[New Android Wear App] SWApp Launcher Wear controls watch and phone settings
Another launcher available on Android Wear devices has debuted in the Play Store. SWApp Launcher Wear makes it possible for users to launch apps on their watch, from their watch, and perform actions with both. There are a fair amount of actions that can be done with SWApp Launcher Wear on either the watch or the phone. From the watch, users can select to keep the display on or choose a flashlight mode that transitions it to white. The phone actions include toggling WiFi, WiFi hotspot, and sound. It also includes a FindMyPhone feature.
SWApp Launcher Wear is available for free and works with any Android Wear device.
Hit the break for the gallery and download links.
Come comment on this article: [New Android Wear App] SWApp Launcher Wear controls watch and phone settings
Motorola To Offer Steep Discounts Starting February 2nd
Valentines Days is fast approaching and if you are tired of getting that special someone the same old roses and chocolates then Motorola is here to help with their #Motolove promotion. Starting on February 2nd you will be able to sign up on Motorola’s website for a special promo code for $140 off when you spend $499.99 or $50 when you spend $249.99. The offer is not limited to any one device so you can mix and match items on their store to use the discount. Now when everyone is getting their special someone the same old gift you will be the talk of the town when you show up with a new Motorola device. The deal will go live at 11am CT so be sure to bookmark the page using the link provided so you do not miss out on this great deal.
Link: Motorola
The post Motorola To Offer Steep Discounts Starting February 2nd appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Twitter now allows group direct messaging and in-app clip uploads
Twitter is receiving a couple of big features today – users are now able to conduct direct message group chats and upload clips straight from the app, without having to switch to the Twitter-owned Vine.
Twitter is moving to become a more fully featured messaging service, adding the ability to have group conversations with up to 20 followers, even if those persons don’t follow each other. You’ll be able to share tweets in the group chat, use emoji, and upload pictures in complete privacy. Direct messaging is slowly becoming a complete service, giving users fewer reasons to leave Twitter for other apps.
New! Use Direct Messages to speak privately with a group of up to 20 people. Share Tweets, show emoji & be yourself. https://t.co/8giGhC6OO0
— Twitter (@twitter) January 27, 2015
The second big feature, video sharing, may seem a curious addition, given that Twitter owns the most popular short clip service on the market, Vine. But Twitter argues that Vine and the new video sharing feature are meant to complement, rather than replace each other. A big difference is that Twitter clip sharing lets you upload clips of up to 30 seconds, while Vine is limited to six seconds. Unlike Vines, Twitter clips won’t auto-loop.
Here’s an example of a Twitter clip from actor Neil Patrick Harris.
Check out my Twitter video #Oscar exclusive! I gots me a scoop! pic.twitter.com/SGQ3oJHDqZ
— Neil Patrick Harris (@ActuallyNPH) January 27, 2015
You’ll also be able to do some basic clip editing right inside the app. For now, Android users will only be able to upload new videos using Twitter’s in-app camera feature, but selection from the camera roll is coming “soon.”
The new features should become accessible through the Twitter web app and Android app soon. Check the official Twitter app in the Play Store for updates.
Sony will reportedly cut 1,000 more jobs from its mobile division
In a report that surfaced earlier today, Sony is planning on cutting 1,000 more jobs from the company’s mobile division. These job cuts will take place mainly in Europe and China. After the cuts, Sony’s mobile division will reportedly have shrunk 30% down to 5,000 by the end of the fiscal year in March 2016.
While these cuts are nothing positive, we can’t say they came out of the blue. Sony has been trying to gain a foothold in the smartphone market and regain profits for quite some time. Just last year, Sony posted a $1.7 billion loss from their mobile division, and that was after the company already cut 1,000 jobs from the mobile division back in 2013. It seems as though the company is doing all they can to return profits, including the shift back to yearly flagship releases and cutting down the number of overall handset releases throughout the year.
Sony is expected to report its recent job cuts during the company’s earnings report on February 4th.
This won’t automatically return profits to the company, but do you think cutting this many jobs will benefit them that much? Moreover, what would you like to see Sony do differently in 2015? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Eager to see how Dungeon Hunter 5 plays? Gameloft has 43 minute gameplay video available to watch
Gameloft’s next major title in the Dungeon Hunter series was sort of announced on January 20th when a teaser, along with a developer diary, was released. At the time they stated that Dungeon Hunter 5 would be coming out later this year, but left out a target launch date. Gameloft did state that the title […]
The post Eager to see how Dungeon Hunter 5 plays? Gameloft has 43 minute gameplay video available to watch appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Brought More Android Switchers, New Customers Than Prior Models
During today’s earnings call covering the first fiscal quarter of 2015, Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked about the sales split between the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. He declined to provide specific numbers on the split, but he did confirm that the iPhone 6 was the most popular device.
“Obviously to sell 74.5 million devices, they were all popular,” Cook said. “Both did incredibly well. We’re really proud of them, along with the iPhone 5s and 5c.”
According to Cook, there was some clear geographical preference for the iPhone 6 vs the iPhone 6 Plus. Some locations skewed higher to iPhone 6 Plus preference, while others preferred the iPhone 6. He didn’t specify which regions preferred which devices, but data has suggested Asian countries favored the iPhone 6 Plus.
During the call, Cook also mentioned that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus brought the highest Android switcher rate over the course of the last three years and that there’s still a lot of opportunity to see growth as only a “small fraction” of existing iPhone users (in the low teens) have upgraded to a new device. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have brought the highest number of customers new to iPhone than in any prior iPhone launch. “We saw more new customers to iPhone than we’ve ever seen before,” said Cook.
Cook said the company is getting “great feedback” about the quality of the products that they’re shipping, and that in emerging markets, iPhone growth was “absolutely stunning.” The company is very bullish on the iPhone going forward, expecting to see a lot of new adopters in Q2 2015 as well.
“We believe that it’s the best smartphone in the world,” said Cook.
Apple managed to reach supply/demand balance on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in January, when shipping dates finally hit 24 hours. Before that, iPhone supplies remained somewhat constrained throughout the holiday season.
Today’s earnings report revealed record iPhone sales, at 74.5 million, or 46 percent growth year over year. The iPhone makes up an impressive 69 percent of Apple’s revenue, which hit $74.6B during the quarter.
Confirmed: Spartan will include extension support
We reported on rumors last week that Microsoft may include Chrome extension support in Spartan, and it seems that extensions are definitely in the works for Microsoft’s new browser — albeit without explicit mention of the “Chrome” part.
A drunk intelligence worker crashed that drone near the White House
When you heard that someone crash-landed a drone on the White House’s grounds at 3AM on a Monday morning, did you suspect that the pilot was hammered? Well, you’re right. Officials have revealed that the operator was a drunk National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency worker who decided that the middle of a cold night was a great time to fly his friend’s drone (a DJI Phantom, shown above) near the President’s home turf. He didn’t realize what he’d done until his pals told him that his escapades were all over the news. Give credit to this unnamed man for doing the right thing afterwards, though — he notified both his employer and the Secret Service to set their minds at ease.
It’s good to know that the incident was just the result of having too much to drink, although it does underscore the White House’s current inability to cope with drone incursions. At two feet across, the Phantom wouldn’t have been spotted by a radar system designed to detect regular aircraft and missiles. If the White House’s defenders want to protect against far more sinister uses of drones, they’ll have to update their technology, improve their perimeter patrols, or both.
[Image credit: US Secret Service]
Filed under: Robots
Source: New York Times
Wear Messenger app now supports FlickKey keyboard
The Wear Messenger app for your Android Wear smartwatch has now received support for the FlickKey keyboard, which allows you to type on your wearable using gestures.
The same mechanism has been used on Flick Calc as well as the FlickKey IME, and it has received generally favorable reviews. Use of a standard keyboard on a device as small as a smartwatch is just not feasible. So having something like FlickKey makes lives a little easier for the users.
Sure, it won’t replace your conventional typing experience, but will certainly let you type faster compared to conventional QWERTY keyboards. The Wear Messenger app is still paid and will set you back by $1.99, so nothing’s different in that regard.
If you have already bought the app, you can expect an update notification to pop up sometime soon, which should contain all these features on board.
Come comment on this article: Wear Messenger app now supports FlickKey keyboard
Glow headphones pulse to your music and so much more
If you were to judge Glow headphones solely by their picture, you’d probably think they were just ordinary headphones with a glowing feature slapped in order to make them stand out. While that’s partially true, there’s a lot more to it than that.
The Glow headphones hit Kickstarter today, promising the world’s first headphones that use embedded laser light. More specifically, Glow utilizes a technology from Corning called Fibrance, which basically is a light-diffusing glass optical fiber that is extremely flexible and yet maintains it’s brightness and light uniformity no matter how much you curve, wrap and twist it. It is important to note that the light itself isn’t static, and pulses to the beat of your music or even the rhythm of your heart.
If you don’t think the pulsing light features are cool enough, the device comes with a 5-way controller that lets you change and pause your music, makes calls, activates Google Now, lets you snap a camera pic and so much more. Providing they meet all their Kickstarter goals, the startup behind Glow even plans to integrate a heart rate sensor inside of the earbud.
While many audio accessories have special features that extend beyond just controlling and listening to music, many times they are built with Apple in mind. Thankfully that’s not the case here, as the accessory was designed with a focus on Android. In fact, the team plans to introduce more advanced Android-specific features down the road (such as contextual awareness to some degree) — though its immediate goal is just seeking funding so they can get the product out into the hands of consumers.
For those interested in pledging, you can secure a Glow in red, green or blue for $149 with an estimated delivery timeframe of July 2015. For more details on Glow, be sure to check out their official Kickstarter page.
AIVAnet 