Rest in peace Ubuntu for Android, we hardly knew ye
We can’t say that the future of Ubuntu for Android ever looked particularly bright, but we were enamored with the concept. You’d walk around by day with a standard issue Android phone in your pocket, but when you docked it to a keyboard, mouse and monitor you were greeted with a full Ubuntu desktop experience. Well, Canonical has decided to put the project out to pasture apparently. Buried away in a recent bug report (now hidden from public view) was the fact that “Ubuntu for Android is no longer in development,” and thus its landing page should be taken offline. Though some responses from the Canonical team appear to muddy the story, the take away is the same — active development on Ubuntu for Android has come to a halt. It’s not surprising considering that the company has invested heavily in its own smartphone OS which already has a few OEMs signed on. Without a launch partner the dual-boot solution never had a chance to take off, and Canonical clearly has other priorities now. Still, we mourn slightly for its passing. Here’s hoping the concept lives on as an all Ubuntu solution.
Filed under: Desktops, Software, Mobile
Via: OMG! Ubuntu!
Source: Launchpad
Paym platform for sending and receiving money by mobile number goes live
Paym, a new mobile payment platform that lets you send money to a mate for your share of Friday’s curry with only their phone number to hand, is now live in the UK. To use Paym, you’ll first need to associate your mobile number with your UK bank account either online or through your bank’s mobile app. Once that’s done, you can send or receive money (up to £250) from anyone that’s also signed up to Paym using nothing but mobile numbers. The process may sound familiar, as Barclay’s Pingit app has been capable of the same thing, regardless of which bank you’re allied with, since it launched in 2012. The only real difference with Paym is that it’s integrated into the systems and apps of other banks, making it a bit more visible, and convenient.
Most well-known banks and building societies support Paym at launch, with the only notable exceptions being the Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest, which are expected to join up sometime this year, and Nationwide, which’ll wait until early 2015 to adopt Paym. Until then, though, anyone with unsupported accounts can still use Pingit, so no excuses as to why you can’t contribute towards the cab fare.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software
Source: Paym
Yahoo Screen gives you yet another way to watch comedy clips on Android
Talk about impeccable timing: the same day Hulu announces it’ll let users watch TV shows for free on their phones, Yahoo brings its video app to Android. That application, called Screen, is already available for iOS, and unlike Hulu, it’s focused more on short-form clips than full episodes. In particular, you’re most likely to find comedy bits, along with concerts, original programming and sports content (think: Saturday Night Live sketches, Comedy Central clips, and video from The Onion, MLB, and College Humor). Also unlike Hulu: you can watch for free today. The Android app is available to download now, whereas Hulu isn’t going to catch up until sometime this summer. Bombs away, Android users, but don’t come crying to us when you remember SNL isn’t actually funny anymore.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, HD, Mobile
Source: Yahoo, Google Play
Nintendo bundling Wii U with two games and an extra controller for $330 on May 30th
You don’t have a Wii U yet, right? You’re forgiven, and far from unique (in that respect, anyway — you’re a unique snowflake otherwise). Should the eighth entry in the Mario Kart series pique your interest, Nintendo’s got a pretty fantastic bundle arriving at the end of May with a copy of the game, an extra Wii Remote Plus gamepad, and a free download of one of four games. All that stuff comes together in one box for $329.99 — a pretty great deal considering the Wii U system in the box costs $300 by itself!
Head below for a new trailer for Mario Kart 8, as well as more on why Nintendo would offer a brand new game for free alongside its console.
The price isn’t a measure of Nintendo trying to save you dough, but one of a company struggling to make its game console relevant against growing competition from Sony and Microsoft. The PlayStation 4′s sales are already outpacing the Wii U, at 7 million consoles compared to Nintendo’s 5.86 million (as of Dec. 31 2013); Xbox One isn’t far behind at 5 million.
With major third-party publishers like EA and Ubisoft largely abandoning the Wii U, Nintendo’s leaning on first-party software to sell the system. And that’s where this Spring’s Mario Kart 8 comes in, the latest entry in a series going back to the Super Nintendo era. Like Microsoft offering Titanfall bundled in with Xbox One, Nintendo is bundling a major, exclusive release with its console, and taking a hit on profits from game sales in favor of putting more Wii Us in more living rooms. The hope is, in the long run, more consoles in homes means more game / accessory sales (which is where the real money is for Nintendo).
The company also announced this week that it’s going to (once again) skip holding a press conference at E3, instead opting to host a Nintendo Direct video stream.
Sony’s Evolution UI tries to make learning Android fun
Ever get “ghost hands,” where you’re always trying to take the smartphone away from a novice to show them how it’s done? Well, Sony is working on something a little more polite. The company has announced Evolution UI, an intentionally hobbled Android launcher that forces you to perform perfunctory tasks before you can properly use the device. For instance, when you first launch the system, you’ll only be able to access the dialer, SMS app, browser and camera. If you wanted to open the app drawer, however, you’d have to earn it as an achievement by starting and closing five apps in quick succession. The idea is to turn discovering your phone’s features into a series of console-style achievements and unlocks.
At the moment, Evolution UI is just a research project that’s been kicking around Sony’s headquarters. That said, the company has released the launcher to GitHub for others in the open source community to play around with. In practice, it feels as if the system could frustrate anyone but the most green technology users. That’s why if it ever does come to retail hardware, we’d be looking for the off switch — if we had to go through all of these hoops every time we opened a new device, we’d quickly develop a condition far worse than “ghost hands.”
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Sony, Google
Via: Android Beat
Secret’s anonymous confession box comes to the UK, Ireland, Australia and NZ
Ever wanted to tell the world that you stuck your genitals into a bowl of jam (or vegemite) without compromising your reputation? Secret, the app that lets you anonymously bare your soul to the world has landed in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. While you’re likely to see the odd eye-rolling confession of sexual misconduct, Secret was also the venue that first broke the story that Google’s Vic Gundotra was leaving the company. At least when you’re caught using the app, you can say that you’re hunting around for more of the latter, not contributing that time you were seen doing something unspeakable to a toasted sandwich.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Mobile
Source: Secret (Medium)
GoPro’s Android app now connects to your action cam automatically
GoPro’s smartphone apps have been a useful addition to its popular action cams for quite some time, and now the Android version sees a nice update. First, and most importantly, the app now automatically connects to your camera’s WiFi signal on launch, nixing a visit to the settings menu as your first stop. Sharing is easier as well, as those captured stills and videos can now be beamed to Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and other social repositories directly from your mobile device. There’s also an updated UI for those wielding version 4.0 or later of Google’s mobile OS and the ability to have the app set the curated Photo of the Day as your wallpaper. Haven’t been alerted to version 2.4 yet? Well, jump down to the source link to nab the download now.
Filed under: Cameras, Software
Via: Android Police
Source: GoPro (Google Play)
Rdio is improving audio quality while keeping prices stationary
Improving audio quality is seemingly all the rage right now, and Rdio is looking to do its part to upgrade the listening experience. The music streaming service announced that its had starting converting its entire catalog to the AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) format, making 320 kbps its new standard. This means that while the audio will be improved, it’ll still fall short of most of your CDs at home. In case you’re wondering, Spotify offers three quality settings: 96 kbps (Normal), 160 kbps (High/Standard on desktop) and 320 kbps (Extreme/High on desktop) that’s only available to premium users.
During the process, Rdio has partnered with The Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir on “Artist’s for Quality” to further improve matters with the help of musicians. To keep things on the up and up, the company will work alongside artists and labels, continuing to bolster streams and overcome bandwidth issues. As of now, the higher quality won’t hit your wallet for more money each month — which is always a good thing.
Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Software, Mobile
Source: Rdio
Yahoo Mail for iOS overhaul simplifies correspondence, sprinkles in news
Folks who use Yahoo Mail on their iOS devices will soon notice a significant redesign. The outfit has retooled the offering “with a focus on simplicity” while serving up easy access to news and other info. Along the bottom, the main menu has but three options: Mail, News and Today. Inboxes have swipe gestures for quick sorting and there’s a conversation view for recalling those original messages. That News section is curated based on your personal preferences and Today displays a weather report, stock info, sports scores and more. Haven’t snatched up the new version yet? No worries, you can grab it now in the App Store.
Spotify for Android welcomes a darker theme in latest redesign
Earlier this month, Spotify let it be known that it would be implementing a redesign across its desktop and mobile properties, which it described as being the most dramatic change since 2008. As part of this, those of you with an Android device can now, finally, see what iOS users have been enjoying for the better part of April. Aside from featuring a darker theme, Spotify’s latest redesign is also about putting more content in front of you, meaning that albums and tracks are now better highlighted throughout the application.
Back when it was announced, Spotify said the philosophy behind the cleaner design was about getting it “just right,” so it was important to get a consistent (and flat) look on every platform on which its music service is available. The Android update is said to be rolling out as we speak; if you don’t feel like waiting, however, you can grab it directly from the Spotify website.
Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Software, Mobile, Google
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Google Play
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