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- Nissan NSC-2015 drives and parks itself, uses LTE connectivity to communicate with your smartphone
- New research cuts Li-Ion battery charging time in half
- Android Authority On Air – Episode 32 – No LAG Edtion
- Star Wars Angry Birds mash-up in the works?
- Did the rumored LG Nexus just pass through the FCC?
- Plague Inc. now available in the Google Play Store
- Samsung, Amazon, and Apple are becoming household names according to Interbrand
- Legends of the Fall sale on Google Play Music lowers 48 albums to $2.99
- Could Snapseed for Android be nearing release?
- LG Optimus G Nexus specs and features leaked, release date set for mid-November
| Nissan NSC-2015 drives and parks itself, uses LTE connectivity to communicate with your smartphone Posted: 05 Oct 2012 07:35 PM PDT
It seems Google is not alone in developing self-driving cars. Take for example the Nissan NSC-2015, which is making its rounds — literally! — at the CEATEC 2012 Smart Mobility 2012 exhibit in Japan. At first glance, it looks just like any ordinary Nissan Leaf electric car. A closer look shows you that it’s not your run-of-the-mill Leaf. This particular concept car from Nissan can run without a driver, as it drives itself and can even park. The car uses servos built into its steering wheel, shifter and pedals. The car senses road markings to keep it driving along its path, and it even stops at pedestrian crossings.
The NSC-2015 communicates with its owner through LTE connectivity, which offers remote-access features, such as seeing a 360-degree view of the car’s surroundings while parked, and being alerted on your Android smartphone when someone is tampering with the car. Users can even set off the car alarm remotely. Check out the video demonstration below. The Nissan NSC-2015 may not yet be available on streets anytime soon, although Nissan hopes to make the technology commercially available by 2015 (hence the name). Related PostsAndroid Tablet Sales to Reach 87 Million by 2015, IHS: Android Still Number One in 2015, Ovum Study Supports IHS's 'Android is # 1 in 2015' ClaimThis article, Nissan NSC-2015 drives and parks itself, uses LTE connectivity to communicate with your smartphone , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| New research cuts Li-Ion battery charging time in half Posted: 05 Oct 2012 06:20 PM PDT
Power is usually a big concern for mobile devices, and finding ways to improve efficiency is the holy grail for smartphones, tablets and even other applications like electric vehicles. This is why developers have been coming up with ways to improve the use of batteries on these devices, which includes alternative sources, such as solar, inductive and even motion-based charging. Researchers at the Jacobs School of Engineering at University of California San Diego are focusing on a different means to improve efficiency, though. Their technology involves an improved algorithm that enables phone batteries to charge two times faster than conventional Li-Ion batteries. These power packs also run more efficiently, and cost 25% less to produce. The team actually got a $460,000 funding from the DoE’s ARPA-E project, as part of a $9.6 million grant to develop more efficient battery tech. In gist, the new algorithm moves away from using voltage to determine battery charge, which is a crude way of measurement. Rather, the researchers’ new algorithm actually tries to determine charge in each of the cell’s particles. Check out the press release below for a (semi) technical explanation of how the new technology works. This will not only find its way to mobile phones, mind you, given the mention of battery-powered automobiles and other devices. New Sophisticated Control Algorithms Poised to Revolutionize Electric Battery TechnologySan Diego, Calif., Oct. 3, 2012 — Engineers at the University of California, San Diego, have developed sophisticated estimation algorithms that allow lithium-ion batteries to run more efficiently, potentially reducing their cost by 25 percent and allowing the batteries to charge twice as fast as is currently possible. In one instance, electric batteries could be charged in just 15 minutes. The researchers at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego are sharing a $9.6 million grant from ARPA-E, a research agency within the Department of Energy, with automotive products supplier Bosch and battery manufacturer Cobasys to further develop the estimation algorithms and the technology they will drive. UC San Diego’s share of the grant is $460,000 for the research group of Professor Miroslav Krstic and UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellow Scott Moura in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Jacobs School. “This research is bringing the promise that, with advanced estimation algorithms that are based on mathematical models, batteries can be charged faster and can run more powerful electric motors,” said Krstic, who is also associate vice chancellor for research at UC San Diego. “This technology is going into products that people will actually use,” said Moura, the co-lead researcher on the project. Krstic and Moura are taking a unique approach to making lithium-ion batteries more effective. Instead of monitoring voltage and current, they have designed sophisticated algorithms that can estimate what is physically going on inside the lithium-ion battery. “We have the unique ability to address the difficulties in estimating the battery’s state of charge heads-on, at the electrochemical level,” said Krstic. Current technology Manufacturers usually rely on voltage and current to monitor the battery’s behavior and health. But those are very crude measures, said Krstic. Relying on these measures leads to over-designed, oversized batteries that weigh and cost more. They also take a long time to charge, compared with gas-powered vehicles. Toyota recently canceled mass production of its second all-electric car, the eQ, citing concerns over the viability of electric vehicle technology, including the amount of time vehicles take to charge. Lithium-ion batteries are cylindrical and made of three sheets rolled together, very much like a jelly roll. One layer is the anode, another layer acts as a separator and yet another layer is the cathode. When the battery is fully charged, the lithium ions are stored at the anode. The battery is designed so that the ions want to move from the anode to the cathode, powering the device it’s connected to in the process. To know whether the battery is functioning properly, it’s important to know where the ions are in the anode. But that’s very difficult to measure, even with sophisticated equipment. The ions are usually lodged deep inside irregularly-shaped particles within the anode. Trying to estimate the particles’ charge by measuring only the voltage on the battery is similar to having the person that collects tickets at the entrance to a movie theater try to estimate which of the seats the patrons are taking by watching the speed at which the line at the entrance is moving, Moura said. In this analogy, the ions are patrons making their way to seats within each row, which represent the particles. Enter the estimation and control algorithms Krstic and Moura developed. The algorithms allow researchers to estimate where the particles are. So the movie theater can now be filled to capacity safety and efficiently. The model can also estimate how the health of the battery evolves over time-the equivalent of which seats are breaking down in the theater and need to be fixed or replaced. The grant will allow researchers to refine the algorithms and to test them on actual batteries on testbeds developed by Bosch and Cobasys. They will estimate the charge distribution within the battery. Then they will estimate its state of health. Finally researchers will devise a strategy to find optimal rates of charging and discharging batteries. By testing their algorithms on electric vehicle batteries and comparing their performance to an electric battery run with existing technology, Krstic, Moura and colleagues plan to formulate a strategy to charge and use batteries to their maximum potential-safely. “We monitor these crucial states directly,” said Moura. “It allows us to operate right at the battery’s limits without damaging it.” Related PostsSouth Korean scientists able to dramatically reduce the charging time of lithium-ion batteries, Research: Ad-supported Android apps drain your battery faster, The Top 3 Android Battery MythsThis article, New research cuts Li-Ion battery charging time in half , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Android Authority On Air – Episode 32 – No LAG Edtion Posted: 05 Oct 2012 06:11 PM PDT
We love the fall. The leaves start to turn, the summer heat dies down, Halloween costume parties, and Nexus rumors. As we move into October the Nexus and Android rumors will run rampant until we see an official announcement from Google. This week was nothing out of the ordinary. We saw more and more leaks about the next version of Android, which will most likely be Android 4.2, Key Lime Pie. With Android 4.2 we might see a new, revamped Nexus program where anyone can enter, pending you meet the hardware requirements. Rumors are putting the new version of Android to include a customization center, improved power management, better battery life with Project Roadrunner, homescreens might be replaced with tabs, a new Google Play and the groundwork for Android 5.0. Besides Android rumors, Nexus device rumors leaked and speculated all over the place too. On the show we went over LG’s rumored first Nexus, the Optimus Nexus. Will we see it by the end of the month? Rumors are saying ‘yes’. Not a fan of LG? That’s okay. Additional rumors slate Google to have their portfolio of Nexus devices ready for Thanksgiving. We even talked about some of these rumored devices on the show. Now let’s back up a minute and talk about Jelly Bean….and sadly Ice Cream Sandwich updates. If you’re rocking the first line of Acer Iconia tablets, you’re going to be unhappy. If you’re rocking a newer Acer tablet, you can expect Jelly Bean soon. Besides Acer tablets, ASUS continued their mission to Jelly Bean all the things. Even the OG Transformer will get Jelly Bean in the very near future. The Korean SGS3 is getting JB along with the international variants of the HTC One S and X. If you opted to save money and go for the cheaper One V, you won’t be getting Jelly Bean. Over at Rootin’ and ROMin’, CyanogenMod drops ROM Manager, a closed source application, for their own OTA updater and a few new devices show up for CM10 nightlies. T-Mobile and MetroPCS are merging and EE released their plans on UK domination. And finally last but not least, Judge Koh came to her senses, slightly. Miss the show? Tune in or watch below:
YouTube Links Related PostsAndroid Authority On Air – Episode 18 – Google I/O12 Recap, Android Authority On Air – Episode 31 – Nexus Rumors & Play Store Services, Android Authority On Air – Episode 21 – The Nexus 7 launchesThis article, Android Authority On Air – Episode 32 – No LAG Edtion , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Star Wars Angry Birds mash-up in the works? Posted: 05 Oct 2012 05:49 PM PDT
Those pesky piggies have certainly caused problems in some pretty strange places, from outer space to the setting of the movie Rio. They even now star in their own game, Bad Piggies. One place we have yet to see them in is the Star Wars universe. Starting Oct. 8th, we may finally see the angry birds and bad piggies get their hands on lightsabers after all. The idea of Jedis, labersabers and Sith pigs might sound strange but it is very likely that Rovio is planning such a mash-up. Rovio recently tweeted out a link to its Angry Birds Tumblr page. The page showed of a picture of what was likely an angry bird in a Jedi robe with a lightsaber beside it. It remains unseen whether this would still have the exact same bird-flinging style. It is also possible that this could finally see the birds doing something completely new. Perhaps light saber battles? The reveal event will take place at the New York City Times Square at Toys R Us, bright and early at 8am EST. This isn’t the first time that Star Wars has adapted to a strange setting, as seen in the LEGO series. I can already imagine one of the piggies dressed as Darth Vader, suggesting to the birds that somehow he is really their father. Are you interested in seeing a Star Wars Angry Birds mash-up or not? May the Force be with you! Related PostsRovio to launch the Bad Piggies game, an alternative to Angry Birds, on September 27th, Rovio teases new game, tells the Pig’s side of the Angry Birds story, Angry Birds Seasons update 'Piglantis' now availableThis article, Star Wars Angry Birds mash-up in the works? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Did the rumored LG Nexus just pass through the FCC? Posted: 05 Oct 2012 05:43 PM PDT
Multiple rumors have been spreading about the possibility of an LG Nexus device in the works. Up until now, there has been little evidence for or against the idea. Could a new FCC filing for the LG-E960 actually be the proof we’ve been looking for? The filing passed its way through the FCC recently and details a device that is Tri-Band only, designed for the 850/1900 GSM bands. Several blogs and forums believe this patent might actually be the LG Nexus. If it is true, then this goes against the earlier idea that the flagship LG Optimus G and the LG Nexus were the same devices. How does the filing prove that? The LG-E960 doesn’t seem to have LTE, while the Optimus G is already said to be on its way to AT&T with LTE technology in tow. Not much else is revealed through the patent, although a diagram does mention that NFC will come aboard the device. Not that surprising, considering near field technology has become quite commonplace on modern mid and high-end smartphones (except for the iPhone). Rumors aside, it is entirely possible that this is just another LG smartphone and nothing more. For one thing, why would Google and LG only put an AT&T radio into a Nexus device? Until we have a more substantial information leak — or better yet official news — this will likely remain a mystery. Does the idea of an LG-based Nexus interest you, or would you rather get your hands on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus Plus instead? Related PostsRumored Android 5.0 Jelly Bean To Power Rumored Google Nexus 4, DROID 4 Launch Rumored for Same Day as Galaxy Nexus, Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean factory images for Nexus 7, Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus availableThis article, Did the rumored LG Nexus just pass through the FCC? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Plague Inc. now available in the Google Play Store Posted: 05 Oct 2012 01:00 PM PDT
If you are a fan of strategy gaming on your Android device, you might want to take note: Ndemic Creations’ Plague Inc., already popular on iOS devices, is now available for download in the Google Play Store. Unlike a lot of games, the goal of Plague Inc. isn’t to save the world. Actually, it’s the complete opposite: your goal in the game is to wipe human kind off of the map. This won’t be easy, however, as they will constantly be coming up with ways to fight your plague, so you’ll need to help it evolve if you want to stay on top. Plague Inc. boasts 10 different disease types, over 50 countries to infect, thousands of “world events,” and hundreds of traits to use as you evolve your pathogen. The game also features save/load functionality, scoreboards and achievements. Though Plague Inc. is already a complete game, there is more content on the way. The developers have stated that they plan to update the game with a new plague type soon, and that they “have lots more cool stuff planned! (think Zombies).” The trailer for Plague Inc., embedded below, is actually from the point of view of the “enemy” in the game–the people you’re trying to infect. While it doesn’t show any gameplay, it does give you a good feel for the general atmosphere of the game. Plague Inc. runs on Android 2.1 and up, and is available as a free download in the Google Play Store. It maintains a 4.3 out of 5 rating, and with over 1,000 ratings already, that’s a sign that people seem to be enjoying it. Are you planning to give Plague Inc. for Android a try, or have you already downloaded it? What do you think of the game?
Related PostsDrift Mania Championship 2 hits the Google Play Store [video], Gameloft’s “The Amazing Spiderman” now available from the Google Play Store, Kinectimals for Android is Microsoft's first mobile game launched in the Google Play storeThis article, Plague Inc. now available in the Google Play Store , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Samsung, Amazon, and Apple are becoming household names according to Interbrand Posted: 05 Oct 2012 12:00 PM PDT
Essentially, Interbrand rates companies based on a number of factors. Of course, the heaviest qualifier is how much money they make which really shouldn’t surprise anyone. Every year, they come out with a top 100 brand name list. Most of them are household names we’ve known about our entire lifetimes. It appears that this year, some of our favorite smartphone and tablet OEMs have made the list in pretty high places. Samsung has taken the ninth overall, overtaking such popular brands as Toyota, Pepsi, and Disney. Amazon hit the top 20 for the first time, ousting Honda. Unfortunately, the big name that lept up is Apple. Apple took second place after finishing eighth last year. They’ve passed Google, McDonald’s, IMB, GE, and Microsoft in the process. So Interbrand says mobile technology companies are becoming household names?All of these companies do more than just sell mobile technology. Apple sells overpriced computers as well as overpriced phones. Amazon runs a big giant website along with their Kindle Fire sales. Google doesn’t even sell mobile phones. Samsung sells everything from mobile phones to dishwashers. So one thing these companies all have in common is they are multifaceted. A housewife may own an iPhone but use a Samsung vacuum cleaner. So the short answer is yes, they are becoming household names. The long answer is a bit more complicated. There are also mobile companies that took a hit. Nokia fell from 14th to 19th, Microsoft went from 3rd to 5th, and poor Blackberry dropped from 56th to 93rd. So not all mobile tech brands had a great year in the eyes of Interbrand. It makes sense, though. When was the last time your family had a nice long talk about Blackberry? Interbrand says it has been awhile. Despite the mobile tech companies gaining and falling, the overall message is clear. Mobile tech brands are the fastest rising genre out of all brand names. Interbrand states that of the top five highest risers, three of them are mobile companies. Additionally, Interbrand states that out of the top ten, five are from the technology sector. Mobile technology has more clout in the world market than ever before. Smart phone brands are now in the same class as our favorite beverage and fast food companies. Also, congrats to Facebook for actually making the list this year. Is mobile technology going to eventually surpass our favorite brand names entirely? Let us know your thoughts. If you’d like to check out Interbrand’s full report, you can find it here. Related PostsIs Samsung prepping up the Galaxy S3 release in the US? Possible new names for the series trademarked, Samsung names its flexible display technology as the Youm, products coming out in 2012, Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, Google might collaborate to acquire Kodak patentsThis article, Samsung, Amazon, and Apple are becoming household names according to Interbrand , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Legends of the Fall sale on Google Play Music lowers 48 albums to $2.99 Posted: 05 Oct 2012 11:15 AM PDT
If you’re still itching for more cheap stuff in the Google Play Store after the recent sale celebrating 25 billion app downloads, you’re in luck. Google has lowered the price of ”Great Autumn Albums” to just $2.99 With music in various genres spanning over 30 years, it’s pretty likely that you’ll find something you like among the 48 different albums on sale. From Beck to David Bowie, Kanye West to Stevie Wonder, there is an awful lot of variety represented here. We have no idea how long this sale is going on for, so if you see something you want, you may want to act fast. Check out the Google Play Store for the full list of albums on sale. Does anything in this autumn-themed Google Play Music sale catch your ear? What are you planning to pick up? Do you have any recommendations you’d like to share? Related Posts50 classic albums on sale at Google Play for $2.99 each, Google Play deals: select games for $0.25, books for $0.99, music albums and movies starting at $3.99, Google Music Sale Still Going Strong at 49 Cents Per SongThis article, Legends of the Fall sale on Google Play Music lowers 48 albums to $2.99 , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| Could Snapseed for Android be nearing release? Posted: 05 Oct 2012 09:51 AM PDT
A photo posted to Google+ by Senior Engineering VP for Google Vic Gundotra may be a hint that Snapseed for Android will arrive some time in the near future. At first the photo just looked like a picture of a sunset, albeit a nice picture of a sunset taken from an airplane. Then people start to notice that the information at the top of the post indicated that the picture was posted from Snapseed, which currently only has an iOS client. Seeing that Gundotra has been with Google since 2007, it would be extremely odd (to say the least) if he was posting a picture from an iOS device. It isn’t such a stretch to assume that we’ll be seeing Snapseed for Android sooner rather than later. After all, Google did acquire Nik software last month, and even before that, Nik had announced that they were working on a version of Snapseed for Android tablets. The question wasn’t if Snapseed was coming to Android, but when. This photo suggests that we may soon know the answer to that question. We speculated that Snapseed’s technology might find it’s way into the Google+ app at some point, and while that is still a possibility, it may be better if Snapseed remains a separate entity while adding Google+ integration. Snapseed has a lot of fans, and they may not be thrilled with the prospect of figuring out how to use the features they already know in a different app. Do you think the Google+ post is proof that we’ll be seeing Snapseed for Android released soon?
Related PostsGoogle acquires Nik Software – will this help Google+ take on Facebook, Instagram?, ASUS Eee Pad Slider Nearing Release, Seen Sliding Past FCC, BT release Android application for WiFi hotspotsThis article, Could Snapseed for Android be nearing release? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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| LG Optimus G Nexus specs and features leaked, release date set for mid-November Posted: 05 Oct 2012 09:49 AM PDT
Just earlier today we looked at a report detailing an LG Optimus G Nexus early hands-on experience, and now we have a new leak. This time around we're looking at leaked specs and features for the handset, but considering that the smartphone is based on the high-end Optimus G, we won't act so surprised. After all, it's only logical to assume that the Optimus G and Optimus G Nexus will share a variety of specs and features. Until the latter is confirmed, we'll take a look at today's specs sheet provided by MoDaCo. According to the publication, here are the confirmed specs of the smartphone:
As you can see for yourself, there clearly are a few interesting revelations in the list above, assuming the list is correct. But considering that the device is said to be released in mid-November, chances are that we're going to see more and more leaks as we move closer to the launch window. An image of the LG Optimus G Nexus (which is what we're going to continue calling it for lack of a better alternative) is not yet available, but we can only expect for both blurred and official images to get leaked in due time. Anyone excited about this first LG Nexus handset? Are you planning to buy one, or are you waiting for other Nexuses to be unveiled? Related PostsMotorola Droid RAZR Maxx HD official: specs, features, pricing and release date, iPhone 5 specs, features, release date and pricing details are now official, Galaxy Note 10.1 specs and features apparently confirmed, release date not so muchThis article, LG Optimus G Nexus specs and features leaked, release date set for mid-November , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
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