Motorola now selling four new DODO leather watch bands for Moto 360
Motorola has just added four new leather watchbands to their online store for the Moto 360. The bands are made by popular leather accessory maker, DODOcase. The new band options are available in Blue, Green, Red and Tan, and are being sold for $59.99. This might seem a little pricey, but considering DODOcase products usually have great quality, they’ll likely last for a very long time.
Back when Motorola announced more leather and metal bands, we knew DODOcase was planning some bands for Moto’s watch. We also heard that TYLT was planning to make colorful silicone bands, so we’ll have to wait to see when those arrive.
If you’re interested in grabbing one of these watch bands, head to the Motorola link below.
The Moto 360 is still one of our favorite Android Wear watches to date. Its (mostly) circular design, stainless steel chassis and premium leather and metal band options really make for a sleek watch that doesn’t look like you’ve strapped a computer to your wrist. Want to learn more about the Moto 360? Check out our full review!
Best of CES 2015 Awards, PC: Lenovo LaVie HZ550
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Lenovo typically brings a lot of new product releases to CES. And it did it again in 2015. However, there was one particular highlight: a 13-inch laptop with top-end specs, but somehow weighing in at 1.7 pounds.This is Lenovo (and NEC’s) slender LaVie HZ550. For reference, that’s 43 percent lighter than the latest MacBook Air — and in person you’d think it was a dummy laptop shell. Despite that, the laptop still packs fifth-generation Intel Core processors: It’s got muscle too. Was it the best PC we saw at CES? We think so, yes.
Dash kicks off the Hearables market, a new frontier in the wearable industry
In the medical world, the ears can provide an abundance of information. Temperature, pulse, and oxygen saturation are just a few example biometrics that can be obtained from the ears.
In the always-connected digital era, we’ve seen the ears utilized for listening to music or as a means to talk on our smartphones. Originally our headsets were large and cumbersome, but over time they shrank down to something no larger than a standard earbud, making use of the vibrations in our jaw bones to transmit our speech.
Discrete, already socially accepted, and commonplace, earbuds and headphones are fixing to take the next step in their natural evolution in our smart-device world, especially when considering the wealth of data our auditory anatomy can provide. So where are we going?
It can be said that hearables were inevitable, once batteries and their charge could accommodate such a small, confined space. Advances in battery technology and the low-energy Bluetooth 4.0 have arrived and it has opened the door for all sorts of new and exciting gadgetry.
Back in September 2014, Motorola released the Moto Hint. It was an interesting bit of tech, showing how small and sleek earpieces could be, but the phase of having a Bluetooth earpiece for talking on your phone has, to a degree, passed. Coupled with the very voice-friendly Moto X, the Hint makes a little bit of sense, but outside of that? Not so much.
During CES 2015, one entrant in particular made its way into the world of hearables. It was Dash by Bragi, a new type of wireless earbud that takes the best of all tech domains and packages it into a nice, ear-canal sized object. The little earbuds were impressive enough to be awarded Best in Innovation during the trade show.
The range of features that Dash offers is immense. Besides the obvious (it wirelessly transmits sound into your skull and you can talk on your phone with them), Dash has a 3-axis accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer, which is what many smartphones come with so you can imagine that it can deliver similar information that your phone does.
Dash also has an embedded 4GB flash drive, which Bragi claims will allow the uploading of around 1,000 songs. This translates to the idea that even without a paired smartphone, you can still jam out with the earbuds alone.
Tracking is another big feature that Bragi is bringing to the table with Dash. Dash will measure body vitals via two LEDs emitting low intensity red and infrared light into your skin. The results will include heart rate, oxygen saturation, and body temperature. With the aforementioned accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers, the device will use sensor fusion to give you a hefty amount of data relating to speed, distance, pace, steps, calories burned, and more.
So how is all of this controlled on your earbuds if you don’t have your phone with you? Dash’s outer surface houses a high-resolution optical touch sensor, of course. So swipes, taps, etc., are all recognized gestures. Bragi states that this touch sensor will also pick up gestures while wet or while wearing gloves.
Wait, did I say “wet”? What would wireless earbuds of the future be without being waterproof? So yes, you can wear them swimming and, according to Bragi’s Dash promotional video, surfing. Though, to be honest, I’ve been hit by a few waves in the side of the head and I don’t think I’d recommend wearing cordless earbuds in the ocean unless said earbuds only cost like $5. Bragi does offer a leash for your Dash so maybe that would work out, but I think I’d still be too scared to try it.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Dash will come in white or black models. Bragi intends on releasing an accompanying app for your Android device when the product hits the shelves. You can pre-order a Dash package for $300 USD by clicking here.
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HTC teases ‘Utopia in Progress’ as they gear up for MWC and their next flagship device
With the conclusion of CES 2015 last week, the next big event n the list is Mobile World Congress, or MWC, is held annually in Barcelona Spain. Traditionally MWC is where many device manufacturers will showcase the new years device or devices while others will take to their own stage at their own events. In […]
The post HTC teases ‘Utopia in Progress’ as they gear up for MWC and their next flagship device appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Apple’s Swift Programming Language Proving Popular With Developers [iOS Blog]
Apple’s new Swift programming language is growing rapidly in popularity according to RedMonk’s latest Programming Language Rankings. The analysis ranks the future popularity of programming languages based on the amount of discussion on Stack Overflow and the usage on Github.
As expected, the top programming languages ranked by RedMonk include JavaScript, Java, and PHP in the top three slots with Objective-C rounding out the top ten.
Though it does not rank as high as its Objective-C counterpart, Swift was singled out by the researchers for growth that “is essentially unprecedented in the history of these rankings.” In two calendar quarters, Swift has climbed from the 68th slot in Q3 2014 to the 22nd slot in Q1 2105, a jump of 46 slots. Given this meteoric rise, Swift is expected to become a Top 20 language sometime this year.
According to Chris Lattner, head of Apple’s Developer Tools department, the Swift programming language was in development for four years before its official unveiling during WWDC 2014. From its conception, Swift was designed to be more approachable and fun, allowing developers to produce apps quickly and easily. Developers can use Swift code to build new apps or to add it alongside Objective-C into existing apps.
Virgin Mobile announces shared, no-contract data plans
Exclusive to customers who purchase through Walmart, the plans are a first of its kind for no-contract carriers
Virgin Mobile on Friday announced new rate plans for customers looking to share mobile data without any long-term contracts. Available to four specific handsets, these “Data Done Right” options work for between two and four lines on an account.
Included in the Data Done Right plans are parental controls, mobile hotspot, and low-priced international calling options. What’s more, Virgin Mobile is offering a $5 per line (per month) add-on that allows for unlimited access to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pandora. Visiting these sites and using their respective services will not count against the allotted data.
The first four smartphones capable of taking advantage of the shared data service include the HTC Desire 510, LG Tribute, LG Volt, and Samsung Galaxy Core Prime. The carrier plans to announce more compatible devices by the end of February.
In addition to the new shared option, Virgin Mobile announced a pair of revised single-line plans. Now, for $35 per month, subscribers get 300 minutes, unlimited messaging, and 2.5GB of high-speed data. For $40 per month, the plan bumps up to include unlimited minutes, messaging, and 2.5GB high-speed data.
The Data Done Right plans take effect beginning from January 17 at Walmart locations.
The post Virgin Mobile announces shared, no-contract data plans appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Theme engine added to CM12 nightly builds
Much to the delight of the modding community, the CyanogenMod team announced on January 5th that they would begin rolling out nightlies for the Lollipop powered CM12. Although the team mentioned that the early builds should be stable enough to use as a functional daily driver, they did mention that a few specific CM specialties weren’t up and running yet, one of which included the popular theme engine. Fortunately for CM12 users, the team has now announced that the theme engine is up and running, and will appear in nightly builds from here on out.
The news came via the Google+account of Cyanogen Inc employee Clark Scheff, who commented that 13,000+ lines of changes were merged in order to implement the theming engine. The announcement was just made today, meaning that all nightly builds from here on out should have a working theme engine.
Clark went on to explain that are a few things to consider when using it. Due to the Material Design in Android 5.0, a large majority of the CM11 themes won’t look “too great” when being applied to CM12 if the app isn’t currently using a holo style. There are also themes that have bad .9.png images that will not function, meaning that if you developed a theme that isn’t showing up, you’ll need to check the logcat in order to find what the issue is. It is also (at this point anyway) not possible to have a working theme for both CM11 and Cm12, which is an issue that could possibly be patched at some point. He also pointed out that anyone making themes for CM12 will need to make the appropriate directs to the targetSdkVersion=”21″ in the<uses-sdk> tag in order for the system to know that your theme applies to CM12 and not CM11.
By my count there are 50 devices on the download page that currently have available CM12 nightly builds, which can be viewed and downloaded via this link. Although CM nightly builds are generally stable enough to use as daily drivers, remember that these are not stable releases, so their will be features missing and possible bugs throughout the OS. The team has stated that they are 85% close to an M release (which is in essence a stable release candidate), so any bugs you may find should be ironed out rather quickly.
It’s also worth mentioning that if you decide to update from CM11 to CM12 or vice versa, that a full wipe will be needed in order to ensure compatibility due to the many changes that came with Android 5.0.
If you decide to give it a go (I will give it a go with my Note 3 and Nexus 7 soon and report back, as builds are available for both), be sure to let us know your first impressions in the comments below.
Virgin Mobile debuts inexpensive no-contract shared data plans
Virgin Mobile has just announced their new no-contract shared data plans starting at only $65. The plans are called Data Done Right, and offer 4G LTE speeds and support up to four lines at a time. The new plans debut tomorrow, January 17th exclusively at Walmart. The Data Done Right plans feature a Virgin Mobile app that allows users to manage data and buy more with just the click of a button, no additional monthly line fees, international plan options as well as parental control and curfew features. The new plans will be available right away on four Android devices, including the HTC Desire 510, LG Volt, LG Tribute and the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime. Virgin says they plan to have more Data Done Right-compatible devices available by the end of February. Virgin Mobile is also allowing Data Done Right users to use unlimited Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pandora for an additional fee of $5, without counting against the user’s pool of data.
Here are the three prepaid shared data plans the company has just announced:
- $65/month (2 lines) – Unlimited talk, text and 4GB of 3G/4G LTE data
- $90/month (3 lines) – Unlimited talk, text and 8GB of 3G/4G LTE data
- $115/month (4 lines) – Unlimited talk, text and 12GB of 3G/4G LTE data
Additionally, the carrier is rolling out new single-line unlimited plans, exclusively to Walmart customers. For $35/month, users can get 300 minutes of talk, unlimited text and 2.5GB of high-speed data. For $45/month, users get unlimited talk, text and 2.5GB of high-speed data. Both plans come with unlimited data after the 2.5GB of high-speed data is used up, but data will be throttled to 2G speeds for the remainder of the time you have your plan.
Beginning Saturday, Jan. 17, the new plans are available on four specific 4G LTE1 smartphones pre-loaded with the Virgin Mobile data-sharing application, which provides data buy-ups and international add-ons with one touch, directly from the device. Every multi-line plan will also come with a free Mobile Hotspot feature, making it even easier to share data across Wi-Fi enabled devices.
“At Virgin Mobile we are committed to offering prepaid customers innovative new wireless options,” said Angela Rittgers, vice president-Sprint Prepaid. “We were the first prepaid carrier to offer texting keyboards and texting-only plans, first to help customers pay less for talk they weren’t using, the first to feature a totally customized plan, and now the first data sharing plans. The new data sharing plans bring some of the most aggressive shared-line plans ever launched to Walmart.”
Virgin Mobile’s Data Done Right data share plans feature:
- Preloaded Virgin Mobile app that enables customers to manage data sharing directly from their device
- No additional monthly line fees
- One-touch data buy-up options starting at just $10/month for 1GB
- Popular social media and music streaming apps without data charges, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pandora – unlimited usage without counting against the customer’s data allotment for just $5 per month2
- Flexible international plan options
- Parental control features with device curfew and app restrictions
“At Walmart, we know our no-contract wireless customers are looking for some of the same experiences as contract wireless users – including high performing smart phones available on great plans at great prices,” said Mehrdad Akbar, vice president of Wireless, Connected Home, Wearables and Tablets, Walmart. “We are always seeking ways to innovate for our customers, which is why we’ve worked closely with Virgin Mobile to offer exclusive new plans such as data sharing.”
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Virgin Mobile Data Done Right Plans starting as low as $30 per line |
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| Options | $65/month (2 lines) | $90/month (3 lines) | $115/month (4 lines) | |||||
| Talk | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | |||||
| Text | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | |||||
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Data3 |
4GB 3G/4G LTE | 8GB 3G/4G LTE | 12GB 3G/4G LTE | |||||
In addition to the new data plans, Virgin Mobile is also delivering a new set of single-line, unlimited plans to Walmart customers:
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| Options | $35/month | $45/month | ||||||||
| Talk | 300 minutes | Unlimited | ||||||||
| Text | Unlimited | Unlimited | ||||||||
| Data3 | Unlimited (2.5GB high-speed data) | Unlimited (2.5GB high-speed data) | ||||||||
Virgin Mobile Unlimited and Data Share will be immediately available on updated editions of the HTC Desire® 510 [$99.88], LG Tribute™ [$79.88] and LG Volt™[$149.88]. Data Share service will also make its debut on the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime™ [$129.88]4 , also available starting Jan. 17. The Galaxy Core Prime features a4.5-inch display, 1.2GHz quad core processor, Android 4.4 KitKat® and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera.
More devices are expected to be introduced by the end of February.
A $20 starter kit is required to activate each new line of service and includes two months of unlimited music streaming without counting against the customer’s data allotment5.
Virgin Mobile announces new no-contract data sharing plans
Virgin Mobile announced today that they are introducing the first no-contract data sharing plans to the industry. Customers will have a choice of two to four lines to have on their account and will have access to a special data-sharing app that can help with data buy-ups, adding on international service, and monitoring usage. In addition to the normal charges for service, Virgin Mobile is also giving users an option to pay a flat $5 per month fee to avoid having data charges for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pandora, and other social media and music streaming apps, from counting against their data cap.
The plans are each based on the number of lines desired and come with unlimited talk and text. Each line gets a 4 GB allotment of data which can be shared between the lines. The plans will run $65 per month for 2 lines, $90 per month for 3 lines, and $115 per month for 4 lines. Consumers will have a choice of four different devices initially that can be purchased with the data sharing plans, including the HTC Desire 510, the LG Tribute, the LG Volt, and the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime. Buyers will have to pay for the devices which range in price from $79.88 up to $149.88 as well as a $20 starter kit for each new line of service.
For buyers who only need one line, Virgin Mobile is also offering new single-line unlimited data plans. A new $35 per month plan provides 300 minutes of talk and unlimited text while a $45 per month plan removes the talk limit. Both plans have unlimited data, although high-speed data is only accessible up to 2.5 GB of use. After that, speeds fall back to 2G speeds. Virgin Mobile also notes that video streaming may be limited to 3G speeds at all times.
The new phones and data sharing plan options will be available exclusively at Walmart stores starting this Saturday, January 17th. For those not familiar with Virgin Mobile, they operate on the Sprint network. According to Angela Rittgers with Sprint Prepaid, “At Virgin Mobile we are committed to offering prepaid customers innovative new wireless options…the new data sharing plans bring some of the most aggressive shared-line plans ever launched…”
source: Virgin Mobile (PR)
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