AT&T’s connected car tech can now give you weather, radio and parking help
If you’re frustrated that many cars still don’t have internet-savvy software built-in, take heart: AT&T just gave its Drive connected car platform a big boost with the addition of six big-name apps. Automakers who put Drive in their infotainment systems can now easily give you forecasts on the road through AccuWeather, as well as customized listening through iHeartRadio, Stitcher or Tribune’s Newsbeat. You can also share your whereabouts through Glympse, and find that all-important parking spot using Streetline’s Parker. You’ll have to wait for manufacturers to roll these apps into their vehicles before you see the benefit, but don’t be surprised if your next ride is that much smarter.
Filed under: Transportation, Wireless, AT&T
Source: AT&T
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Hello Moto: when are Motorola’s new products coming to the UK?
Like many other phone makers at IFA this week, Motorola has shown its hand, introducing a new flagship and a revamped version of its highly-rated budget smartphone. It’s even told us when its circular smartwatch will go on sale. It’s unleashed the Moto X, Moto G and Moto 360 on the world, but when are they coming to the UK and how much will they cost? Let us explain.
Moto X
Yup, the Moto X is back. It has the same name, but don’t worry, things have upscaled quite a bit. With a 1080p 5.2-inch AMOLED display, it’s ever-so-slightly bigger than its predecessor, and it’s a little weightier too. Inside you’ll find Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 801 processor with a 2.5GHz quad-core CPU, an Adreno 330 578MHz GPU and 2GB of RAM. There’s also a 13-megapixel camera (up from the 10-megapixel sensor in the older model) and it’s powered by a 2,300 mAh battery. While it runs Android 4.4 KitKat now, expect an Android L upgrade in the very near future.
Although Motorola is now owned by Lenovo, the popular Moto Maker customization service is important to its new owner as it was to Google. It’s back and there’s an added bonus: it’s also coming to the UK. That’s right, you’ll now be able personalise your Moto X with a bespoke design and even deck it out in leather (if that’s what excites you).
Whether you buy a ready-made 16GB Moto X from Amazon or design your own using Moto Maker, the phone will cost £419.99 when it goes on sale at the end of September. If you’re looking to ramp up the quality, however, both the wood and leather options will set you back a little extra, meaning you’ll pay £439.99 for your unlocked handset. The same can be said of the 32GB model, which starts at £459.99 and rises to £479.99 if you want that premium feel.
Moto G
Like the X, Motorola has also decided to stick to what it knows with the new Moto G. Given that it’s Motorola’s best-selling smartphone of all time, there’s no reason to mess with success. Again, the company has decided to improve things a little, first by equipping the G with a bigger 5-inch 720 HD IPS display. That helps make it a touch bigger and heavier than its older sibling.
While it features the same 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, Motorola has upgraded the G’s sound output by including two front stereo speakers (up from the one rear-mounted speaker on the original) and enhanced it’s photo-taking abilities with an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facer. As before, it’ll come with 8GB or 16GB of internal storage and let you add more with its expandable memory slot.
With more new than old, it’s reassuring to see that the new Moto G isn’t going to cost much more than the original. Amazon will sell it to you for a tenner extra from today (although we’re not seeing it yet), pricing it at £144.99. While you won’t enjoy the delights of Moto Maker with the G, Motorola’s coloured shells will be available and go on sale from October.
Moto 360
While we’ve got our hands on the Moto 360 before, Motorola kept specifics like release dates and pricing under wraps. We now know that the circular smartwatch will go on sale at O2, Tesco, Amazon and John Lewis from “early October,” starting at £199. It’ll ship with grey leather and black leather straps initially, but Motorola has said it will offer sleeker silver and black metallic options later this autumn.
Moto Hint
Motorola’s new stylish Bluetooth headset is designed to be discrete as possible. It’s so discrete that it’s not even got a UK release date or price yet. While we hunt for more details, here’s a photo of the Moto Hint to keep you entertained.
Steve Dent contributed to this article.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wearables, Software, Mobile
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Chrome on Android is the latest Google app to get a cleaner, flatter look
Google’s “Material Design” was a major part of this year’s I/O conference and now it’s rolling out to an Android app you probably use a lot more than the Play Store: Chrome. The browser’s stable version is the latest recipient of the not-quite-flat façade and fancy animations. Lest you think the mobile web-surfing tool’s new tricks are only skin deep, however, Mountain View has added a bit more functionality, surely. Signing into the application with your Google account now logs you into the search giant’s websites, like Groups, as well. It’s pretty easy to see where Page and co. see the hierarchy of importance for their apps, given the sequence of what’s getting the Material Design threads and when. Should Gmail be next in line, it likely wouldn’t surprise too many people. The odds of Google Voice getting these new duds anytime soon? Slim — but that’s just a guess.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Internet, Mobile, Google
Source: Google Play
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Philips’ new curved TV and 4K media player run on Android
Philips has just revealed a new lineup of 4K TVs, along with a way to actually play something on them. The standout model is the 55-inch curved Philips 8900 model that brings Smart TV features via Android. That gives access to the Google Play Store for apps, games and content and an interface that smartphone users may find less miserable more comfortable. The set itself uses Philips’ three-sided Ambilight and micro dimming to adapt the viewing experience to your room, along with a 1,000 Hz refresh rate, high-quality upscaling and a curved “ribbon” stand. Unlike Samsung and others, Philips didn’t explain exactly why it thought a curved screen was a good thing, other than hyping its “striking appearance” (hey, at least they’re honest).
Philips (or rather TP Vision, the awkwardly-named company that markets Philips TVs) also showed off the Philips 9100, a flat, high-end model UltraHD TV in 55- and 65-inch sizes. It also gets Smart TV functions powered by Android, and the 1,000 Hz refresh rate, upscaling, and four-sided Ambilight glow. But the model’s piece de resistance is Spotify integration, letting you control music with your smartphone, without actually tying it up for streaming. Unlike the curved model, it also ships with a 50 watt subwoofer.
For the budget set, TP Vision launched the Philips 7900 UltraHD TVs in 49- and 55-inch sizes. Those models are also powered by Android, but have knocked-down specs like two-sided Ambilight only (instead of four-sided), and 600Hz refresh rates — two features that purists won’t care about anyway. Like the rest of the models, the 7900 also sports minimal bezels.
Finally, if you’re tired of upscaling HD content, TP Vision also announced the Philips Media Player UHD 880, joining Samsung, Sony and a few others with such a box. It’ll work with all the new Philips models as well as those from 2013 and use a new HEVC streaming format (aka H.265), the standard used by video services like Netflix. The UHD 880 will be powered by Google’s upcoming Android L OS, giving users the store, apps and games that also come on the TVs. Other features include WiFi, ethernet, USB and HDMI 2.0. It’ll run 249 euros when it arrives in Europe early next year, but if you bought an 8000- or 9000-series model like the first two above, Philips will throw it in for free. Meanwhile, all three new 4K model lines will arrive to Europe in Russia sometime this quarter, but there’s no word yet on pricing.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
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Evernote 6 arrives with refined design and a plethora of enhancements
Evernote, one of the best note taking apps out there, is receiving a pretty decent update. The version 6 update comes with a slew of enhancements, as well as a Material Design-esque overhaul.
Andrew Sinkov writes,
For some, it’s an on-the-go companion to a desktop version of Evernote, while for many others, Android is their primary computing platform, and Evernote is their primary workspace. That’s what we’re building Evernote to be, and that’s what the new Evernote 6 redesign is all about.
Part of the big design change is the floating New Note button. Tap it, and you’ll be presented with a big list of options on which note to create. It’s 
smooth and easily accessible, which is something we really like to see in note taking apps.
There is also the addition of a navigation drawer, much like we’ve seen in many other note taking apps. Swipe from the left to view a list of your notebooks, tags, and shortcuts.
Web clippings have finally arrived on Android, as well. Click the Share button on any web page, choose your notebook destination, and there you have it! The web clipping is added to your notebook of choice.
There are also a few other features to make life a bit easier for heavy users of the platform. Searching is easier than ever, due to the search box at the top of the screen, present at all times. And while you’re at it, you can now share full notebooks with other Evernote users just by clicking a share button at the top of your notebook.
Also added, are a few more fixes to improve the usability of the app:
- Cleaner note editor layout improves viewing and updating notes
- Redesigned tablet experience
- New camera makes switching between modes a snap
- Enhanced handwriting support with pinch to zoom and better recognition
The folks at Evernote have been hard at work to make their awesome app even better. If you haven’t yet, check out the update for yourself!
Source: Evernote
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LAST CHANCE! Measure gas, light, humidity, and more with Sensordrone Bluetooth Sensor [DEAL OF DAY]
Just a quick heads up for you guys and gals who may have been on the fence over the Sensordrone we highlighted a few weeks back. There are only two days left to jump on the deal so, if you’re hoping to take advantage of the 25% savings, you’ll have to act fast! Once we hit September 6 these are gone!
Today’s deal of the day is the Sensordrone, a portable Bluetooth device that can programmed to turn your smartphone into a gas leak detector, carbon monoxide detector, and more. Small enough to hook to your keys, there are nearly a dozen sensors inside. What’s more, it is also an open platform for other Bluetooth devices and accessories. With 11 apps to complement the device already, it works with virtually all versions of Android.
Sensor capabilities:
- Precision Gas Sensor – Test air quality, carbon monoxide levels
- Reducing Gas Sensor – Sense methane, propane, and natural gas leaks
- Oxidizing Gas Sensor – Ozone sensing and chlorine leaks
- Non-Contact Thermometer – Check food temperature, engine diagnostics, and whatever else you point it at
- Humidity Sensor – Check heat index, but also great for finding optimum food storage conditions, even preventing mold from growing in your home
- Temperature Sensor – Measure ambient temperature
- Light Sensor – For checking light intensity, sunlight monitoring, or even late-night refrigerator use
- Color Sensors – Use as a color meter, color matcher/analyzer, even pattern recognition
- Pressure Sensor – Works as a barometer or altimeter, and you can connect to a pressure cuff to act as a blood pressure monitor
- Proximity Sensor – Use it as a stud finder or liquid level monitor
- Expansion Connector – Digital (TTL UART & i2C) and analog (0-3V) interface for connecting other sensors like EKGs, Thermal Printers, and more
Learn more about the Sensordrone Bluetooth Sensor at deals.androidguys.com. While you’re there be sure to check out some of the other wonderful savings, bundles, and freebies!
The post LAST CHANCE! Measure gas, light, humidity, and more with Sensordrone Bluetooth Sensor [DEAL OF DAY] appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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Android Wear BeeLink: Connect to Android devices from your smartwatch [‘Watch’ This App]
One of the biggest complaints from smartwatch users is that it’s a difficult process to connect the smartwatch to their different Android devices. Users oftentimes find it to be a confusing, tedious process, and just plain hard to switch from one device to another. If this is a problem you have, then the Android Wear BeeLink app might… Read more »
The post Android Wear BeeLink: Connect to Android devices from your smartwatch [‘Watch’ This App] appeared first on SmarterWatching.
Read the rest at SmarterWatching.com!
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Google to refund consumers $19M in unauthorized in-app purchases
You may recall quite some time ago when Google got in some trouble for violating a pretty hefty FTC complaint. The Federal Trade Commission launched a prohibition on unfair commercial practices by billing consumers for charges by children in kids’ apps. This was way back in 2011, and we’re finally getting to see the outcome of their mistake.
We all know what happens in children’s games: the app itself may be free to download, but once in the app, you can use real money to get further in the game. And in kids’ games, it isn’t their own money that they’re using… it’s their parents’. Well, Google is now required to give a minimum of $19M worth of refunds to consumers wrongfully charged (or charged by accident).
Since 2011, Google has done a few things to create a better system for IAPs. Aside from racking up tons of money in in-app purchases, there’s another way users were wrongfully charged for children accidentally purchasing apps. Before purchase a paid app, users must enter in their Google account password. However, there is a 30-minute window after the password is entered to purchase anything in the Play Store without re-entering the password.
Getting back to today, Google must contact consumers who have made in-app purchases to inform them of the refund process. The company is required to issue at least $19 million worth of refunds to consumers. If they refund less than the set cost within 12 months, Google is required to remit the remaining balance to the FTC to either help remedy consumer complaints, or to return the rest to the United States Treasury.
Source: FTC
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Lenovo reveals the Vibe Z2, its very first 64-bit smartphone
It seems that Lenovo are the latest company to jump on the 64-bit bandwagon with their new Vibe Z2 smartphone, a device that sees the company keeping up with the latest architecture.
The 64-bit device sports a 1.4-GHz quad-core processor, 5.2-inch screen at 720p, 32GB of internal storage, dual SIM, a 13-Megapixel camera, and a 3000mAh battery.
The Vibe Z2 will cost $429 when it launches in October beginning in China first, and then Asia, Europe, and Latin America shortly after.
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Samsung announces new ruggedized tablet, the Galaxy Tab Active
Samsung is no stranger to trying what no one else will, and that is extremely apparent with their newest tablet. They’ve just announced their new rugged tablet, the Galaxy Tab Active.
Armed with both water and dust proofing, the Tab Active boasts a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1280×800 LCD display, 1.5GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, and a 3.1MP rear-facing camera. It has SD card support for up to 64GB of extra storage. Samsung is also saying that the Tab Active can withstand up to a 1.2 meter drop. It’s also shipping with a more rugged C-Pen stylus.
Marketed towards business professionals that may need to use a tough tablet on a construction site (or something of the sort), this tablet is absolutely a one-of-a-kind piece of hardware.
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AIVAnet 