‘Marco Polo’ App for Finding Misplaced iOS Devices Updated With Custom Responses and More [iOS Blog]
Developer Matt Wiechec today released a major update to his Marco Polo iOS app that helps users recover misplaced iPhones and iPads with the sound of their voice. The new update brings custom responses and a new Notification Center widget that allows users to find other iOS devices also running the app.
Addressing a different use case than Apple’s Find My iPhone service, Marco Polo is intended to allow users to easily find an iOS device located in close proximity to the user. The app’s core functionality requires the app to be running in the background, with the device’s microphone listening for the key passphrase, which is “Marco” by default. Once the user speaks the phrase, the app generates an audio response, with the default being “Polo”.
The new update lets Marco Polo users select phrases like “I’m Over Here” and “Who’s There?” over the simple “Polo” response, while also bringing a slew of new character voice options, like “Movie Guy” and “Wicked”. The widget, once installed in the Today section of the Notification Center and set to discoverable within the app, allows users to find other iOS devices with a simple tap.
Our largest update yet, ready for the new year. We’ve added great new features, new voices, custom responses, widgets, and improved the entire app experience!
– Custom Responses are here! Now your device can ring back more than just POLO!
– Choose from responses like “I’m Over Here”, “Who’s There?”, “iPhone Reporting”, and many others. Even enter your own phrase!
– New iOS 8 Nearby Widget; skip shouting and find other devices right from Notification Center
– Greatly improved voice recognition
– Added new voices like MOVIE GUY and WICKED, including supporter exclusives like ARNOLD, BUSH, KERMIT, SLY, and more
– The app is now Universal to support the iPad, and completely optimized for iOS 8 and the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
Marco Polo even allows some customization to the phrase shouted to prompt the app’s response, meaning virtually any 12-letter word a user can think of could be used to discover a lost iPhone, an improvement over the original version of the app where some users complained that words with similar sounds to “Marco” such as “mark” would trigger a response.
Functionality in silent mode and while the device is sleeping, as well as a volume boost feature that makes sure the app’s voice is heard even if your phone is low, round out most of standard features that were available even before today’s 2.0 update.
The app has a decent voice recognition range, and recognizes almost any 12-letter word or phrase added as a passphrase. Slight drawbacks may hinder daily use of the app, however, including the need for the device’s microphone to always be active. This means that once you leave the app, the red “recording” microphone bar will be a permanent mainstay atop the iPhone screen. Using the Notification Center widget to discover other missing devices doesn’t require the microphone to be on, however.
Potential battery drain may also be a concern given the need to keep the device’s microphone active, although we did not see significant drops in battery status during limited testing.
Marco Polo can be downloaded for $0.99 from the App Store. [Direct Link]
T-Mobile starts Smartphone Equality initiative, simply pay your bill on time for the best deals
John Legere has become a household name over the last year with his bold statements and business moves at T-Mobile. He never seems to stop trying to make things better for consumers in one way or another. Certainly not all moves are for everyone, but they a large majority of customers are constantly excited and […]
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MediaTek’s 20nm octa-core processor to arrive by the end of 2015
This could be the year that Qualcomm actually feels some competition. A leaked MediaTek roadmap reveals that the company has a series of worthy processors scheduled for releases throughout 2015. They will provide MediaTek with a chance to capitalize on the mid-range segment as well as touch upon the high-end.
The MT67XX is the flagship processor featuring eight cores with 64-bit architecture and LTE Cat.6 support. It will be the first 20nm processor manufactured by MediaTek and the roadmap suggests an arrival by the end of 2015.
Other variants include the MT6753, MT6735, MT6735M, MT6580, and MT6570. Those will be utilized by devices released prior to July as the roadmap shows each of them being released by the end of the first half. All of the aforementioned processors are built on 28nm technology. Some are quad-core and others are octa-core. Even dual-core setups appear in the roadmap. MediaTek is covering all areas to ensure hardware manufacturers can view its processors as a viable option.
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Chrome for Android updated with minor adjustments, more Material Design
The Chrome for Android application, available in the Play Store, is being updated to version 40. The update is not an overhaul by any means but it does make some appealing changes with even more Material Design sprinkled throughout. Tapping on a URL will cue a box that contains the option to copy it. Before, users had to manual cut/copy the URL like any other text. On tablets, long-pressing the close button on a tab provides a button to close all tabs. The most welcome addition, though, is how fixed headers work when zooming. Things are less likely to get messy and crowded with everything staying in its place.
As expected, Google is rolling out the update slowly. You can download the update for yourself by hitting the download link below.
Source: OMG! Chrome! [APK Download Link]
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TOCCs Feather Buds: Noise cancelling Bluetooth headphones for under $25 [Deal of the Day]
I can’t think of anything more trivially infuriating than my ear buds being ripped from my ears after getting snagged on a doorknob or crowded subway passenger’s arm. The Feather Buds from TOCCs are a perfect fit for folks looking to cut the cord from their wired earbuds without dropping beaucoup bucks for the Bluetooth upgrade.
These headphones are lightweight and tangle-free so you won’t be encumbered by heavy tech on your head nor will you have to worry about unwinding a tangled heap of cord. The Bluetooth transmission is rated for 30ft and we’ve heard feedback of roughly 5 hours active-use, 50 hour standby, battery life. Three sizes of comfort-gel earbuds are included to ensure a perfect fit. There’s also a built-in mic and remote to make calls and control your phone’s audio playback.
AndroidGuys readers can snag these awesome earbuds today for just $24.99 (free shipping) over at our deals page. I’ve had a good experience with the Plantronics BackBeat GO 2 but am certainly going to snag these TOCCs. At this price, grabbing a few pairs for gifts might not be a bad idea.
Check this deal out, and many others at deals.androidguys.com!
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Dragon Quest V comes to the Google Play Store
Square Enix, the developers behind the popular Dragon Quest series, have just released Dragon Quest V to the Google Play Store. This release arrives only a little over a month since Dragon Quest 3 came to the Play Store. Now, fans of the series can enjoy the original Dragon Quest, Dragon Quest II, III, IV and VIII. The game follows a young boy, traveling the world with Pankraz, his father. Once grown, it’s now the boy’s job to finish his father’s quest to find the Legendary Hero.
Since this is a similar port from the Nintendo DS title from 2009, all of the game’s original features will be present, along with a few added bonuses. Here is what the game brings with it’s port to Android:
- Make Friends with Mighty Monsters – Monsters you face in battle can now become your friends, giving you access to unique spells and abilities.
- Converse Freely with your Fellow Party Members – The party chat function allows you to converse freely with the cast of colorful characters who will accompany you on your adventure.
- 360-Degree Views – Rotate your viewpoint in towns and villages through a full 360 degrees to make sure you don’t miss a thing.
- AI Battles – Your companions can be instructed to fight automatically. Use the various tactics at your disposal to see off even the toughest enemies with ease.
- The Casino – With slot machines, poker, the monster arena and the exciting slime races of the slurpodrome, the casino is sure to provide you with a little light relief when the pressures of adventuring prove too great.
- Treasures ‘n’ Trapdoors – Take dice in hand and roll your way around specially designed game boards, enjoying a whole range of exciting events as you go.
- Bruise the Ooze is Back! – Bruise the Ooze, the slime-smashing minigame introduced in the Nintendo DS version, is back with a bang! Tap the slimes within the time limit to earn points in this super-simple yet fiendishly addictive goo-splatting extravaganza.
Square Enix has made the game available for all Android devices running Android 4.0 and above, though they warn that using the ART runtime on devices running KitKat could cause some issues. The game is available in the Google Play Store for $14.99. This isn’t the most inexpensive game the developers have released, but they assure users that there are no in-app purchases.
Download Dragon Quest V from the Google Play Store
Second episode of Telltale’s ‘Game of Thrones’ series debuts Feb. 5
The second episode of Telltale Games’ six-part adventure game based on the Game of Thrones TV series from HBO makes its Android debut February 5 on the Google Play Store. The second episode is titled “The Lost Lords” and Telltale is getting fans of the fantasy series pumped for its release with a new trailer.
[New Game] Strategic RPG follow-up, Blood Brothers 2, released by DeNA for Android
Gaming developer, DeNA, who is responsible for titles like Godus, Star Wars: Galactic Defense, Transformers Age of Extinction and many others, has announced the release of another title today. The new addition to the studios portfolio is a sequel to a popular strategy RPG game, Blood Brothers 2. The original Blood Brothers title was previous […]
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[New Game] Gameloft launches match 3 Puzzle Pets
Gameloft is adding another vibrantly colorful match 3 style game to its portfolio of titles today with Puzzle Pets. The title brings a cute and cuddly approach to the match 3 genre of gameplay with a flurry of frogs, octopus, fox’s, bunnies and more. As one would expect, you match 3 or more pet heads […]
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Benchmark reveals new Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 variant with a 64-bit chip
A new benchmark listing has revealed Samsung’s intentions to launch a new version of the Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 sporting a 64-bit processor. The revelation was made by GFXBench, which has spilled the beans on several devices in the past.
This tablet sporting the model number SM-T333 is shown to be packing Qualcomm’s budget ranged Snapdragon 410 SoC, which is used on multiple midrange smartphones that have launched recently.
This chip uses the 64-bit CPU architecture which makes it fully compatible with Android 5.0, although having a 64-bit processor isn’t a prerequisite for running Android Lollipop.
Barring this, the tablet is shown to be packing similar hardware as the current Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 variant which includes the 8 inch 1280 x 800 resolution display, 16GB of internal storage, 1.5GB of RAM, Android 4.4.4 KitKat and a 3.15-megapixel rear camera.
Would you be interested in this new variant of the Galaxy Tab 4 8.0? Let us know below.
Source: GFXBench
Via: Sam Mobile
Come comment on this article: Benchmark reveals new Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 variant with a 64-bit chip
AIVAnet 