Xiaomi and Li-Ning are working on a pair of ‘smart’ running shoes
Chinese mobile juggernaut Xiaomi is already in the wearables game, but it’ll soon equip runners’ training sessions. The phone and accessory maker is working on a pair of “smart” running shoes with Li-Ning — a China-based footwear company with a list endorsers that includes Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade. Each pair will have chips in its soles to track activity, beaming data to a mobile app to keep tabs on progress, analyze form and celebrate training milestones. The tech is being developed alongside Huami Technology, the wearable manufacturer that lent a hand with Xiaomi’s Mi band. There’s no word on pricing or availability just yet, but runners in China can expect “an affordable price,” according to a Li-Ning statement.
With an increasingly crowded fitness market in the US, and Xiaomi’s focus on accessories in the States, it’ll be interesting to see if the shoes make it across the pond. Li-Ning’s shoes are available to US customers, including the aforementioned Way of Wade sneakers. Of course, Apple and Nike put an iPod-friendly sensor in shoes back in 2006, and Adidas’ miCoach Speed Cell tallies speed, distance and more for a range of activities.
Filed under: Wearables, Mobile
Source: Reuters
Uber drivers in Chicago start testing electric cars
Chicago now serves as home to an Uber fleet comprised of 25 all-electric cars. They’re not Tesla Model S vehicles like that Uber ride Engadget’s editors hailed back in 2013, though — they’re BYD e6 EVs straight from China. Uber has teamed up with Chinese automaker BYD or “Build Your Dream” in an effort to help its drivers either buy or lease new cars. While it seems odd that the company has chosen to partner with BYD instead of with manufacturers more well-known in the country like Tesla, e6s are larger than many other EVs. It’s already being used by a chauffer service in London (and a taxi company in Hong Kong) for that reason.
One downside, though, is that it only has a range of 186 miles on a single charge, whereas a Model S has a 265-mile range. Speaking of batteries: BYD aims to triple its EV battery production as a preemptive measure against Tesla, which is planning its own gigafactory. The Chinese company, which already has manufacturing plants in the US, will add 6 gigawatt hours of global production per year within the next three years.
The 25 e6s roaming the city came from local dealership Green Wheels USA, which offers Uber drivers a number of payment options, including traditional lease-to-own programs. At the moment, most drivers seem to prefer paying the dealership $200 per week to rent the EV. That option allows them to bring back the cars to Green Wheels’ lot for recharge after their driving shift.
Filed under: Transportation
Source: Reuters
“Add to home screen” banner will soon be coming to websites in Chrome for Android
Google’s Chrome Android app currently has a feature that lets you create pseudo-app shortcuts to your favorite web sites right on your home screen, but it’s tucked away in the overflow menu of the app. While it’s a useful feature, it’s not used as often as it could be because of that. Google plans on fixing that by adding an “add to home screen” banner to websites in the near future, promoting the feature to users and potentially increasing traffic to those sites.
Now, you’re probably thinking that another banner on your web pages is the last thing you want to see in Chrome. Fortunately, Google seems like they’ve planned this one out pretty well, and they’ve got a good system in place to prevent it from being too annoying. The banner will only appear if you visit a web site twice over the course of two days, and once you dismiss the banner, it won’t appear again unless you clear your browsing history. The sites will also only be able to display that banner if they offer app-like experiences, and HTTPS is a requirement.
The feature is going live in Chrome 42 Beta, so expect it to make its way to the stable version in the next few weeks.
source: Ars Technica
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Dropbox adds PDF viewer and text search to its Android app
The folks at Dropbox continue a run of handy updates with another addition that keeps you from having to venture outside of the cloud repository’s app. In the latest version, Android users will notice a built-in PDF viewer, complete with all the sharing tools needed to distribute files. What’s more, you can now search the text of PDFs, Word documents and PowerPoint files to find the exact item you need. Looking to edit a single slide for an upcoming presentation? Swiping over to the file and entering a keyword takes you right to it. The new version should arrive in the Play Store in the next few days, and your trusty mobile device will most likely alert you when it’s available.
Twitter profiles on Android look much better now
Twitter’s mobile app has seen a fair bit of newness as of late, and its latest tweak brings the Android version’s profile pages in line with iOS’. What’s so different? Let’s start at the top. Header images and avatar photos have gotten a bump in size for starters, and, what’s more, the bio has its own bit of screen real-estate now instead of being a swipe to the left. Rather than only the three most recent tweets showing, now you can scroll through an infinite amount of a user’s 140-character updates too — same goes for photos and favorites.
Thankfully, this has streamlined profiles a ton and eliminates the need for lots of tapping to navigate. You can swipe right or left anywhere on your device’s display, for example, to move from tweets to photos to favorites, respectively, while the bio, avatar and header stay static. The simplicity is quite refreshing, to be honest. Compared to how the timeline itself has evolved (for better and for worse), it’d be surprising if this ruffles users’ feathers the way incessant ads for a certain mobile game has.
We’re rolling out new profiles on Twitter for Android: it’s now easier to view bios, Tweets and photos. https://t.co/MMnvuuHaxh
– Twitter (@twitter) March 10, 2015
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Source: Twitter (Twitter)
VSCO Cam updated to version 3.2 – lets you copy and paste your edits to various photos
The popular photo editing app, VSCO Cam, has been updated to version 3.2 and brings forth a couple of new features and updates. The biggest update to mention would be the ability to copy and paste edits that you have made to a photo and apply it to any other photo that you wish. This new feature should be a godsend to avid VSCO users as editing a large batch of photos could be made easier and quicker.
The update also includes TIFF image import and various performance improvements such as editing times. QR code and a download link will be provided after the break!
Do you guys use VSCO? If not, what’s your favorite photo editing app?
Come comment on this article: VSCO Cam updated to version 3.2 – lets you copy and paste your edits to various photos
VSCO Cam adds batch editing for your mobile snapshots
Adobe delivered the ability to copy and paste edits to multiple images in Lightroom for iOS last month, and now you can do the same with VSCO Cam. With version 4.1 for iOS and 3.2 for Android, the preset-driven app adds a tool that will allow you place edits on multiple shots in your library with a few simple taps. If you’re looking to give a dozen images from last weekend the same treatment, this is sure to make the task much easier. And if you mess up, there’s a handy undo button to avoid any permanent blunders. Of course, VSCO Cam is free to use (unless you want to buy more presets, natch), while the aforementioned Adobe option requires a Creative Cloud subscription. Both the iOS and Android updates are available in iTunes and Google Play now, if you’re feelin’ the itch to take ‘em a spin.
Filed under: Cameras, Software, Mobile
Source: VSCO, Google Play
Grab the Samsung Galaxy S6 wallpapers and apps
We don’t have to wait for the Samsung Galaxy S6 to launch since the wallpapers and apps that will be bundled with the flagship device have just surfaced online.
Courtesy of XDA Developers, you can now grab the app APK’s and sideload them, as well as enjoy the official Galaxy S6 2560 x 1440 wallpapers.
Apps:
Source: XDA Forums
The post Grab the Samsung Galaxy S6 wallpapers and apps appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Google releases stand alone PDF viewer app
Google is now offering its PDF Viewer as a standalone app in the Play Store.
It offers the same functions as the built-in PDF viewer in Google Drive, such as view, print, search, and copy text. The app’s main intent is to be used in context of the Android for Work Program which allows the user to easily separate business apps from personal ones.
You can get it from the widget beneath the image gallery.
The post Google releases stand alone PDF viewer app appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Sonos Controller for Android updated to version 5.3
Upon weeks of beta testing the update, Sonos is officially updated to version 5.3 and is now live on the Google Play Store. The update fixes what was wrong with the previous version and improves upon it. Room control should be a lot easier, moving back and forth between screens is now easier, and the design of tablets has also been updated/improved. Here’s a couple easy tips for you to get used to the update:
- Three taps to party mode. Put the finishing touches on your party prep with a playlist to set the mood throughout the house. Use the new drop-down at the top center of our app to easily group or ungroup rooms in just a few taps.
- Retrace your steps. Change your mind on what you want to play? Swipe down to instantly go from Now Playing to browsing. To go back one step further to the menu, swipe right from the far left to view all of your music sources.
- Distractions welcome. If you want to go back to listen to a part you missed, the track progression bar is now more prominently displayed in your Now Playing screen, just below the album art. Drag it to whatever point in the song you want to play.
QR code and download link below.
Come comment on this article: Sonos Controller for Android updated to version 5.3
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