Lenovo to launch tablets under Motorola’s name once acquisition completes
Motorola has not released a tablet in more than four years. In October 2011, it was the Xyboard that hit the market to represent what the company could do with tablets. Pretty soon, though, Motorola will return to the tablet market (just like HTC). Lenovo just needs to finish the acquisition process which is expected to happen by the end of this year.
Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanquing said in an interview that tablets would return to the Motorola brand after his company has completed the acquisition. As expected, new phones will be on the way as well. The Chinese company is applying a dual-brand strategy with Motorola. Depending upon the brand awareness in certain regions, Lenovo will either apply its own, Motorola’s, or both names to a product. For example, it is safe to assume the Motorola name will be the only one used in the United States. Other markets, like China, will likely continue to see Lenovo.
Source: China Times
Via: G 4 Games
Come comment on this article: Lenovo to launch tablets under Motorola’s name once acquisition completes
Teenagers use voice commands most often and really want to order pizza
Teenagers use voice commands a lot and they really want to order pizza. That is just some of what Google found from its Mobile Voice Study. Google looked at 1,400 smartphone users and how they use voice commands from Google Search, Apple’s Siri, and Microsoft’s Cortana. Teenagers (ages 13-18) use voice commands every day while adults are more inclined to “feel tech savvy” because of it.
Here are some notes from the Mobile Voice Study:
- 55% of teenagers in the United States use voice commands every day
- 45% of adults feel geeky when using voice commands
- 89% of teenagers and 85% of adults believe that voice commands will be “very common” in the future
- 22% of teenagers use voice commands in the bathroom
- 45% of teenagers selected “send me pizza” when told to “pick one thing you wish you could ask your phone to do for you”
- Northeasterners are the most active group to use voice commands — 50% use it at least once per day
Teens Use Voice Search Most, Even in Bathroom, Google’s Mobile Voice Study Finds
Study of 1400 smartphone users reveals American teens embracing hands-free search — 45% wish they could use voice search to have pizza delivered
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG, GOOGL) today released the results of the Mobile Voice Study, a look at voice search habits among American smartphone users across different age ranges. Among teens 13-18, 55% use voice search every day, 56% of adults said it makes them “feel tech savvy,” and both age groups are talking to their phones while watching TV (38%) — and wish voice search could help them find the remote control (41%).
“Voice search is a key feature of the Google app that’s becoming ever more important as people spend more time on their mobile phones,” said Scott Huffman, Google’s Vice President for Conversational Search. “We wanted to learn more about how people of all ages use Google hands-free on their phones. We found that for teens, voice search comes as naturally as checking social media and they’re getting very creative about how (and where) they use it. The study gives us great ideas about new ways we could help people — maybe even help them find their keys and other elusive objects.”
The Mobile Voice Study asked participants to articulate their opinions about voice search (the most popular examples of which are Google, Siri and Cortana), and to explain how, where and why they use the mobile feature. Respondents prioritize voice search for activities that require safety and efficiency. For example:
- 40% use voice search to ask for directions.
- 39% use the feature to dictate a text message.
- 32% do so to make a phone call.
- 23% of adult Americans use voice search “when I’m cooking.”
- 51% of teens (and 32% of adults) use voice search “just for fun.”
- 27% use voice search to check the weather.
Teens Most Active Users of Hands-Free Search (Even in the Bathroom)
The majority of U.S. teens (55%) use hands-free search every day, and that figure rises to 75% among teens who are wedded to their smartphones (using it 11+ hours per day). While hands-free search is growing more common across all age groups, some self-consciousness remains: 45% of adult Americans admit to “feeling like a geek” when they talk to their smartphone. Despite this, all age groups agree that voice search will be “very common” in the future (89% of teens and 85% of adults agree).
76% of all Americans think voice search is great for multitasking. 59% of teens and 36% of adults use the their phone’s voice search while watching TV and 22% of teens claim to use it “when I’m in the bathroom”. Overall, two-thirds (64%) think voice search is cool and nearly as many (58%) say they feel tech savvy.
U.S. Teens: I Want My Phone to Send Me Pizza
When asked to “pick one thing you wish you could ask your phone to do for you,” 45% of American teens selected “send me a pizza.” More pragmatic adults wished they could ask their phone to “tell me where my keys are,” though “send me a pizza” was also popular among 36% of adults. A nearly equal number of teens and adults (34% and 33%, respectively) want their smartphones to one day tell them where to find their TV’s remote control. With Oct. 31 just a few weeks away, 16% of teens wish their phone could tell them what costume to wear on Halloween.
New Yorkers embrace voice search most; multi-taskers talk to phones while cooking
Google’s Mobile Voice Study also found that:
- Among Americans of all ages, Northeasterners are the nation’s most active voice searchers, with 50% using it at least once per day.
- New Yorkers are the likeliest Americans to use voice search to ask about the weather (43% do so).
- Northeasterners (28%) and Westerners (26%) are the likeliest to use voice search while cooking.
- New Yorkers (35%) also lead the nation in this regard.
The study was commissioned by Google and executed by Northstar Research, a global consulting firm. It examined the smartphone voice search habits of 1,400 Americans, 13 years of age and older (400 ages 13-17 and 1,000 adults ages 18+).
About the Google App
The Google app is available on iOS and Android devices and is the best way to access Google for helpful assistance throughout your day. With it, you can talk to Google to find local information, take actions (like send text messages or set reminders), fetch your stuff (like flight or package details) and get the right information when you need it.
Some of the Google app’s newest features include:
- Restaurant reservation in one easy step by voice
- When trip planning, ask for restaurants or bars near your hotel
- Alternate flight suggestions when your flight is cancelled or delayed
Learn more about the free Google app at http://www.google.com/search/about/trytheapp/
About Northstar
NORTHSTAR is a strategic marketing insights and consulting firm that aligns leading edge, customized research techniques and cultural context with proprietary and proven strategic marketing frameworks and models to drive insights to impact. Northstar’s suite of services relate to the most critical elements of brand, customer and marketing strategy, with sector expertise in travel and tourism, retail, automotive, CPG, food & beverage, financial services, pharma / health care, transportation and fashion / luxury. For more information, please go to http://www.northstarhub.com.
Come comment on this article: Teenagers use voice commands most often and really want to order pizza
Second source claims Google to launch Nexus 9 running Android L on October 15th
An unnamed source described as “close” to Google indicates the company plans to officially announce the Nexus 9 tablet and a new Nexus smartphone on Wednesday, October 15th. The source says Google will make the announcement via a blog post instead of doing it via a big, splashy event. The source indicates the reason for the lack of a “big reveal” was to give programmers more time to iron out some final tweaks in Android L. It is worth noting though that Apple has an event scheduled for Thursday when it is thought updates to their tablet lineup will be revealed, so Google may be trying to get a jump on the press and make sure consumers have something to compare any new iPad devices against.
The new Nexus 9 tablet, built by HTC, will be available for pre-orders starting on the 17th of October with a projected delivery date of November 3rd. At least two versions are expected, a 16GB WiFi-only version that will retail for $399 and a 32GB LTE version selling for $499. According to the source, the new tablet will have an 8.9-inch display running at 2048 x 1440 resolution, it will have a 64-bit dual-core processor, an NVIDIA Kepler graphics chip, and will feature HTC’s dual front-facing boom sound speakers similar to the HTC One (M8).
The October 15th announcement date, if it occurs, is pretty close to the projected date reported last month and coincides with leaked information that surfaced a few days ago.
source: Forbes
Come comment on this article: Second source claims Google to launch Nexus 9 running Android L on October 15th
Nexus 6 render leaks from familiar source
What you see here is a Nexus 6 render from once-prolific Twitter source @evleaks. It’s been a while since we’ve seen anything along these lines from Mr. Blass (who has retired) but we’ll definitely take this one today.
Looking every bit the device we desire, we see a device that closely resembles a large Moto X (2014) with Android L icons and navigation. Although the bottom area is a little wonky we like what we’re seeing in the overall picture.
What a depressing few days. I remember 1 thing that used to make me feel better, tho. No mark in deference to Nexus. pic.twitter.com/76zhSfu8rJ
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) October 14, 2014
As to why there’s no big watermark splashed across the image, it’s out of respect for the Nexus brand.
How do you feel about a nearly 6-inch smartphone with the Nexus brand? Are you considering something this large for yourself or are you content with a 4.5-inch to 5-inch experience?
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Limited Edition Black Hawk Drone: Own the sky with special pre-order pricing $69 [Deal of the Day]
Quite possibly one of the best holiday gifts we’ve come across, the Limited Edition Black Hawk Drone is a perfect item for video enthusiasts, gadget-lovers, aviation fanatics, kids, Batman fans (chicks dig the drone), and just about everyone else.
An inexpensive alternative to higher-priced quadcopters, this drone is fun and customize-able with beginner and expert flight modes. With its USB charging design and 6-axis control system, you’ll be the hit of the party when you break this out and take to the skies. The controller takes 4 AAA batteries (not included) and there is a limit of 3 units per customer. Available with an SD or HD camera, we expect to sell-out with this special pre-order pricing. For just $69, you’ll knock out your holiday shopping have the perfect gift delivered in December.
Check this deal out, and many others at deals.androidguys.com!
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The Breathometer Breeze is the industry’s first wearable breathalyzer
There are plenty of personal breathalyzers out there, but how many can connect to your phone via Bluetooth? How many of them can be clipped on to your clothes, out of sight, so you never lose it? Breathometer’s new Bluetooth-enabled Breeze aims to fix those problems for you, all while being readily available for a cheap price.
Just like any other breathalyzer, the Breeze monitors alcohol consumption so you can potentially make a better decision for your ride home. Users can download an app that allows for alcohol consumption tracking, Uber integration, and give directions to a local late-night eatery. Oh, and the app is completely redesigned from the previous version, used with the first Breathometer.
For the Breeze, Breathometer has partnered with New Deal Design, the folks behind the design for the FitBit Flex and Force. The device is small, light, and discreet, allowing it to be hid away from plain sight. Although, it wouldn’t really be a bad thing if it was out in the open. This may lead to friends wanting to know about the device, and in turn, testing it out and using it to keep themselves safe.
The Breathometer Breeze is available beginning today exclusively at Breathometer.com and BestBuy.com for $99.99. It will hit the shelves at Best Buy beginning November 1st, so be sure to check that out at your local Best Buy when the time comes. Also, be on the look out for a review of the Breeze in the coming weeks, here at AndroidGuys.com!
What do you think of smartphone connected breathalyzers? Would you ever invest in a device like this? Let us know in the comments below!
Press release
Breathometer Launches Industry’s First Wearable Smartphone Breathalyzer
Breeze™, the ultra-portable wireless smartphone breathalyzer with advanced law enforcement grade sensor technology, will hit Best Buy shelves for the holiday
Burlingame, CA, October 14, 2014 – Breathometer, Inc., the leader in breath analysis technology, today unveiled the first truly wearable breathalyzer on the market, featuring both ultra-fast and extremely accurate results. The company breaks new ground in personal smartphone breathalyzers with the Breathometer Breeze™ and the enhanced Breathometer app, which now features integration with Uber™, local restaurants and hotels.
“We set out to create something that’s effortless to carry and use when you’re out with friends –so people will actually want to use it,” says Charles Michael Yim, CEO of Breathometer. “With its cool wearable design, the all new app and superb accuracy– Breeze nails it; we couldn’t be more pleased.”
Breathometer enables users to keep track of their alcohol consumption, which assists casual, social drinkers to make more informed decisions regarding their health and wellness. Breathometer supports Apple Health Kit, so BAC results can be viewed comprehensively with other health and wellness information being tracked.
The completely new FDA registered Breeze features:
o Completely new industrial design with a built in mouthpiece to simplify ease of use
o State of the art fuel cell sensor enabling instant results and law enforcement grade accuracy
o Bluetooth LE enabled- no jacks, wires or power cords required
o 16 months of daily use before needing battery replacement
o Wearable clip, keychain and optional mouthpiece cover included
The completely redesigned smartphone app (available on IOS and Android) now includes highly requested features like ‘stay nearby’ and ‘get home safe’. The app makes it easy to obtain instant results, including Back to Zero™ and direct access to get an Uber ride, stop for food at a local restaurant, or find a place to stay at a nearby hotel.
Breathometer partnered with NewDealDesign, the National Design Award winning firm and leading force in wearable design. The partnership resulted in Breezes’ unmatched design within the breathalyzer space.
“In both form and function, Breeze redefines the category,” says Gadi Amit, Principal of NewDealDesign.”Wearables are inherently personal; to hit the right chord took a carefully considered approach inside and out. The result is a beautiful bright pop of blue that is ambient when needed but also fun and cool to show off. It hits the right notes, speaking to health and safety while helping to increase awareness around the self.”
The Breeze is available today online at Breathometer.com and BestBuy.com and exclusively this holiday for retail placement nationwide at Best Buy stores as of November 1, 2014, at an MSRP of $99.99.
Breeze joins the Original Breathometer, as the newest family member of Breathometer’s innovative breath analysis platform for health and wellness. Breathometer looks forward to releasing its next wave of wearable technologies in 2015.
About Breathometer
Breathometer is the leader in breath analysis technology. Our mission is to build the world’s first portable breath analysis platform to help people make smarter decisions, improve healthcare and to save lives. Founded by Charles Michael Yim in September 2012, Breathometer develops innovative breath sensing technology combined with the best of today’s wearable technology, superior design, and usability to deliver the best of breed digital health products. For more information, visit www.breathometer.com. Your Breath. Your Life™
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Google finds that teens use voice search more than grownups
Want to do what all the cool kids do? Talk to your smartphone, apparently. Google has commissioned a study showing that American teens are considerably more likely to use voice search on their devices than adults. About 55 percent of the 18-and-under crowd uses Cortana, Google Voice Search or Siri more than once a day, while 41 percent of grownups do the same. That number climbs to an even higher 75 percent for teens glued to their phones 11-plus hours a day. Younger users aren’t worried about social stigmas, either — they’re far more likely to use voice commands when friends are around (57 percent versus 24 percent). About 45 percent of adults, meanwhile, are self-conscious about their geekiness when they speak to their devices.
As for how people use voice? Teens are more likely to rely on it when they want to call someone, and they naturally use it for youthful tasks like homework advice, playing music and checking movie showtimes. Their boring parents tend to use these commands more often for directions and text messages. The findings aren’t completely surprising — as a general rule, the younger crowd tends to embrace new technology more quickly — but they do suggest that voice is only going to play a bigger role in smartphones going forward.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Google
Source: Google (PR Newswire)
Engadget giveaway: win a PS4 or Xbox One courtesy of Mad Genius Controllers!
There’s a new game controller in town and Mad Genius hopes you won’t take the news sitting down, because it’s all about motion control and expanding the scope of your game beyond the couch. The Mad Genius Controller, which recently launched on Kickstarter, is offering precision motion control that’s compatible with any game or console. While it works in normal controller mode, its magnetically connected halves can be split to enable motion tracking features. Aiming guns and bows is said be done with 1/100th inch accuracy and it can translate a player’s movement throughout the room to the on-screen character. The device can also be programmed so that certain movements can trigger combos and holster-reaching motions could replace digging into menus to access weapons. Since the Kickstarter is still underway, Mad Genius wanted to prep two lucky Engadget readers for its arrival with a giveaway for two consoles this week. Along with Mad Genius t-shirts, one winner will receive a PS4 Destiny Bundle and the other will get an Xbox One along with Titanfall. To get in on this opportunity, just head on down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning one of these consoles.
- Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
- Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) PlayStation 4 (CUH-1115A, Glacial White / Destiny Bundle) and one (1) winner will receive one (1) Xbox One (Model 1540) and one (1) copy of Titanfall for Xbox One.
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
- This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Mad Genius Controllers, Sony, Microsoft, EA, Respawn Entertainment and Engadget / AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
- The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
- Entries can be submitted until October 15th at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Filed under: Announcements, Sony, Microsoft
Samsung’s free DSLR trade-in promo comes to LA today
After a successful first run in New York City earlier this year, Samsung is now taking its free camera-swap program to the West Coast. If you’re in the Los Angeles area, you’ll have a chance to trade in your DSLR, so long as it’s fully functional, for either a Samsung NX30 or NX Mini — both of which are two of the South Korean company’s newest cameras. Compared to the previous event in the Big Apple, Samsung has now included the NX Mini as part of the promotion, giving an option to people who prefer something a little more compact. Today’s Ditch Day will be taking place at Hollywood & Highland Center, from 10AM to 7PM PT; supplies are limited however, so be sure you get there as early as possible. For those interested, details on the trade-in criteria can be found below, and you can check out the rest of the terms and conditions right here.
Qualifying DSLR Cameras: For your existing DSLR camera to qualify for the Trade Up Reward, it must be a DSLR camera, including the main battery and functioning lens, must not be permanently marked or defaced and must be complete and undamaged (reasonable wear & tear accepted) (the “Trade-In Criteria”). For the avoidance of doubt, each of the following is considered beyond reasonable wear and tear: cracked/split or open chassis structure, cracked or non-working display, missing battery (if applicable), or lens cracked. Only cameras that fully comply with the Trade-In Criteria shall be deemed a DSLR for the purposes of this Promotion and such determination shall be at the sole discretion of the Promoter.
Participants may only submit one DSLR for a maximum of one Trade Up Reward.
Filed under: Cameras, Misc, Peripherals, Samsung
Source: Samsung
Meet Fitbit’s new Charge activity trackers
Nearly a year after Fitbit revealed its last fitness gadget, it looks like its next devices will be called Charge. The wearables passed through the FCC revealing the moniker and designation as a “wireless activity tracker.” Thanks to a USPTO filing, we can glean that it’ll carry the usual waterproofing alongside pedometer and altimeter for tracking steps, sleep and calories burned. On top of those expected features, the paperwork also indicates that a heart rate sensor, navigation info, weather forecast, call notifications and volume control will also be lumped in for syncing up with your phone.
According to in-store pics here in the US tweeted by @etownsendex, it looks like there will be two models: Charge and ChargeHR. It seems likely that the latter moniker indicates the pulse-tracking chops. Based on those images, the pair looks similar to last year’s Force with a built-in display. What’s more, both models have already popped up over at Russian retailer IVPstore for 7,500 rubles ($184) and 9,000 ($220) rubles respectively. If you’ll recall, the Force was part of a voluntary recall earlier this year due to reports of skin issues, so we’ll look for the Charge pair to leverage new materials to avoid the same fate.
New @fitbit coming? Haven’t heard about it, called Fitbit Charge hr. Force replacement? @Gizmodo @digg #leak? #tech pic.twitter.com/HSQ893ydbh
– Ed Townsend (@etownsendwx) October 11, 2014
Filed under: Wearables
Source: FCC, USPTO, @etownsendwx (Twitter)
AIVAnet 