You can now create a note or set an alarm on your smartphone from desktop
Thanks to a nifty little update from Google for its Search application, Android users now have the facility to set an alarm and send notes to their smartphone or tablet directly from a desktop.
To take advantage of this functionality, simply head over to Google’s homepage on your desktop, then type in “send a note” or “set an alarm” followed by the relevant details.
If you’d like to find out more, hit the source link below.
Source: Google
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Google announces special promotion to accept patents for purchase
Google has announced they will be running a special promotion for a couple weeks in May to accept offers from patent holders who are interested in selling their patents. The promotion is described as an “experimental marketplace” for Google to test whether they can process a large influx of offers to buy patents that is easy for patent sellers to use. The end result, according to Google, will be an improved “patent landscape” and a patent system that works better.
Google notes that patent holders may have a variety of reasons for wanting to sell a patent, like raising money or not wanting to deal with a patent after a change in business strategy or direction. One of the problems that Google sees with the current state of the patent market is that patent holders may end up working with a patent troll, especially smaller patent holders who may not be well-versed with market players. When patent trolls get their hands on a patent, bad things can happen like lawsuits and lots of wasted effort and resources in battling patent trolls.
Google will be making a special form available starting on May 8th and lasting through May 22nd. Patent holders can use that form to describe the patent they hold and the price they are seeking for the patent. Google says they expect to be able to review all submissions by June 26th and close any transactions with payments to the patent holders by late August.
Google notes that there is a lot of fine print that goes along with selling a patent and they encourage patent holders to speak with their own attorneys if they are interested in submitting an offer to sell. Google also reserves the right to not complete a transaction for any reason.
source: Google Public Policy Blog
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Sony Xperia P2 leaks: Fantastic phone for a great price
Earlier today, a leaked press render along with a set of alleged specifications appeared online for Sony’s long-awaited, high-spec, budget-friendly smartphone, the Xperia P2.
The P2 is believed to sport a 5.2-inch Full HD Triluminous display, a 1.6GHz Snapdragon 810 CPU, 3GB of RAM, a 12.1-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 4,240 mAh battery.
As can be seen in the images below, the P2 doesn’t feature the usual bezel’s either side of the display. Instead, the screen glass is beveled round the edges at a thickness of 0.8mm, which allows for a more compact design.
What do you think of the Xperia P2? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.
Come comment on this article: Sony Xperia P2 leaks: Fantastic phone for a great price
Sony working on special India-only entry level smartphone strategy
Sony is working a special strategy for the smartphone market in India says managing director Kenichiro Hibi. The need for a special strategy is driven by Sony’s larger move as a company to get out of the entry level smartphone market on a global basis. However, India is the fastest growing smartphone market in the world, even faster growing than China, and entry level smartphones rule the roost. This means Sony has to continue to produce them for that market if they want to compete in India.
Hibi says Sony will look to replicate the success they have had with televisions in India. For the LED television market, Sony started producing “small screen” televisions in the 22-inch to 24-inch range. This produced instant positive results for the company which now claims 30% of the market share.
In the smartphone market, Sony claimed 10% of the market last year, which is actually not bad considering there are about 100 manufacturers in play. Hibi says, “we have to launch such models in India to survive in this tough market…” referring to smartphone models in the Rs 8,000 – 10,000 range (about $126 – $158 USD). Analysts think Sony could eventually lay claim to 15% of the market if they succeed with their strategy.
Hibi not only plans to stay in the Indian market with entry level phones, he hopes to produce the phones in India as part of a Made in India strategy. Hibi indicates he will be presenting a strategy for the Indian market to Sony’s global president and chief executive Kazuo Hirai this week.
source: Economic Times
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Mediocre’s Does Not Commute veers into the Play Store
Kicking back and killing some time while gaming on your smartphone or tablet can be a most enjoyable experience, especially when the game you are playing is Does Not Commute. It’s a game that involves driving a variety of vehicles around a small town set in the 1970’s, and as the name implies, the gameplay involves commuting.
Basically, you start off driving a dentist called Charles Schneider to work, and the streets are deserted, making it an easy commute. A few levels down the line and its mayhem as you attempt to steer a school bus to its destination without harming its passengers who scream every time they are in danger, which is pretty often with my driving skills. The controls are pretty basic, tap the left of the screen and the vehicle turns left, tap the right-hand side of the side to turn right. Each vehicle has its own characteristics, the lorry is slow and cumbersome with a wide turning circle, whereas the sports car is downright nippy and skiddy, you get the picture. As you progress you get a few more options such as being able to select turbo (ill-advised for the sports car) or traction control. You have to complete the level within a certain time limit, although you can collect extra seconds if you take some short-cuts.
While the game itself is free to download and play, if you want to save as you go along you will want to buy the one-time In-App-Purchase to enable the Premium version, otherwise you will have to start from scratch when you run out of time to get your vehicle to its destination. The premium IAP costs $1.99 (£1.60). Ordinarily I’m not a fan of IAP’s, and while the upgrade to premium isn’t a must-have feature, being able to save my progress was a welcome boon.
All-in-all, it’s a great little game that will help you waste some time in a most unexpectedly enjoyable fashion. Does Not Commute is compatible with Android devices running version 2.3 Gingerbread and above and can downloaded simply by clicking on the Play Store link below or by scanning the QR code with your device.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: Mediocre’s Does Not Commute veers into the Play Store
Google aims to make selling your patents easier with the Patent Purchase Promotion
In an effort to bolster its already gigantic patent portfolio, Google today announced the Patent Purchase Promotion. The company describes this as an “experimental marketplace” for patents that aims to remove as much friction from the patent market as possible. How so? Well, the patent market is already a very frustrating thing, especially for smaller patent owners who sometimes end up working with patent trolls. People can lose money very quickly in these scenarios, and Google would like to save you from the hassle.
Google explains:
From May 8, 2015 through May 22, 2015, we’ll open a streamlined portal for patent holders to tell Google about patents they’re willing to sell at a price they set. As soon as the portal closes, we’ll review all the submissions, and let the submitters know whether we’re interested in buying their patents by June 26, 2015.
Google expects everyone it transacts to receive full payment by the end of August.
To learn more about the Patent Purchase Promotion, head on over to the official Patent Website to read the fine print. This should go without saying, but Google also recommends you get in touch with your attorney before submitting your application.
Yes, the Apple Watch Blends [iOS Blog]
Blendtec and Tom Dickson have returned with the latest edition of their “Will It Blend” experiment, this time putting the Apple Watch in a blender to see how well it survives. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t. Just like with every iPhone put through the blender treatment, the Apple Watch is quickly smashed and destroyed into tiny bits and pieces of metal.
Last week, the Apple Watch Sport was put through a lengthier torture test that involved attempting to scratch it with a cheese grater, pouring ketchup and maple syrup on it, boiling it in hot water, stepping on it, smashing it with a seven-pound cast iron skillet and more. The wrist-worn device also underwent a waterproof test on the same day.
Don’t try this at home.
Christy Turlington Burns Breaks Personal Record at London Marathon [iOS Blog]
Over the past few weeks since Apple’s “Spring Forward” event, model and founder of non-profit organization Every Mother Counts Christy Turlington Burns has kept a blog on Apple’s official website describing her use of the Apple Watch in helping her prepare for the Virgin Money 2015 London Marathon.
After finishing the marathon yesterday, Burns posted a time of 3 hours and 46 minutes, flying just under her goal time of 3 hours and 55 minutes (via The Telegraph).
Angled as a seven week build-up to the 2015 London Marathon, Burns’ final blog entry was posted last week, also timing itself with the official launch of the Apple Watch last Friday. As Burns mentioned in her latest post for Apple, “as a 46‑year‑old mom, I’m proud of my under‑4‑hour goal”, even though most “extreme” athletes can get a finish time under the 3 hour mark.
Burns used a variety of Apple Watch features over the nearly-two-months she trained for the marathon, from praising the dexterity of the Watch in learning personal stride and workout preferences to the subtle encouragement of filling every activity ring each day.
Although her role in the launch of the Apple Watch can be seen as purely promotional, she did shed some light on unknown features concerning lesser-discussed portions of the Watch’s abilities, including the fact that after a few runs paired with an iPhone, the Watch can work independently of the iPhone over time.
After 17 years of hard work, OtterBox has come to be one of the top players in mobile protection.
Origins
It can be said that behind a great company stands a great man or woman, someone who had an idea and was not content with just letting it reside in their minds, but instead, they wanted to make it a reality. From Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, to Jeff Bezos, these were all revolutionaries, giants in their industries. While these are by far some of the most well-known names in the tech industry, there are other that have also made great strides in their fields and are slated to leave behind a legacy. One such person is Curt Richardson.
Curt Richardson first came up with the idea for OtterBox back in 1991 when he began work on a water resistant box. His idea was in response to the increased interest of the time in water based sports. So what better business venture than to help cater to that need. Richardson thus continued work on creating what would become the first OtterBox and finished the product in 1995. After some short years later, OtterBox came to be in 1998.
No one but Curt Richardson knows what was going on in his head when he started the company, or what his goals were for OtterBox at that time. What we do know is that OtterBox would go on to become one of the best-known brands where mobile protection is concerned and be a real market mover in its industry.
So what does OtterBox offer now, after so many years? We had the same thought, so we procured three of their main case offerings and decided to test them out.
Current Offerings
Commuter
The Commuter case is OtterBoxes response for the consumer that wants a great protective case but it not quite ready to make their phone a super defensive brick that they have to lug around their pocket all day. With two layers of protection and an included screen protector, the Commuter case is all but ready to handle any situation while still maintaining a relatively low profile.
The Commuters construction consists of two parts, the softer inner shell made of synthetic rubber and a hard outer shell made from polycarbonate materials. The inner shell is the part that wraps around the case and makes sure that it stays nice and snug while also being capable of absorbing damage should the device fall. It works as a slipcover, so all you have to do is slip it on. The slip cover is also the part of the case that contains the port plugs, to help keep unwanted dust particles out of the inside of the device. The second part of the case is the hard polycarbonate shell that goes on top of the rubber slipcover. It is also what secures everything in place and makes sure that the slip cover does not come off since the rubber slipcover has to be able to give way so you can fit the device inside. The slip cover also had the added benefit of having some extra rubber added to the four edges of the case so you have some added shock protection should you drop the case and it land on one of the edges, which tends to be the case most of the time.
The hard shell felt really sturdy in our hands and you can tell that you would really have to do some damage to it before it gave way and cracked. It slipped on easily on top of the slipcover and held firm. One thing that we really liked about having the top layer be made from the hard shell was the fact that it did not get stuck in our pockets every time we decided to put our smartphone away. A small thing to notice, but it’s the little things in life.
Overall, the Commuter case is a great option for anyone looking to protect their smartphone. It felt great in our hands and did not make the device too much bigger than it already is. Though we would be lying if we said that it didn’t add some extra girth. If you need a case to protect your phone but don’t need to go all out and get a super rugged case, then the Commuter case is definitely the way to go.
Symmetry
What makes the Symmetry case stand out against its siblings is the fact that it comes in more colors and designs than the Commuter and Defender case. OtterBox wanted to offer an option for those that like to show their style in all aspects of their lives.While the Symmetry case offering does not necessarily have more options than its brothers and sisters where colors are concerned, what it does offer are some great designs that are not found in OtterBoxes other offerings.
The Symmetry case is also made slightly different that the Commuter and Defender case. While the other two cases both have a different part to them, OtterBox decided to streamline the process with the Symmetry case and decided to make it one piece. It maintains the same layout as the Commuter case, with the only difference being that the rubber slipcover has been permanently attached to the hard outer shell. So what you get is one complete piece that all you have to do is slip on and go.There is a slight difference to the rubber part of the Symmetry case that is not found in the Commuter case though, and that is that the inner part has a honeycomb-like pattern that is supposed to offer some added protection should the device fall on a hard surface by adding some air pockets to help absorb the damage.The Symmetry case does not come with a screen protector though, so if you wish to keep your screen safe, you will have to purchase one separately.
Defender
Now we have finally arrived at the Defender (dun dun dun), OtterBoxes greatest offering in mobile protection. With three layer of protection consisting of a built-in screen protector, a hard inner shell, and a synthetic rubber outer slipcover, the Defender case is deserving of its name.
The first part of the Defender case is the two piece polycarbonate shell. Made from the same material as the Commuters and Symmetries outer shell, OtterBox decided to change things up with the Defender case by making it the inner layer of the case instead of the outer layer. The shell opens up and has small latches on all of its corners to make sure that they case does not fly open when you least expect it. The screen protector is built on to this part of the case, so you will want to make sure that there is not dust or smudges on the inside before you put the case on. One small thing to note is that there is foam material on the bottom of the shell so you don’t have to worry about having your smartphone having to be in constant contact with hard plastic.The rubber slipcover is the second part and slides on to the hard shell. It feels smooth and is more than capable of taking damage before giving way.
With all that great protection though, comes the small downside of making the device really big and bulky. So while you can rest assured that your smartphone is capable of taking a real beating, you may want to opt for one of the slimmer cases if you don’t plan on being outside doing super hard work that is going to put your phone in constant danger.
Final Thoughts
I find that smartphones cases are something that we all really need but don’t always like. Wich is very understandable. We did just spend hundreds of dollars on a phone that companies spent millions on to make sure looked good and felt great to the touch, only to put a case on it moments later. What we really liked about OtterBox is that they help make that change a smooth process. We are not here to persuade you that OtterBox is the greatest company on the market where mobile protection is concerned, or that you should go out and buy one immediately. No, we want you, our great readers, to know that you have options and that OtterBox is a great contender for your money. We plan on doing some similar pieces on other case manufacturers, so make sure to let us know in the comment section as to which case you would like to see reviewed next!
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Samsung app helps Alzheimer’s patients remember their families
If you’ve seen Still Alice, you know how important a smartphone can be for an Alzheimer’s patient — it helps jog memories that might otherwise be lost. Samsung is clearly aware of this, as it just released a dedicated Backup Memory app to stimulate the memories of early-onset patients. The Android tool uses Bluetooth to detect when friends and family running the app are nearby. If they are, it’ll both identify the person and show user-uploaded photos and videos that recall past events. The app is currently very simple (Samsung still wants to add GPS locations, for instance), but it’s reportedly promising enough in early tests that it’s slowing down the effects of Alzheimer’s and making life just a little bit easier.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Samsung
Source: Samsung Tomorrow, Google Play
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