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Friday 14 March 2014
Google Nexus smartwatch to have 1.65-inch display
Clearview Clio: World's first and only transparent wireless speakers
New Samsung S Band fitness tracker spotted
Back at the launch of the Galaxy S4, you may recall that Samsung announced a fitness device called the S Band, although the band never actually made it to market. New information has appeared online which indicates that Samsung will be reviving the product. The design has been updated with an all new appearance, and will make use of Samsung’s upcoming fitness features in the Galaxy S5. Fitness is now clearly at the core of Samsung’s smartphone vision, we’re also expecting a similar product from Samsung in the form of the mysteriously named S-Circle.
You’ll immediately notice that unlike Samsung’s new Fit device, the S Band doesn’t feature a display, meaning that it’s just a sensor device. Instead, all of your tracking details will be made visible on the paired smartphone via Samsung’s Activity Tracker app and the new S Health app, which will be available with the Galaxy S5.
For features, the S Band tracks the usual array of stats, such as steps taken, calories burned, and distance travelled, and also comes with sleep tracking software to monitor the efficiency of your sleep, although it’s not quite clear what features of your sleep it tracks at this point.
Despite the lack of display, the S Band will be able to notify users of incoming calls and notifications on the paired smartphones via an in-build vibrating alarm and a simple LED. The alarm can also be used to alert you if the phone and band lose their Bluetooth connection, which Samsung is advertising as a “loss protection” feature. The S Band will also feature an interchangeable strap, which will be available in white, yellow, orange and grey color options.
the following images below for a closer look at Samsung’s literature for the new S Band.
The S Band should be compatible with both new and existing Samsung devices, although it will require an update to version 3.0 of S Health, which should be heading our way with the launch of Samsung’s next flagship smartphone. No price information or official release date have been announced yet.
5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week – Google Play Weekly
Minuum Keyboard
[Price: $3.99]First up this week is the Minuum Keyboard. It has officially left beta with the release of version 2.0. For those who may not remember or don’t know, Minuum is a unique spin on a keyboard where you can type a little more sloppy and the app knows what you meant to type. The 2.0 update comes with bug fixes, visual improvements, reduced lag, and more.
Talon for Twitter
[Price: $1.99]Talon for Twitter has consequently also been updated to version 2.0 and with that has come a lot of new features and improvements. Among them are a boat load of bug fixes and performance improvements, better stability, more tweeks for Tweetmarker, a new widget, visual improvements and fixes, and more. It hasn’t hit its Twitter token limit yet and it’s a great 3rd party Twitter app if you’re looking for one.
Banter
[Price: Free]Banter is a new social network that is kind of a mix between IRC and AOL Instant Messenger. It’s a completely anonymous social network where you chit chat with people who have similar interests as you. Their app for Android is now available and aside from a few early day jitters it appears to be somewhat solid. People are reporting that battery drains quickly and there are a few features missing, but it is usable if you want to try out something old wrapped in a new skin.
Deadlings
[Price: Free]Deadlings is a new side scrolling platformer available for Android and it’s actually pretty unique. It boasts a looser and fun style of game play and provides a goofy atmosphere that isn’t meant to be taken too seriously. There are over 100 levels, four different zombies to play, and one touch controls. It’s fun and it’s free with in app purchases so it can’t hurt to check it out. Just don’t hand it off to a kid for half an hour.
Threes!
[Price: $1.99 (on sale)]Threes is a new game for Android that copies the concept of a popular iOS app called Fives. In this game you’re given a grid with a few tiles filled in with the number 3. Your job is to push the 3s into one another to create 6s. Then you push the 6s together to make 12s. This continues until you can no longer make any moves and the game ends. It’s an addictive little puzzle game that an increasingly number of people seem to be enjoying. For a limited time you can get it for 33.3% off which puts it at $1.99.
Thursday 13 March 2014
How does Google get Android into cars?
The Open Automotive Alliance
Google announced the Open Automotive Alliance in January with the stated aim of bringing the Android platform to cars starting this year. There are some heavyweights onboard already, including Audi, GM, Honda, Hyundai, and Nvidia.“Millions of people are already familiar with Android and use it everyday,” explains Sundar Pichai, SVP of Android, Chrome & Apps at Google on the official Open Automotive Alliance website. “The expansion of the Android platform into automotive will allow our industry partners to more easily integrate mobile technology into cars and offer drivers a familiar, seamless experience so they can focus on the road.”
It’s not exactly a catchy name, but it’s clearly designed to mirror the Open Handset Alliance, which played an important role in Android’s rapid growth on mobile technology. It looks like there are two central aims:
- Ensure that cars integrate with your Android devices seamlessly.
- Ensure that the Android platform can actually run on cars.
What’s the problem?
Glance at the forums for any smartphone or car and you’ll find countless complaints about Bluetooth syncing problems and clunky features. Car manufacturers are far from great at creating interfaces and usable software. Even a high-end brand like BMW has been criticized for its iDrive system.For a while there, the SatNav firms were trying to move in, but smartphones are fast overtaking that industry, and they extend the possibilities well beyond navigation to communication and entertainment.
In terms of apps it has largely been left up to third-parties to innovate, although recent developments like Motorola Assist on the Moto X are intended to make things easier by automatically picking up on the fact that you’re driving and switching to a hands-free mode.
By working directly with car manufacturers to properly integrate Android there’s room to create an infinitely smoother solution.
What can Android offer?
It’s easy to imagine the potential here. Your smartphone automatically links up to the car when you get in. Perhaps your smartphone screen is mirrored on the car’s display. The onboard dash can integrate with Google Now, offering likely destinations and live traffic updates for the daily commute. Hands-free operation and voice commands are a no-brainer. Access to your music collection in the cloud, or other entertainment, should be simple.At first this is achieved by linking your smartphone and relying on it for the connectivity and control; down the line you have a full version of Android running on the car that can be controlled by the dash panel or through your linked smartphone.
Phone and car manufacturers, and third-parties, can develop specifically for in-car Android, so there would be scope for apps covering things like navigation, entertainment, car function controls, detailed diagnostics, remote alerts, and tracking your car’s position. You could even have a profile set up that would be triggered by your smartphone and dictate everything from your favorite radio station to your preferred seat position (could be ideal for shared cars).
Some of these things are possible now, but not without some work on your part, potential technical hitches, and a relatively new car. Imagine how much easier it would be if it came as standard.
What about the competition?
The wealth of valuable data generated by computers in cars and the lucrative potential of in-car entertainment systems is not something that the rest of the market is going to cede to Google and the gang.Apple has announced CarPlay, which enables you to plug in an iPhone (with Lightning connector) via USB and get directions, make calls, send messages, and listen to music on the in-car display. Voice control is offered through Siri. It will be supported on models from Ferrari, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo this year, and Apple has named Ford, Toyota, Chevrolet, BMW, Nissan, and a few others as partners.
This approach is slightly different because there’s no way any manufacturer will allow iOS to actually run on the car because Apple controls it so tightly. That’s where the “open” element of Android comes into play making it an attractive proposition for a platform that will actually run on the cars.
There are a couple of other industry initiatives. MirrorLink from the Connected Car Consortium is trying to bridge the gap between smartphones and vehicle controls and systems. There’s also an alliance called GENIVI, which is using an open-source in-car platform based on Meego.
Then there’s Microsoft‘s Windows Embedded Automotive 7, which you’ll find in a various cars from Ford, Fiat, Nissan, and Kia. Although Ford recently announced it will switch to BlackBerry’s QNX, which is already being used by GM, Acura, BMW, and Toyota. Apparently Apple’s CarPlay system is compatible with QNX.
Can Android dominate?
The current situation is crying out for change. The user experience is way worse than it has to be and car manufacturers understand the importance of seemingly small details when it comes to standing out from the competition. No manufacturer is going to want to choose, they’ll want their cars to work with any smartphone, and they’ll expect to exert a great deal of control over any software that’s installed on their vehicles.Android is well-placed to make a real dent. As Pichai pointed out, people are familiar with Android already, and it’s more widely used than any other platform. It also has a large development community and more apps than any other platform. By pushing it forward under the Open Automotive Alliance banner, Google can gain a foothold, but it does have some catching up to do.
We know Google is all about big data and (just as it did for phone manufacturers) it will make things as cheap and easy as possible for car manufacturers to encourage Android adoption. It seems like a natural move when you consider that driverless cars are already on Google’s horizon.
What do you think? What would you like to see in an Android car?
Nikon COOLPIX P600 16.1 MP Wi-Fi CMOS Digital Camera
Every COOLPIX is designed around a genuine NIKKOR glass lens, the legendary optics that have helped make Nikon famous. The COOLPIX P600’s 60x optical zoom lens goes from wide-angle—great for portraits and landscapes—all the way up to telephoto—great for close-ups of sports, concerts, nature and more. When you need even more reach, zoom up to 60x with optical zoom and 120x with Dynamic Fine Zoom, an enhanced digital zoom function that effectively doubles your reach.
Your smartphone or tablet will be your favorite accessory! Take beautiful photos with the COOLPIX P600 and watch them instantly appear on your compatible smartphone or tablet. Then share them without missing a beat—text them, email them, upload to your favorite social networking site—it’s your choice! You can even use your smartphone or tablet as a remote control for the COOLPIX P600, perfect for self-portraits and group shots that actually include you.
Shooting conditions vary, so the COOLPIX P600 has two viewing systems: a large 3-inch Vari-angle display that swings and swivels to provide easy viewing from almost any position, plus an electronic Eye-Level viewfinder for D-SLR-style shooting. Find exciting new perspectives by swiveling out the Vari-angle display and moving the camera around—raise it overhead or move it to ground-level for suprising new views. When conditions require, use the bright, Electronic Eye-Level viewfinder and frame exactly the shot you want.
The COOLPIX P600 is designed to maximize the time you spend taking great photos and videos. Thanks to an improved energy efficient design, you can shoot up to approx. 330 photos at full resolution on a single battery charge! Spend more time capturing special moments and less time waiting for a charge.
HTC Watch 2014 Teased by Hasan Kaymak
These are preliminary designs, so I suspect the HTC Watch will be made smaller in the end, in case you’re wondering why it’s so big. I can see it has a circular format, a pretty wide belt and an interesting player that seems borrowed from HTC Sense back in the days when the Beats partnership was a thing.
Judging by the recent design trends, HTC would probably use an aluminum unibody design here, as well as a carbon fiber belt, or maybe rubber or who knows what other material. From what I can see this HTC Watch concept is pretty minimalistic and there aren’t many extras here. This looks more like a media device than a companion unit and certainly it has a more premium vibe rather than a sporty one.