Tacos, burritos and unicorn emoji are coming, thanks to Unicode 8.0
The Unicode Consortium unveiled its new emoji set as part of the standard’s version 8.0 update on Wednesday. Yes, that taco emoji we’ve all been waiting for on bated breath has arrived and lo, it is glorious. Other food-related icons include taco’s big brother, the burrito, as well as a hot dog, popcorn and a cheese wedge. Inedible emoji like a Unicorn head, prayer beads and a volleyball are also available. Surprisingly though, no hotdog pizza emoji just yet — probably because we’re not sure yet if they’re ok for human consumption.
In all, 37 new icons (41 if you count the five skin color modifiers) made it past the consortium’s stringent vetting process. You can check out the full list, which will eventually make their way into your mobile device’s keyboard. While Apple already jumped ahead and put the skin color modifiers in iOS and OS X, it hasn’t updated with the rest of 8.0’s emoji changes, and neither have Android or Windows. The Unicode standards group is already at work on version 9.0, which is scheduled for release in 2016. Proposed icons include avocado, shrug, owl, selfie and everybody’s favorite taco topping: bacon.
[Image credit: Getty Images/Science Photo Library]
Filed under: Internet, Mobile, Apple, Microsoft, Google
Source: Unicode Consortium, Unicode (blog)
Google wants you to follow hot search trends in real time
Never mind waiting until after the fact to find out what people are searching for online — Google wants you to know what’s hot right fricking now. The internet giant has introduced real-time tracking to Google Trends, so you can follow a search frenzy as it happens. If you want to know which basketball team is dominating the buzz over the past hour (spoiler: it’s the Golden State Warriors), you just have to narrow the scope accordingly to see a minute-by-minute graph. The trend page has also been redesigned to put a bigger emphasis on the latest stories, and you can dive deeper into niche subjects and specific regions. Yes, you’re still looking at charts, but this refresh at least gives you a good excuse to visit Google Trends more than once in a blue moon.
[Image credit: AP Photo/Virginia Mayo]
Source: Google Official Blog
Nest’s smart thermostat will warn if your pipes are going to freeze
Nest didn’t just show off its first self-branded home monitoring camera and a revamped smoke detector at its big event. The home automation firm also gave its Learning Thermostat an update that, if you like, will warn you if the temperature falls outside of a preferred range. You’ll know if it gets so cold that the pipes are likely to freeze, or if it’s scorching enough that your pet will pass out. The climate controller also works in closer harmony with the Protect. It’ll show carbon dioxide and smoke alarms that you might otherwise miss, and can shut off your air conditioning or heating to prevent smoke from spreading. It’ll take about two weeks for Nest to push the thermostat upgrade to your home, but you can grab the necessary mobile app revamp (which unifies control for Nest’s devices) as of today.
Filed under: Household, Google
Source: Inside Nest
Huawei employee allegedly confirms company’s involvement in a Nexus phone
An unidentified Huawei employee located in the United Kingdom has allegedly confirmed that the company is working with Google on a phone to be released later this year. The employee told IBTimes UK that the Huawei-made Nexus phone will come this fall but did not share anything else, such as specifications or a release date, beyond that. This, along with yesterday’s LG-made Nexus phone details, all but confirms that Google has plans to release two Nexus phones in October.
Source: IBTimes UK
Come comment on this article: Huawei employee allegedly confirms company’s involvement in a Nexus phone
LG Nexus with 3D camera allegedly being readied in the shadows
style=”display:block”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-8150504804865896″
data-ad-slot=”8461248232″
data-ad-format=”auto”>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
When LG came out with the LG Optimus 3D four years ago, the 3D camera that adorned its back was deemed to be actually pretty good, however it was let down by disappointing internal hardware and performance. Since then, LG has almost become a byword in performance and the manufacturer of some of the best devices we’ve seen in recent years. So it might not be a surprise that rumours are saying Google has asked LG to revisit the 3D camera on its Nexus device, which with today’s hardware would be a tantalizing prospect.
The same report says that such a LG Nexus with 3D camera would also have dual infrared sensors on the front of the device which would give it 3D display capabilities a la the Amazon Fire Phone. While the Fire Phone was famously a dud for Amazon, we’d be interested to see where it would go on a Nexus device. The report goes on to say that this LG Nexus would ship with Android M in October, and frankly anything but would be a disappointment. Of course, we’ll have to wait and see if any of this ends up being true, but to imagine that Google is interested in exploring more niche technologies in its Nexus devices is pretty exciting.
What do you think about a LG Nexus with 3D camera? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: iNews24 via Phone Arena
The post LG Nexus with 3D camera allegedly being readied in the shadows appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Topeka for Android will help developers build a better Material Design experience
Material designed came around to change everything. It is a very good looking, sleek and playful design language, but it may be a bit intimidating to adopt it. Especially for developers who have been sticking to their own design aspects for a long time. Google knows you may need a little help getting the right elements, so they have decided to offer better help by releasing Topeka for Android.
For those who may not know about this tool: Topeka was previously released as a web app in order to help developers understand how elements of Material Design worked, which include transitions, animations and layers. And if the idea is to create a consistent experience across all apps, Google did right by offering a clear example that works on a mobile device, as well as on the web. The tool is only being improved now by actually being released on the platform it is meant to serve.
Things get much more complicated as you start scrolling down the official blog post from Android Developers, as it is mostly developer talk (a bunch of code), but they go over some quick tips on transitions, animations, FAB placement, Round Outline Provider, Property Animations and Vector Drawables. You can go ahead and check out the official blog post if you know what those things mean and/or want to learn more!
#gallery-1
margin: auto;
#gallery-1 .gallery-item
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 33%;
#gallery-1 img
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption
margin-left: 0;
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Oh, and if you are a developer looking to get your hands on Topeka for Android, you can get it all straight from GitHub. Have fun and make some awesome apps for us! Thanks for all the hard work.
Cortana for Android will be arriving as a beta in July
style=”display:block”
data-ad-client=”ca-pub-8150504804865896″
data-ad-slot=”8461248232″
data-ad-format=”auto”>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();
We were extremely surprised (pleasantly so) when Microsoft announced that Cortana, Microsoft’s personal assistant, would be coming to Android and iOS devices to link them to the Microsoft ecosystem. Microsoft has given more details about this, saying that a beta of Cortana for Android will be available come July to act as a companion to Windows 10 – for the record, Windows 10 launches on July 29th.
For those not aware, Cortana takes its name from the artificial intelligence featured in Microsoft’s Halo video game series, and in many ways, its personal assistant software aims to be a similar companion in as many ways as currently possible. The fact that Cortana syncs across multiple Windows 10 devices means that you can input tasks on your phone and be reminded to do it while you’re on your Xbox One or Windows PC. It’s a very interesting concept, one that even Google‘s competitor product, Google Now, has struggled to breach and output in a meaningful manner. Now if we just take a moment to imagine what a smartwatch running Cortana would be like…
What do you think about Cortana for Android coming out as a beta in July? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Microsoft via Phone Arena
The post Cortana for Android will be arriving as a beta in July appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Details regarding LG’s upcoming Nexus phone’s camera surface
The camera was one of the weak spots for the Nexus 5. The flagship Nexus device manufactured by LG in 2013 had an inconsistent camera that never seemed to deliver quality shots. Now, in 2015, the company allegedly has plans to produce one of two Nexus phones. A media outlet from South Korea claims to have knowledge of LG’s plans for its upcoming Nexus phone’s camera.
The report, published by iNews24, states that the phone may use a 3D camera module. The capabilities of such technology in a Nexus phone are unknown but maybe Google has plans with Photo Sphere integration.
The report also claims that the processor will come from Snapdragon 810 and Google eyes October for a launch alongside Android M.
Yet another vague report from Asia causes plenty of people, myself included, to wonder what Google has coming.
Source: iNews24
Via: G for Games
Come comment on this article: Details regarding LG’s upcoming Nexus phone’s camera surface
CloudPlayer can play your music straight from Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive
Still on the search for the perfect cloud music streaming service? The new DoubleTwist app CloudPlayer may be the right one for many of you. At least I know I fell in love with it right away, as it’s not really a cloud service in and of itself. It harnesses the power of other cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive to bring one of the most flexible and full-featured music apps around.
As its name entails, CloudPlayer allows you to play music straight from the cloud. It just needs to access one or more of the services mentioned above and scan your library. I downloaded it and it’s crazy easy. I was literally up and running in like a minute, with all my music ready to play.
The feature to sync with your cloud storage service definitely closes the deal, but CloudPlayer is not going to stop surprising us there. I meant it when I said this is one of the most flexible and full-featured music apps out there. CloudPlayer supports both Chromecast and AirPlay. It can also play your high-quality tunes, as it is compatible with FLAC and ALAC. It’s all DRM-free and DropBox users can grant music library access to one family member. You can even download the cache for your music and play it offline!
I can’t think of a music application that doesn’t fall behind when compared to CloudPlayer… at least in terms of cloud features and wireless support. In fact, I will start using it over Google Play Music. I am a huge Google Drive fan and pretty much my whole PC is synced to it. There’s really no need to upload my music to both Google Play Music and Google Drive. In fact, I never knew why Google needs to keep them separated.
If you are like me, there’s no need to worry anymore. CloudPlayer is one hell of an app!
So the service is great, but what about the app?
I have not been using this app for an extended period of time, so I can’t give you an elaborated opinion just yet. What I can tell you is that I have encountered no issues so far. It is also super easy to navigate and understand. Simply slide your menu out from the left and all your categories will be there. From here you can also opt to turn off online access to save data, after which only your local and downloaded songs will show up.
There’s also a search button to find your music and albums are displayed with well-sized icons. It manages to look good and stay simple. That’s all an app needs in order to be a winner by my book.
Access the settings and you can sync/scan your cloud services, choose album art settings, reset the app and more.
Price?!
To good to be true? Well, it would be if the app was completely free… but it’s not. You can download it and test its premium features for 7 days, but access will be limited after that trial period. DoubleTwist is charging $4.99 to unlock premium features like cloud streaming, an awesome equalizer and Chromecast/Airplay support. Then again, these are really the features that make CloudPlayer stand out, so if you are signing up you should pay up.
It’s definitely no cheap application, but I can’t think of a better way to spend $4.99 right now. Are you guys as excited about CloudPlayer as me? Hit the comments and let us know how you feel about it!
Google Play Gift cards finally make their way to India
Google has finally introduced the Google Play Gift cards to the Indian market. Starting today, you can purchase Google Play gift cards by walking into select Indian stores of Vijay Sales and Spice Hotspot in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata & Jaipur.
Google has made it available in select Indian cities and stores as a start. To purchase a Google Play Gift card, simple walk-in to any of the select stores and ask for it at the cash counter. You can make the payment towards the Gift card using cash, card or any other form of payment accepted by the store.
Google Play Gift cards or Google Play prepaid vouchers can be used to purchase any type of digital content available in the Google Play Store. The Gift cards come in 3 denominations of ₹500 ($7.85), ₹1,000 ($15.7) and ₹1,500 ($23.54).
Google Play gift cards, which were originally launched in 2012 have been consumers favorite to purchase apps, games, books or movies etc. and even for in-app purchases. You can also gift them to friends or family or use it for yourself on your Android phone or tablet.
On purchasing the voucher you will find a code which can then be used in the Play Store to redeem for purchases. The Play Store gift cards will be especially useful in a country like India where most people prefer cash payments or pay by debit card for online purchases.
The post Google Play Gift cards finally make their way to India appeared first on AndroidGuys.
AIVAnet 
