Anki Drive will now work with (some of) your Android devices, too
Ever watched your iOS-device toting friends playing modern-day Scalextric slot cars and wondering when it’d be your turn? Anki has announced that Anki Drive is now available to use on your Android device, that is, if you’re rocking a Galaxy S4, S5, Note 3, 4 or 10.1 (2014 Edition). Those not hoisted to Samsung’s mast aren’t excluded totally, as Nexus 5 owners are also able to join in on the fun. In its defense, the company points out that the slow adoption of Bluetooth LE, tech necessary for Drive to work, has hampered progress bringing the game to Google’s party. There’s also no cross-platform racing just yet, but is something the company has pledged to work on in the future. Still, if you’re yet to give it a go, Anki cut the price down to $150 / £150 last month, so maybe this is the moment you’ve been waiting for.
Filed under: Cellphones, Samsung, Google
Vodafone’s £125 Smart Tab 4G is its first LTE tablet
When Vodafone announced its first own-brand 4G smartphones back in July, we figured it would only be a matter of time until we saw an similarly-equipped tablet emerge. Today, the carrier confirmed our suspicions by unveiling the 8-inch Smart Tab 4G, a slightly modernised version of the 3G-only Smart Tab 4 we saw go on sale back in June. So what’s different? For starters, the Smart Tab 4G sports an HD display and has swapped MediaTek’s 1.2 GHz quad-core processor for a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410. It also features a 5-megapixel camera, up from the 2-megapixel shooter found on its predecessor. Everything else remains the same, right down to its size, weight, OS (Android 4.4 KitKat) and 4060 mAh battery.
With its 4G connectivity, you’d expect the Smart Tab 4G to command a higher price. Not so. For a 1GB 4G plan, you’re looking at £17 per month with a £29 upfront payment, which actually matches the price of its 3G counterpart. However, If you want to use it on one of Vodafone’s new 4G pay-as-you-go tariffs, you can get it for just £125 all-in — significantly undercutting EE’s Eagle tablet at £209.99 and even edging out Tesco’s £129 WiFi-only Hudl2.
Filed under: Tablets, Wireless
Via: Vodafone Blog
Source: Smart Tab 4G
Scientists want you to find cosmic rays using your phone’s camera
Cosmic ray particles hit Earth’s atmosphere all the time, but finding them is tough; even the most sophisticated detectors can only cover so much ground. Scientists at University of California might just have discovered an easy way to pinpoint these exotic elements, however: the camera on your smartphone. The team’s upcoming CRAYFIS (Cosmic Rays Found in Smartphones) app looks for high energy particles hitting the camera sensor on your device as soon it’s both asleep and charging. While one phone wouldn’t collect much data by itself, a gaggle of them would be extremely powerful; 1,000 phones in a square kilometer (0.4 square miles) would capture virtually every particle zooming overhead. They could actually be more effective than existing detection arrays, which tend to oversaturate quickly.
The tricky bit is getting enough people to enlist. The CRAYFIS group is taking sign-ups to beta test its app on Android and iOS, but the odds of getting that many volunteers in a concentrated area could be rather slim for a long time. A comprehensive, worldwide network of detectors would also require a million phones. With that said, it’s not hard to imagine a future where people in densely-packed cities are spotting gamma ray showers simply by leaving their handsets plugged in overnight.
[Image credit: AP Photo/NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]
Filed under: Cellphones, Science, Mobile
Via: Ars Technica
Source: CRAYFIS
OnePlus and JBL partner to create earphones for the OnePlus One
It seems OnePlus wants to partner itself with JBL, as early on Monday they announced on Google+ that JBL is making OnePlus branded earphones “coming soon”.
These premium earphones will be $39.99, and will have a frequency range of 10Hz – 22,000 Hz. They will have also a 9mm driver, and buttons that will control music playback, volume, phone calls, and even a camera shutter.
As OnePlus seeks to make a bigger name for itself, it makes sense that they would partner with a well-known company to create branded earphones.
What do you think of these premium earphones? Would you buy them?
via OnePlus
 |
The post OnePlus and JBL partner to create earphones for the OnePlus One appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Microsoft keyboard for Android Wear allows for letter drawing
For those of you that like the idea of physically typing on your smartwatch, or are often in situations where you can’t speak into your Android Wear, then Microsoft has a solution. On Friday Microsoft released an Analog Keyboard for Android Wear where you draw on the screen to type anything from letters to special… Read more »
The post Microsoft keyboard for Android Wear allows for letter drawing appeared first on SmarterWatching.
|
Read the rest at SmarterWatching.com!
The post Microsoft keyboard for Android Wear allows for letter drawing appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Android L may be called Licorice
In the ongoing mystery that is what the next version of Android will be called, we might just have a new contender. Giovanni Calabrese, the guy that constructs the software sculptures outside Google’s headquarters, sent out a Google+ post which could be hinting at what Android L may stand for.
Although his post doesn’t reveal too much, here’s what it says:
“I never had a great liking for Licorice, but damn! there are some great flavors out there !!!“
Odd that he would chose to mention Licorice in a post, right? Or maybe it’s just a major troll entirely.
What are your thoughts? How does Android Licorice sound as the next version of Android?
Deals, Discounts, Freebies, and More! Click here to save today! |
The post Android L may be called Licorice appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Sony’s pint-sized yet powerful Xperia Z3 Compact reaches the US
Sony may not have launched its small-yet-potent Xperia Z3 Compact smartphone through a US carrier, but it just delivered the next best thing. The tech firm has started selling an unlocked version of the Z3 Compact on its American online store for $530. It’s virtually identical to what Sony launched in Europe, complete with a 4.6-inch display, speedy Snapdragon 801 chip and 20.7-megapixel camera, but it packs native LTE data support for AT&T, T-Mobile and other US carriers that share their frequencies. You can even get it in bright orange or seafoam green if black or white seems too drab. You’ll still have to spring for the full-size Z3 or Z3v if you want Sony’s latest tech without paying the full cost up front, but this could easily fit the bill (and your pocket) if you have the cash to spend.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sony, AT&T, T-Mobile
Source: Sony Store
Easyjet now lets you check in using a photo of your passport
Despite being known for low-cost flights, Easyjet often leads the pack when it comes to taking the hassle out of travel. While you can already book a flight using its apps, the airline today announced a new upgrade that will let you check-in by simply taking a photo of your passport. Where before you’d need to manually enter your passport number into the Easyjet website, the new iOS and Android apps (with backing from validation specialist Jumio) now let you automate the process up to 2 hours before you take off from one of 110 Easyjet airports. That means you can now book, check-in and board your flight all via your phone — helpful if you’re itching to get some sun now that autumn is well and truly here.
[Image credit: irishflyguy, Flickr]
Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation, Internet, Software
Via: The Next Web
Source: Easyjet, (App Store), (Google Play)
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Soldiers will soon steer iRobot’s machines with an Android tablet
While iRobot’s most famous for creating the Roomba, the robotic vacuum is far from being its only product: the company actually supplies defense, reconnaissance and first response machines to authorities, as well. In an effort to make these robots a lot easier to control in high-stress environments, iRobot has developed the uPoint Multi-Robot Control (MRC) system, which lets human operators navigate their machines using only an Android tablet. At the moment, these robots (all 6,000 of them deployed worldwide) are controlled using an old-school joystick and a separate monitor powered by a Linux-based OS. When uPoint launches, all the soldier/cop handlers need to do is fire up the app and steer their machines by tapping on the screen, effectively nixing the need to train them on the procedure for a few days.
In addition, operators can switch between robots just by switching tabs, share data to team members, as well as capture videos through a robot’s camera and upload the clips to the cloud. The app, by the way, communicates with the machines through the company’s new uPoint Robot Radio network, since Bluetooth might not be secure enough for sensitive situations. The system’s slated to come out by the second quarter of 2015, though we doubt you’d get to use it unless you control a fleet of ground robots for the government.
Filed under: Robots, Tablets, Mobile
Source: iRobot, The Wall Street Journal
.CPlase_panel display:none;
Microsoft’s Android Wear keyboard has you drawing every letter
Microsoft’s support for Android Wear smartwatches isn’t limited to a handy OneNote app. The company’s research wing has slipped out Analog Keyboard, a prototype input app that has you drawing individual characters on your wristwear instead of trying to hit tiny keys. It’s not the fastest solution (and triggers a few flashbacks to old-school PDAs), but it’s very straightforward — you get a relatively big drawing area, and there’s a smart auto-correct system that you turn off just by pausing for a while between letters.
Before you start drafting a magnum opus on your timepiece, be aware that this is definitely rough code. You have to sideload the app, and it saves battery life by dropping support for capital letters. Also, it doesn’t support either lower-resolution watches or future round models; your Gear Live or Moto 360 will work, but forget about trying the current Analog Keyboard on the G Watch or G Watch R. Provided that you’re willing to live with the many quirks, though, it’s worth a look if you’re not fond of voice dictation.
Filed under: Wearables, Mobile, Microsoft
Via: The Verge
Source: Microsoft Research
.CPlase_panel display:none;
AIVAnet 