HotelTonight app updated for Android
HotelTonight announced the release of version 7.7 of their app for Android devices. The latest version adds the Aces feature to the Android platform. Aces is HotelTonight’s online concierge-type service. Once a user completes a hotel booking in an eligible city, they will receive a message in the app letting them know an Ace is available. Aces are actual people who can provide them with local tips and information.
The Aces feature originally launched with coverage in Washington, DC, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and San Diego. In conjunction with the addition of the feature to the Android app, HotelTonight has added Brooklyn, Chicago, Denver, Miami, Boston, Seattle, Philadelphia, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, Portland (OR), the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, and San Juan, Puerto Rico as covered locations.
The update to HotelTonight 7.7 includes new hotel options in Dubai and the usual assortment of bug fixes and performance improvements. If you want to give HotelTonight a try, you can hit the download link below for the Google Play Store entry.
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iHeartRadio launches their own personalized station option for listeners
iHeartRadio has joined the ranks of other streaming music services in making a customized station or playlist available to users based on what the user enjoys listening to. The “My Favorites Radio” station is powered by all of the songs a user has favorited during the past few years. Owen Grover, senior vice president with iHeartRadio, says the platform has been tracking user input “for four years, and we have an extraordinary amount of actionable data.” That data is combined with iHeartRadio’s programming expertise to produce customized radio stations for listeners.
iHeartRadio says users will be able to give their stations a unique name and they can share them with friends through a variety of channels, including social media. The content on the My Favorites Radio channel can be modified by the user in case they want to delete something or manually add a track. iHeartRadio says the content will continue to evolve as users continue to favorite or thumbs up songs, artists and stations. They will also throw in some bonus tracks every now and then to help keep things fresh.
source: iHeartRadio
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New OnePlus X / Mini rumors hint at SideTouch screen tech, dual front-facing speakers and more
We’ve known for months now that OnePlus has been interested in launching two smartphones for 2015, and we got a first look at the company’s upcoming handset as it passed through the FCC just a few days ago. Potentially launching under the name OnePlus X, this new ‘mini’ handset is rumored to feature a 5.0-inch Full HD LCD display, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of on-board storage, a 13MP rear camera, a 5MP front camera and a 3000mAh battery. And thanks to a new set of leaked specs, we’re now getting some more information on the X’s display, processor and more.
Rumors have already been floating around that the device will feature a 5.0-inch LCD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution. According to this new report, the X will come with the Synaptics S3708 touchscreen controller, which can also be found in the Xiaomi Mi 4c. What’s so special about the S3708 is that it comes with something called SideTouch technology that lets the user touch the side of the phone to initiate a shortcut. This touchscreen controller also makes use of ClearForce technology, which is similar to Apple’s 3D Touch tech. The report claims that since the OnePlus X is slated to be a mid-ranger, though, there’s a good chance the new device won’t implement the ClearForce feature.
See also: OnePlus to start building phones in India, open sale tomorrow
It should also be noted that the first set of rumors (that happened to come from the same source), originally claimed that the device could be powered by the MediaTek Helio X10 (MT6795T) SoC. Now we’re hearing that it might launch with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 801 processor. The 801 is a great chipset, but from a marketing standpoint, the move to include a processor that launched in early 2014 would be be an odd one.
The report also claims that the OnePlus X will feature two front-facing 1.2W stereo speakers, similar to the speakers found on Alcatel OneTouch’s Idol 3.
So far, many things are uncertain regarding this new handset. But from what you’ve heard so far, would you be interested in a OnePlus X/Mini if it came with all of the features listed above? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
More from OnePlus
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iShowFast Review: USB 3.0 and Lightning Flash Drive Makes Secure File Transfers Between iOS and PCs Easy
Last year, popular accessory company Sanho and its HYPER brand launched the iStick, a flash drive with both USB and Lightning connectors to make it easy to transfer files between iOS devices and computers. A Kickstarter campaign for the iStick raised over $1.1 million, with the device coming in capacities ranging from 8 GB to 128 GB.
Building on the success of the iStick, HYPER by Sanho has worked with Taiwanese firm iCirround to bring a next-generation version, the MFi-certified iShowFast, to the United States. By upgrading the USB connectivity to USB 3.0, the iShowFast is up to 14 times faster than the iStick and SanDisk’s similar iXpand flash drives, offering read speeds of up to 140 MB/second over USB and 30 MB/second over Lightning.
As it has done with a number of its other products, HYPER by Sanho is launching iShowFast via an Indiegogo campaign, but backers shouldn’t expect an extended production timeline with potential stumbling blocks pushing delivery out even further than anticipated. iShowFast is already in production and ready to go, with HYPER by Sanho set to start shipping orders out as soon as the $50,000 Indiegogo campaign ends next month.
We’ve had a few days to play with an iShowFast stick, and while it’s a pretty straightforward product that operates essentially identically to the iStick, it was good to see the device is indeed ready for launch in its retail packaging and to be able to try it out with its companion app for managing files on iOS devices.
Read more 
Facebook’s iOS app uses 3D Touch to make short work of status updates
When you find yourself needing to post to Facebook quickly, the social network’s app leverages tech on Apple’s latest handsets to do just that. Thanks to the newfangled 3D Touch tool that arrived with the new iPhones, a press on the app’s icon will reveal options for taking a photo/video, uploading a photo/video and composing a status update. With the addition, Facebook joins a collection of apps (like Dropbox) that have already taken advantage of the new iOS feature. If your trusty device hasn’t alerted you to the update yet, nab it from iTunes via the source link below.
Via: iMore
Source: iTunes
Young amputees will soon get ‘Iron Man’ and ‘Star Wars’ bionic hands
A heroic set of prosthetic hand designs will soon allow young amputees to transform into their favorite Disney characters. Whether they prefer a red Iron Man gauntlet, one of Queen Elsa’s sparkling blue gloves or a hand inspired by Star Wars‘ iconic lightsabers, they’ll be able to take on the world with a prosthetic that finally marries form and function. The three models have been created by Open Bionics, a startup working on cheap, 3D-printed hands for amputees. Joel Gibbard, the company’s founder, says they’ll cost around $500 and be available in 2016. Another, non-Disneyfied design should be roughly £2,000 ($3,071) — considerably more, but still a fraction of what many existing prosthetics cost.
Open Bionics is part of the 2015 Disney Accelerator programme, which explains its choice of characters. Still, the ‘House of Mouse’ has been gracious enough to provide royalty free licenses, as well as time and input from its creative teams. The three versions are fitted with LED lights and, in the case of the Iron Man model, a vibration motor for when the user wants to fire a “rocket.” Open Bionics isn’t the first company to develop a superhero-inspired prosthetic though — Limbitless Solutions produced a similar version back in March. Robert Downey Jr. might be too busy to hand-deliver this new model, but regardless, we suspect more than a few amputees will be psyched to join the Avengers’ ranks.
Source: Open Bionics
TuneIn adds NFL broadcasts to its $8 premium radio subscription
Back in August, radio-streaming app TuneIn announced its $8/month premium streaming option that included music, audiobooks and live sports. Today, the company revealed that NFL games are now part of its on-field coverage. Thanks to a multi-year deal with the league, TuneIn will offer live broadcasts for all 32 teams, including both home and away play-by-play feeds. What’s more, all national and Spanish radio broadcasts will be included as well. There’s an NFL on TuneIn station too, serving up football coverage around the clock with news and commentary from NFL Network shows and podcasts. Starting in November, there will be a live “look-in” show streaming through the app that’ll offer news, stats and clips of in-progress games on Sundays from 1 PM to 8 PM ET. If you’re willing to follow the action the gridiron without the visuals, TuneIn is certainly a cheaper option that the NFL Game Pass which offers video replays in addition to live gameday audio for $99/year. NFL streams join MLB, Barclays Premier League, Bundesliga and more sports coverage that’s already available through the TuneIn subscription service.
[Image credit: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images]
Via: The Verge
Source: TuneIn
ZTE reveals details for Axon mini, Axon Watch, more
ZTE on Monday kicked off the week announcing the availability details for its Axon
Axon Mini
Joining the ZTE Axon lineup is the Axon mini, a 5.2-inch smartphone powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor with 3GB RAM. Internal storage is listed at 32GB with an microSD expansion card allowing for extra space.
In terms of cameras, the Axon mini offers up a 13-megapixel rear shooter with an 8-megapixel unit around front. Battery is listed at 2800mAh which should be more than enough to get average users through a day of usage.
Built from “Boeing 787 aircraft-grade aluminum-titanium alloy”, the phone supports a trio of biometric authentication options: fingerprint, voice control and eye-scan.
The Axon mini will be sold in a standard and Premium version; however, it’s not immediately clear what the difference is. There’s mention of NBA-themed models in the press release but we cannot surmise of they’re one in the same.
Pricing starts at $379 for the Axon mini with a slight increase for Rose Gold. Don’t look for this one to come stateside anytime soon as ZTE has a more global audience in mind. As of today, ZTE plans to release it in Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Russia, Japan, India, Australia, France, Germany, Turkey, Spain and Italy.
Axon Watch
As for the Axon Watch, it will be made available for purchase from ZTE’s MyZTE site in China starting from October 27. Poweed by Tencent OC, the watch features a 1.4-inch Gorilla Glass screen with sapphire coating and features an IP67 certification. In other words, it’s built to withstand the elements.
Specs for the Axon Watch include a 300 mAh battery, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB storage and Bluetooth 4.1. The watch supports both voice and gesture control and can also be used for health and fitness purposes.
Axon Max
ZTE is also announcing a new Axon Max smartphone which promises a larger display and bigger battery. Unfortunately, that’s the extent of the details offered up in the press release. Other outlets are reporting that the phone could boast a 6-inch display with 4GB RAM but that’s not been confirmed as of yet.
The post ZTE reveals details for Axon mini, Axon Watch, more appeared first on AndroidGuys.
ZTE reveals details for Axon mini, Axon Watch, more
ZTE on Monday kicked off the week announcing the availability details for its Axon
Axon Mini
Joining the ZTE Axon lineup is the Axon mini, a 5.2-inch smartphone powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor with 3GB RAM. Internal storage is listed at 32GB with an microSD expansion card allowing for extra space.
In terms of cameras, the Axon mini offers up a 13-megapixel rear shooter with an 8-megapixel unit around front. Battery is listed at 2800mAh which should be more than enough to get average users through a day of usage.
Built from “Boeing 787 aircraft-grade aluminum-titanium alloy”, the phone supports a trio of biometric authentication options: fingerprint, voice control and eye-scan.
The Axon mini will be sold in a standard and Premium version; however, it’s not immediately clear what the difference is. There’s mention of NBA-themed models in the press release but we cannot surmise of they’re one in the same.
Pricing starts at $379 for the Axon mini with a slight increase for Rose Gold. Don’t look for this one to come stateside anytime soon as ZTE has a more global audience in mind. As of today, ZTE plans to release it in Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Russia, Japan, India, Australia, France, Germany, Turkey, Spain and Italy.
Axon Watch
As for the Axon Watch, it will be made available for purchase from ZTE’s MyZTE site in China starting from October 27. Poweed by Tencent OC, the watch features a 1.4-inch Gorilla Glass screen with sapphire coating and features an IP67 certification. In other words, it’s built to withstand the elements.
Specs for the Axon Watch include a 300 mAh battery, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB storage and Bluetooth 4.1. The watch supports both voice and gesture control and can also be used for health and fitness purposes.
Axon Max
ZTE is also announcing a new Axon Max smartphone which promises a larger display and bigger battery. Unfortunately, that’s the extent of the details offered up in the press release. Other outlets are reporting that the phone could boast a 6-inch display with 4GB RAM but that’s not been confirmed as of yet.
The post ZTE reveals details for Axon mini, Axon Watch, more appeared first on AndroidGuys.
YouTube adds local versions in six new countries
Google today announced that YouTube has local versions in 85 countries, adding Adriatics, Baltics, Bulgaria, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Belarus just today. As you can imagine, global reach is important to Google, especially when it comes to YouTube with 80% of its viewership being outside of the United States.
From Google:
Local versions of YouTube are good news for creators, too. It opens up the opportunity for creators to become a partner, earn money from their channels, and gain access to tools and resources that can help them make the most of YouTube. Creators can access online lessons via the YouTube Creator Academy to get started and learn best practices, and the Creator Community gives creators a place to meet each other, find collaborations, and more. We hope that this will allow more creators to bring more of their ideas and talents to YouTube for all of us to enjoy.
In other words, users in these six new countries can expect to see better quality videos as creators begin to take advantage of YouTube’s many creator opportunities.
source: YouTube
Come comment on this article: YouTube adds local versions in six new countries
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