filed under: Internet, Software
Via: Gizmodo
Source: Twitter
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Alleged Schematic Shows Protruding Camera Ring on 4.7-Inch iPhone 6
Throughout the past few months, a number of design drawings, physical mockups, and component leaks have hinted at a protruding camera ring camera on the iPhone 6. Initial rumors indicated that the physical feature would be exclusive to the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6, however recent photos of the 4.7-inch version’s rear shell may indicate that it will also include a protruding camera ring.
Now, an alleged schematic shared by Apple.club.tw (Google Translate, via G for Games) once again shows a protruding camera ring on the back of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, which is measured at 0.67-0.77 millimeters. The website also claims that the phone will be 7 millimeters thick, which lines up with the most recent leak showing off the device’s rear shell and front panel for the first time.
Additionally, it is claimed that the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 has been given a codename of N56, while the 5.5-inch version is known as N61. This is in line with the code names of prior iPhones, as the CDMA version of the iPhone 4 was known as N92. However, no additional evidence suggests that N56 and N61 are the exact code names of both iPhone 6 models.
Apple will unveil the iPhone 6 on September 9, with a launch for the 4.7-inch version likely coming about a week or so after. It is possible that the 5.5-inch model may launch alongside its smaller counterpart, however production issues may push back its release until late next year or 2015.
Both models of the iPhone 6 will likely incorporate a faster A8 processor, a thinner, rounded chassis, and iOS 8. The camera on the iPhone 6 will also be improved, featuring a unified, round dual-LED “True Tone” flash and some form of image stabilization.
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Like Lamborghini’s? Like phones? Then the BQM Monza ‘Lamborghini phone’ is just the device for you
The feature phone, despite incredible technological advances by smartphones, has managed to stubbornly stick around. While you might think it’s just smartphones that get the bells and whistles, wait till you see the BQM Monza AKA the Lamborghini phone (above). Not just Lamborghini branded, the whole device is shaped like a toy car with the only thing absent a set of movable wheels. While it’s probably not going to be on anybody’s wishlist any time soon, the little kid inside me wants to see how fast it is going down my corridor.
The BQM Monza obviously isn’t going to be your first option when it comes to productivity, but it does have WhatsApp, two SIM slots, a microSD slot and has a very normal micro-USB charging port. The front of the phone, which is decorated with very subtly detailed parts (like the steering wheel inspired navigation buttons and Lamborghini badge shaped earpiece speaker) is made of plastic while the back of the phone is made of metal, furthering the comparison to a toy car. Unfortunately, the BQM Monza is only going to be sold in Russia. Shucks…
What do you think about the BQM Monza? Would you be interested in this Lamborghini phone? Let us know your thoughts.
Source: Mobile Review via Phone Arena
//<![CDATA[
ord = window.ord || Math.floor(Math.random()*1E16);
document.write('‘);
//]]>
The post Like Lamborghini’s? Like phones? Then the BQM Monza ‘Lamborghini phone’ is just the device for you appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
.CPlase_panel display:none;
AIVAnet 