Just how big is the Nexus 6?
The Nexus 6 isn’t for everyone because of it’s enormous 6-inch (5.96) display, but how does it stack up against its predecessors? Thanks to Phone Arena, we have images of the Nexus 6 next to each Nexus phone ever released. Some of these images my scare you, but what was a large phone in 2010 is not a large phone today. Hit the break for all the images and let us know what you think of the Nexus 6. Too big? Just right? Or dare I say, too small?
source: Phone Arena
Come comment on this article: Just how big is the Nexus 6?
Accessory of the Day: Samsung Galaxy Note replacement battery $11.05
Need to juice up that Galaxy Note? Keep an extra battery pack on hand or just replace one that’s on the fritz. This is a high-grade original equipment manufacturer unit, not a generic replacement. For just $11.05 (Prime eligible) you can keep that gigantic screen powered for hours to come.
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Avegant Glyph personal theater headset gets closer to market
When we first saw the Avegant Glyph earlier this year, it was still in its alpha stage. The home theater headset that literally looks like a pair of chunky headphones for your eyes did impress us with its stunning visuals, but the overall thing was still very rough around the edges as far as fit and components go. Now, after a successful Kickstarter campaign and a move to California, Avegant is confident that it’s honed in on the last few adjustments it needs to get the finished product out the door, and I was able to get a sneak peek at just what those updates are.
In a series of demos set inside Avegant’s brand new offices in Redwood City, California, I tried out both the alpha version of the Glyph that was shown in January and its new development prototype. As a brief reminder, the Glyph works by projecting images directly to your eyes with an array of two million micromirrors. Allan Evans, Avegant’s CTO, tells us that the mirrors essentially creates a light field that matches “long term vision.” “The shape of the light coming into your eye is the same as the light from far away, like when you’re sitting in front of a movie theater,” explains Evans. “The result is a visual that’s sharper and clearer than a traditional LCD.”
From my initial impressions with the Glyph, I can certainly attest to that. I watched brief video clips and played a couple of games with both the alpha and the latest prototype. Images were amazingly crisp, which is especially surprising considering I had to wear the Glyph without my glasses. The beauty of the Glyph, as CEO Ed Tang tells me, is that you can adjust the focus of each lens, so even those with poor eyesight should be able to use it without corrective eyewear. Image quality was slightly better on the recent development prototype due to improved optics, though not by much — the alpha version was quite good already. Audio quality was pretty good too; Evans says they’re aiming for theater-quality sound.
What really improved, however, was the overall ergonomics. Avegant worked to improve not just the fit of the headset but also the way you adjusted the interpupillary distance (IPD) — the space between your eyes — of each lens. The adjustment controls are now on the bottom for easier reach and they also feel a little more accurate when we tried to dial ours in. Further, the alpha version had a lot of external components for video processing, while the development prototype has all of its parts built right into the headset. Therefore, only one MHL/HDMI cable is needed to hook the headset up to the source. “The electronics have matured to the point that it’s now portable,” says Tang, adding that it has a built-in battery and can be hooked up to a smartphone.
I should add that it’s important to bear in mind that the Glyph is not like the Oculus Rift; there’s no full immersion here. You’ll still see some empty space surrounding the picture, like you would in a movie theater. I did get a demo of a 360-degree shot video while wearing the Glyph, however, and that did provide me with an immersive feeling due to a head tracking system; I could turn around to view what was going on around me. Avegant also showed off a cool demo where it hooked up a Paralinx wireless HDMI dongle to a Parrot AR drone and managed to transmit the video from the drone’s camera to the headset so I could get a drone’s eye-view of the world. Additionally, Tang didn’t rule out the VR possibilities for the Glyph completely; it just wants to focus on personal entertainment for now.
Still, as good as the development prototype is, it’s nowhere close to final production. It still took me several minutes to adjust the IPD, and even then I wasn’t 100 percent satisfied with how comfortable it was. It also felt too heavy for my liking. Avegant says they’re definitely still working on fit issues, as well as trying to slim the whole thing down.
While I’m not at liberty to reveal too many details about the final product, I did get a brief glimpse at what Avegant hopes the finished Glyph will look like, and I have to say that if Avegant even comes close to that, it would improve the experience significantly. As for when we’ll see it? Well, if all things go according to plan, probably pretty darn soon.
Filed under: Misc
Source: Avegant
Hands-on with the Xbox One’s TV tuner
The Xbox One’s €29.99/£24.99 TV Tuner is now available, but it’s far from just a glorified channel changer for Microsoft’s console. As we mentioned, it came out only in Europe because many of us across the pond get our TV fix from over-the-air (OTA) digital TV, while most Americans have cable. But it’s opened up a lot of handy new TV watching features on the Xbox and on mobile devices with SmartGlass, too. You can now watch DVB-T, DVB-T2 and DVB-C digital TV, pause, rewind or fast forward live TV, change channels using SmartGlass and even watch TV directly on a mobile device. For a console that wants to be your entertainment hub, that’s a load of pertinent features — to see how it works, read on.
Like everybody else in the French countryside, I have a TV antenna that magically brings me 30-odd digital channels when it’s hooked up to a “décodeur TNT.” So all I had to do is plug the coax cable into the Xbox One’s TV Tuner, and the USB end of the tuner into the Xbox itself. If you have the October Xbox update, it automatically detects the device and then finds all your channels. It then gave me the option of pausing, rewinding and fast-forwarding live TV, in exchange for 4GB of hard disk space. From there, I started watching programs, using the Xbox controller to change channels via the OneGuide, favorites or a pop-up, on-screen menu. Microsoft told me that the Xbox One Media Remote would give similar functionality, and is probably a better choice for non-gaming TV viewers.
One small note: though it can perform limited time-shifting functions, the Xbox One still can’t record live TV programs. I hope Microsoft eventually adds that function, since timeshifting obviously means it’s capable, provided you’re willing to give up some disk space.
Next up: voice control. Yes, once I figured out how to pronounce Xbox in French (eeks-boax), the easiest way to change channels was to shout commands at the Kinect. Rather than a number, you can tell it which channel you want to watch by name, as in “watch Canal+.” If it doesn’t understand, it’ll provide a helpful list of commands. You can also access the OneGuide by voice, or just say something like “Xbox, what’s on Canal+?” and get more info that way, as shown above. (The screens are in French because Microsoft strictly region-locks languages to the country you’re located in, something many gaming ex-pats aren’t thrilled with.)
The best part of the new Xbox One TV Tuner is SmartGlass. The new version of the app brings full control of all TV functions, letting you change channels, view the OneGuide, and even watch live TV directly on your mobile device. Unfortunately, the latter feature is only on iOS and Windows Phone devices for now, and not Android. That said, it worked perfectly on my iPad, with a sharp, clear image, particularly on HD channels. Mobile viewing only works on your local home or work network, and there’s about 3-second delay from live TV due to buffering. Using SmartGlass proved to be the most convenient way to change channels, pause programming, control and view OneGuide and add favorite channels.
So the verdict? The Xbox One TV tuner is a handy way for us Europeans to get rid of our OTA boxes, eliminate a lot of clutter and gain a bunch of extra functionality. Having voice and Smartglass control over your TV viewing is nice, and being able to pause and skip through live TV programs is a huge bonus. The only drawbacks? Microsoft needs to streamline the operation of the system a bit, as certain functions (like flipping channels) are easier with a bog-standard remote. And of course, we strongly hope that Microsoft enables DVR recording at some point. Once that happens, you can look for my existing over-the-air decoder box on eBay.
Uber brings its larger-car option to London and Manchester
We haven’t heard much out of Uber since it reduced the price of trips across London in its standard vehicles a few months ago. Today, the disruptive taxi service is back on our radar with the announcement of a new fleet of vehicles intended to serve bigger parties, and those who must bring at least five suitcases on their week-long holidays. Through the new uberXL tier (which debuted in San Francisco earlier this year), Londoners can hail a six-seater motor, while Mancunians can expect an eight-seater to turn up, though Uber warns “availability may initially be limited.” As you’d expect, they’re a little more expensive than standard uberX vehicles at £2.15 per mile, with minimum fares of £7 in London and £5 in Manchester. If you’ve got seven mates to split the fare with, though, it’ll still work out much cheaper than getting two separate cars. Result.
Filed under: Transportation, Internet
Via: The Next Web
Source: Uber
Nielsen and Adobe are teaming up to apply TV-style ratings to the internet
You’ve probably heard of the Nielsen Ratings, which are the figures relating to the number of people who watch a particular TV series. It’s these statistics that Hollywood uses to decide if your favorite show gets a second season or if it’ll only live on in fan fiction. Unfortunately, with more and more entertainment being delivered online, a TV ratings company isn’t much use to anyone. That’s why Nielsen has teamed up with Adobe to begin rating pretty much everything on the internet. By splicing Nielsen’s audience know-how with Adobe’s online analytics and video tools, the pair promise to be able to work out which gets more attention: news websites, social media, blogs or that video of the cat running head-first into a glass door. The system will go live at some point in 2015 with Sony, ESPN and Viacom already saying that they’ll be signing up, hopefully so that we can finally find out, once and for all, if anything is more enjoyable than that video of the cat running head-first into the glass door.
Filed under: Internet
Via: Wired
Source: Businesswire
Smart earpiece with biometric sensors wants you to ditch your fitness bands
Yes, there are a lot of wearable devices that can monitor your activities and health, but an earpiece called SensoTRACK claims to be able to do it all. By “all,” we mean it can measure respiration and heart rates, detect oxygen saturation in your body and provide an almost real-time blood pressure reading. It can also count your steps and the calories you burn, measure your speed and activity level during exercise, track your weight, BMI, blood sugar levels and your emotional state. Its creators even claim that it’s more accurate than wrist gadgets, because it’s worn in your ear, and hence located near the temporal artery. As you’d expect, SensoTRACK connects to an Android or an iOS app, as well as to a desktop portal (via Bluetooth LE or microUSB), which list all your stats, workout history, goals and routes taken. But, in case you’re stuck somewhere without access to phones or computers, you can always save up to a week’s worth of data on its onboard storage.
According to the device’s Kickstarter page, the startup already has a final prototype, and it’s just a matter of raising enough money to fund its production. The company hopes to raise a rather hefty $250,000 to be able to ship it to backers by April 2015 at the earliest. In case SensoTRACK doesn’t reach its goal, though, you have a number of other devices to choose from, depending on what you need. These include Garmin’s new watch that monitors your body’s oxygen volume, LG’s and SMS Audio’s heart rate-tracking earbuds, and Samsung’s Gear Fit with heart rate monitor, among many, many others.
Filed under: Wearables
Source: KickStarter
Nova Launcher update brings more Lollipop flavor to your homescreen
We’ve talked about Nova Launcher in the past, but in case you missed it, Nova Launcher is easily one of the best, most tweak-able home screen replacement apps on the Play Store. Developers TeslaCoil pushed an update to the Play Store yesterday bringing some Lollipop-flavored tweaks to the popular application.
This time around they have included the Android 5.0 circle folder animation and scroll indicator. The developers have also themed the Calculator, Clock, Contacts, Downloads, Email, Dialer, Settings and SMS icons to match the updated icons in Lollipop. Additionally, users can preview scroll animations directly from the apps settings. The update also includes the obligatory bug fixes so hit the link below to download it now!
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Google rumored to be working on task-oriented email client Codenamed Project Bigtop
Email is an aging form of communication, and many people have stopped using it simply because it has become so hard to manage their inbox. Apps like Mailbox have come along to make email management easier, and Google have added a few features like Priority Inbox to streamline your mail, but new rumors seem to indicate that Google has something planned that could change the way we use our email.
In a report on Android Police, Google’s Project Bigtop could be an update to Gmail, which recently added support for a handful of other email providers, or a standalone service available on multiple platforms. The service will allow users to categorize, pin and snooze emails. It will also allow users to mark email as “done”, which seems to be similar to archiving and will allow for a clutter-free inbox.
It is worth noting that in the screenshots there is no Google branding whatsoever, which could also hint that Project Bigtop will be a standalone service. If this service ever comes to fruition, it could be a very handy tool and could further solidify Google as the masters of email. As with any rumor, this should be taken with a grain of salt, but the evidence is pretty convincing. It will be interesting to see the final product. Any readers out there getting excited? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: Android Police
Come comment on this article: Google rumored to be working on task-oriented email client Codenamed Project Bigtop
Samsung and Barnes & Noble announce 10.1-inch version of the Galaxy Tab 4 Nook
Last month, Samsung and Barnes & Noble unveiled the Galaxy Tab 4 Nook with a 7-inch screen. Realizing that might not be big enough for some people, they went ahead and announced a 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) version. It’s essentially the same device as the smaller version other than the display size, and you get the same Barnes & Noble extras.
It’s available starting today in Barnes & Noble stores nationwide or on their website. The price is $299, and that includes $200 in free content from the Nook Store, which includes bestselling books, popular TV shows, top magazines and apps.
Hit the break for the full presser.
Samsung and Barnes & Noble Introduce New Large Screen Samsung Galaxy Tab® 4 NOOK
NEW YORK & RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J., Oct 22, 2014 (BUSINESS WIRE) – Samsung Electronics America and NOOK Media, a subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, Inc.BKS, +2.15% , today announced the introduction of the 10.1-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK, a new large-screen version of the popular tablet that combines Samsung’s leading technology and NOOK’s extraordinary content and reading experience. This new big-screen co-branded tablet offers the best of both worlds: a full-featured Android tablet that’s optimized for reading and entertainment. With tools for everyday use and an amazing collection of HD entertainment, customers can connect to the world when they need to, and escape when they want. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK 10.1-inch tablet is available starting today in more than 650 Barnes & Noble bookstores and online at www.bn.com and www.nook.com, launching at a special introductory price of $299.99 and including more than $200 in free content from the NOOK Store®,including a new assortment of bestselling books, popular TV shows, top magazines and apps.
The new 10.1-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK features the largest screen ever available on a NOOK. The new addition joins the recently launched 7-inch model to offer customers more choice for their reading and entertainment needs.
“With the launch of the new large screen Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK, we have a fantastic lineup of devices for our customers to choose from as we head into the holiday gifting season,” said Michael P. Huseby, Chief Executive Officer of Barnes & Noble, Inc. “Customers are telling us that they love the reading and entertainment experience on our new 7-inch Samsung NOOK and we’re certain that the addition of the stunning 10-inch model, alongside our popular NOOK GlowLight™ eReader, will ensure that there’s a perfect device for everyone in the family at Barnes & Noble this holiday season and beyond.”
See More of What You Love on NOOK’s Largest Ever Screen
The new device features Samsung’s sleek, ultra-light premium tablet design and all of the hardware specs of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4. The crisp, brilliant and beautiful 10.1-inch HD display makes it the perfect device to enjoy books, interactive children’s books, magazines, games, movies, TV shows and videos, with long-lasting battery life to match. Weighing just 17.28 ounces and with a width of just 9.58 inches, the large screen Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK is designed to be comfortable to hold so consumers can easily read, watch or dive into any features or content, at home or on-the-go while still enjoying the 10.1-inch HD display.
“The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK combines an award-winning reading experience with leading edge technology to offer consumers an immersive way to enjoy all types of content,” said Tim Baxter, President of Samsung Electronics America. “We are excited to offer both the 7- and 10.1-inch NOOKs by Samsung to customers through Barnes & Noble’s bookstores nationwide, just in time for the holidays.”
Tablet Tools for Everyday Life
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK is a high-performance tablet with all of the tools that customers need to stay entertained, connected and productive. For the first time ever, NOOK customers can enjoy one of their most requested tablet features on a large display: built-in 1.3-megapixel front- and 3-megapixel rear-facing cameras for photos and video chats. The Wi-Fi® enabled device has the full suite of Google applications featuring the Chrome web browser, as well as built-in GPS capabilities for location-based apps and more. With the Samsung Multi Window™ innovation, customers can use more than one app simultaneously and share content between apps at the same time, like reading an email and finding a location on Google Maps. The 10.1-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK also features 16GB of built in storage, in addition to the expandable memory that is available with both the 7- and 10.1-inch devices.
Get the Most Out of Reading and Entertainment
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK gives customers an extraordinary collection of digital content to explore from Barnes & Noble. The expansive NOOK Store’s reading and entertainment content offers:
Discovery couldn’t be easier for all types of content with a bookstore-like browsing experience, Your NOOK, and unique cross-content features based upon customer interests and relevant topics. Hundreds of NOOK Channels™ support expert content curation based on interest and sensibility. This popular discovery feature is powered by Barnes & Noble’s breakthrough recommendation system which combines its bookseller knowledge with advanced algorithmic technology.
Latest NOOK Software for an Even Better User Experience
Customers purchasing the 10.1-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK will receive new NOOK software, which will roll out as an over-the-air update from the Google Play store starting on October 22. The update will enhance a customer’s overall product experience with features including:
The updated NOOK experience will roll out to the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK starting in November.
Free with Purchase: $200 in Popular NOOK Content
Barnes & Noble will welcome all customers who purchase a new 7- or 10.1-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK with a refreshed content pack featuring more than $200 of free NOOK reading and entertainment content. Customers will receive four free bestselling eBooks including And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, Two Of A Kind by Yona Zeldis McDonough and The Best American Series 2014: 12 Short Stories & Essays by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, as well as an episode each of three hit TV shows: The Newsroom and Curb Your Enthusiasm from HBO, as well as Disney’s The Octonauts.
As part of the package, magazine lovers can also choose up to four 14-day free trial subscriptions from a selection of 15 popular magazines – including Cosmopolitan, The New Yorker, Us Weekly, Peopleand more, and also receive the previous 12 issues of each title at no cost. Additionally, customers will receive a complimentary selection of top NOOK Apps including Cut the Rope: Experiments, Concise Oxford English Dictionary with Audio and Just 2 Words. A $5 credit will also help customers get started as they explore the NOOK Store. More detail on the free NOOK content offer can be found at NOOK.com.
Barnes & Noble also offers great content through its Free Friday™ program, offering a NOOK Book®, NOOK Video or NOOK App at no cost each week. VisitNOOK.com or the NOOK Store on a NOOK to learn more.
Easy-to-Use and Customizable
Intuitive and user friendly, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK enables users easy access to recent and favorite content and to discover new interests across all content types in one place. Current NOOK customers who upgrade and sign in will find their existing library of NOOK content loaded and ready to enjoy.
Right from the fully integrated home screen, users can get customized recommendations, access the NOOK Store or browse the web. With customizable NOOK Profiles, every member of the family can create their own immersive reading experience, curated and tailored to their individual interest and reading preferences.
Availability and In-Store Support
The ad-free Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK 10.1-inch model is available immediately in black and is launching at a special introductory price of $299.99 at Barnes & Noble bookstores nationwide and online at www.bn.com andwww.nook.com. The 7-inch model is also available for $169.99 after a $30 instant rebate in black or white. Customers can personalize their new devices with a number of NOOK-designed accessories including covers, sleeves, an anti-glare screen and more.
Experience the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK, alongside the popular NOOK GlowLight eReader, in a local Barnes & Noble store and learn more from one of the company’s expert booksellers. In store, NOOK customers receive complimentary, personal NOOK support with no appointment needed. While in-store, customers can also receive suggestions on what to read next, access free Wi-Fi, and enjoy the popular Read In Store program, which allows guests to read any book free for up to one hour per day, just like browsing the physical shelves. Customers can also take advantage of a full calendar of popular NOOK events, including NOOK Night workshops, family Storytimes, book discussion groups and author signings.
About Barnes & Noble, Inc.
Barnes & Noble, Inc. BKS, +2.15% is a Fortune 500 company, the nation’s largest retail bookseller and the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products. The Company operates 658 Barnes & Noble bookstores in 50 states, and one of the Web’s largest e-commerce sites, BN.com (www.bn.com). Its NOOK Media LLC subsidiary is a leader in the emerging digital reading and digital education markets. The NOOK digital business offers award-winning NOOK® products and an expansive collection of digital reading and entertainment content through the NOOK Store® (www.nook.com), while Barnes & Noble College Booksellers LLC operates 705 bookstores serving over five million students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the United States. General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained by visiting the Company’s corporate website: www.barnesandnobleinc.com.
Barnes & Noble®, Barnes & Noble Booksellers® and Barnes & Noble.com® are trademarks of Barnes & Noble, Inc. or its affiliates.
For more information on Barnes & Noble, follow us onhttps://twitter.com/BNBuzz, http://instagram.com/barnesandnoble andhttp://thebarnesandnoble.tumblr.com, and like us onhttps://www.facebook.com/barnesandnoble.
About NOOK Media LLC
NOOK reading and entertainment products make it easy to Read What You Love, Anywhere You Like™ with a fun, easy-to-use and immersive digital reading experience. With NOOK, customers gain access to the expansive NOOK Store® of more than 3 million digital books in the US and UK, plus periodicals, comics, apps, movies and TV shows, and the ability to enjoy content across a wide array of popular devices through free NOOK Reading Apps™. Find NOOK devices in Barnes & Noble stores and online at www.nook.com, as well as leading retailers including Best Buy, Walmart, Target and many others. NOOK products are available in the United Kingdom at leading retailers; NOOK content can be purchased at www.nook.co.uk.
NOOK®, the NOOK logos and NOOK Media™ are trademarks of barnesandnoble.com llc or its affiliates.
For more information on NOOK, follow us on www.twitter.com/nookBN andwww.twitter.com/nook_UK, and like us on www.facebook.com/nook andwww.facebook.com/nookGB.
About Samsung Electronics America
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), is a recognized innovation leader in consumer electronics design and technology. A wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SEA delivers a broad range of digital consumer electronics, IT and home appliance products. Samsung is the market leader for HDTVs in the U.S and America’s fastest growing home appliance brand. To discover more, please visitwww.samsung.com.
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in technology, opening new possibilities for people everywhere. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of TVs, smartphones, tablets, PCs, cameras, home appliances, printers, LTE systems, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 286,000 people across 80 countries with annual sales of US$216.7 billion.
Come comment on this article: Samsung and Barnes & Noble announce 10.1-inch version of the Galaxy Tab 4 Nook
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