Something with Red Leather headed our way from Motorola
Tease they must. Those device manufacturers certainly have a way to poke the bear when it comes to a good tease. Samsung does a decent job with images and videos prior to a device announcement. HTC isn’t very good at it yet. Motorola, they tend to get us all talking. Mainly because their teases can […]
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Which do you prefer: Android KitKat or Android Lollipop soft keys?
Over a month ago, I wrote a post saying that the Android Lollipop soft keys had finally arrived on the LG G3 and was quite happy that these had caught up with the software running on the device. However, it appears from the torrent of comments that I was perhaps alone in this regard as […]
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Google Now cards on their way to Chrome Launcher 2.0
Owners of Chromebooks running the Chrome OS should expect to see a feature from the Android platform make its way over to their devices before much longer. Google has added support for Google search, including Google Now cards, to the next version of their Chrome Launcher 2.0. Testing of the new launcher is rolling out within the next week for users who are on the Chrome OS Beta Channel.
The Chrome Launcher on Chrome OS probably plays a bigger role for users than it might on other platforms, so the team working on the next update to the launcher wanted to make sure it would be “the best way to start new activities on Chrome OS, like performing a Google search or launching apps.”
Users who receive the updated launcher will see that it is much roomier so that more features could be packed into it, like the presence of Google Now cards. Google says the new format will also provide a better platform for managing apps. Enhanced search results and improved voice search integration are also being added to the new launcher.
While it may be a few more days before the Chrome Launcher 2.0 update starts to appear in beta testers’ Chrome OS, there are some other new Beta Channel features that are available now. One of these is the introduction of Material Design to the File Manager. Users will also find the system now supports unpacking password-protected ZIP archives and the system will now use the detected location of a Chrome OS powered device to automatically update the timezone.
source: Google Product Forums
via: OMG!Chrome!
Come comment on this article: Google Now cards on their way to Chrome Launcher 2.0
Chrome scrolling is about to get much smoother thanks to a new API
It looks like scrolling is about to get a tad smoother in Chrome. Google said it will soon integrate Microsoft’s Pointer Events API into the browser.
While there’s no timeline for when the API will be implemented, the end result should be less jank when scrolling through a website in Chrome.
‘Wunderlist’ for Apple Watch Brings To-Do Lists, Agendas and Reminders to Your Wrist
Wunderlist has provided a closer look at its Apple Watch companion app, which appeared on the App Store on Thursday ahead of the device’s launch next month. The app is designed with a unique Home View that provides access to your most important items first, with four buttons that display a bird’s eye view of your to-do lists, agenda and reminders on your wrist.
Wunderlist for Apple Watch delivers a hand-free experience in situations where you might normally use your iPhone, such as while shopping at a supermarket and checking items off your grocery list, or when using smart voice input to add to-dos for an upcoming meeting. The combination of Glances and real-time notifications ensure that you will stay up to date with important things during your day, be it during your morning commute, at the office or at home.
“As you move through the day, you won’t even have to open Wunderlist on your Watch to get stuff done. Just take a look at our Glance during breakfast to review your most important to-dos for the day. Thanks to Wunderlist’s real-time notifications, a subtle tap on your wrist will let you know what your colleagues are working on during your morning commute, and remind you to pick up the milk on your way home from work.”
Wunderlist for Apple Watch features custom animations for interacting with the app, and its developers have carefully considered which font sizes, layouts and interactions would work best with limited screen real estate. The result is a design that was inspired by Wunderlist’s brand-new colorful sidebar icons, with the majority of the user interface consisting of white text on a black background.
Ultimately, the developers behind Wunderlist for Apple Watch wanted to create software that gets out of your way, all the while providing multipurpose functionality for managing your day-to-day life. Apple Watch, and by extension the wrist, provides a more natural setting for to-do apps such as Wunderlist and Todoist, so it will be interesting to see how developers build upon these apps in the future.
Wunderlist [Direct Link] is free on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
Google relents and adopts a Microsoft API to improve scrolling in Chrome
Google has relented in its efforts to improve its own scrolling APIs for Chrome and has instead stated that it will adopt Microsoft’s Pointer Events API used in Internet Explorer.
While there’s no timeline on when the API will be implemented, this does represent a small feather in the hat for Microsoft as the two companies have historically been at odds with one another over browser standards.
Daily Roundup: The best cheap WiFi router, Tim Cook donations and more!
In today’s Daily Roundup you can learn about the best cheap WiFi router from our friends at The Wirecutter, read about Tim Cook planning to donate his fortune to charity and how new memory technology may allow SSDs with up to 10TB of storage. Catch up on today’s top stories past the break.
This is the best cheap WiFi router
If I wanted the cheapest good WiFi router I could get, I would buy the TP-Link TL-WDR3600. It’s a wireless-n router that costs $60 but outperforms some routers that cost twice as much. It took more than 150 hours of research and testing to find our pick. Of the 29 routers we looked at and the seven we tested, the TL-WDR3600 has the best performance for the lowest price.
Introducing Engadget’s newest contributor: The Wirecutter!
Starting today, you’re going to notice a very familiar contributor popping up on the pages of Engadget. That would be none other than our friends at The Wirecutter. We’ve long admired The Wirecutter’s ability to review as many products in as many categories as it does, and then whittle its findings down to a few sensible picks. Here at Engadget, we review gadgets too, but we mainly stick to a handful of categories — you know, phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, et cetera.
Apple CEO Tim Cook plans to donate his fortune to charity
Tim Cook has big plans for his vast wealth: It’s all going to philanthropy, he revealed in a Fortune interview. The Apple CEO — who’s currently worth around $112 million, and holds restricted stock that could be worth up to $665 million — said he’s already been making donations quietly, but he’s also looking forward to taking a deeper approach to the whole endeavor. That could involve starting something similar to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Microsoft co-founder’s non-profit which manages his philanthropic efforts.
You’ll soon get 10TB SSDs thanks to new memory tech
SSDs and other flash memory devices will soon get cheaper and larger thanks to big announcements from Toshiba and Intel. Both companies revealed new “3D NAND” memory chips that are stacked in layers to pack in more data, unlike single-plane chips currently used. Toshiba said that it’s created the world’s first 48-layer NAND, yielding a 16GB chip with boosted speeds and reliability. The Japanese company invented flash memory in the first place and has the smallest NAND cells in the world at 15nm. Toshiba is now giving manufacturers engineering samples, but products using the new chips won’t arrive for another year or so.
HTC’s lead designer leaves after less than a year
For a tech company that places so much emphasis on design, we can’t help but think something’s up when one of the key designers leaves. Today, we bring you the sad news that HTC’s VP of Industrial Design, Jonah Becker, has announced his departure on Twitter. To our surprise, that’s less than a year after he picked up from where his predecessor Scott Croyle left off.
YouTube starts testing silky smooth, ultra HD video quality
YouTube introduced videos that play at 60 frames per second last year and ones viewable in 4K resolution in February. Now, the website is starting to experiment with videos that are both silky smooth and ultra high-def. TechCrunch has spotted a low-key, semi-secret playlist comprised of only six videos that you can choose to play at 60 fps in 4K resolution — just toggle the settings switch to see the option.
North Korea’s must-have gadget is a $50 media player
In North Korea, the gadget you’d probably want is a Notel. Or a Notetel, a word that attempts to shoehorn notebook and television together, describing a pretty unassuming, very popular, Chinese-made media player. According to estimates from Reuters, up to half of all urban-based North Koreans have a Notel stashed somewhere in the house. Now, until recently, the device was only found on black markets, but the device has now been legalized and is apparently available in state-run shops and markets for just fifty bucks.
Filed under: Misc
Plex version 4.0 update brings a revamped UI, increased access to Android TV and more
Plex, the popular media server application, has just received a major update on Android. Version 4.0 brings a revamped user interface with Material Design enhancements, support for Plex Home, and increased access to Android TV.
The first big change you’ll notice upon launching the app is a redesigned interface and a completely redone home screen. The redesign brings the app closer to Plex’s new modern interface which makes server selection and content discovery much easier.
The Plex team has also added in full support for Plex Home, which makes it easier to switch between users in your Home and protect your account with a PIN. Additionally, Android TV access is getting expanded to more users. In the past, the Android TV interface was only available to those who subscribed to a Plex Pass, but now if you’d like to use the interface, you’ll be able to pay a one-time in-app purchase to get access.
If you’re interested, here’s the full changelog for the 4.0 update:
- Redesigned home dashboard.
- Plex Home support for managed users and fast user switching.
- Don’t require activation when playing media flung from other devices.
- [Android TV] App can now be activated with a Plex Pass enabled account -OR- an in-app purchase.
- Fix crash when selecting the ‘already paid’ option on the welcome screen.
- Fix crash scrolling on the home screen immediately after a pull-to-refresh operation.
If you have yet to grab the update, be sure to head to the Play Store link below.
How much free space do you actually get on a Galaxy S6?
The folks over at GSM Arena have been lucky enough to get their hands on three of Samsung’s flagship smartphones of 2015, the Galaxy S6, and have taken to their blog to report how much free space you’ll actually be getting when you purchase a 32GB, 64GB or 128GB model.
Straight out of the box, the 32GB model will have a mere 23GB of free storage, with a whopping 9GB being taken up by Samsung’s firmware. More specifically, 6.5GB has been assigned to the operating system, with 2.5GB being allotted to stock applications, which can, of course, be disabled, but not uninstalled.
The 64GB variant will ship with around 54GB of clear space, whilst the beastly 128GB version will have 118GB free for all of your apps, documents, pictures, videos and music.
So which model should you opt for?
I’d recommend picking up the 64GB Galaxy S6 if you can. My reasoning behind this is simple. Most smartphones on the market ship with 32GB of internal memory, but users still find themselves inserting a microSD card in order to store additional files. Seeing as Samsung removed the microSD card slot from the S6, it would be best to opt for a higher capacity, so you don’t risk running out of space.
Source: GSM Arena
Come comment on this article: How much free space do you actually get on a Galaxy S6?
Plex for Android updates with revamped Material Design-esque Dashboard UI and more
The last big news in Plex, that I caught at least, was when they combined the Plex Pass and Plex app into one app. It wasn’t earth shattering, but it did give both users a single app to download with an in-app purchase option to grab your Plex Pass subscription. In the update that Plex […]
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