Via Voice by Treycent, Inc. The nifty app with loads of promise
One of the most appealing features of android now days is voice controls. Google has been at the forefront of voice commands by being simple and intuitive. One of the drawbacks to voice commands is lack of custom voice commands. Treycent has come up with a solution with an application called Via Voice. the application allows the user to set up custom voice commands to access pictures. This alleviates an issue that plagues many users by having quick access to pictures without having to search the gallery. The interface is simple allowing you to type in a command or speak the command and attach a photo with very little effort. Via Voice also works with your android wear device allowing you to show pictures without reaching for you phone. The application has had a fair share of updates adding capabilities such as posting to Twitter. Just say you command followed by post to Twitter.
Via Voice has a straight forward setup asking to create an account attached to your email. Once you are signed you are ready to set up you custom voice commands. Commands are created using spoken word or manually typing in the command. The photo you choose is attached to a web link allowing the app to pull the photo online with your command. The user can also type the command in loud settings where voice is not recognized. You can also share your voice command with friends through several avenues allowing them to access the photo with voice. The application on the phone works every time. On both the Galaxy S5 and Moto X (2014) I had to choose a photo from Google Photos, Dropbox, or Facebook. So in simple terms the photos must have a link to them somewhere, any photo not synced would not work with the app. This makes sense considering the voice control is attached to a URL. The program also has a website that works in much the same way as on the phone. I was able to type or say a command and the picture was shown in a new tab. The voice control is accurate and I had very little issues as far as operations. On the off chance the voice recognition failed I was able to type the command to perform the action. The issue was mainly in places with an abundant amount of sound which is to be expected with any voice control.
The android wear capabilities with this app show promise but come up short in real world settings. The concept is very intriguing and makes showing a photo to you friends effortless when it works. The watch aspect is a work in process. I have tested this out in various situations with several failures. This could be a flaw in android wear or the app. Android wear is by all accounts not perfect and has had its fair share of issues so to pin this on the app is unfair. One of the most agitating aspects is accessing the app on the watch when it is not active. Having to scroll down to start and select the app is painful and pretty much defeats the purpose of convenience. I would suggest wear mini launcher for this app or any others on your watch. Once the program is open the access is much more convenient with a simple tap. Another noticeable shortfall is that on my Moto 360 the voice search seemed to activate at random. With the LG g watch I did not have that issue but the process itself suffered a considerable lag. I stress these issues could be because of android wear itself or the hardware.
To sum my long experience with Via Voice up it is a very neat feature to have. What would make this a go to app for me is the watch features. To have my watch pull photos to show on the go would be a very valuable tool. As of now though the app is regulated to my phone and is more a novelty than a must have. The concept has promise to make wear devices even more useful and shaves some time off searching your phone in this fast paced mobile world. The execution is lost with the watch by being unreliable and defeats the purpose of a wearable by having to use my phone in many instances. The promise is that even when the watch side was finicky the app was always up showing the correct picture on the phone. The developer has put a lot of time and effort in creating this application and I encourage anyone to give it a try. Custom commands for easy access of photos you want to share with friends and family is really convenient and hopefully the wear side can be ironed out. Via Voice is free on Google Play as well as web access at Treycent.com.
The post Via Voice by Treycent, Inc. The nifty app with loads of promise appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Microsoft invites Android and iOS apps to join Windows 10
Microsoft’s Terry Myerson confirmed on-stage at Build what many of us suspected in the hours leading up to the event — the company’s going to make it easier for developers to bring Android apps into the Windows Store. To make this possible, Myers said, Windows phones “will include an Android subsystem” meant to play nice with the Java and C++ code developers have already crafted run on a rival’s operating system. Turns out, that’s not the only dev-friendly coup we’re seeing today: iOS developers can compile their Objective C code right from Microsoft’s Visual Studio, and turn it into a full-fledged Windows 10 app. This, frankly, is huge. With one announcement, drawn out of the course of a few minutes, Microsoft may have just changed its mobile trajectory completely.
Haven’t been keeping tabs on the matter? Well, today’s news (particularly the iOS bit) came like a bolt from the blue this afternoon, but the situation that probably predicated it has been brewing for a while now. Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform — while distinctly charming in ways its rivals aren’t — has never been the place to go if you’re looking for the newest, buzziest apps. Even Windows software maintained by social giants like Twitter don’t get the same attention as their iOS and Android counterparts; Vine’s video sharing app for Windows Phone got its first update in over a year just a few weeks back. By throwing its arms open to iOS and Android developers, it’s possible that Microsoft just solved that problem. And of course, since Windows 10 is built around the concept of Universal Apps, we’ll start to see all that converted software running on a slew of differently sized devices down the road.
One of the weightier questions surrounding this shift in thinking is, well, what are these apps going to look like? Sure, King may have ported a version of Candy Crush Saga to Windows 10 without breaking much of a sweat, but plenty of iOS and Android apps rely on a set of specific UI flourishes, interactions and design elements that don’t always jibe with Windows 10’s aesthetic. We’ll soon see how this whole thing shakes out, but one thing seems clear for now: Microsoft’s still doing whatever it takes to court developers and this time it could really pay off.
Filed under: Mobile
Free Android Developer Mini Course
Today, we’re giving away a free Bitfountain Android mini course designed to walk you through developing your first Lollipop app using Java and Android Studio. This course comes with nine lectures and a test, so you’ll be able to challenge your knowledge and grasp of the fundamentals. This one is absolutely free and ready to be claimed, now!
See more at deals.androidguys.com
The post Free Android Developer Mini Course appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Cyanogen breaks up with OnePlus
One of the biggest factors behind OnePlus One’s astounding success was CyanogenMod, the popular custom ROM that released Android from Google’s strict licensing policies and made the operating system much more customizable.
However, rifts became apparent in their mutually beneficial relationship last year when Cyanogen signed a contract of exclusivity with an Indian electronic firm, Micromax. The contract had the sale of OnePlus devices running the CyanogenMod banned in India. And now Cyanogen has officially parted ways with OnePlus.
Addressing the press at the Global Mobile Internet Conference in Beijing, Cyanogen’s Steve Kondik divulged that the two companies ultimately had different goals for its software and, as a result, there were collisions between personalities as the two attempted to proceed with their own visions.
“That’s probably the last you will see from that partnership. Two new companies are trying to do crazy stuff, a lot of people collide,” Kondik said.
Cyanogen’s move is being seen as one of the first steps towards global business expansion as the firm has already started working with new partners. There were rumours in the past that Microsoft had invested in Cyanogen.
However, if you have a OnePlus One phone that runs the CyanogenMod, you need not be worried as the the company will continue to support the devices running on the custom ROM.
Via: Android Authority
The post Cyanogen breaks up with OnePlus appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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
Facebook introduces video calling feature to its messenger app
In a move that appears all set to give a tough competition to services such as Skype, Google Hangouts and FaceTime, Facebook has introduced video calling feature to its messenger app.
It is especially a good news for those who don’t want to download multiple video calling apps on their mobile devices to keep in touch with their Facebook friends because this feature is available on Android as well as iOS phones.
Facebook Messenger app already offers people the ability to make voice calls to friends and loved ones around the world.
“Video calling will expand Messenger’s real-time communication features, enabling the more than 600 million people who use Messenger every month to reach others wherever they are, from anywhere. It’s fast, reliable and high quality,” a press note posted by Facebook read.
The video calling service will first be available to users in Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Laos, Lithuania, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, the UK, the US and Uruguay. It will be rolling out to other countries in a few months.
In 2011, Facebook was using Skype’s services to let its users make video calls, but with the introduction of its home grown feature, the firm has made it clear that its relations with Microsoft are not all that hunky dory.
Source: Facebook
The post Facebook introduces video calling feature to its messenger app appeared first on AndroidGuys.
LG unveils the G4 with a super-bright camera and leather backs
After weeks of quasi–leaks and actual leaks you might feel that you already know everything about the LG G4. The company’s mobile chief Juno Cho clearly disagrees, however — he just took the wraps off the new flagship phone at LG’s big event in New York. The G4 is all about visual experiences, whether you’re looking at it or taking photos. It centers around a 5.5-inch Quad HD quantum LCD (the first on a phone, LG brags) with higher brightness and contrast, but it’s also focused on design, with an ever-so-slight curve and special backs that include white ceramic and multiple shades of leather.
Photography plays a greater role this time around. You’re getting a larger, 16-megapixel sensor with an extra-bright f/1.8 aperture and second-generation optical image stabilization — much better for low-light situations, LG says. On the front, you’ll see an 8-megapixel camera with improved gesture control that lets you take multiple selfies in one go. There’s also a manual mode, RAW shooting and a color spectrum sensor that makes sure that your rear camera’s photos are truer to life than before.
Performance-wise, LG is making the unusual choice of going with a six-core Snapdragon 808 processor, not the 810 you’ve seen in the HTC One M9 and other devices released early this year. The firm insists that the 808 is competitive with the eight-core Exynos chip in Samsung’s Galaxy S6, however, and it’s keen to tout battery life that should last you through a typical day. Moreover, the 3,000mAh battery pack is still removable — you can swap out for a fresh unit if your charge is running out, unlike your S6-toting friends. There’s likewise a microSD slot in case the 32GB of built-in storage isn’t enough.
The company’s latest take on Android (Lollipop, to be exact) will be familiar if you’ve used the G Flex2, but there are a number of noteworthy tweaks. A smart widget will tell you when apps are draining power while the screen is off, and SmartBulletin shows both app notifications and information in one place. There’s a redesigned gallery app, as well. And did we mention that LG is keen to talk up partnerships? you get 100GB of free Google Drive space for two years just for buying the G4, and there’s MirrorLink support if you’re driving a Volkswagen.
LG was mum on availability at the event, but we’d expect the G4 to launch soon at typical high-end phone pricing. In the US, that usually means paying $200 on contract.
James Trew contributed to this report.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, LG
LG G4 preview: Fashion and firepower collide in a flagship
Between LG and the rest of the leakers running wild these last few weeks, there’s not a whole lot we didn’t know about the G4 before today. Screen details? Leather? Word of that sweet, sweet f/1.8 camera lens? Common knowledge, dear friends. Now that LG’s G4 has crossed the boundary between leak and actual, honest-to-goodness product, though, let’s take a quick first look at how those elements — and quite a few more — have come together in the company’s finest flagship.
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-519555display:none; .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-519555, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-519555width:630px;display:block;
trydocument.getElementById(“fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-519555″).style.display=”none”;catch(e)
To recap what we already know: You’ll be able to buy a G4 next month with three different rear finishes: the leather we’ve all seen, a white (ceramic-coated) back and a hammered, “Metallic Craft” look that’s actually just textured plastic. Pick up a G4 with that latter, plastic back and it’ll feel instantly familiar, like a very slightly curved G3 (for extra durability, natch), or a flattened-out G Flex2. Trust me, though: If you’re in the market for one of these things, you’re going to want one clad in LG’s vegetable-tanned leather. The company’s event invitation showed off its fashionista ambitions to anyone interested, but it’s even more handsome in person. We spent most of our time pawing a G4 with a deep caramel-colored leather back — it was sturdy and unyielding, with less springiness than the leather you’ll find on the back of the 2014 Moto X. To hear LG’s brass tell the tale, it takes a full three months to convert a cow’s skin into a cover for your phone, and some fetching stitching with Gütermann thread acts as icing on the cake.
There’ll be four colors at launch — beige, black, sky blue and yellow — and LG plans to have more on the market in time to match your jaunty summer outfits. Frankly, they can’t come soon enough. While the bog-standard G4 feels purely all right, the tester units clad in leather felt absolutely phenomenal, not to mention a little thinner than their cousins. I know that’s ridiculous. At 76mm wide, and with its 5.5-inch “Quantum” quad HD display — more on that later — the G4 will completely fill all but the meatiest of palms. Still, the G4’s gently sloping back settles much more comfortably into your hand when it’s decked out in cowhide.
Now, about that screen. LG’s channeling the world of arcane science with its Quantum IPS screen, a 4K panel that plays nice with the film industry’s DCI color standard. To date you’ve had to shell out thousands of dollars for DCI-compliant reference monitors (if you’re in broadcasting, anyway), but LG was eager to bring that sort of accuracy to our pockets. The “quantum” angle is almost prohibitively complex, but no worries — it means the screen has very accurate red, blue and green light sources all the while looking better outside and sipping more conservatively on power. So how does it actually look? At first glance, it wasn’t immediately or necessarily better, just… different. Seeing an image of fresh, ripe strawberries on a G4 and a Galaxy S6 was perhaps the most telling example — they looked purely red on LG’s display, instead of the slightly out-there orange cast they took on thanks to the S6’s super-saturated AMOLED screen. Alas, we reporters were stuck in a not terribly well-lit meeting room with these things, so stay tuned for more impressions to come.
I’ve given LG plenty of props in the past for reining in its once-overwrought interface and shaping it into something more reasonable, but after spending plenty of time using Samsung’s Galaxy S6, I find myself wishing LG had used an even lighter touch this time around. Even with that said, there’s not a whole lot to dwell on here: The version of Android 5.0 Lollipop baked into the G4 is awfully similar to the one I encountered on the Flex2, save for just a few small touches. Remember how you could close your hand in front of the front-facing camera to trigger a selfie? Well, now if you clench your fist twice, the camera will snap four selfies in quick succession to make sure at least one of them looks good. LG has also cozied up to Google more here than it has before, replacing its stock browser with Chrome, preloading Google Office and giving G4 owners 100GB of Google Drive space free for two years. The end result is a bright, light, Material Design-y version of Android to dig into, but one that can still feel a little clumsy. Still, the hexa-core Snapdragon 808 and 3GB of RAM thrumming inside the G4 did a fine job keeping things running smoothly, and app launches and operation were as fast — if not a little faster in some cases — than Samsung’s own flagships.
Sadly, we didn’t get a great handle on some of the G4’s most notable features. Take the camera, for instance — LG built it from the ground up with a 16-megapixel sensor and an f/1.8 lens around the back, which the company gleefully calls the brightest available in a smartphone. Throw in faster laser autofocus, RAW support and a color spectrum sensor that helps Auto mode scan and adjust to the colors and lighting of your subject and you’ve got a pretty powerful pocket camera. Too bad the inside of our meeting room didn’t offer many vistas to shoot; what photos I did snap were crisp and well-exposed, but keep an eye out for some more nuanced impressions when we get our review unit.
LG teamed up with Qualcomm to dramatically boost positioning performance, too, and they claim the system is twice as accurate as phones using a more “conventional platform.” That’s all thanks to how the G4 leans on the gyrometer and other built-in sensors for extra locational context. It sure sounds good, and Google Maps locked onto the hotel we were in quickly, but we’ll see how well this really works soon. I’m also not entirely sure why LG gave up on Qualcomm’s QuickCharge tech after I fell in love with it in the G Flex2. Sure, the G4 has a removable 3,000mAh battery, but I’d still love to juice the thing up in a jiffy, wouldn’t you?
Whew, okay. LG’s done well in crafting a very handsome flagship smartphone that smartly addresses the shortcomings of its direct predecessors, and I suspect a decent chunk of people will take a shine to this thing. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that LG might have played it a little safe this time. The camera improvements were a logical next step; just like the chipset choice was; just like the Flex2-y design was (leather experiments notwithstanding). All told, the G4 is a lovely device — just not an immediately thrilling one. Maybe, like the leather stuck on the thing’s back, this phone will only get better with time. Stay tuned for our full review to find out.
Filed under: Mobile
Sainsbury’s oft-forgotten streaming service comes to Chromecast
Supermarkets can now insure your car, offer broadband and mobile services and, on the odd occasion, actually sell you food. In recent years, some of these grocers have expanded into streaming, launching online video, music and book services to supplement their DVD, CD and paperback sales. Not long after Tesco divested itself of all of its Blinkbox services in an attempt to battle back from its £6 billion yearly loss, grocery rival Sainsbury’s is doing more to remind people that it too is in the streaming game. Today, the company has announced that its movie and TV streaming apps have gained Chromecast support, finally bringing it in line with bigger rivals like Netflix and Now TV.
A quick look at the Sainsbury’s Entertainment apps shows that the supermarket added the feature to its Android app earlier this month, with its iOS app gaining Chromecast integration over this past weekend. Once set up, you’ll be able to buy or rent titles from its catalog and throw them over to your big screen with a touch of a button, allowing you to then use the app as a dedicated remote control. After adding a dedicated Roku channel late last year, Sainsbury’s is slowly adding devices to its list of supported hardware, maybe in the faint hope you’ll choose its marketplace over the more the established streaming services already competing for your money.
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablets, Internet, Software, HD, Mobile
Source: Sainsbury’s Entertainment (App Store), (Google Play)
Yet another Chinese firm launches an Android rival
If Frank Herbert was around today, the tagline of Dune would probably be “those that control their own operating system, controls the universe.” It’s an idea that China’s tech firms have taken to heart, crafting their own platforms in the hope of toppling Android as the go-to software in charge of everyone’s hardware. Tencent is the latest to throw its hat into the ring with a new OS that’s, unsurprisingly, able to be used on phones, games consoles, VR devices and smartwatches.
The offering itself is broken into two parts: TOS+, a “smart open platform strategy” that leverages the company’s various social services, including QQ, WeChat and Weiyun, sitting above the nuts-and-bolts Tencent OS. The company has pledged not to manufacture its own hardware, but will instead lean on firms like Huawei, ZTE, Lenovo and Qualcomm to help build devices. Information is sketchy as to the foundation of Tencent OS, but it’s highly likely that the system is a fork of Android, at least in some respects. Of course, Tencent isn’t the first outfit that’s attempted to beat Google at its own game, with Alibaba, Baidu and Korea’s Samsung all releasing their own OSes, with varying degrees of success.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Wearables
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Tencent (Translated)
AIVAnet 