Baby Popeye and Pro Football BBM Stickers now available in the BBM Shop
Hitting up the BBM Shop today I noticed a couple of new additions that are now available to purchase if stickers are your thing.
Ara Configurator: the app for building your Project Ara modular smartphone
Google created quite the news day today with regard to Project Ara. Talk Android had previously discussed some of the information released today when Google released the Project Ara MDK 0.2 a few days ago. We knew the new prototype would be called the Spiral 2, that there would be an Ara Manager app, the Greybus protocol was mentioned briefly, and we talked about the Ara module marketplace.
Today, Google branded the module marketplace as Ara Configurator, which will be your one-stop shop for customizing and purchasing your Spiral device’s modules. Additionally, this will be the location for customizing the modules’ shells, which are the plastic covering the back of said modules. The shells feature all those pretty designs on the modules’ backside that you see in the Project Ara photos.
Very similar to Motorola’s Moto Maker (or Nike’s NikeID, whichever you have more experience with), the Ara Configurator will feature a step-by-step process for customizing your Ara device. It will not be limited just to the modules, though, as you will be able to select from an assortment of chassis (dubbed as endoskeleton). And if you’re wanting to skip getting your hands too dirty with all of this customization, Ara Configurator will feature pre-assembled devices based on what activity you plan on associating the device with most (i.e. gaming or photography).
You can read more about the latest news surrounding Project Ara by checking out these stories on Talk Android: Project Ara team shares more details about Spiral 2 modular smartphone and Google to bring Project Ara devices to Puerto Rico first.
Source: The Verge
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Google adds navigation sharing in latest Maps update
Google today released a new update for its Maps application. Version 9.3 is a rather minor update, which introduces the ability to share loaded directions. Much like printing out directions from Google Maps on paper, the app will share said route directions as instructions for the recipient to follow.
Transport inspectors say Uber blocked their accounts to avoid fines
Uber likes to play chicken with local ride-sharing laws, hoping to keep its service in cities long enough to generate positive public buzz. Case in point is Queensland and Western Australia, where UberX is illegal and carries fines of up to $1,700 (AUS) for infringing drivers. According to emails obtained by ABC News in Australia, Uber has actively blocked the accounts of transport inspectors to avoid the penalties, which it pays on behalf of drivers. One inspector said “due to blocking by Uber, only two covert rides were undertaken… time was spent purchasing new credit cards, activating Gmail accounts and setting up two more phones.”
One driver there said he was told to keep operating and that Uber, which was recently valued at $40 billion, would cover any fines. That leaves Queensland’s local government in a bind; they want the service gone, but the nation’s Transport Act limits the actions they can take. Many UberX drivers have been fined more than once, and there’s no limit on the books as to how many can be issued, according to ABC. And despite the efforts, “Uber’s business is still expanding,” in the area, according to one inspector. They’ll keep fining drivers, but in the meantime, lawmakers there are looking into new regulations that could give them more teeth.
Filed under: Transportation
Source: ABC Australia
Xiaomi unveils Mi Note and Mi Note Pro: 5.7-inch high-end goodness
Xiaomi’s latest flagships are here. At the company’s Beijing event today, CEO Lei Jun revealed his latest weapons against Samsung and Apple: the Mi Note and Mi Note Pro.
Xiaomi Mi Note
The Xiaomi Note is not the successor to the affordable Redmi Note. The device is a high-end offering, with a 5.7-inch Full HD display made by Japan Display, 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3 , a Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM, a 13MP rear camera with OIS, a 4MP front camera with large 2-micron pixels (just like HTC’s UltraPixels), a 3,000-mAh battery, and LTE dual-SIM.
Speaking of design, the Mi Note sports beautiful glass on both the front and the back. The protective screen glass is 2.5D, meaning that its edges are slightly curved, just like on the Note 4 or iPhone 6 Plus. The glass on the back is positively curved however, gently hugging the phone’s sloping side. We’ve seen glass-backed devices before, but this is the first design with a curved glass back – it sure looks interesting, but durability may take a hit, even with the sleek metallic frame of the device.
On stage, Xiaomi’s Lei Jun took potshots at Apple, which seemed to be his primary target, and not Samsung and their Note 4 as one would expect. One of the jabs referred to the iPhone 6’s notorious protruding camera. There is no such thing on the Mi Note, which is a svelte 6.95 millimeters. The camera itself is sourced from Sony (IMX214), with a 6-lens f 2.0 aperture, OIS, and a two-tone flash. Thanks to the large size of the pixels, the 4MP front shooter should do great in low-light selfie situations.
Other features highlighted by Xiaomi include Hi-Fi audio thanks to a ESS audio decoder and fast charging.
With Xiaomi devices, the price is always a big part of the story. The Mi Note will be available for 2299 yuan ($370) for the 16GB storage, and 2799 yuan ($450) for the more spacious 64GB model. This isn’t the rock bottom pricing Xiaomi used its customers with, but then again, the Mi Note isn’t a budget affair, and that is visible in everything from specs to design.
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Xiaomi Mi Note Pro
Xiaomi is kicking things up a notch with the 3299 yuan ($530) Mi Note Pro, which features similar design and specifications with the following improvements: a 64-bit Snapdragon 810 processor, a Quad HD display, 4GB of RAM, and LTE-Cat 9 support for download speeds of up t 450Mbps. The Mi Note Pro will be available with 64GB of storage.
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The Mi Note will become available from Q2 (at least in Singapore), while the Mi Note Pro’s availability will be announced at a later point.
What do you think of the new Mi Pro and Mi Pro Note? Are they what you were expecting? What about the price?
Xiaomi’s new Mi headphones support both over-ear and on-ear experiences for $80
Unable to decide whether to go for over-ear or on-ear headphones? Xiaomi may have an ideal solution for you in the product that is a new pair of headphones. The company today announced the new accessory, which comes with both over-ear and on-ear covers.
HP to Release new Pro Android Tablet
HP has been making some increasingly better tablets of late, sporting both Windows and Android operating systems, as to provide consumers with more options. Today the company released two new tablets—one running Android, the other Windows—called the HP Slate Pro 10 and the HP Pro Tablet 10. Essentially, they are the same tablet under the screen: quad-core Bay Trail processors, 2 GB RAM, 32 GB storage, and NFC capabilities. But the Slate is the one running Android and the Tablet is the one with Windows.
Each of the tablets is 10 inches large, and is called Pro due to the inclusion of a passive stylus for more accurate touches. Mind you, this is not a capacitative stylus like the Note 4 or Surface Pro 3. It will do what your finger does, but a bit more precisely. Both tablets have Wi-Fi, but are rumored to potentially have the option to add 3G connection as well.
The tablets aren’t officially announced yet, but they should be hitting the stores sometime later this year—sooner, rather than later. While the few images purported to be of the tablets show them to be a bit unwieldy, the specs are nice and they should be capable devices if priced appropriately.
What do you think about HP’s latest tablets? Do you trust HP to deliver a quality 10 incher, or do you have your own horror story to tell about an HP tablet experience? Leave a comment below and let us know what’s up.
Source: Liliputing
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Samsung Galaxy S6 may not use as many Snapdragon 810 processors due to overheating
When Qualcomm announced the availability of the 64-bit Snapdragon 810 processor, we knew it would be all but a lock to feature in Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S6. Unfortunately though, the Snapdragon 810 appears to have severe overheating issues, and Samsung is rumoured to be reducing the volume of Galaxy S6 devices […]
The post Samsung Galaxy S6 may not use as many Snapdragon 810 processors due to overheating appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Google beefs up Translate app with Word Lens real-time translation
Google on Wednesday announced a new version of its Translate app for Android and iOS. Rolling out over the next few days, the app brings about some handy real-time translation capabilities. With the update it is no longer required to snap a photo for translation. Indeed, users can get real-time translation just by simply pointing the camera at text. And, as if that weren’t cool enough, this feature works whether there’s a data connection or not.
Additionally, Google Translate also provides much quicker translation via voice.
Starting today, simply tap the mic to start speaking in a selected language, then tap the mic again, and the Google Translate app will automatically recognize which of the two languages are being spoken, letting you have a more fluid conversation. For the rest of the conversation, you won’t need to tap the mic again—it’ll be ready as you need it.
Look for the new version of Google Translate on both Android and iOS in the coming days.
The post Google beefs up Translate app with Word Lens real-time translation appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Google Maps update brings much needed navigation sharing
It’s our favorite app update day of the week, what most of us call, Google’s Android app update Wednesday. It may have been a quiet one, but this Maps update is one that we are pretty excited about.
Google Maps for Android is rolling out version 9.3, look for the update on device, or head on over the Google Play Store for your free copy.
Along with the smattering of typical bug fixes, Maps v9.3 brings two main new features. First, is the ability to permanently ignore location settings warnings, second is that ability to share directions.
Starting with the location settings warning. If you’ve ever fired up Maps while not connected to WiFi, or with your GPS disabled, you’ve seen the warning. It simply lets you know that Maps isn’t going to work so well for you until you change your location settings, and includes options to ignore once or head into the settings. If you see this often, and it drives you nuts, simply tap the new “Don’t ask me again…” check box and continue on your merry way.
About those sharing options, this is going to be huge for some people, and wasted on others. The tool is pretty straightforward, a new Share directions option is in the three-dots menu of the directions dialog. Sharing directions gives your next steps in two forms, a text only guide is presented, allowing you to send the directions to those that cannot access Maps at that moment. From there, a link is provided that will give fellow Maps for Android users the directions in their Maps.
In addition to the front end changes we are seeing, there are two new permissions required for the app. Access to Bluetooth settings and the ability to Run at startup.
If you are not seeing the update just yet, the folks over at Android Police have captured the APK for download. Otherwise, we understand that Google is pushing out the Maps update to all of your devices over the next couple days.
What do you say, is the ability to share directions an important feature for your Google Maps usage?
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