Grippity returns as a transparent Android tablet with two-sided touch (video)
When we last saw Grippity, it wasn’t much more than a pretty media center keyboard. Well, it just grew up — its creators have revived the concept as a full-fledged, crowdfunded Android tablet. The new design still centers on a transparent, dual-sided touch surface, but there’s now more to do than type. The PS Vita-style back control lets users tap interface elements without obscuring the screen, and it opens the door to more complex multi-touch gestures. The infrared remote control and thumbpads have also returned from Grippity’s previous incarnation. If you’re intrigued, you can pledge $235 ($159 for a few early birds) to Grippity’s Kickstarter campaign to reserve a tablet for yourself; provided the team reaches its funding goal, you should have the device in your hands by October.
Filed under: Tablets
Source: Kickstarter
MTV app arrives on Android, brings full TV episodes along — if you have cable
Android users don’t have to look blankly at their iPad- and Xbox-using friends whenever they talk about Catfish anymore, now that the MTV app has arrived on Google Play. It offers on-demand streaming of recent episodes from select series, but only for subscribers of participating cable providers. The list of cable companies is quite lengthy (it includes AT&T U-Verse, Time Warner and Verizon FiOS, among others) but it’s missing some notable ones like DISH, at least for now. Unlucky folks who can’t access full episodes can always watch trailers and look at companion content for MTV Shows, including polls and behind-the-scene tidbits. Or, you know, they can look for their video fix elsewhere instead — some of those other sources even come with actual music videos.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, HD, Mobile
Via: Android Community
Source: Google Play
Canonical Releases Ubuntu and Android Dual Boot Developer Preview
Ho ho ho Android and Linux developers, Christmas is here for you. Yesterday Canonical released the Unbuntu and Android dual boot dev preview just for you. “We are thrilled to announce a preview of a new feature for developers: Ubuntu on mobile devices can now run alongside Android on a single handset.” Regular users should be very aware that this is strictly a developer build and intended for developer use only. Canonical says:
Dual boot is not a feature suitable for regular users. It is recommended to be installed only by developers who are comfortable with flashing devices and with their partition layout. Dual boot rewrites the Android recovery partition and those installing it should be intimately familiar with re-flashing it in case something goes wrong.
Multiple Android flavours are supported (AOSP or stock, CyanogenMod) and installation of Ubuntu can be done for all versions available in the phablet-flash channels.
The biggest feature of this release is the one tap switch, which will allow you to switch from Ubuntu to Android with a tap of an app. There’s some really cool things happening here and as a user I am stoked to see where this goes. If I was a developer I would have this installed right now, but since I am not (and I don’t want to brick my device) I will wait for the dev teams to sort it all out and bring us a stable working OS. Hit the link for source.
Source: Ubuntu Developer
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HP’s new tablets may be its way back into the smartphone world
HP has long vowed that it would revive its smartphone efforts, and it may be near that comeback — just not with the fanfare that some were hoping for. The Information claims that the company is weeks away from releasing a slew of phone-capable 6- and 7-inch Android tablets that would target developing markets, like China and India. They wouldn’t cost more than $250 off-contract, and they would reportedly be recycled designs from manufacturers like Pegatron and Quanta. While HP isn’t commenting on the rumor, it’s safe to say that major smartphone makers wouldn’t be losing sleep over the potential launch. The tipsters suggest that HP would instead be testing the waters — it would enter fast-growing mobile markets while it works on original hardware, corporate apps and carrier deals that would be necessary in more established areas.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Wireless, Mobile, HP
Sony starts rolling out Android 4.3 to the Xperia Z, ZL, ZR and Tablet Z
Sony started delivering Android 4.3 updates to the shiny new Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z Ultra last week, and today it’s rolling out those improvements to (slightly) older devices. The Xperia Z, ZL, ZR and Tablet Z are all getting both Google’s not-quite-newest OS as well as a host of improved Sony apps, including Smart Social Camera and Walkman software. Xperia Tablet Z owners may appreciate the update most of all — they can implement restricted profiles that give users private settings and storage. Sony hasn’t said how long the upgrade will take, but don’t be surprised if your Xperia gets a gift of its own this holiday.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Sony
Via: Android and Me
Source: Sony Mobile Blog
Oppo R1 smartphone arrives in China with a bright camera and high style
It’s tough to stand out in the mid-range Android crowd, but Oppo may have found a way to separate itself from the pack. Its newly launched R1 smartphone carries a gold-effect metal frame that adds a touch of class around the 5-inch screen. Camera quality may also lure in a few buyers. The R1 carries a bright 8-megapixel, f/2.0 aperture shooter like that in the R819, and there’s an upgraded 5-megapixel camera at the front. No one will mistake Oppo’s latest hardware for a flagship, though. There’s a modest 1.3GHz, quad-core MediaTek chip inside, and neither the 720p display resolution nor the 16GB of non-expandable storage will please video lovers. The real obstacle for some may be the price — the R1 sells for ¥2,498 ($411) in its native China, which is a lot to pay when the Vivo X3 offers slightly better performance in a slimmer design.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Via: GSM Arena
Source: Oppo (translated)
Canonical gives developers a preview of a dual-booting Ubuntu and Android future
Choice, friends, is good. Nobody likes being limited to one thing, when instead you could be picking from a plethora, or at least a pair of options. And it looks like Ubuntu is on track to deliver on its promise to deliver a duo of operating systems to mobile devices in 2014, as it has released a developer preview of a dual-booting Android and Ubuntu mobile solution. While it’s a developer-only release for now — those familiar with unlocking phones and installing custom versions of Android should be fine, too — using the feature is pretty simple once installed. No command line wizardry is needed: simply open up the Ubuntu Dual Boot app and pick which OS you want to show up after restarting your phone. Looking for yet another toy with which to play on Christmas morn? The downloadables await at the source below.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile
Via: Android Central
Source: Ubuntu Developer portal
AllCast for Android leaves beta, streams media to your Apple TV, Roku or Xbox (video)
Worried that you won’t get to watch your favorite videos while visiting family this holiday? Don’t be: after a brief beta phase, ClockworkMod’s Koushik Dutta has released a completed version of AllCast for Android. The polished app lets you stream both local and cloud-based media to relatively common living room media hubs, including Apple TV, Roku players, the Xbox 360 and the Xbox One. Many Panasonic- and Samsung-made smart TVs will also handle content, and numerous DLNA-capable devices should make the cut. Chromecast support will likely have to wait until Google opens up its ecosystem in the new year. We can’t promise that your relatives will share your taste in movies, but it won’t hurt to grab AllCast from Google Play.
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablets, Software, HD, Mobile
Source: Google Play
Geeksphone’s OS-agnostic Revolution smartphone to use Intel chips
We’re not yet done with 2013 and already handset manufacturers are tempting us with the products that we’ll see in 2014. Geeksphone, the outfit behind the Peak+ and Keon, has released the spec list for the third of its Firefox OS devices. The two notable things about the Geeksphone Revolution, of course, is that the hardware will feature Intel’s Atom Z2560 processor, clocked at 1.6GHz, and that running Firefox OS is no longer mandatory. Instead, users will have the option to choose between the Mozilla-backed software and an as-yet unknown build of Android. Otherwise, it’s a reasonably standard offering, with a 4.7-inch IPS qHD display, 2,000mAh battery and an 8-megapixel camera. It’ll land in Q1 next year, and we’re sure that Mozilla will be watching to see just how many people decide Firefox OS is preferable to Android.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
Via: PhoneArena
Source: Geeksphone
BLU’s Life Pure smartphone delivers 1080p, a 13-megapixel camera and 32GB of space for $349
BLU Products can offer a lot of smartphone for the money, but its devices seldom come with the sharp screens and ample memory that you’d expect from rivals. The company is closing that gap with its new Life Pure, however. The $349 unlocked handset carries the same 5-inch, 1080p screen that you’ve seen on flagships from the past year, including the HTC Droid DNA; it even stuffs in a 13-megapixel rear camera, a 5-megapixel front camera and 32GB of storage, giving it more overall media prowess than a similarly-priced Nexus 5. With that said, you won’t want to chuck your reference Google phone out the window just yet. The Life Pure is running on a slower 1.5GHz quad-core MediaTek chip (albeit with 2GB of RAM), doesn’t include LTE and uses Android 4.2. This isn’t an early adopter’s phone, then. Still, we can see some buyers trading performance for features when the Life Pure goes on sale in the near future.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Source: Virtual Press Office
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