YouTube now supports 360-degree video on desktop and mobile
Google has just announced that YouTube now supports 360-degree video, for both uploading and watching. These new videos are only watchable on the Android app and through embedded videos in Chrome, though the company says iOS support is coming in the future. For right now, there are only a small handful of 360-degree videos available, but more will come with time.
If you’re reading this from your computer, take a look at the video above. You can click and drag to pan around the video and see everything around you. But the real magic happens when you load this video up on your Android device. You can pan around just by simply moving your device, which will give you just about the closest experience to virtual reality without having to put on a headset.
To make it easy for folks to upload their videos to YouTube, Google has been working with a number of 360-degree camera makers across the industry to make the videos compatible with YouTube. And if you’d like to upload your own video, Google has provided a script that you can run to ensure your video has the correct metadata. In the future, the company hopes to make this process automatic.
These videos are incredibly fun to watch on an Android device, even though the quality is pretty poor. How are you liking the new 360-degree feature? Are you a fan?
LG G Flex 2 now available on Sprint in Volcano Red and Platinum Silver
The G Flex 2, LG‘s most recent curvy smartphone, has made its way to the US after a brief time being exclusively available in South Korea. Sprint is the first carrier in the United States to sell the phone, and it’s offering the device in two different color options: Platinum Silver and Volcano Red. For those wondering, Volcano Red is an exclusive color for Sprint, but it doesn’t differ too much from the original Flamenco Red variant that was originally announced.
If you’re interested in grabbing the device from Sprint, it can be yours for $199.99 with a two-year contract, $0 down and $21 per month on Sprint’s Easy Pay plan, or $504 to pick up the phone with no contract. These prices aren’t as bad as we originally thought they’d be, since the G Flex 2 brings a ton of interesting features to the table.
For those who need a refresher, the LG G Flex 2 offers up a 5.5-inch Curved P-OLED display with a resolution of 1920×1080, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 64-bit Octa-Core processor coupled with an Adreno 430 GPU, all backed by either 2 or 3GB of RAM (depending on which storage option you choose). The phone comes with either 16 or 32GB of on-board storage, a 13MP rear-facing camera with OIS+, a 2.1MP front-facing camera and a non-removable 3000mAh battery.
The G Flex 2 is considered more of a device that showcases LG’s new technological advancements, rather than a true flagship competitor. It brings an awesome self-healing back which can eliminate light scratches in less that 10 seconds, and oh yeah, it has a curved display. The display really helps the device’s in-hand feel, and is much more comfortable when talking on the phone compared to most other handsets on the market. If you’d like some more information on the G Flex 2, you can check out our full review here.
Any Sprint customers interested in this new device?
Google Messenger updated with GIF support and new widget
Right now, users of the Google Messenger app are seeing a software update arrive on their devices. The update includes support for animated GIFS and a new widget for placement on the home screen and/or lock screen. Google also made the usual performance improvements to the app while squashing some bugs.
Hit the break for download links.
What’s New:
- Support for animated GIFs
- Widget
- Performance improvements and bug fixes
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Apple Watch and digital unleashed
I was having lunch today when my iPhone buzzed in my pocket.
I wasn’t alone, and the gentleman I was having lunch with was telling me a story involving Heineken and Gold Fish crackers, so I didn’t want to be rude and reach into my pocket and find out why. Because of my job and my settings, however, I know that if my iPhone buzzes, it’s probably important. So then I had to decide what I was going to do — ignore the person in front of me or ignore the notification. Then, as I was deciding, his iPhone buzzed too. We looked at each other and laughed — he far louder than I — and both noted that if had Apple Watches, we wouldn’t have this problem.
We imagined the same lunch two months from now, when we both have Apple Watches. If a notification came in, I wouldn’t get a buzz that he could hear and he wouldn’t get a buzz that I could here. We’d each get a discreet tap alerting us and us — and us alone — to the notification. A turn of the wrist and a causal glimpse, and we could see what the notification was for, and either who it was from or what it was about. With that information, we could choose to ignore the notification or, if it was urgent, we could excuse ourselves to handle it.
By moving alerts and information from our pockets to our wrists, the Apple Watch is also removing stress and burden from our lives.
The difference can be seen in something as simple as checking the time. Neither of us had watches because the iPhone has become our watch. Yet when either of us wanted to check and see if we needed to start wrapping up, we again had to make the visually loud and obnoxious gesture of reaching into our pockets.
Again, with the Apple Watch, either of us could handle that with a subtle wrist turn and glimpse. Less fuss, less anxiety for everyone.
Earlier this month Serenity Caldwell wrote about why she’s betting big on the Apple Watch. As I’ve gotten to spend more time with the Apple Watch and talk to more people who have spent considerable time with it, it’s clearer to me that she was exactly right.
It’s also clearer to me that my initial impressions after both the first event back in September and the second event this week — that the Apple Watch’s killer feature is convenience and that people who worry about the interface should keep calm and Apple Watch on — might also be how my long term impressions play out as well.
And that’s only one aspect of the Apple Watch. It’s also going to let us track our activities without us ourselves being tracked. It’s going to let us control our homes and environments instead of being controlled by multiple different devices and interfaces. It’s going to let us pay for things with the double-push of a button. It’s also going to let people with accessibility issues do more than ever before.
I’ve only had the chance to use an Apple Watch for a short amount of time so far, but it was enough to sense the potential. What will it feel like when I’ve used it for a week? A month? A year? I don’t know, but I’m eager to find out.
I know the gentleman I had lunch with is eager to find out as well, so I’ll leave you with his words, published earlier today on The Loop:
I have yet to use an Apple Watch for an extended period of time, but from what I’ve seen, it will fit into my life pretty well. The question is for how long—I won’t know the answer to that until I get to spend some time with it.
Indeed.
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Here is how Pebble smartwatch notifications can now work on Windows Phone
Pebble is arguably one of the most important smartwatch brands available to consumers these days. Indeed, the private company has been very successful in raising money for its new Pebble Time device, suggesting that the company has some legs.
However, Pebble and Windows Phones are two things that do not match. We detailed the story of the failed attempt at bringing the Pebble app to Windows Phone before so today we want to talk about that ‘demo’ app for notifications.
We will also tell you where you can get it and how it works in our hands-on video.
Walkman update allows users to view songs in a playlist on Android Wear
The Walkman application received a new update today that moves the build from 8.5.A.2.10 to 8.5.A.3.2. While there are visual improvements to the app, the key part of the update is the ability for Android Wear users to view songs within a synced playlist and start playback from any song in a playlist. Some users are reporting seeing other things as well.
Users are reporting that Spotify is listed as a usable service in the settings portion of the app and is a likely precursor to the Spotify powered Playstation Music coming at the end of the month. For those of you who want the update it’s 14.1MB.
Let us know if you know if you find anything else.
source: Xperia Blog
Come comment on this article: Walkman update allows users to view songs in a playlist on Android Wear
Amazon Hints at Upcoming Apple Watch App [iOS Blog]
Although it went unmentioned at Apple’s big Apple Watch event on Monday, an Amazon spokesperson hinted to TechCrunch that the company is looking “to expand to other devices”, suggesting an Apple Watch app could be in the works for the device’s launch next month, or sometime in the future.
TechCrunch believes the app will be largely similar to the Android Wear Amazon app, letting users search using their voice, access their Wishlist, and use Amazon’s 1-click check-out for shopping in a hurry.
Image Mock-up via TechCrunch
When asked for an official statement, the online retailer kept a vague description over the future of the company’s appearance on the new Apple wearable, though given the ubiquity of the service, it’s hard to imagine an Amazon Apple Watch app not showing up at all.
“Amazon is constantly innovating on behalf of our customers. We are committed to being anywhere customers want to shop. That includes watches. We have an Amazon shopping app for Android Wear and will look to expand to other devices.”
Multiple third-party apps were showcased at the event on Monday, but few were actually given in-depth moments at Apple’s already packed keynote address. Most recently, Fandango confirmed its movie-focused service will arrive as an app on the Watch in time for the device’s April 24 launch date.
You can now buy the DROID Turbo in Sapphire Blue Ballistic Nylon from Verizon
Verizon is now offering the Motorola DROID Turbo in a sleek Sapphire Blue color. Best Buy used to be the only retailer to carry the Sapphire Blue Ballistic Nylon variant, but now you can pick the device up in Verizon stores or online. Just like with the other color, the 32GB Sapphire Blue DROID Turbo is being offered for $149.99 with a two-year contract, $22.91 per month on Verizon’s EDGE program or $549.99 to buy the phone off-contract.
It’s worth noting that in the announcement post from yesterday, Verizon quoted the 32GB Sapphire Blue variant at $199.99 with a two-year contract, though the product page has it listed as only $149.99. We’ve reached out to Verizon for further clarification and will update this post once we hear anything.
Even though the DROID Turbo was announced last year, it’s still a great smartphone for anyone who doesn’t want to make too many sacrifices. If you need a refresher, the DROID Turbo has a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display with a 1440 x 2560 resolution. It also comes with a 2.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor backed by 3GB of RAM, a 21MP rear-facing camera and a huge 3900mAh battery. The device is still running Android 4.4 KitKat, but we couldn’t imagine it taking too much longer to get the Lollipop update. If you’d like some more information on this device, be sure to check out our full review.
If you’d like to get your hands on one for yourself, you can head to Verizon’s product page here.
BlackBerry to announce Year-End and Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2015 results March 27th
As one might have caught during Mobile World Congress due to the lack of financials discussion, BlackBerry has been in their quiet period ahead of their Year-End and Fourth Quarter Fiscal 2015 earning results, which have now been announced to take place on March 27th, 2015.
P8 teaser shows stronger screen and better camera
With Huawei geared to release the P8 flagship phone on April 15, the trickle of teasers and leaks has turned into a flood. Well today, a new leak gives a hint that the Huawei flagship will be a bit more robust in a few key areas.
From what we see of the teaser (above) the phone will feature a stronger screen and a better camera. The third teaser image shows us that the phone may have a price that surprises people. From what we’ve seen so far rumor wise, the P8 looks to have a 5.2-inch Full HD display, a ceramic unibody chassis and will be powered Kirin 930 chipset. It will sport 3GB of RAM and have a 13MP rear shooter as well.
While leaks have shown the Kirin 940 and 950 processors are in the works, it probably won’t be ready for prime time here in a month. Of course, with the way this device is shaping up, we could be given an idea of what a Huawei Nexus device may look like here in a little over a month.
source: GSM Arena
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AIVAnet 