Google app contest winners show what Project Tango can do
Sure, Google and crew can put together some nice tech demos for Project Tango’s advanced depth sensing and motion tracking, but what happens when everyday developers take a crack at it? You’re about to find out. Google has announced the winners of its Project Tango App Contest, and most of them aren’t what you’d expect given the technology. The overall winner is HeroicArcade’s WeR Cubed Tango, a 3D puzzler that relies more on motion than the usual screen taps.
Source: Google Play (1), (2), (3), (4)
AT&T will be the first US carrier to offer Blackberry’s Priv
AT&T will begin carrying the Blackberry Priv on November 6th, the company announced on Monday. The phone, which runs Android’s Lollipop OS and features a slide-out physical keyboard, will be available that Friday in both AT&T retail outlets and the company’s website. Specs for the Priv leaked late last month, though the price listed there has since been corrected to an even $700 if you buy it unlocked.
Source: AT&T
SoundCloud’s latest mobile app helps share your audio creations
SoundCloud has made much ado over playing its eclectic audio mix from your phone. But what if you’re a creator who wants to make sure those tracks blow up? That’s where the new SoundCloud Pulse might come in handy. The Android app currently lets you share audio, track the popularity of your work and respond to comments. That may not sound like much, but SoundCloud is promising a lot more in the future. Among other things, you’ll eventually get to edit track info and upload new content directly — helpful if you just have to record a podcast episode on your phone. There’s no mention of when these features or a promised iOS version will arrive. However, it’s clear that SoundCloud doesn’t want you to retreat to a computer just to manage your masterpieces.
Source: SoundCloud, Google Play
Pre-order the OnePlus X now at Gearbest.com
OnePlus has been shaking up the smartphone market and has just released its OnePlus X which looks to add to their success. For the incredibly affordable price of $250, you get a phone with a Snapdragon 801, 1080p AMOLED display, Android 5.1, 16GB of memory, 3GB of RAM, and a 13MP rear camera.
Our own Josh Noriega, a phone snob, is even excited with the release of the OnePlus X. The only downside to ordering a phone from OnePlus is their invite system which can be a pain in the rear. You have to register on their site, request an invite, and once you get the invite you have a very limited time in which you can use it. You don’t even know when you’ll get that invite too. It could be today or it could be two months from now.
Gearbest.com looks to help you solve that problem by offering the OnePlus X on their own site for $295.99 with free shipping. Gearbest.com does not charge tax so the premium price you pay is not much more than what you would pay if you were to order this phone direct from OnePlus. You can check out the specs below and head on over to Gearbest.com to pre-order your X now by following this link. Gearbest.com also offers a 45-day return to ensure you are happy with your purchase.
Specifications
| Basic Information | Brand: ONEPLUS Type: 4G Smartphone Service Provide: Unlocked OS: Android 5.1 Languages: English, French, Spanish, Russian, German, Italian, Portuguese SIM Card Slot: Dual SIM, Dual Standby SIM Card Type: Dual Nano SIM |
|---|---|
| Hardware | CPU: Snapdragon801 Cores: Quad Core, 2.3GHz GPU: Adreno 330 RAM: 3GB RAM ROM: 16GB External memory: TF card up to 128GB (not included) |
| Network | Wireless Connectivity: 4G, WiFi, GSM, 3G, A-GPS WiFi: 802.11b/g/n wireless internet Network type: FDD-LTE+WCDMA+GSM 2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz 3G: WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100MHz 4G: FDD-LTE 1800/2100/2600MHz |
| Display | Screen type: Capacitive Screen size: 5.0 inch Screen resolution: 1920 x 1080 (FHD) Pixels Per Inch (PPI): 441 |
| Camera | Camera type: Dual cameras (one front one back) Back camera: 13.0MP Front camera: 8.0MP Aperture: f/2.2 Touch Focus: Yes Auto Focus: Yes Flashlight: Yes Video recording: Yes |
| Media Formats | Picture format: PNG, JPEG, GIF, BMP Music format: AAC, MP3, WAV Video format: MP4, 3GP, AVI MS Office format: Word, Excel, PPT E-book format: TXT Live wallpaper support: Yes Games: Android APK |
| Other Features | I/O Interface: TF/Micro SD Card Slot, Micro USB Slot, 3.5mm Audio Out Port Sensor: Gravity Sensor, Ambient Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor Google Play Store: Yes Sound Recorder: Yes Additional Features: Light Sensing, Bluetooth, Browser, Gravity Sensing, MP4, Calendar, People, 3G |
| Battery | Battery Capacity (mAh): 2450mAh Built-in Battery Battery Type: Lithium-ion Polymer Battery |
| Package Contents | Cell Phone: 1 Power Adapter: 1 USB Cable: 1 English Manual : 1 |
| Dimensions | Product size: 14 x 6.9 x 0.69 cm / 5.50 x 2.71 x 0.27 inches Package size: 16 x 12 x 7 cm / 6.29 x 4.72 x 2.75 inches Product weight: 0.138 kg Package weight: 0.500 kg
|
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Looking to buy something unique and support the little guy? Check out Etsy.com
With the holiday season ready to kick into high gear, we are all going to be bombarded with advertisements as it is the time for the giving and receiving of presents. Some people are really difficult to shop for as they just have everything.
I took some time to look for a few presents for friends and family, as I like to get a head start, because presents really should have thought behind them. At least, that is what my mom taught me. Although my research started out to look for gifts for everyone but myself, that’s not how it ended.
In comes Etsy.com, founded in 2005, to save the day. Etsy.com is a marketplace for creative entrepreneurs who use their unique talents to create one of a kind items that you cannot find in mass market stores.
In order to test out the Etsy app and website, I browsed for unique items using the Android app, that I literally could not find anywhere else. There are thousands of items to browse – from gadgets, jewelry, vintage items, paintings and so much more. In the beginning it was a research project to see if it would be a good site to recommend to you, the readers, as an option for unique items related to Google and Android. At the end of my research I had made a few purchases, with lots more items to purchase later as gifts as Etsy really does have items you cannot get anywhere else.
The Etsy app connects you to the purchaser and takes care of making the entire transaction very “professional”. Once you make a purchase, using a credit card or Paypal, a receipt is sent to your email with packaging and shipping updates. In the case of the items I bought from individual sellers, I instantly received feedback from both of them instantly, which is something you don’t necessarily get anymore these days from larger marketplaces.
The first items I purchased were Android stickers made from real 22k gold, from JnM Vinyl Studio Inc. These stickers can be applied to any of my gadgets to give them a unique appearance. In addition to the Android stickers I also asked if JnM could could make custom Androidguys.com labels in which they literally replied to my request within minutes, stating customs labels would be roughly the same price as the production cut Android stickers ($6). Once I placed my order, the Etsy app notified me that JnM had shipped my labels from New York, and within three days, the stickers arrived in my mailbox all the way to San Diego, CA. The service was absolutely incredible and the product matched the service. If you have a small business or just want custom labels or stickers, check out the JnM shop at Etsy.com and you won’t be disappointed.
The second purchase I made was in honor of my chubby cat, Poi. She’s named Poi because she is a mash-up of all kinds of breeds of cats, and Poi is a Hawaiian dish made from smashing taro root. Not to digress too far from this story, but the dog I adopted later is suitably named Taro.
Poi arrived on my doorstep when I was vacationing in Maui as a stray skinny kitten. Just like any other kitten, she was bouncing off the walls once I fed her. In fact, she was such an active kitten I thought she had rabies or some other disease in my irrational mind. My love for animals runs deep and I had to buy Poi a plane ticket home because I absolutely fell in love with her. Eight years later, she is apart of my family and is no longer skinny.
I am not some crazy cat lady, but when I came across Pottery by Misurie, I instantly adored her work. Misunrie is based in North Carolina and she offers unique, hand-made pottery that caught my eye. I purchased a couple of mugs, one was a black mug with a cat face on it, and the other was a white mug with a super cute upside down black cat face. I also added a similar type bowl which will serve as Poi’s dinner bowl. Once the purchase was made, Misunrie contacted me and said, ” Thanks for your purchase, you must be a cat lover just like me!” Not only did I get lovely pottery, but I also got to connect with someone who has a love of cats just like me. My shipment came wrapped in multiple layers of bubble wrap, ensuring the high-quality items I purchased were protected from the hazards of shipping across the country. It has been quite a while since I have been really excited to get get a package.
In many cases, us writers get many items for free to review, but in these cases I couldn’t be happier to support the individual entrepreneurs like JnM and Misunrie. There are thousands of other entrepreneurs like JnM and Misunrie, but my bank account cannot afford to buy everything my eyes desire. I will be using Etsy to not only supprt the “little guy” but also will be making purchases to buy gifts for my friends and family. Check out Etsy.com by following this link. Or you can also download the Etsy app here from the Google Play Store. You won’t be disappointed.
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Google’s Lockheimer says commitment still there for Chrome OS
Yesterday news broke indicating Google is planning to merge the Chrome OS operating system that powers Chromebooks and Chromebox devices into the Android operating system that is used on mobile devices. The move makes a lot of sense as a step to unify the operating systems and make it easier to deploy apps and features across a broader array of devices in a single step. However, for a lot of Chrome OS users, especially those in education where it has proven to be extremely popular, there is some angst that the best features of Chrome OS will be lost in the change to a single operating system. Google senior vice president Hiroshi Lockheimer has since taken to his Twitter account to let followers know the company is “very committed to Chrome OS.”
In his tweet, Lockheimer notes that Google’s Chromebook devices have a lot of momentum behind them now and he even notes that he recently purchase two for his kids to use for their schoolwork. Of course, being committed to Chrome OS does not really change the possibility of it being merged with Android or that the commitment is not somehow going to be limited by time, say until 2017 when the new unified operating system is projected to be available. Hopefully Lockheimer’s statement does mean Google will continue development of the operating system, making refinements and adding features, in parallel with development of a new, single operating system for all devices.
What are your thoughts about a merged Chrome OS and Android operating system?
There’s a ton of momentum for Chromebooks and we are very committed to Chrome OS. I just bought two for my kids for schoolwork!
— Hiroshi Lockheimer (@lockheimer) October 30, 2015
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
source: Hiroshi Lockheimer (Twitter)
Come comment on this article: Google’s Lockheimer says commitment still there for Chrome OS
Android + Chrome OS: four big questions
Instead of having Chrome OS for computers and Android for mobile devices, we could see a new, single operating system emerging next year. Chrome OS will be folded into Android, according to “people familiar with the matter” who spoke to The Wall Street Journal recently. Why is Google going all-in with Android? What will happen to Chrome OS? And what kind of impact will this move have?
Why? Why? Why?
The reason Google picked Android is easy enough to discern – it’s really popular. Android smartphone shipments worldwide have been around 80% of the market for the last two years now, according to IDC. Mobile Internet usage is growing, it overtook desktop last year, and a disproportionate number of younger users are only ever going online on smartphones and tablets, and rarely, if ever, using desktops.
Beyond the stunning popularity of mobile and Android, there’s also the fact that the platform has a huge library of apps, it’s already creeping onto a wide variety of other devices, from TVs to cars. People are familiar and comfortable with it. Adding computers will accelerate the juggernaut, pulling in more developers, manufacturers, and consumers.
Was it inevitable?
Talk about a merger has been ever-present for the last few years. Sergey Brin said, back in 2009, “Android and Chrome will likely converge over time.” Just last week Sundar Pichai told analysts, “mobile as a computing paradigm is eventually going to blend with what we think of as desktop today.”
The surprising Google Pixel C may have been a sign of the new direction, but was it inevitable? I asked if Google was bringing Android and Chrome OS together back in April and concluded it didn’t need to, clearly the folks at Mountain View disagree. It seems I was wrong. I can admit it. Though, I think it will be a real shame if Google ditches Chrome OS completely, especially since Chromebooks have been steadily increasing market share, and made real inroads in education, not least because of their affordability.
Worldwide Chromebook sales are expected to be 7.3 million this year, up 27% from last year, when the education industry accounted for 72% of sales, according to Gartner.
See also: Google Pixel C hands-on and first look
What will happen to Chrome OS?
The WSJ report suggests that Chrome OS will remain as an open source platform that other companies can use for laptops, and that Google will maintain it for the foreseeable future. There’s also the suggestion that Chromebooks will be rebranded. You certainly won’t need to throw your Chromebook away, but it does inevitably mean that developers are not going to want to develop anything new for Chrome OS, and in the long term, it could well wither and die.
Apart from the low prices, and the fact that Chrome OS made low-end hardware potentially useful, by running nearly everything online in the browser, there’s another good reason to mourn its potential passing. Chrome OS is relatively secure with sandboxing, verified boot, data encryption, recovery mode, and automatic updates. By contrast, all of Android’s detractors have consistently criticized its security credentials. Take a look at the security community and you’ll see a lot of consternation about this move.
What will happen to Android?
Google obviously can’t put Android in its current form on computers and expect people to use it. A true merger is going to necessitate some major changes to the platform. Security is an obvious area of focus for improvement, especially if it wants to push Android laptops into the workplace. We know Google has been working on this, but a big part of the problem is the difficulty in getting manufacturers and carriers to push out vital updates, particularly for older devices.
Android also has a touch-based interface. One of its strengths is the fact that it has been designed for touch screens. Anyone who has tried using a keyboard and mouse, or a trackpad, with Android can attest that the user experience is less than great. Another thing Android users have long wanted is proper split-screen baked into the platform. The idea of a laptop without windowed apps is ridiculous, so it surely has to come.
Android 6 contains the foundation of multi-window, but it’s still clunky.
We can expect to see a number of changes to Android, but how quickly they’ll come, and how Google will divide the experience between desktop and mobile remains to be seen.
Looking at the competition
It’s interesting to take a look at the competition here. Microsoft is in a similar situation to Google, but it has come from the opposite angle. It had a hugely popular, dominant desktop OS, but it tried and failed repeatedly to create a smartphone platform that could make an impact.
Now, it is finally coming out with a unified approach, with some cross-compatibility of software. The Continuum feature allows you to plug your Windows 10 Mobile phone into a big screen, and scales up the user interface for a desktop experience that works with keyboard and mouse. Will Google try to do something similar with Android?
Apple definitely won’t be getting in on the act. At BoxWorks 2015, Tim Cook was asked about merging iOS with OS X, and he said, “We don’t believe in having one operating system for PC and mobile. We think it subtracts from both, and you don’t get the best experience from either. We’re very much focused on two.”
Whether you’re a fan of Tim Cook or not, it’s hard to argue with that statement. It’s really up to Google to prove him wrong.
I love Android on my phone, but imagine using an Android device for all of your work. It would not be fun. The question is whether Google can make the necessary changes to Android to make it a viable desktop platform without impinging on the smartphone experience. That’s not an easy task.
You also have to ask yourself if any of the motivation for this comes from consumer demand. Do we really need a unified OS? Would you buy an Android laptop? Do you believe Google can make it work, or is this a bad move? Hit the comments.
Over a dozen Google Play apps discounted for Halloween, mostly games
Halloween is but a day away, and to celebrate the season several developers are slashing down their apps on Google Play to as low as $.49, with the majority hovering around the $.99 range. Considering that some of these apps price as high as around $7 normally – there’s some great deals here.
Most of these are games not apps, though there are a few fitness apps thrown in, many of which have a game-like twist, such as Zombies Run.
- Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies – $1.99, was $6.99
- Left in the Dark – $.99, was $4.99
- Zombies, Run! 5k Training – $.99, was $1.99
- The Walk: Fitness tracker game – $.99, was $2.99
- 7 Minute Super Hero workout – $.99, was $2.99
- Forever Lost: episode 1 – $.99, was $3.11
- Greedy Spiders 2 – $.49, was $.99
- Vampires: Todd and Jessica – $.99, was $4.99
- Dark Arcana: The Carnival – $.99, was $4.99
- Nightmares: Davy Jones – $.99, was $4.99
- Mystery of the Opera – $.99, was $4.99
- Abyss: Wraiths of Eden – $.99, was $4.99
- Twin Moons – $.99, was $4.99
- Fairy Tale Mysteries 2 – $1.99, was $4.99
- Grim Legends 2 – $1.99, was $4.99
- Time Mysteries 2 – $.99, was $4.99
- Deadly Puzzles – $.99, was $4.99
In addition to the games available through this sale, Amazon also has its own offer for those interested. And for those that aren’t necessarily looking for just sale items, be sure to check out Joe’s list of best horror games, and his list of best apps with Halloween in mind.
What do you think of the apps listed above, any of them you’d recommend? Share your thoughts in the comments.
OnePlus releases Reflexion, a unique photo app for all Android devices
OnePlus came out of nowhere last year and made a pretty big impression with the OnePlus One. Whether the long-term impression was positive or negative depends largely on who you ask, but the company has certainly continued to ramp up its ambitions in 2015.
So far OnePlus has launched the OnePlus 2, and is just starting to offer up its new OnePlus X. And now they are also getting into the app game with Reflexion, a new photography app that is extremely simple to use and basically is designed to capture two shots, one from the front cam and one from the rear, and stitch them together into a unique reflected pattern. As you’d expect, there is a social sharing option that makes it easy to share your “creations” with others.
I’ll be honest, this is kind of cool but feels like something that should be part of a full-fledged camera as an option – not a stand-alone app. That said, the OnePlus Reflexion app is still extremely interesting for two other reasons: first, it’s cross-platform, with both an iOS and Android version being released, no need to own the OPO, OP2, or OPX. The second reason, you can actually get it without an invite!
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Okay, invite jokes aside, you can try out the app for yourself right from Google Play. You can also head over to OnePlus’ blog for the rest of the details.
Apple’s latest Android app gives you control of the Beats Pill+
When the new Beats speaker, its first since joining Apple, was announced earlier this month, the companion app and its added features were only ready for iOS. Now that the Pill+ is on sale, Beats released an Android version of the software, too. This marks Apple’s second Android app, following the Move to iOS tool that arrived in September to help you switch to an iPhone. If you’re in need of a refresher, the Pill+ app provides a DJ mode that’ll let more than one person control the tunes and allows you to pair two of the speakers for a bigger sound. The software is available from Google Play now, so if you already made the purchase, or are waiting for yours to be delivered, you can download the app on your Android handset or slate to make the most of it. And Apple Music should arrive for Google’s mobile OS soon enough to round out the setup.
Via: Android Police
Source: Google Play
AIVAnet 