Bump and Flock file sharing apps shut down this month as devs focus on Google projects
Google acquired Bump — developer of an NFC-like file sharing app with the same name and a photo sharing service called Flock — back in September, and both projects will shut down January 31st. CEO and cofounder David Lieb announced the discontinuation of both products on the Bump blog, saying his team is “deeply focused on our new projects within Google.” That bodes well for their mission of enhancing sharing on mobile devices, but the bad news for Bump and Flock users is that this shut down means everything must go.
After January ends the apps will no longer function, they’ll disappear from the App Store and Google Play and all stored data will be deleted from servers (locally saved files or photos will remain in place). Any of those millions of users can still keep their data though, just open up the app anytime in the next month, and follow the instructions shown (tap the “i” menu on iOS or “More” on Android). Afterwards, Bump will send over an email with a link to let you download all of your stored data.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Google
Via: Android Police, The Verge
Source: Bump blog
Motorola’s New Year’s resolution is to sell more smartphones, drops unlocked Moto X to $400
It’s no secret that Motorola’s flagship Moto X hasn’t been a tremendous hit with consumers, and with considerable inventory likely building up, it’s time to move some product. Google’s smartphone arm is kicking off the new year with some aggressive new pricing. The base configured Moto X will now run you $400 without a contract or carrier affiliation, while the much-anticipated wood flavor now commands a cool $500. Moto Maker pricing remains at $100 with a new AT&T, Sprint or Verizon contract, if a two-year agreement is how you like to roll.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
Source: Motorola
Daily Roundup: NSA iPhone malware, Mac Pro teardown, this year in reviews and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
The year in reviews
We reviewed more than 170 products in 2013, but rather than leave you to sift through them yourself, we’ve compiled our most memorable reviews into one simple package. Click on through for more details.
Leaked NSA iPhone Hack
Leaked documents dating from 2008 reveal an NSA program called DROPOUTJEEP, which developed iPhone malware that can remotely access files on the devices. Follow the link for the video and more information.
Mac Pro teardown
Apple products aren’t exactly known for their serviceability, but according to iFixit’s latest teardown, repairing the new Mac Pro is a surprisingly straightforward affair. Click through for details on the repairability score.
Google Glass available to All Access subscribers
Are you a Google Play Music All Access subscriber? If so, you now have the option to purchase your own Google Glass headset. Click the link for more information.
Galaxy S5 Hands-On Concept Video! Moto G for $100?! – The ManDroid Show
Happy New Year’s Eve my Android friends. Hopefully you guys secured yourself a nice party spot for tonight. First you must get your ManDroid fix. A Galaxy S5 concept video showed up yesterday, giving us a loo at what it will not look like and have. The Moto G might be coming for Verizon soon, but for $100? Most likely not, but that would be awesome. Enjoy the show, and Happy New Year!
Mews Topicn
Galaxy S5 concept video
Moto G spotted for Verizon
Eric Schmidt talks 2014
Galaxy Gear and Galaxy Band may be coming to MWC
Moto G coming soon to Verizon Wireless?
Motorola recently revealed the budget version of the Moto X, known as the Moto G. It’s a decent device and it was made available in November by Motorola it self, as it could be purchased from their official site. Now it seems Moto G will be launched by one of the largest US mobile phone network – Verizon Wireless. A Google+ user known as Josue Joseph, who apparently works at Best Buy, shared a picture of a Moto G in Verizon retail packaging.
Also the guys says that “it looks like it is going for $100″ , however no words on the release date. So it seems that Best Buy is getting their shelves ready, and we might see the Verizon Moto G – without any contract – with in a matter of days.
Are you looking forward to grab one?
Source: G+
The post Moto G coming soon to Verizon Wireless? appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Leak hints Google may shut down its Schemer goal sharing service
We can’t blame you if you haven’t heard of Google’s Schemer; the goal sharing service launched at the end of 2011, but it hasn’t received much publicity (or traffic) since. Accordingly, the crew in Mountain View may be close to shutting Schemer down. Google Operating System has leaked an internal version of Schemer’s website that includes an unfinished closure page inviting users to export their data. It’s not clear how serious Google is about closing Schemer, however. The internal site may reflect real plans, or it could be a just-in-case placeholder; we’ve reached out to the company for a definitive answer. We won’t be surprised if Schemer gets the axe, though, when Google has shut down more beloved services in the past.
Via: VentureBeat
Source: Google Operating System
Google wants to make your mundane conversations into quirky online comics
Deep down, we’d all like to believe our text-based interactions are worthy of Calvin & Hobbes-style witticisms. They’re not and you know it, but does Google? No matter, because the tech giant was just awarded a patent to format your virtual conversations into something more suited for comic strip syndication online. The concept, though gimmicky, isn’t as freshly innovative as it might first sound. In fact, both Apple and Microsoft have already had designs on the same. Anyone remember Microsoft Comic Chat?
Okay, so Google’s comic-making process is nothing new, but it does have a key differentiator: It’s shareable via email, IM or, more likely, a social network “stream” or profile page. The system, as outlined by the patent, merely repurposes conversations, either manually or automagically, between at least two people into a comic strip layout. It’s then given a title by the user, an appropriate theme as selected from the user interface and formatted for its intended destination. Beyond that, it’s all a matter of where the strip gets posted. Editing permissions can also be extended to second- and third-party users so that the strip lives on. No doubt, it’s a fun way to jazz up otherwise mundane online interactions, but that doesn’t mean we’ll ever actually see this comic generator come to light. You know how these things go. It’s a patent; it’s good for litigation.
Source: USPTO
Google Play Music All Access customers are next in line for Glass
Google is expanding its pool of Explorers, slowly but surely. First it was people attending I/O, then friends of existing Explorers, now its subscribers to Play Music All Access. To celebrate the release of Play Music on Glass (albeit a little belatedly), the tech giant is offering subscribers to its streaming service a chance to buy the fledgling wearable. Emails apparently started going out this morning (though, no Engadget editors have received theirs yet) inviting those eligible to request a place in the Explorer program. Of course, entry to the exclusive club still costs $1,500. Though, we’re sure you’ll been looking for something frivolous to spend your tax return on in a couple of months.
Filed under: Wearables, Google
Source: Android Central
The year in reviews: 2013’s best and worst gadgets scored and scrutinized
Fun fact: Engadget reviewed 176 products in 2013, and that’s not even counting the umpteen times we got hands-on with stuff at tradeshows and press events.
In general, we try to review just the top-tier gadgets, but even then, some of it ends up being forgettable. (Can you name-check everything we tested from memory? We can’t.) So, as the year draws to a close, we’re taking a look back at the last 12 months of reviews, and this time, we’re including only the products you’d have no trouble remembering. Across every category, we’ve noted the flagships everyone coveted — along with the duds that could’ve been so much better. Oh, and you might notice that we included some numbered scores throughout. That’s right; Engadget is bringing back numerical ratings, and they’ll follow the same format as the critic score gdgt has already been using for years. Which is to say, each rating takes into account various criteria for a given product category — things like battery life and portability. Wanna see how your favorite gadgets did? Meet us after the break for a walk down memory lane.
E-Readers
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2013)
Engadget Score: 93
The “all-new” Paperwhite doesn’t really offer anything all that different from last year’s edition, but an improved frontlight and some software tweaks have made an already great reading experience even better. Unless Goodreads is a must-have app for you, it’s a tempting, but largely unnecessary upgrade if you already own last year’s version.
Kobo Aura HD
Engadget Score: 83
The Aura HD is packed with features specifically aimed at the power reader, including best-in-class specs like a 6.8-inch display with blisteringly sharp text and a robust 4GB of internal storage space. Unfortunately, its niche status is further cemented by a high price and a hard-to-hold form factor that escapes easily from those with sweaty hands.
Barnes & Noble Nook GlowLight
Engadget Score: 73
Barnes & Noble giveth and taketh away with the Nook GlowLight. Sure, it’s the best Nook so far, with a better display, improved frontlight and a lighter form factor. But, all those improvements come at the cost of features like the microSD slot, physical page turn buttons and the contoured back, which all served to distinguish the line from its competition.
Gaming
Sony PlayStation 4
Engadget Score: 83
It doesn’t look like a PC, but underneath the PlayStation 4′s sleek black exterior is a powerhouse that rivals gaming PCs, with a user-friendly interface, a great controller and the ability to share your gameplay at the touch of a button. The next generation of consoles might just be getting started, but it’s one hell of a start with the PS4 at the head of the pack.
Microsoft Xbox One
Engadget Score: 81
The Xbox One may not be the prettiest belle at the next-generation ball, but with the wonders of Kinect voice control, robust media features and the ease of switching between games and apps at the drop of a hat, it certainly is vying to be the center of attention. It just needs a few more exclusives to get consumers to look past that $500 price tag.
OUYA console
Engadget Score: 66
The initial backer editions of the OUYA shipped with a flawed controller and access to a limited games selection. But even after the retail release, the OUYA’s still a system best left to hackers and developers, as it’s likely to leave most gamers disappointed by its average smartphone-level internals and rehashed games library.
NVIDIA Shield
Engadget Score: 83
The NVIDIA Shield wants to be the Swiss Army knife of hand-held game consoles, and it largely succeeds as a product — but not as a handheld. Its size and weight mean you won’t be carrying it around much, but the larger screen, great battery life and the ability to stream PC games to the Shield mean you’ll still get a lot of use out of it.
Home Entertainment
Google Chromecast
Engadget Score: 84
The Chromecast might not be as fully featured as competitors like Roku or Apple TV, but you know what? It doesn’t matter. This palm-sized dongle is easy to set up and turns any modern set into a smart TV, all for the low, low price of $35. Its app selection is still experiencing some growing pains, but even now, you’re still getting more than your money’s worth.
Roku 3
Engadget Score: 89
The newest Roku doesn’t have analog AV support like its predecessors, but it does offer incredible ease of use and a wide selection of channels, all for a nice price of $99. Even users of older Roku boxes should look into the Roku 3, whose upgraded CPU and improved UI help future-proof against new, more demanding apps.
Laptops and Hybrids
Microsoft Surface Pro 2
Engadget Score: 77
The Surface Pro 2 retains its predecessor’s durable body, but it’s equipped with a Haswell processor, boasts faster performance and has longer battery life. Microsoft has yet to find the perfect balance for a hybrid device, though — its weight and thickness make it a better notebook than a tablet, so you may want to look elsewhere for an everyday slate.
Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
Engadget Score: 90
With a starting price that’s $400 less than the 2012 model, the new MacBook Pro with Retina display is a much better deal. In addition to its speedier SSD and better graphics, its epic battery life and thinner, lighter body might make you reconsider if you’ve been in the market for the slightly wispier MacBook Air.
Google Chromebook Pixel
Engadget Score: 79
Google infused the Chromebook Pixel with sophisticated looks and high-end specs, including a 2,560 x 1,700 touchscreen display and LTE connectivity. Even so, its $1,299 price tag might not be worth it unless you’re always connected to the web — hard to do with its poor battery life — and plan on storing huge files in the cloud.
Smartphones
MOTOROLA MOTO X
Engadget Score: 88
The Moto X doesn’t have the specs to compete with heavyweights like the Galaxy S 4 and the HTC One, especially at the same price. But, with user-friendly enhancements to the UI and the magic of customization with Moto Maker — now available for all major carriers — this truly is a phone for the people.
Apple iPhone 5s
Engadget Score: 92
Apple continues to improve on the iPhone line with the 5s, and while the phone maintains the same body as its predecessor, it packs in enough upgrades to appeal to hardcore and casual users of iOS alike. However, even with future-proofing measures like 64-bit support and the M7 coprocessor on board, only the most forward-looking Android power users will find incentive to switch.
HTC One
Engadget Score: 92
The HTC One is a top-shelf smartphone, boasting a unibody aluminum shell, a gorgeous display and a fast Snapdragon 600 processor that runs buttery smooth. The Sense 5 UI didn’t thrill us, but a solid battery and excellent call quality, among other things, made this one of the best phones to buy this year.
Samsung Galaxy S 4
Engadget Score: 88
With a familiar chassis and some impractical features, Samsung’s newest flagship isn’t exactly turning heads. Market-topping specs and minimal learning curve make this worth considering if you’re due for an upgrade from an older Samsung device, but anyone looking for something fresh would be better served by the more polished HTC One.
LG G2
Engadget Score: 87
With its bright 5.2-inch screen and phenomenal battery life, the G2 is a great phone for taking photos, watching videos or just general everyday, all-day usage. That is, if you can get used to its other standout feature — all three of its buttons are on the back, better to make room for the gorgeous screen, but not so friendly to those who like to hold their handset in a death grip.
LG Nexus 5
Engadget Score: 86
Not only is the Nexus 5 gifted with a great 1080p display and a fast quad-core processor, but it also heralds the release of a leaner and meaner iteration of Android, 4.4 KitKat. Take all that and offer it to consumers at an outstanding off-contract price of $349, and the Nexus 5 not only succeeds, but also puts rival handsets on notice to deliver more bang for your buck.
Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Engadget Score: 87
Those with small hands still need not apply, but for the third iteration of the Galaxy Note, Samsung has packed in a robust processor, a solid battery and even more useful S Pen features. The display has also gotten bigger and better, though those who want to watch videos on this thing shouldn’t depend on the built-in speakers.
BlackBerry Z30
Engadget Score: 62
The Z30 was supposed to be the phone that would make BlackBerry relevant again. And while the comfortable hold and large screen will more than please the BlackBerry faithful, an average battery, poor call quality and crash-prone software mean few, if any, will be making the switch from Android or iOS anytime soon.
LG G Flex
Engadget Score: 83
The G Flex’s top-to-bottom curve means it’s very comfortable next to your head, but not so much in your pocket. That curve comes with a chassis designed to be pretty durable, with a flexible body and screen, and a self-healing back that resists scratches. Does it work? Somewhat. Is it worth the $900 price tag? Not really.
Tablets
Google Nexus 7
Engadget Score: 90
The price may be (slightly) higher on our returning favorite tablet, but the Nexus 7 is still an obscene value. That this year’s model got a noticeable boost everywhere it counts and sells for significantly less than a comparable iPad mini is nothing short of impressive — even though Apple’s tablets still have more apps designed for bigger screens.
Amazon Kindle Fire HDX
Engadget Score: 85
The Kindle Fire HDX may be the most compelling case yet for Amazon’s tablet ecosystem. Advanced users might scoff at the device’s somewhat limited capabilities, but the display’s gorgeous color accuracy could make Bezos’ Prime directive an easy sell for just about everyone else.
Apple iPad mini
Engadget Score: 92
The iPad mini is an inexpensive way to join Apple’s tablet family, but it remains more costly than its similarly sized competition. Besides the striking Retina display, what makes the minuscule iPad so attractive this year is it’s essentially a shrunken-down version of its powerful bigger sibling. Very few sacrifices were made to accommodate the smaller stature — something the competition can’t quite claim.
Apple iPad Air
Engadget Score: 92
Tablets went mainstream thanks to the original iPad, but thanks to economies of scale and Moore’s Law, the competition’s become rather fierce — maybe unexpectedly, from Cupertino itself. The iPad Air is the best Apple tablet we’ve reviewed, but it could be hard to justify when the iPad mini now offers nearly the same experience — Retina display, similar styling, A7 64-bit processor — for less.
Microsoft Surface 2
Engadget Score: 78
If the Surface 2 existed in a world where only hardware mattered, its brawny battery and rock-solid construction might put it at the head of the tablet pack. In reality, though, Microsoft’s slate is hamstrung by the shortcomings of its OS, Windows RT, and its inability to run traditional desktop apps.
Galaxy Tab 3 10.1
Engadget Score: 65
We’re not entirely sure what Samsung’s game is with the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1. It hasn’t changed much in terms of specs from the GTab 2, packs a subpar display and severely lacks in features and power compared to the company’s line of Galaxy smartphones. Most damning? The $300 asking price.
Wearables
Samsung Galaxy Gear
Engadget Score: 65
It’s hard to justify paying $300 for the Galaxy Gear when it feels like an incomplete product and is only compatible with a handful of Samsung devices. Still, it stands out as one of the most feature-rich smartwatches we’ve tried, and as the company issues software patches and the app catalog grows, it could become better in time.
Google Glass
Engadget Score: Not Yet Scored
We’ve yet to see a consumer-facing Google Glass, but suffice to say the current version’s more of a research project — definitely not worth its $1,500 price tag for most folks. Mountain View still has to polish its features, address privacy concerns and entice developers before it hits the market. Until then, current Explorers will just have to deal with lots of confused stares when they wear it outside.
Sony SmartWatch 2
Engadget Score: 71
Unlike the Galaxy Gear, you can tell time on Sony’s SmartWatch 2 without having to interact with the screen, and it even costs $100 less. Unfortunately, few will be able to stand its buggy software and limited app selection. But, hey, at least it’s compatible with most handsets running Android 4.0 or higher.
Pebble
Engadget Score: 80
Pebble doesn’t have as many features as other smartwatches: It can only read texts, skip music tracks and tell time. Unlike its competitors, though, it costs a more reasonable $150 and offers both great battery life and an e-ink display that’s easy to read in daylight. As an added bonus, it also works with both Android and iOS devices.
Mariella Moon, Timothy J. Seppala, Kris Naudus and Dana Wollman contributed to this feature.
Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Laptops, Tablets, Wearables, HD, Mobile, Apple, Samsung, Sony, Microsoft, HTC, Google, Amazon, LG, NVIDIA
Eric Schmidt: my biggest mistake at Google was not anticipating social
Even billionaires can get a bit wistful when a new year rolls around. In an interview with Bloomberg about 2014 predictions, Google’s CEO-turned-executive-chairman Eric Schmidt took a moment to reflect on past mistakes. Well, mistake, really. “At Google, the biggest mistake that I made was not anticipating the rise of the social networking phenomenon,” the exec confesses in the video. Wearing a black suit, blending into a black background, he adds, “It’s not a mistake we’re going to make again. In our defense, we were working on many other things, but we should have been in that area and I take responsibility for that.” But, but what about Google Buzz, Eric? And, of course, the company’s had a fair bit more success on that front with its near ubiquitous Google+ offering.
Schmidt also predicts a continued explosion in mobile usage. “The biggest change for consumers is that everyone is going to have a smartphone,” he says. “The fact that so many people are connected to a super computer means, essentially, a whole new generation of applications around entertainment, communication, socializing.” And if that socializing just happened to be through a Google Hangout or two, Schmidt certainly wouldn’t mind. The interview is embedded after the break, if you’d like to see more.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Google
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