Google announces big Android Wear update that brings support for interactive watch faces
Google has just announced a big update to the Android Wear platform that will make your wearable much more functional. The headline feature of this update is support for interactive watch faces, which will make it easy to change the watch face’s design, get more information or even launch a specific application with just a tap.
Developers will need to utilize the newly-announced Interactive Watch Face API to bring these new features to their applications. Once support has been added, devs can add additional information to their watch faces that can be revealed with just a single tap. For instance, with ustwo’s new Bits watch face (shown below), you’ll be able to choose whatever information you’d like to be displayed by simply tapping on the complication. If you want to see the weather, tap on the weather complication bubble, or if you’d like to just see the time, click on the clock bubble in the center.
#gallery-1
margin: auto;
#gallery-1 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 33%;
#gallery-1 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
There’s also a new Together watch face that will let you easily connect with someone else throughout the day. Once you’ve paired with your partner’s watch, you can share things like photos and emoji, as well as your activities (like if you’re working out, on the phone, or stuck in traffic).
Google says all Android Wear watches will get the update over the next few weeks, but no specific roll out information has been released yet. While you’re waiting for the update, feel free to check out the new Interactive Watch Faces page in the Play Store.
The last big feature coming in the update is the expansion of Google Translate to all Android Wear devices. Even if you don’t have Translate installed on your phone, you’ll still be able to use the service on your Wear device. To use it, just speak into your watch and the conversation will translate for you right before your eyes. Google elaborates:
Flip your wrist to show the translation to a friend. When they respond in their own language, flip your wrist back, and you’ll see in your language what they’ve just said. Google Translate will automatically recognize which of the two languages is being spoken, so once you tap to start the conversation, all you and your buddy need to do is keep talking naturally.
Quite frankly, we’re really happy to see Translate support making its way to the Wear platform. Are any of you excited for the new update? Let us know what you think!
Upcoming Android Wear update will also bring WiFi support to LG G Watch R
Back in April Google released a brand new update to Android Wear that introduced always-on apps, new gestures, emoji drawings, and more. For select watches like the Moto 360 and LG Watch Urbane, the update also brought Wi-Fi support, allowing Android Wear users to roam a little further from their smartphones. Unfortunately, the LG G Watch R didn’t make the cut when it came to Wi-Fi, due the lack of proper driver support for the watch.
.rvs_wrapper
width: 350px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left
float: left;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none
width: 100%;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center
text-align: center;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: none;
display: inline-block;
vertical-align: top;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos:not(.align_none) ul li:nth-child(2n+1)
clear: both;
.rvs_title
font-weight: 600 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
font-size: 24px !important;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right .rvs_title
padding-left: 20px;
.rvs_title a
font-family: ‘Roboto Condensed’;
color: #3a3a3a;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
padding-top: 10px;
.rvs_wrapper.align_left.cbc-latest-videos ul li,
.rvs_wrapper.align_none.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 15px 0 0;
.rvs_wrapper.align_right.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 0 0 15px;
float: right;
.rvs_wrapper.align_center.cbc-latest-videos ul li
padding: 0 7px;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a
font-weight: 400;
.rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li > a .yt-thumbnail
margin-bottom: 0;
@media only screen and (min-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
width: 100% !important;
@media only screen and (max-width : 480px)
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos
width: 100%;
float: none !important;
overflow-x: auto;
overflow-y: hidden;
body #page .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul
overflow: auto;
max-height: none;
body .rvs_wrapper.cbc-latest-videos ul li
float: left !important;
clear: none !important;
In May, LG promised that an update was coming in Q3 2015 that would add this feature to the watch. Right on schedule, Google and LG are now bringing Wi-Fi support to the watch. The much-anticipated addition of Wi-Fi support will arrive with the upcoming Android Wear 1.3 update that Google officially announced this morning. In addition, the update will also bring support for interactive watch faces and better Google Translate support.
As you’d expect, the new Wi-Fi update will be rolling out in stages over the next few weeks. While it would have been better if LG would have introduced Wi-Fi support when it arrived to other Android Wear smartwatches, it is always better to be late than never. We’ll be sure to update the article as soon as we receive word that the update has begun hitting consumer devices.
Giphy Cam wants to be the Instagram of GIFs
Everybody loves a good animated GIF but they’re just such a pain to create from a mobile device. Or rather, they were a pain to create on mobile devices now that Giphy’s new mobile camera app is available. The Giphy Cam is a free iOS app that allows users to create and share animated gifs as easily they do overproduced shots of their lunches.
Giphy Cam with a 5-shot burst and 3D filter
The app, which is reportedly in the works for the Android platform, captures either a 10 second full-motion clip or a 5-shot burst of stitched-together still images. Users can then add one of 10 Instagram-esque filters as well as any of 40 overlaid special effects and props before sharing their creation across the social media spectrum. Users can also just save their new gif-based masterpiece to the camera roll for local storage.
Giphy Cam on loop with X-Ray Specs overlay
Filed under:
Cellphones, Wireless, Internet, HD, Mobile, Apple, Google
Tags: android, animatedgifs, apple, camera, cameraroll, effects, filters, gifs, giphy, giphycam, google, ios, mobilepostcross, photography, sfx
HBO Now arrives on Amazon’s Fire TV and Fire TV Stick
We knew it was coming, and now it’s here. HBO Now, the network’s standalone streaming service, is available on Amazon’s Fire TV and Fire TV Stick devices after making its way to Android gadgets and the Chromecast earlier this summer. A $15 monthly subscription gets you access to HBO’s library of content, including shows like Game of Thrones, True Detective and more. If you’ve been itchin’ to give it a go on your Amazon streaming gear, a quick download is all that stands between you and rewatching The Sopranos this weekend.
[Image credit: Andrew Burton/Getty Images]
Filed under:
Home Entertainment, Mobile, Amazon
Tags: amazon, firetv, firetvstick, hbo, hbonow, mobilepostcross, streaming
Playdate: Walking blindly into ‘Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture’
Welcome back to Playdate, where Engadget runs through the latest games while broadcasting them live on Twitch. If you’re feeling a bit of déjà vu that’s entirely natural; you have been here before. Whereas JXE Streams was our awkwardly named show while we figured out what was going to happen with streaming moving forward, well, we’ve figured out what we’re doing with streaming moving forward. Mostly. Hence us going back to the moniker we started with last year. Think of this as a vote of confidence from us that we’re moving toward consistency and normalcy for our broadcasts. It’s a good thing!
And what better way to do that than by exploring the mystery of Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture? Tune in at 6 pm ET/ 3 pm PT (barring any jank) as Sean Buckley and myself plod through developer The Chinese Room’s latest game absolutely blind. Neither of us have played it before, read any reviews or know really anything about the game other than it looks absolutely stunning thanks in no small part to the developer’s use of Cryengine. Oh, and as an extreme juxtaposition, we’re breaking Rapture‘s tranquility to give away five codes for the incredibly frantic Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 multiplayer beta on PlayStation 4. There may be a haiku contest involved so get your syllable-counting fingers ready.
So, join us here on this post, twitch.tv/joystiq or the Engadget Gaming homepage and follow along as we try to figure out exactly what happened and how to get to The Rapture.
http://www.twitch.tv/joystiq/embedWatch live video from Joystiq on www.twitch.tv
We’re streaming Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture through OBS at 720p on PS4, so rest assured that the game looks much prettier in your house and on your TV.
Filed under:
Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Source:
Twitch
Tags: beta, callofdutyblackops3, cryengine, EverybodysGoneToTheRapture, gaming, giveaway, hd, hdpostcross, playdate, PlayStation, ps4, sony, streaming, thechineseroom, twitch
Four weeks with Jet (aka ‘My month without Amazon’)
I placed my very first order on Amazon.com for two very popular albums back on June 20th, 2000. I’d later go on to place about 230 orders, including everything from a mattress (no wait, make that two mattresses; don’t ask) and soap — lots and lots of soap. I loved Amazon so much that at one point I remember saying it was the kind of brand that could do no wrong. But, soon after that second mattress order, my romance with the company began to fall apart, thanks to shoddy logistics and problems with Amazon’s renowned two-day Prime shipping.
In order to keep costs at bay, Amazon uses the cheapest available shipping carrier in a given market (for me, that’s a combination of OnTrac and USPS, both of which are less reliable than UPS and FedEx). And when I’d contact the company’s customer service team, it would often take four or five emails to get a resolution when one used to do the trick. After a point, the frustration wasn’t worth it anymore. I needed to find other ways to shop and keep my sanity — until, perhaps, Amazon circumvents third-party delivery services with its own drones.
Enter Jet
Jet is aimed at people like me — frustrated Amazon customers — and is in fact run by a former Amazonian with a slight chip on his shoulder. What sets the company apart from Amazon is that it’s “part Costco, part mall and all anti-Amazon,” as Bloomberg put it. Prices on Jet are advertised as 10 to 15 percent lower than other online stores, and indeed, the website shows its prices side by side against Amazon’s. Jet encourages shoppers to buy more items to further trim the prices in their cart. (You can net additional savings by waiving the ability to return an item and/or paying with a debit card.)
The “part Costco” piece is that Jet is also a membership club. Members can try it free for three months and then pay $50 a year to enjoy the savings. This is how the site will turn a profit, not in the individual transactions. Yep, pretty similar to how Costco makes money.
Jet, in real life
I set out to spend a month shifting my online shopping habits from Amazon to Jet. In my first order, I bought a replacement WiFi hotspot with a listed shipping window of two to five days. Imagine my surprise, then, when it showed up in less than 48 hours — with a “from” address listed as a Walmart store about 20 minutes from my home. In my second order, I purchased a replacement Apple keyboard, which arrived within three days from a Musician’s Friend in Kansas City, Missouri. Unfortunately, the keyboard was defective so I needed to return it to Jet. Luckily, at least, the process was as easy as it is with Amazon — where despite my other issues, returns usually go through without a hitch.
Jet doesn’t have a litany of warehouses like Amazon (at least not yet; it currently has just one in Swedesboro, New Jersey). Instead, it farms out orders to an assortment of distributors across the country, with the idea that at least one of them is reasonably close to your shipping address. While this can work fine for one item, it presents a problem for larger orders, which are encouraged as part of Jet’s “buy more, save more” philosophy.
After two single-item orders, I wanted to step it up to really experience the savings. I set out with a list of items I could only find online and some I could easily get at my local Target. As I searched and added items, the savings grew and grew. I headed to checkout and placed the order, expecting to see my bounty within the two- to five-day window quoted. But, my order of 11 items would go on to show up over the course of 10 days in eight different packages, all from various distributors and shipping providers. Notably, a single roll of $2 paper towels arrived in a large 12 x 8 x 8 box.
The logistics might’ve been a small nightmare compared to Amazon, but I did indeed save money. The total came out to $112.77, which reflected a $31.94 savings for adding more to my cart. For the same list on Amazon, my total would’ve been $186.64.
Changing my expectations
Looking back at my own order, it wasn’t straightforward; it included a wide selection of items that, put together, wouldn’t be available at a local store (especially my precious gallons of hand soap). Jet doesn’t cater to a “get it now” culture that’s accustomed to two-day guaranteed free shipping or even same-day delivery in some cities; it’s for those who plan out shipments of everyday products or aren’t in a major rush to get something they want.
Jet is for those who want the best price and indeed, it taught me to adjust my expectations to focus on savings, not shipping. And, since Jet offers both its prices and Amazon’s up front, there’s no loss in starting with Jet before looking elsewhere. In the end, whoever can get what I need to my door in the fastest time for the best price will always win the sale.
Have you tried Jet, or had issues with Amazon? Sound off in the comments below or write about it on our Public Access channel!
[Image credit: Jet]
Tags: amazon, amazon.com, ecommerce, engadgetirl, exclusive, fedex, irl, jet, jet.com, ontrac, retail, shopping, twitter, ups, usps
Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge updates for new features are under way
If you watched last week’s Unpacked event and then sadly looked down at the outdated software on your old Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge, you will be glad to know that Samsung is well under way to get your phone up to speed.
According to a report via Sammobile, Samsung has begun to update handsets in Korea to the latest version of TouchWiz. This includes that new minor makeover (bubbly icons) and new features: Samsung Pay, Apps Edge (for the S6 Edge), and Live YouTube Broadcasting.
Probably lesser-known, Samsung had created a couple features in the update to boost audio quality, UHQ upscaler and Vacuum Tube Amp Pro. KNOX also received an update in preparation for the launch of Samsung Pay.
Unfortunately for those hoping to have the ability to save camera images in RAW format, it looks like you’re going to have to keep waiting. Of course, the update is in its early stages, and we don’t know if it will be identical in other markets. So hang tight.
If you’re ansy to check out the features first-hand, Sammobile has a link to download the new firmware and flash manually.
The post Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge updates for new features are under way appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Samsung’s global market share continues to dip, falls over 5% from last year
Samsung’s Galaxy S6 doesn’t look it’s moving the needle in a positive direction for the company, as the latest market share numbers show Samsung’s global dominance continuing to slip to Apple and cheaper Chinese OEMs.
In Q2 of 2014, Samsung held 26.2% of the global market, more than doubling Apple’s market share. This year, Apple has steadily increased their market share to nearly 15% while smaller vendors like Huawei and Xiaomi have scooped up more of the low end, leaving Samsung with just 21.9% market share. That’s over a 5% drop from a year ago, which is pretty substantial.
On the high end, Samsung is still struggling to compete with Apple, especially as Apple expands their lineup to more and more countries. On the low end, it’s nearly impossible to compete with the volume of cheap smartphone manufacturers, and with many Chinese companies producing perfectly good phones and selling them with razor thin margins, it’s clear that Samsung is going to keep struggling if they want to try to hang on to both segments of the market.
source: 9to5 Google
Come comment on this article: Samsung’s global market share continues to dip, falls over 5% from last year
New Play-Doh Jam game hits the Play Store with simple, addictive gameplay
A new Play-Doh Jam game has been released onto mobile app stores from Backflip Studios (with Hasbro’s licensing, of course) that aims to offer a simple experience with Play-Doh balls. There’s really not much you can do with Play-Doh in the context of a game besides rolling it up into a ball and crashing into stuff, anyway.
The game is extremely simple, and all you have to do is guide your ball of clay across obstacles from your finger. The more things you roll over, the bigger your Play-Doh ball will grow. There are different monsters in the game, as well as tons of items, and a few different stages to play on, so there’s a decent amount of content to keep you or your kid engaged for a while.
The app is free with some in-app purchases, so if you’re looking for a time waster or a bit of nostalgia, it’s probably worth checking out.
Come comment on this article: New Play-Doh Jam game hits the Play Store with simple, addictive gameplay
QuantumFilm image sensors explained
Smartphone cameras have come a long way recently, with sensor and lens setups in some of this year’s flagships offering up some seriously good looking results, just look at the Galaxy S6 or the LG G4 for example. However, even the best smartphone cameras still suffer from limited versatility, often have poor low light performance, and heavy noise and crosstalk when compared with higher end sensors found in DSLR cameras.
Furthermore, the resolution race has seen increasingly high-resolution cameras in smartphones, but our testing and experience has shown us that the cameras with the most pixels aren’t necessarily producing the best results. That being said, HTC’s attempt to buck this trend with its Ultrapixel technology failed to produce superior results either. The fact of the matter is that sensors, and therefore pixel sizes, in smartphones are limited by their compact size.
See also: LG G4 vs Samsung Galaxy S6 / S6 Edge – Camera Shootout
InVisage, a fabless semiconductor company, is planning to bring its unique QuantumFilm technology to market, which might provide a big leap forward in image quality for small form factor mobile devices.
The problem
The crux of the issue is down to the compromises made with module size and light capture. For a little background, modern CMOS image sensors are built up of lots of sensor/pixel cells, each configured with a filter to detect how much red, green, or blue light is in the scene and in which locations. But these sensors aren’t perfect, there is a certain amount of reflection and loss as light enters a sensor and there can also be cross talk between adjacent cells and electronic interference, which manifests as noise and color artifacts.
Low light pictures often expose the weaknesses of a sensor.
These problems are more pronounced in compact smartphone sensors, as the cells are smaller and packed in closer together. Further increasing the resolution of a sensor compounds these problems, leading to more noise and worse performance in low light conditions.
The image sensor industry has come up with a number of innovations to help combat these problems. Moving over from frontside to backside illumination sensors helped reduce loss as the light reached the base of the cell, while Samsung’s Isocell aimed to better insulate nearby cells from each other, resulting in less crosstalk. These are fine solutions, but don’t completely eliminate the aforementioned probems.
QuantumFilm’s solution
InVisage’s QuantumFilm technology aims to address these problems by tweaking traditional sensor designs to make use of its own light sensing layer, which promises to capture more light and avoid crosstalk. Much of the design remains the same as today’s CMOS sensors, instead it is the QuantumFilm layer that is of particular interest.
Rather than using silicon photodiodes, InVisage’s sensors use their own metal-chalcogenide quantum-dot film to capture much more light near the surface of the sensor. This film is built from quantum dots, a small nanocrystal with quantum mechanical properties, arranged in a colloid, a solution made up of evenly distributed small particles.
This layer is connected in between the usual filter layer and the electrode circuitry. When a certain color of light reacts with the QuantumFilm layer, the circuit can detect the region in which this reaction occurred to determine the pixel’s color. This way, the camera’s resolution does not affect the amount of light captured in the way that traditional CMOS sensors do and there’s apparently less crosstalk than solutions which require larger photosensitive cells. In other words, the resolution of the filter layer and density of the detecting circuitry determines the resolution, while the film layer remains unchanged.
The video below offers a pretty comprehensive explanation of what the company wants to achieve, without the techno-babble.
This whole idea seems rather well suited to smartphones, where compact hardware is essential. QuantumFilm has a few benefits in this regard, as it can be produced at very thin sizes, cutting up to 0.8mm off the very smallest CMOS sensors, which is a small, but valuable space saving inside a smartphone.
Furthermore, QuantumFilm boasts a light absorption capacity up to eight times greater than some silicon CMOS sensors, allowing for greater dynamic range and better low light shots, less noise, and it can also be used for infrared light detection, opening the door for new and interesting compact product ideas.
How soon?
Like many other up and coming pieces of technology, the big problem with QuantumFilm is that it remains untested in real world consumer products. There has been a lot of talk for a number of years, but nothing for us to really sink our teeth into.
As a small company, InVisage is currently only producing a small number of wafers, but is looking to ramp up production in the second half of this year. TSMC will be helping InVisage further increase production with additional capacity next year.
We are still probably in for quite a wait until the first smartphones appear sporting the technology, but QuantumFilm is certainly something to keep an eye on.
AIVAnet 