Motorola brings Prip’s push-to-talk service to the iPhone
Sprint’s iDEN network shutdown may have quashed hopes for an iPhone with native push-to-talk support, but that won’t matter much now that Motorola has brought Prip’s service to iOS. The new app lets American iOS 7 users instantly speak to both fellow Prip members as well as Nextel subscribers in Latin America. Many of the features will be familiar to those who tried the Android version, although the cross-platform launch introduces universal sign-ins and web-based account control; you’re no longer tied to Google Play. Whether you’re chatting with a friend or a whole company, you can grab Prip from the App Store today.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Google
Via: Prip Blog
Source: App Store
New SteamOS beta tempts more testers with support for older PCs and dual-booting
Valve released its SteamOS beta with a warning: only touch this if you know what you’re doing. While that surely did something to separate true testers from the first wave of eager users, there were a few problems. Even the qualified needed a relatively new machine with UEFI, and a dedicated one at that, given attempts to make the OS a secondary boot option were troublesome at best. However, a fresh beta that folds in efforts by both Valve and the community is now available. On top of fixing the aforementioned issues, thereby welcoming more to get to grips with early SteamOS, other major updates include partition, recovery and DVD install support. This doesn’t mean it’s ready for general consumption, though, so we’ll point the brave to the source link below and swiftly wash our hands of you.
Via: PC Perspective
Source: Valve
Android 4.4.2 for HTC One arrives in the hands of French carrier SFR, rolls out in February
HTC One owners have been patiently waiting for their update to Android KitKat for some time now, buoyed by the release of Android 4.4.2 for the Google Play edition of their device, but to no avail as the airwaves went silent over the Holiday Season. Thankfully, the airwaves are starting up again as French carrier, SFR, has gone on record saying that Android 4.4.2 for HTC One has arrived in their hands, but won’t be rolling out till the first half of February.
This is mostly in line, give or take a week, with the promise that HTC made when Android 4.4 KitKat was first announced which was that the HTC One would receive Android 4.4 within 90 days of the announcement. Obviously, this won’t be completely successful unless the roll-out is completed on a global scale but it looks like it will be a colossal effort if HTC is going to roll out the update within the 90 days, though perhaps we should be giving HTC a break seeing as it’s gone through so much the last few months.
Despite their financial toils, do you have more faith in HTC now that they have delivered Android 4.4.2 for HTC One as they promised? Let us know what you think.
Source: SFR via Android Ice Cream Sandwich
Productivity app Todoist drops the price and adds collaboration features
The latest version of the app Todoist, referred to simply as “Next,” hopes to capture the attention of busy bees among us by offering small-scale project management features at a new, affordable cost of…zero dollars. Alongside a streamlined iOS 7-esque design, Todoist added a new visual scheduling interface that makes it easier to chronologically view and delegate tasks. Most significantly, the app is finally following in the footsteps of competitors like Wunderlist by bringing real-time collaboration on 13 different platforms. Users can work alongside five of their friends without shelling out any cash, but for $30 a year, said colleague cap is bumped to 25 (26 in total). Premium users also get features like task labels, notes and filters. So if you’re handling more than your fair share getting that startup off the ground (duh), it might just be worth the investment. To download it yourself check the source links below.
Filed under: Software
Source: Todoist, iTunes, Play Store
Apple brings iBooks and iTunes U educational tools to more than 50 new countries
It’s no secret that Apple likes its products to be a big part of the educational sector, not just in the US, but all across the world. With that in mind, the Cupertino-based outfit today is broadening the reach of some of its education-focused software, announcing that more than 50 countries are gaining access to iBooks Textbooks and iTunes U Course Manager. With the addition of these new markets, which include ones in Asia, Europe and Latin America, Apple’s now making Textbooks and Course Manager accessible in 51 and 70 countries, respectively. As you might expect, Apple Senior Vice President Eddy Cue is thrilled to bring these tools to more people, stating that he believes things like iBooks Textbooks “represent a monumental shift in learning because they engage multiple capacities of each individual student.”
Filed under: Internet, Software, Apple
Source: Apple
Mini Minuum Keyboard Teased on Samsung Galaxy Gear
Minuum keyboard first made its rounds in the IndieGoGo scene in the early part of last year. They raised $80,000 during their campaign and have had a pretty successful run since. Minuum is an interesting keyboard replacement that takes up less screen space, increases typing efficiency and just plain looks cool. Assuming you are willing to spend the time needed to learn it and use it. With its minimal approach it is pretty much the perfect keyboard replacement software to grace devices with small screens. With smartwatches starting to take a bigger hold in the market, it only makes sense that Minuum is looking to bring their application to a wrist sized screen.
This morning Minuum sent out an email to its original backers announcing a new update to the app in the Play Store. The update fixed some Android 4.4 issues, memory leaks and a number of other things. It wasn’t the update to the Play Store app that was particularly of interest, it was the sneak peek at the keyboard up and running on a Samsung Galaxy Gear. Take a ‘watch’ of the video to see it in action.
Pretty intense, right? We don’t have any idea if this is just a proof of concept that it will work, and work well, or if the Minuum guys are gearing up to release the keyboard for Gear owners. Digital Trends has reached out to see if they can get the skinny on the situation. Until we find out the plans for Minuum on the Galaxy Gear, let us know if you are even interested in this making its way to the Gear or not.
Source: Digital Trends
Beats Music Streaming Service Now Available, $9.99 a Month
Beats Music has been in the works for quite sometime. I remember when it was called ‘Daisy’ and Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails partnered up to make it all possible. That was back in December of 2012. Last month it was announced that Beats Music would be coming in January and you could register now. It is finally January and Beats Music is here, at least for US residents.
The Beats Music app is currently sitting in the Play Store for you guys to pick up and test out if you wish. The description boasts access to over 20 million songs from every genre.
- Hand picked albums and playlist curated by their music experts.
- Highlights to help keep your finger on the pulse of current new music and upcoming bands.
- Mix up the ‘Sentence’ to get curated music that fits what your are feeling
- Search for playlists, choose a genre, activity or a curator and Beats Music delivers it to your ears.
- A social aspect to share tracks to Beats Music friends, Facebook and Twitter.
It all sounds pretty good on the outside, heck even the app looks pretty nice. The handpicked and curated aspects seem to have a leg up on some of the competition. The ‘Sentence’ is a pretty interesting way to get tunes delivered that you might not have chosen for yourself for the mood are in or activity you are doing.
There is always something that won’t sit quite right. After being in the works for so long and now finally out, it seems the first big kink is already pushing the rating down quite a bit. Seems a TON of people can[‘t even get out of the sign-up process to start listening. Whoops!! We are sure that will be resolved though. Where Beats Music might struggle the most is the subscription service.
Unlike the competitors, Spotify, Google Music, Pandora and many more, Beats Music is coming out at $9.99 per month. No free ad-supported listening here guys. You do get a 7 day free trial to check it out at least, and if you are with AT&T they have apparently brokered a deal to offer you 3 months of service for free.
Have any of you given it a shot yet? Do you even play to try? Let us know how you really feel in the comments.
Beats Music Play Store Link
Beats Music to reach Windows Phone listeners on January 24th
Beats Music launched with a lot of fanfare today, but you may have noticed that its promised Windows Phone client is missing. What happened? As it turns out, the app is just fashionably late — Beats’ Ian Rogers says that the Windows Phone edition should be available on January 24th. That’s unfortunate for Lumia-toting listeners who wanted to try Beats Music on day one, but there’s no shortage of alternative services to use in the meantime.
@samsabri Hey Sam, Windows Mobile not launching til Friday. Sorry!
– ian c rogers (@iancr) January 21, 2014
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software, Mobile, Microsoft
Via: WPCentral
Source: Ian Rogers (Twitter)
Firefighter developing Google Glass apps to help with response and rescue
For all the potential of Google’s face-based hardware, we haven’t seen many uses beyond the cool and novel that are any more than noble ideas. Not for firefighter Patrick Jackson, though, who’s combined his talents for programming and winning wearables to create apps that help him and others out on the job. At this point, his software can push emergency calls to Glass and direct responders to its location and nearby hydrants with Google Maps. Currently, he’s working on being able to pull up floor plans and other relevant information about buildings before entry, as well as vehicle diagrams and instructions for aiding in-car rescues. Jackson’s #ifihadglass application also outlines the many benefits of streaming live video from an incident, so all he appears to have overlooked thus far is a warning system for Kurt Russell’s worst enemy.
Filed under: Wearables, Software, Google
Source: Google Glass (Google+)
Leaked software suggests Sony’s next flagship phone will record 4K video
With shots of a new Sony smartphone surfacing ahead of a possible reveal at next month’s Mobile World Congress, we guessed it wouldn’t be long until we laid eyes on the software powering it. XperiaBlog got its hands on an Android 4.4.2 KitKat build for the Xperia D6503 (rumored codename Sirius), providing us with an overview of the new UI and a list of possible features coming to Sony’s next Android flagship. The most headline-grabbing tweaks include options to record 4K and high frame-rate video, utilize Smart backlight controls (similar to Samsung’s Smart stay feature), two home launchers for better accessibility, advanced call handling options and a new built-in answering machine. Head over to XperiaBlog for the complete lowdown on the KitKat-centric features expected to make their debut in Sony’s Z1 successor and possibly other high-end handsets in the Xperia range.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Sony
Source: XperiaBlog
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