NBA Game Time and MLB.TV launch Android TV apps
Nexus Players still haven’t shipped, but that hasn’t stopped developers from jumping on board. NBA Game Time and MLB.TV both launched apps in Google Play for Android TV devices. For now that’s only the Nexus Player.
MLB.TV won’t have any content until next year, but with NBA Game Time, you will be able catch every game this year through the NBA League Pass subscription. Unfortunately Chromecast support wasn’t announced for NBA Game Time, but MLB.TV already offers that.
Both apps are already in the Play Store so once you get your Nexus Player, be sure to fire them up. Well at least the NBA Game Time app. You can wait until next April for MLB.TV.
Download Links – NBA Game Time / MLB.TV
source: Google
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Google Drive can launch desktop programs from Chrome
It can be tedious to work with cloud files as soon as possible because you have to first download the file and then select the program to open it with. A small change to Google Drive nixes that extra step. Now, when choosing a file in Drive, users can choose to “Open with” compatible desktop programs.
The only browser to use this function with is Chrome as there is a required extension available in the Chrome Web Store to get started.
Hit the break to see the function in action.
Source: Official Google for Work Blog
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Download and Install Google Maps version 9.0.0 APK (Material Design)
The next app to be treated to material design is Google Maps, and boy does it look good. Hitting version 9.0.0, this Google Maps update focuses entirely on bringing Material Design to the app, as well as OpenTable integration in the US.
The official Google Maps version 9.0.0 APK can be downloaded by clicking here.
Why Download?
If you’re the type of person who likes to stay on the cutting edge of software then you’ll want to get your hands on the file. And, given software updates can take days or weeks to fully roll out, this ensures you’re moving up in the line.
What’s the Risk?
We’ll only share files or links to files that we feel can be trusted. Google does a great job of signing apps, checking them for malware, and protecting users. If you’re not sure whether you want to download the app at this time, simply wait for your update to arrive. No harm, no foul.
The post Download and Install Google Maps version 9.0.0 APK (Material Design) appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Google Maps gets a makeover with built-in restaurant reservations
At long last, Google Maps has received the Material Design revamp that many were expecting — and it’s more than just a skin-deep upgrade. New versions of Maps’ Android and iOS apps focus on the super-flat graphics and lively animations that you’d expect from Google’s new design language, but they also include built-in restaurant reservations through OpenTable. If you’re in the US, you can now book a table right from a place page instead of visiting a website or launching another app.
You’ll also have more options for getting around if you’re a fan of ridesharing services. When you’re looking for directions, Maps now estimates both the pickup time and cost of an Uber ride to a given destination; you can quickly figure out whether or not you’re better off taking the bus. Both the Android and iOS updates to Maps should reach your devices within the next few days, so you won’t have to wait too long if you’re eager to check out either the fresh look or the new features coming along for the ride.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Internet, Mobile, Google
Source: Google Maps
Onyx communicator lets you live out your ‘Star Trek’ dreams for $99
Don’t deny it — at some point, you watched Star Trek and wondered when you could simply slap a device on your chest to speak with your crew. You won’t have to wait hundreds of years, thankfully. OnBeep has just unveiled the Onyx, a clothing-worn communicator that lets you chat with groups just by pressing a button. The Bluetooth add-on lets you securely message up to 15 people once using your Android phone or iPhone as the home base; you can also see where they are and whether they’re available. The saucer-shaped design isn’t nearly as discreet as Captain Picard’s badge, but it’s light and won’t wreck your favorite shirt.
You can pre-order the Onyx now for $99, and the first wave of orders should arrive in December. That’s a lot of money for what you might see as a wearable speakerphone. However, OnBeep suggests that this simplicity is part of the appeal — you can focus more on coordinating with friends and colleagues, and less on getting the conversation started.
Filed under: Peripherals, Wearables, Mobile
Via: Business Insider
Source: OnBeep
Spotify reportedly earns musicians more cash than iTunes in Europe
If you ask some musicians, Spotify is a trap; they earn so little from the service that they’d rather pull their albums and risk additional piracy. That’s not necessarily true in every case, though. Kobalt Music Publishing, which represents songwriters like Lenny Kravitz and Paul McCartney, claims that its artists earned 13 percent more royalties from Spotify in Europe during the first quarter of the year than they made through iTunes sales. That’s a sharp contrast from the year before, when iTunes was still the dominant money-maker. Kobalt claims that it’s all about volume. While songsters get far less revenue per person from Spotify, the sheer number of listeners (three times as many) makes up the difference.
The publisher is quick to note that this reversal of fortune hasn’t taken place in the US, and it’s just representing 6,000 artists. This isn’t necessarily proof of a broader trend, and some musicians are thriving without Spotify — just ask Taylor Swift, who ditched Spotify shortly after she managed the best one-week album sales since 2002’s The Eminem Show. Also, Kobalt’s roster may only underscore the arguments from Spotify opponents like Thom Yorke, who contend that the service mostly rewards veteran artists (such as Kravitz and McCartney) and punishes newcomers. Nonetheless, it’s evidence that all-you-can-eat music services can be profitable. If this keeps up, Swift and crew may have to change their minds.
Via: iMore
Source: Wall Street Journal
CBS has a digital news channel and it’s launching tomorrow
Can’t get enough of Charlie Rose and Bob Schieffer on your TV box? CBS is apparently bringing its focus on original reporting to a digital-only news channel starting tomorrow, CBS Interactive head Jim Lanzone announced at the Web Summit in Dublin, Ireland. Re/Code reported the announcement directly from Ireland — no name was given to the service by Lanzone. However, it looks like “CBSN” is a strong candidate, according to Variety.
So, what kind of news coverage should you expect to see on CBSN? Details are scarce thus far, but it looks like live video coverage from CBS News’ stable of reporters is on the docket. As Variety reports, “CBS News correspondents Jeff Glor and Elaine Quijano are expected to figure prominently in the new video-streaming effort, though a wide variety of correspondents from CBS News are likely to take part.”
Digital’s not exactly a new market for CBS. Lanzone’s department, CBS Interactive, speaks to that fact. The company’s long had iOS, Android and Windows Phone apps for digitally streaming its content. This is the company’s first foray into digitally streaming news, nonetheless on its own dedicated digital channel. Again, details are scarce as to how CBSN will work — will it cost money? will it run ads? how much, if any, news will be repurposed from broadcast TV? — but we should find out much more tomorrow when it’s planned to launch.
[Image credit: Getty]
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Motorola announces the Moto Maxx (aka DROID Turbo) for Brazil, Mexico, and other Latin American countries
The DROID Turbo as a brand might be exclusive to Verizon Wireless, but Motorola announced the same phone under the Moto Maxx name for other markets. It’s already available on motorola.com for Brazil, and it’s coming to Mexico in mid-November followed by additional Latin American countries soon.
The Moto Maxx is the same exact phone as the DROID Turbo in terms of hardware. So it will still sport a 5.2-inch Quad HD (2560 x 1440) display, a Snapdragon 805 as part of the Motorola Mobile Computing System, 3 GB of RAM, 32 or 64 GB of storage, 21 MP rear camera, 2 MP front-facing camera, and a 3,900 mAh battery for 48 hours of battery life. On the outside, it appears they will only offer the ballistic nylon option, not the metalized fiber composite. The ballistic nylon is the better of the two in my opinion.
As far as software is concerned, it should be identical other than you won’t get DROID Zap. I also suspect it will include the Google Now launcher, which the DROID Turbo does not have.
As to other areas of the world, Motorola hasn’t announced anything, but I suspect we will see the Moto Maxx in more areas. Those of you here in the U.S. that want something compatible with another carrier other than Verizon could get lucky in December or January.
source: Motorola
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Next iPhone Rumored to Carry Glasses-free 3D Display
Taiwanese media website Economic Daily News [Google Translate] (via GforGames) is reporting that Apple may be gearing up to introduce a glasses-free 3D display on next year’s iPhone. The site also reports that Apple is aiming to create a 3D “hardware and software ecosystem.”
Economic Daily News also mentions that this “naked eye 3D screen” could not be built using the current embedded touch technology Apple has used since the launch of the iPhone 5. The site claims Apple would once again seek the help of touch screen manufacturer TPK to assist in the development of the next generation of iPhone.
This all comes on the heels of the Taiwanese site claiming Apple has plans to discontinue the iPad mini in favor of the upcoming release of the still-rumored iPad Pro. Though the validity of that rumor is still in question, Economic Daily News has had some hits (regarding Apple Watch sizes and release dates) and misses (claiming the iPhone 6 Plus would ditch the “iPhone” brand), making it difficult to assess the latest claim’s reliability.
Though the story is still firmly speculative, Apple has shown interest in 3D devices for many years now. The company applied for a patent regarding glasses-free 3D stereoscopic displays over six years ago. The proposed system was intended to solve issues found in previous incarnations of the technology, allowing tracking of the user to ensure proper 3D rendering no matter the location.
Apple later applied for a patent regarding 3D “Hyper Reality” displays that proposed to change the perspective of objects on a screen in relation to the movement of the user’s head, combining software and hardware to achieve the effect. The 3D technology that Apple has employed, of course, is the parallax feature that gives depth and 3D effects to iOS as the device is moved.
More comprehensive implementations of 3D display technology such as that rumored for the next iPhone have seen a limited amount of interest from smartphone manufacturers, but none have so far seen significant success. Given apparent tepid consumer interest in the technology and a lack of other recent rumors regarding any plans by Apple to pursue it, today’s claims should be considered questionable for the time being.
Google Maps for iOS Rolling Out New Look With OpenTable and Uber Integration [iOS Blog]
Google today announced a significant update to its Google Maps apps for iOS and Android, with the most immediately visible change being a new, bolder look for the apps.
Bold colors and textures are in—and Google Maps is on trend, with a slick new style to make traveling with Maps even easier. Over the next few days, when you open up Google Maps on your Android or iPhone, you’ll be greeted by bright colors and a fresh new design. This new look is all about creating surfaces and shadows that echo the real world; with Google Maps’ new material feel, layers and buttons come to life so you know just where to touch to get directions, recommendations and imagery.
Beyond the new look, Google Maps will also be adding OpenTable support in the United States, allowing users to make reservations at participating restaurants right from the app.
Google Maps’ new look with Uber (left) and OpenTable (right) integration
New support for car service Uber is also included for those who have the Uber app installed on their phones. Uber users will be able to see estimated pickup times and fares for routes plotted in Google Maps.
The Google Maps [Direct Link] update is not yet live, but the company says it will be rolling out in the next few days.
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