Google cuts prices on the Moto 360 and LG G Watch R.
Smartwatches are all the rage nowadays (or whatever kids are saying these days) and Google knows it. It seems that they are quickly becoming more prominent than regular watches, and with good reason. Let’s see that shiny Rolex of yours tell you what time it is AND the weather…nope…how about sending a message? No? Darn it. Anyway, in a move that we can only assume is in response to said trend, Google has decided to cut the price of the LG G Watch from $299 to $249 and to $179 from $249 for the Moto 360. That is a nice $50 and $70 price for the Android Wear devices, in that order.
We recently finished posted a review on the Moto 360 and found it to be the top Android Wear device on the market today, so if you read that earlier (You should head over if you haven’t, like, now) and had been waiting for a nice price cut before getting one, now would be the time.
Source: AndroidCentral
The post Google cuts prices on the Moto 360 and LG G Watch R. appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Europe is making in-car emergency calling standard by 2018
More than 25,700 people died driving on european highways last year. In an effort to reduce these incidents, the European Parliament has voted to outfit every new passenger car and light truck in the EU with an auto-dialing system that rings 112 (Europe’s 911) in the event of a major accident. Known as eCall, it will be “a public service, free of charge for all citizens, irrespective of the type of vehicle or its purchase price,” MEP Olga Sehnalova explained in a statement. They’ll also be standard options for all new vehicles sold after March 31st, 2018.
The program was originally pitched in 2012 but was delayed as regulators worked out a balance between utility and privacy. The eCall system in its current form prevents authorities from tracking vehicles prior to a crash and only sends basic information–vehicle type, location and number of passengers–when a wreck does occur. “The information is transferred only at the moment a serious accident occurs and airbag are sensors set off,” Sehnalova continued. “Then a standard set of information is sent to the rescue services.”
These devices are expected to reduce emergency crew response times by 40 percent in urban areas and halve them in rural communities. As such, the European Commission estimates the program will reduce driver deaths by a whopping 10 percent–2,500 lives annually. The device is expected to add only around $100 to the total price of a new vehicle.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: Phys.org
Source: European Parliament
Four of the best ‘Star Wars’ games just landed on Steam
You’ve had the option of playing X-Wing and TIE Fighter (aka some of the finest Star Wars games ever) on modern PCs for a while, but let’s face it: you’ve been waiting to buy them on Steam, haven’t you? If so, you now have your chance. X-Wing, TIE Fighter, X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter and X-Wing Alliance have reached Valve’s store, complete with their expansion packs. In the case of the first two spaceflight titles, you even have your choice of playing the DOS-based originals or their Windows re-releases. They normally cost $10 each ($30 as part of a bundle), but a promo will knock 10 percent off the price if you pick any of them up by May 7th.
And if you’d prefer to patronize another store, don’t worry. Good Old Games has announced that it’s adding the Collector’s CD-ROM versions of both X-Wing and TIE Fighter to its library, and it’ll give you these editions for free if you’ve already paid for standard copies. All in all, it’s good time to be a Star Wars gamer.
Filed under: Gaming, Internet, Software
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Steam, Good Old Games
App of the Day: FreshFeed.
It is scary to think about how much Facebook probably knows about us. From the kind restaurant that we like to eat at, to the type of clothing we wearing. Now, you might be thinking “Juan, you super awesome person you, you are crazy!” While I do agree I can, at times, be super awesome, stop and think for a minute. Most of us have usually liked a store brand here and there, checked into restaurants when we arrive on Facebook, and so on. We are going to only like pages that interest us, after all. So Facebook now has a great database of our likes and preferences, all just sitting there (hopefully it is just sitting there) with no real purpose. Well, our App of the Day has decided to tap into all of that unused information and at least make it useful to us.
“Developed by a team of physicists, mathematicians and psychologists, FreshFeed uses a unique discovery engine, using your “likes” as fuel and generates your unique “Personality Wheel.” Are you more of an activist than you thought you were (let’s say 8%), or a musician, or a foodie? Find out! “
Introducing FreshFeed, the content app that tailors what it show you based on the data it gathers from your Facebook! Made by some really smart people, at least that is what the bio states, FreshFeed uses all of the information that you have been giving Facebook for years and uses it to decide what kind of content you are currently more inclined to seeing. Let’s say you have been a very vocal advocate for kitten rights these past few years on social media. FreshFeed would see that from Facebook and use it to give you more content that is focused on kitten right and similar content. Now, it does not just stop there, of course, as the app will deliver on whatever it feels like you are most interested in at that time. The neat part of FreshFeed is that it promises unlimited content that is relevant to you, and only you. Now you don’t have to waste your time searching for kitten news since it will hopefully be right there when you open the app!
The post App of the Day: FreshFeed. appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Three new filters and emoji support to Instagram in latest update
Filters are the heart of what makes Instagram so popular to use. Sure, the fact that you can share your photos in seconds for the world to see plays a great part in the Instagram experience, but it’s the fact that you can make your picture come to life with filters that truly makes it a winning app.
Instagram appears to agree with our sentiments, as they have released three new filter for all to use. Lark, Reyes, and Juno are now available for download via an update to the app and with them come some new interesting ways to modify your pictures. Instagram says they are “…modern, subtle filters that brighten and enhance your photos in
refined, beautiful ways”, and after using them ourselves, we can’t honestly disagree. After snagging the updates from the Play Store, we got to work by taking some pictures of our sounding area. The Lark filter made images appear much brighter than they would otherwise, but it did to without making the images look washed out and dull. The Reyes filter had a similar effect of making images appear
After snagging the updates from the Play Store, we got to work by taking some pictures of our sounding area. The Lark filter made images appear much brighter than they would otherwise, but it did to without making the images look washed out and dull. The Reyes filter had a similar effect of making images appear brighter but in a more vintage way. The filter made our pictures appear as if they had been taken in an old, sunny day, western setting. The final filter is Juno which took a step in the opposite direction that its two siblings and made images a bit darker, though not in an overpowering way.
“Inspired by weekend adventures outdoors, Lark, Reyes and Juno are a family of modern, subtle filters that brighten and enhance your photos in refined, beautiful ways.“
All three filters are a welcome addition to the already sizable selection that Instagram has to offer and we highly recommend you go and try the new ones our for yourself. For as the old adage goes, pictures speak a thousand words, and we can do no justice to describe how these filters will affect your future images.
One final notable feature that is also included in this update is emoji support for hashtags. Instagram has taken into account how popular emojis have become over the past several years and they wish to integrate them more into the Instagram experience. You will now be able to include them in your hashtags, search for them in the explore page, and be able to tap on them in captions.
Overall, this is a great update for the image sharing app as it comes with some very neat new features. So, what are you waiting for? Head on over to the Play Store and start Instagramming!
The post Three new filters and emoji support to Instagram in latest update appeared first on AndroidGuys.
LG G4 to officially launch in the UK on May 28
LG has a wide following on a global scale, even more so in regions of Asia, Europe and North America. And one of the company’s prime markets, United Kingdom has been confirmed to be getting the newly launched G4 flagship starting May 28.
Although this is still a month away from now, it’s good to know that LG has an official release timeframe to share with us. As for the American markets, the LG G4 has already been announced by Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint, with launch expected sometime next month as well.
Overall, it seems like LG will oversee a wide global launch in May, leaving no country from the list. The company claims that launch in other global markets will follow soon as we head into June.
Via: Pocket-Lint
Come comment on this article: LG G4 to officially launch in the UK on May 28
Verizon Wireless begins Android 5.0.1 rollout for the Samsung Galaxy S4
Verizon has finally started the Android 5.0.1 update rollout for the Samsung Galaxy S4 from 2013. This news comes amidst reports of the Google Play Edition Galaxy S4 prepping to receive the Android 5.1 update over the coming weeks.
This update however comes bundled with Samsung features (and a couple of Verizon bloatware). The update changes the build number to LRX22C.I545VRUGOC1. You should see the OTA notification popping up on your screen any time now.
However, carriers usually take a few days before finishing the roll out of the update, so don’t lose patience if you are not seeing the update right away. Alternatively, you can try heading over to the Settings to download the update manually or hook up your smartphone through the Kies software on your computer to download the update from Samsung’s servers.
Source: Verizon Wireless
Via: Phone Arena
Come comment on this article: Verizon Wireless begins Android 5.0.1 rollout for the Samsung Galaxy S4
Time Warner Cable’s Xbox One app now streams live TV
Time Warner Cable’s Xbox One app, TWC TV, just became much, much more useful. The company has added live streaming for up to 300 channels, so you don’t have to miss out on a show when you’re at a friend’s place or can’t hook up cable in your gaming den. There are still 8,000 free and subscription-based on-demand shows, too, so you’ll usually have something to watch. Grab the free app today if you’re hoping to get a little more mileage out of your TV package.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD
Source: Time Warner Cable (BusinessWire)
Twitter has over 300 million users, but is still losing money
In the fast-moving world of social media, Twitter can be considered something of an old-timer; after all, it just turned nine years old this past March. Yet, in many ways, it’s still struggling to find itself. Twitter has just reported its first quarter earnings report — which was incidentally published early due to an unintentional leak — and while it shows respectable user growth numbers, the company is still very much under water. The social media firm now boasts 302 million users, which is up 18 percent from this time last year and is a good 14 million increase from the previous quarter. Revenue for Q1 was $436 million, which is a decent 74% increase year-over-year, but is still below the $440 million forecast. And yes, the company is still not profitable, recording a net loss of $162 million for the first three months of 2015.
Twitter has been especially busy of late, as it constantly attempts to improve its core product with new features, trying out new avenues in video with products like Vine and Periscope, and is unfortunately still figuring out how to handle abusive users. But more than just making its users happy, it also now has shareholders to answer to, which means it needs to bring in more cash. That’s why Twitter is doubling down on advertising with two key announcements: It purchased TellApart, a marketing tech company that previously worked with Facebook’s ad department, and it now has a partnership with Google’s DoubleClick platform that’ll offer up more refined ad performance details to marketers.
Developing…
[Image credit: Shutterstock]
Filed under: Internet
Source: Twitter
Livescribe 3 smartpen now sends your notes to Android devices
Making good on its promise back in January, the Livescribe 3 smartpen now works with Android devices. A preview version of the requisite app is now available for download, ready to equip devices running KitKat and newer versions of Google’s mobile OS. In addition to the Livescribe+ Preview Edition app, you’ll also need to install the Livescribe Link Preview Edition software, with the latter handling Bluetooth pairing duties so you don’t have to swipe over to the setting menus every time. If you’ll recall, using the high-tech pen with Livescribe’s paper notebooks automatically digitizes your scribbles to the companion app on your trusty mobile device. Folks who are eager to employ the peripheral can grab the either the Livescribe 3 or Livescribe 3 Pro Edition at a $25 discount during this so-called preview period ($130 and $175, respectively). Unfortunately, you’ll have to be in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or the United Arab Emirates to take advantage, but a global launch is expected in the coming weeks. We’re hoping the final software arrives then, too.
Filed under: Peripherals, Software, Mobile
Source: Livescribe
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