Chomp for Android discontinued by Apple By Dan Graziano Apple in February acquired the San Francisco-based company Chomp, a startup that develops application search and discovery software. Apple went forward w. BGR: The Three Biggest Letters In Tech
Apple kills Android app discovery tool in Chomp | VentureBeat By Meghan Kelly Apple has killed off recently acquired social application discovery tool Chomp's Android feature. The tool, which helps people discover new apps, was previously directing people to interesting Android apps in Google Play. VentureBeat
Sony ST21i Tapioca pictured, quite the chunky Android By Kevin Krause The first image of what is said to be the Sony ST21i has leaked, and its appearance takes very little inspiration from recent Xperia design language. While. Android Phone Fans
Saying that the Android 4.0 update rollout has been slow in the US is an understatement. But the upgrade is finally picking up pace, with the HTC Rezound, Motorola Droid RAZR, and the Droid RAZR Maxx on Verizon Wireless finally receiving their piece of Ice Cream Sandwich soon, according to a leak picked up by Droid-Life.
A Reddit user, DroidTosser, leaked screenshots of the Verizon Internal Device Update System which shows us the OTA rollout dates for the update to Android 4.0. The timeline is the following:
HTC Rezound – May 9 (Size: 297MB) (MOTA – Verizon’s 4G OTA solution)
Motorola Droid Razr and Razr Maxx – May 21 (Size: 341 MB) (BOTA – Motorola’s OTA solution)
Motorola XOOM 3G and 4G – No date released, testing was completed on April 19 (Size: 106MB) (GOTA – Google’s OTA solution)
As you can see from the leaked road map, only the HTC Rezound will receive the update from Verizon, with the Motorola smartphones getting the update directly from Motorola, and the Xoom 3G and 4G tablets receiving the upgrade directly from Google.
With talk of the Android 5.0 Jellybean OS already making the rounds, it’s about time that carriers and manufacturers get on top of the ICS rollout situation. For now, at least there is some good news for HTC Rezound, Motorola Razr, and Razr Maxx owners on the Verizon network.
Are you excited about the update? Let us know in the comments section below.
Our Android smartphones and tablets can be used for a lot of things. Some use their devices for causal calls, text, and other means of online communication. Others transform their devices into a gaming console. Our Android devices can also be used as a means for educating our little ones at home.
With the presence of the Google Play Store, all the apps that you need can be easily accessed with a tap of a button. In this app list, we will be tackling of some of the best interactive books on the market. These apps can be used to improve the creativity, reading, and listening skills of your child. Take note that the apps listed below don’t follow a particular order.
The Just Me and My Mom app is an interactive story book by Mercer Mayer which narrates the story of Little Critter enjoying his special day with his Mom. Like every other child, Little Critter has a huge amount of energy and causes trouble along the way. Your job is to help the Little Critter and his Mom solve their problems as the story progresses.
The interactive book offers a lot of interesting features for your kids to enjoy. One notable feature is that it reads the story for your kids. Narrated words are highlighted for your kids to be familiar with. You can also tap a word and the app will read it out loud for you.
If you prefer reading the story to your kids, you can select Read It Myself and read the story to your child. You can also select Auto Play to read and watch the story like a mini film. The story also offers some mini games to let your kids interact as the story progresses.
You can get the Just Me and My Mom from Google Play Store for about US$1.00.
If you want to transform your Android tablet or phone into a library full of interactive of books, download iStoryBooks for your Android device. This app lets you download children’s books to your Android phone and tablet. Every page is filled with pictures and the app narrates each story to your child.
The iStoryBooks app also lets your kids enjoy a variety of interactive books right on your Android device. From fairy tales to brainy educational books, the iStoryBooks will be your interactive mobile reading hub.
The iStoryBooks lets you choose the following books:
Animal Story Books
Three Little Pigs
The Blue Fox
The Crow, the Doves and the Mouse
The Mean Lion and the Smart Rabbit
Fairy Tales
Cinderella
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Folk Stories
Little Red Hen
Little Red Riding Hood
Stone Soup
Educational Books
A to Z Fruits and Vegetables
A to Z Animals
The World of Dinosaurs
Things that Go
and many more
You can get iStoryBooks for free from Google Play Store.
The BB – Bedtime Battle app depicts a story of two parent bears struggling to put their baby bears to sleep. Bears are wild and strong creatures of the forest. The same goes for the two young Berenstain's Bears in this story. As the clock strikes 8, Papa Bears says "time for bed," but sister and brother don’t want to go to sleep. They will do everything they can to postpone sleeping.
Follow the story of BB – Bedtime Battle of how Papa Bear and Mama Bear struggle to put their little cubs to sleep. The BB – Bedtime Battle allows you to choose if you want to listen to the story, read the story to your child, or just watch the story as it progresses.
To promote reading skills for your kid, narrated words are highlighted. Your kids can also tap a word and the app will say the word out loud. The BB – Bedtime Battle is also filled with rich animations and custom background sounds for each scene.
Get the BB – Bedtime Battle from the Google Play Store at a price of about US$4.00.
Sit down and buckle up as the Wheels on the Bus begin to turn on your Android device. The Wheels on the Bus app is a fun interactive book for your Android device that is sure to entertain your kids. This book is based on the popular children's song which integrates reading with singing. It is like teaching your kids to read and to sing at the same time.
Every scene of Wheels on the Bus is filled with cute animations and interactive illustrations. Ride the bus to spin the wheels, move the wipers on the front window, close the bus doors, make the dog bark, and much more.
Another notable feature is that the app can record your kid's voice as they sing along. Teach your child to read and develop their talents in singing with Wheels on the Bus playing on your Android device.
Start-up the engine and join the joy ride with Wheels on the Bus from the Google Play Store for a fare of about US$2.00.
If you have a hard time putting your child to sleep, you can read them a story to keep them occupied throughout the night. You can use The Going to Bed Book – Boynton to keep them in bed and put them to sleep. This is the first Sandra Boynton book app and it will enhance your book app experience.
Every scene is filled with rich animations and fun interactive actions that are sure to catch your child's attention. Touch the objects, tap the animals to make them sound, pull the drawers, or tilt your device and watch things move. You can do anything your creative minds tells you with this app.
The book app also features a realistic page transition that makes it look like a real book. This book app can also narrate the story for your kids. Choose the Big Guys Read it and listen as the story progresses. You can also read the story by yourself by tapping the I want to read it myself button. And most of all, rock your child to sleep with its alluring music box sound of the twinkling stars.
Put your child to sleep with The Going Bed Book – Bonyton at your bedside. Grab the book from the Google Play store for about US$4.00.
If your kids are not arachnophobic, then you can let the spider do its job and educate you child with the Itsy Bitsy Spider book app. This book app is based on the popular nursery rhyme. If you can't recall which nursery rhyme, then you might have skipped class when your teacher taught you that song.
The story is about a spider climbing the water spout. But, aside from the usual storyline, this app added some scenes that will entertain and teach your child. Every scene is filled with attractive images and interactive actions. You can help the caterpillar become a butterfly, play peek-a-boo with the frog, poke the spider, make rain from the clouds, and much more.
The book app also teaches your child to read by singing. Aside from reading and singing, you can also teach your child various skills such as counting, finding hidden objects, stacking hats on the spider, creating music, and much more. You can also record your child's singing with this book app.
Help the spider climb the water spout. Get the Itsy Bitsy Spider from Google Play Store for a price of about US$2.00.
Let your kids fly to the moon from their bed with Moon Secret HD. This book app is a good bedtime story for your kids to help them go to sleep. Discover the secrets of the moon through the imaginative minds of a child. With its interactive story and magical world of dreams, this book app will help develop your child's creativity, imagination, listening, and reading skills.
This book app offers rich animation display and background music from the creative world of a child’s dreams as they discover the true identity of the moon. The text is narrated by a soothing voice that will lull your child to sleep. Take your child to the world of dreams and develop their creativity and reading skills with Moon Secret HD app.
Fly and discover the secrets of the moon through the minds of an imaginative child. Get the Moon Secrets HD from Google Play Store for free.
If you want teach your child what sounds the animals make but you can't go to the zoo, teach them by using the Moo, Baa, La La La! – Boynton book app on your Android device. This book app is based on the original board book of Sandra Boynton with more cool and interactive features.
With this ebook, you can hear the sounds of animals and some unique animal sounds. Hearing the cow say "Moo Moo" sounds ordinary. But, hear the pigs sing "La La La" will sure blow your mind away. Aside from funny animal animations and funny sounds, you can also do lots of stuff with Moo, Baa, La La La! app with its interactive features. You can turn day to night by tapping the moon, pull the curtains to see three pigs singing, shoot those noisy cats with a sling shot, and much more. The book app also features an option that narrates the text or you can read the story on your own.
Get to know Old MacDonald's farm animals by getting the Moo, Baa, La La La! – Boynton from the Google Play Store for about US$4.00.
If you are a person brave enough for an adventure, then follow the brave Apolline & Leon in their breathtaking adventures on the Tuileries Gardens in Paris. This book app is one in the series of Apolline & Leon. In this episode, they find an odd-looking woman who looks like a witch. Brave Apolline & Leon decided to follow this mysterious character to unveil the old woman's true identity.
The Apolline & Leon book app is filled with beautiful animations and interactive features in every scene that will surely entertain both children and adults. You can throw balls, shake the clouds, play music, switch the lights on and off, peek through key holes, and much more. Combined with outstanding sound effects that would make the readers beg for more, the story is narrated by professional actors and supports 9 different languages: English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and Portuguese.
Come follow the adventures of Apolline & Leon from the Google Play Store for a price of about US$2.00.
If you liked the classical film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, then you might like The Candy Factory HD on your Android device. Like Charlie who won the last golden ticket that gave him access to the chocolate factory, these two kids were lucky enough to set foot in a land full of color and goodies.
As the two children were looking through their window, a pink fluffy cotton candy took them to the candy factory. The book app contains friendly colorful graphics that will enhance your child's creativity. Aside from colorful animations, each scene also contains interactive features that will entertain your kids. The book app also features text narration for younger audience. The Candy Factory HD is a 17-page fun-filled interactive book for your children.
4G LTE is the network of the future, with over 90 carriers worldwide working towards establishing LTE networks in their markets. Faster speeds, improved efficiency, and more reliability make LTE the pinnacle of commercial network technology available today.
However, to fully enjoy this burgeoning technology, we do need LTE-capable handheld devices. While most manufacturers have released LTE-enabled devices primarily for the US market, like HTC did with the One XL for AT&T, LG plans to expand its LTE smartphone reach to markets in Europe and Asia as well.
As such, LG is releasing the Optimus True HD LTE in specific European and Asian markets, including Germany, Portugal, Sweden, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Variations of the device are already available in the US, Canada, Korea, and Japan, and the phone is also due to show up in the UK and France in the second half of this year.
The LG Optimus True HD LTE boasts impressive specifications including:
4.5″ true HD IPS display
1280×720 resolution
1.5 Ghz dual-core processor
1GB RAM
8MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera
1830 mAH
With most current high-end phones releasing with Android 4.0 out of the box, it’s quite disappointing to see the LG Optimus True HD LTE featuring Android 2.3, but LG promises the opportunity to upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich very soon.
LG does have the quad-core Optimus 4X HD in the pipeline, but with the absence of LTE radio compatibility with quad-core devices, the Optimus True HD LTE is a good option for use over LTE networks.
Is LG going to compete with HTC, Samsung, and Motorola in the race for Android dominance? Is the LG Optimus true HD LTE the device for you? Let us know in the comments section below.
Over the past year or so, we’ve seen a fierce legal war unfolding in the tech world, with the first to draw the sword usually being the Cupertino-based maker of the iPhone and the iPad. While Samsung didn’t hesitate to answer with its own legal salvos against Apple, the Koreans used a slightly different approach in their confrontation with arch-frenemy Apple.
We’ve seen how Samsung started selling the Galaxy S2 for only $2 in Australia, just when the iPhone 4S was released, and ridiculing the Apple faithful in a series of high-profile commercials. More recently, in a teaser video for the eagerly-anticipated Galaxy S3, Samsung makes a not-so-subtle reference to Apple fanatics, one that involves sheep.
Going a step further, Samsung apparently recruited the marketing agency Tongue, to conduct an “unbranded” protest outside the Apple Store in Sydney. A bunch of people dressed in black arrived in a black bus branded with the “WAKE UP” slogan. The “flash mobbers” then lined up in front of the local Apple Store, holding up banners that said “WAKE UP,” and chanting, you guessed it, “WAKE UP!” The agency also registered the website wake-up-australia.com.au , which displays a timer that will reach zero in about 9 days, which could be the expected release date of the Galaxy S3 in Australia.
A Youtube video blogger, Nate “Blunty” Burr was co-incidentally (and conveniently) visiting the Apple Store at the time and was able to capture the following video.
Funnily, Samsung’s stunt was not the first protest that particular Apple Store has faced this week, with Greenpeace holding a protest aiming to pressure Apple into using renewable sources to power its cloud computing infrastructure. Some have speculated that the “Wake Up” campaign could be a continuation of this protest, with the black theme symbolizing oil. Along those lines, the countdown could be the product launch of a solar energy company.
We’ll just have to wait and see what happens when the countdown reaches zero.
[Updated] Samsung denied its involvement in the stunt/protest, according to Slashgear: "Samsung Electronics Australia has nothing to do with the 'Wake-Up Campaign". The plot thickens…
If you believe that carrying a laptop to get consistent access to your data is the only way, think again! Today, smartphones and tablets have revolutionized the way data is shared, used, and accessed. With a variety of great apps and native functions, carrying your data and using your smartphone and/or tablet as a laptop replacement is no big deal. And, when you’ve got Android, you won’t find yourself short of apps that serve the purpose of a laptop.
We are not asking you to ditch your classy-looking notebook, but all we want is to make your life easy by replacing your laptop with extremely useful Android apps. The primary purpose of carrying a notebook around is to have uninterrupted access to your data, but sometimes, carrying the extra weight around is too much of an inconvenience.
This post is meant for people who hate carrying their laptops around but still want consistent and reliable access to their data. There are a lot of Android apps available on the Google Play Store that let you access your files, pictures, music, and other stuff on the go. Today, many high-end Android phones and tablets come bundled with some useful apps to help you get started on traveling light but armed with all your necessary files.
In what follows, we shall take a look at some of the best Android apps that can surely lure you towards using an Android device as a useful replacement to your laptop.
Music, dubbed by many as “food for the soul”, is something you can’t miss! And, if you have an Android device, then transferring music from your laptop to your phone or tablet is a piece of cake. With the powerful and extremely well designed Poweramp Music Player app for Android, your music listening experience is bound to reach new heights.
The Poweramp Music Player boasts a slick interface, eye-catching killer looks, and a plethora of amazingly great features to rival any good music player you’ve installed on your notebook. The app presents you with plenty of options to navigate to your local music files as desired. You can play music tracks by folders, albums, artists, genre and much more. Among other features, you get a customizable music equalizer with dozens of audio presets, bass and treble effects, as well as several other customizable options.
Poweramp Music Player is free to try, and just US$4.98 to buy.
Agreeably, watching movies on the laptop is a favorite pastime of most users. Without a doubt, the MX Player app for Android is the best video player to have hit the Google Play Store to date . The app became an instant hit among users because of its capability to play high quality videos of almost any known format.
The best part of the entire MX Player for Android package is that it plays most of your videos without requiring you to install any additional codecs whatsoever. MX Video Player supports full-fledge media controls that one can expect from a quality media player. It also supports displaying subtitles (of multiple formats), and lets you jump to desired playback position by simply scrolling on the subtitle text.
MX Player for Android is available for free in the Google Play Store However, you can also opt for US$5.27 better optimized and ad-free version called MX Player Pro.
Instagram, boasting an impressive count of 30 million registered users on the iOS platform, was recently released for Android. The primary objective of this app is to make photo sharing easy, interesting, and optimized while you’re on the go.
The Instagram app for Android combines fabulous retro filters bundled with multi-platform support. All these features make this app an extremely simple way of expressing one’s sentiments, talent, and mood by sharing some memorable photos. To sum it all up, Instagram is the “Twitter” of photos.
To further help you embellish your photos, Instagram for Android offers the “lux effect” that can automatically adjust the brightness levels of your rather dull-looking photos, and convert them into something much more vivid and appealing. Since Instagram does not have a desktop client, it's a no-brainer to spend a few bucks in getting yourself a smartphone, so that you can get your hands on this photo-sharing sensation.
Instagram is available for free on the Google Play Store.
One can hardly afford not to stay in touch with one’s contacts for too long. Your routine desktop messengers are a good way to get hooked to your social worlds, but when it comes to connecting to your important contacts on the go, Whatsapp Messenger is your best pick.
This cross-platform app is available for almost all renowned mobile platforms, including Android, iOS, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone 7. This means that people with smartphones can afford to have it installed on their devices.
Whatsapp Messenger is famous for its ability to connect you to your mobile phone contacts via the internet (W-Fi/3G), so that you can share text and multimedia messages in real time without having any fear of losing precious mobile data bytes. What's even better about the app is that it uses your very own phone number to get you subscribed to the network, and lets you indulge in group chat with as many contacts as desired.
Whatsapp Messenger is free to try for the entire first season of subscription, after which you're required to pay a meager US$0.99 per year to stay connected to your near and dear ones.
There is no denying the fact that cloud computing is the future of technology. Dropbox comes across with the reputation of being the pioneer and giant of the online data backup and cross-platform, real-time data synchronization and restore solution providers.
With the official Dropbox Android client, you no longer need to resort to your computer to access your personal cloud content. The mobile app of the service lets you remotely access, manipulate and share Dropbox data from virtually anywhere via your Android device.
In addition, it supports the option of automatically uploading your locally stored mobile photos straight to the cloud, and sports a neatly designed photo gallery so that you can natively browse your image collection in full-screen. The app, however, lacks complete folder upload support for the Android client.
Dropbox is available for free in the Google Play Store and you can download the desktop client via Dropbox’s official website.
A modern-day mobile device, such as a smartphone or a tablet, is likely to carry all your precious information. Therefore, you must ensure that you have a protection mechanism enabled on your Android. For this purpose, the Google Play Store offers a slew of apps, but none surpasses the effectiveness of Plan B — a free app that can be installed on a lost Android device to remotely trace its geographic coordinates.
Provided Internet connection is enabled on your device, all you need to do is install Plan B by visiting the Google Play Store. The app will automatically and remotely enable GPS on your lost device, and help transmit its geographic coordinates to the email ID that you used to register your device with the Google Play Store.
The location of the device is traced continuously, and updated on the map accordingly. To trace your device's coordinates for a prolonged period, you need to send a text message to your mobile number from another device, and receive the coordinates via text.
We believe that such services are available for lost laptops as well, but none of them come with these simple operating instructions.
Plan B is available for free in the Google Play Store and you have to download it to your phone after losing it.
Gone are the days when you had to carry your bulky laptop to class to keep on top on your study plans, class routines, and lecture notes. With Studious for Android, you won’t need to worry about another missed lecture again.
Studious keeps you apprised of all your class schedules, upcoming lectures, important notes, test reminders, and everything relevant to your daily routine study activities. Aside from being your study partner, Studious can manage your phone by activating auto silent mode during class schedules. You are also consistently reminded about your due homework and tests.
With this app, you can take notes, save them, and even capture images relevant to your study. Of course, depending on whether your institute allows the usage of phones or tabs during class hours, Studious is a must-have app for students looking to manage their studies. Studious is available for free in the Google Play Store.
With the advent of Android and other smartphone platforms, the need for carrying bulky laptops has been greatly reduced. Most of us carried a laptops to be able to access our documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and PDFs–and also to make new ones. But, that role of laptops may have diminished somewhat with the coming of Google Docs for Android.
Google Docs for Android is a great and absolutely free solution to all your office productivity needs. With Google Docs installed on your Android phone or tablet, you can be at ease when creating, editing, and uploading your documents. As the app has been specifically fine-tuned and designed for Android, you don’t have to switch to the web version and battle the over-scroll.
The UI is chic and there are plenty of options to create, save, and download your documents on the go. The use of conventional desktop productivity suites has been greatly reduced with apps like Google Docs. Google Docs is available for free in the Google Play store.
No matter how hard you try, your laptop remains a complete failure when it comes to taking and sharing pictures — with little or no modifications — in real time. One of the strongest points of the modern-day Android smartphone is its strong camera and all the robustly built camera replacement apps. These apps help make your otherwise-ordinary-looking images look like they were captured using state-of-art DSLR cameras.
While most photo editing and embellishing apps out there are extensively rich in the number of various photo filters and effects, only very few allow you to apply DSLR-like motion blur and camera lens effects to your images. These photographic filters are needed to focus on a particular object within the photo.
Say hello to AfterFocus — a free photo editing Android app that not only supports the said feature, but also brings Instagram-like photo filters and various aperture effects to your photos. Using the app, all you need to do is scribble with your fingers on the desired areas of the image to set the focus on your preferred object, apply a few filters to make the image more appealing, and share your masterpieces with your mates on the go.
You can download AfterFocus from Google Play Store for free.
Although some of us think that PC gaming is better than that on smartphones, the current scenario has begun suggesting otherwise. With most renowned game development labels already producing for Android, mobile gaming experience is quickly matching the pace and entertainment offered by PC gaming.
In case you carry your laptop for the sole purpose of opening the lid and playing your favorite game, then you might want to ditch it for your high-end Android phone or tablet. There are some remarkable 3D games out there, but none of them comes even close to matching the addiction of Temple Run.
Temple Run was primarily intended for iOS users alone, but soon made its way to Android. Now, it’s one of the most-downloaded games among Android users.
The beauty of the game is that despite supporting a simple purpose, Temple Run entices users to come back to play over and over again. With Temple Run, all you get is the game's protagonist who comes rushing out of a temple chased by a bunch of fanatic simians. From there, it's all about clearing all the hurdles that come your way and collecting all the perks and rewards in between and, at the same time, keeping a fair amount of distance from the deadly creatures.
Temple Run is available for free in the Google Play Store.
Arguably, it’s difficult to really pinpoint app recommendations for replacing most laptop functionalities. After all, people use their laptops for different purposes. But, these ten Android apps to replace laptops may not be the ultimate collection, they surely can help you get on your way to lessening your dependence on your lappy.
What about you? What laptop-replacement Android app have you been using?
It took Sony a while to update the dual-core Tablet S to Android 4.0, but Sony fans rejoice, as the 10-incher is finally getting its long awaited tasty scoop of Ice Cream Sandwich.
According to a post published earlier today on Sony's official blog, Tablet S owners should have already received prompt messages for a system update over-the-air. If, however, you own a Tablet S and you are yet to receive the notification, you should check for a better Wi-Fi connection or reboot your slate one or two times.
Once you get the prompt message, you only have to click OK, and, in just a few short minutes, your tablet experience should be brought to the next level. A next level that comes with some serious updates and improvements, including a single motion panorama photo mode, direct access to your SD card, enhanced lock screen, direct access to notifications, and others.
Aside from the new UI and the additional features, your Tablet S should also now come with an improved browsing experience and increased gaming and multimedia performance.
The guys at Sony have put up a nice short video clip on YouTube showing off the most important new features, improvements, and updates offered by ICS on Tablet S, so, if you're unsure how you'll benefit from the ICS update, you should check out the video at the end of the post.
Before wrapping up this article, it's worth mentioning that, if you don't own a Sony Tablet S, now is a pretty good time to buy one. The 16 GB version goes for just $349 after a $50 rebate, while the 32 GB model is available for $449 with a similar discount, through May 12. Both models come with a free cradle accessory too, so, all in all, their price tag doesn't seem like very much to pay for a 10-inch ICS tablet these days.
What do you guys think? Would you buy one of these bad boys, now that the Sony Tablet S has joined the select club of ICS-running tablets? How about you, Tablet S users, how’s the tablet behaving now that it has ICS?
Our regular readers know that we recently reported that the army might soon start controlling UAVs using modified Android smartphones. If you have any doubts that it could be done, let me show you what a regular civilian can do with around just $330. You won't be able to actually bomb you neighbor's house (unfortunately), but it does help to prove the versatility of smartphones these days.
Named the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0, this "flying thingy" is the only quadrocopter that you can control with your smartphone or tablet, so there's that. But what makes the AR Drone 2.0 even cooler is the AR part in its name: the augmented reality feature that lets you play games by augmenting the live footage captured by the camera mounted on front of the qadrocopter. Take a quick look at the video below and tell me it doesn't look like the dogfight of the future:
One of the notable improvements over the original Parrot AR Drone – launched back in 2010 – is the 720p camera with a 92 degree viewing angle, a bump from the mere VGA camera on the older model. We can only imagine the awesome videos you can make if you pilot the AR Drone 2.0 outdoors.
The altitude is basically unlimited, thanks to a pressure sensor that ensures the quadricopter stays stable. In addition, the 3D magnetometer makes the Parrot AR Drone 2.0 very easy to pilot while in the Absolute Flight mode, which uses the smartphone/tablet as a reference point. This way, every command you give is interpreted as relative to the smartphone.
The Parrot AR Drone 2.0 can be controlled with any Android smartphone, although it hurts me to say that Parrot has developed games only for iOS (don't tell any iPhone fanboy, but in the video above, the Drone is actually controlled with an iPhone). Fortunately, Parrot has released the SDK as a free download, so third party developers can create AR Drone apps of their own. All Android app developers with a passion for flight can and should take a crack at it.
The Parrot AR Drone 2.0 will cost $329 and will be available from next month from various outlets.
The ubiquitous VoIP and instant messaging app Skype, available on Android since October 2010, has received quite the update today. Available to download on Google Play, the new 2.8.0.9320 version brings a new instant messaging view, video rotation support for more Android devices, as well as faster start up times. Below is our quick impression of the updated Skype app for Android.
Starting from launching Skype on our device, there's a noticeable different in the loading time of the app. This is something that we really appreciate, since in the old version, we always wondered if the instant messaging app is giving up on us before we even got to log in. Let's just say that the loading time on the old version of Skype could really test your patience.
Thought it wasn't mentioned in the change log, we noticed some slight User Interface design changes. Aside from a more streamlined look, the menu button that used to reside on the bottom of the app has been moved up to the top. And, as mentioned, the instant messaging view has been changed. One of our main gripes with the old version was the persistent "new" notification that basically told us there's no credit left in the account every time we logged on. That nag is gone now.
We've never had problems with the video rotation before, but we're sure that those who did encounter issues will now enjoy videocalling more, in landscape or in portrait mode. If only they had provided a detailed list of supported devices…
We're sure that this won't be the last update coming to Skype for Android, despite the service being owned by Microsoft, Google’s archrival. Head over to Google Play if you're in the mood for some IM or VoIP-ing, Skype style.
Are you ready for another dose of Samsung Galaxy S3-related news?
We know you are, especially since this latest leaked image is a possible picture of Samsung’s actual flagship device. We’ve seen before several images of the alleged Samsung Galaxy S3, but they showed test devices, wearing fake shells designed to conceal the phone’s actual appearance. This isn’t the case with this image right here, which might bring us the closest to knowing how the Galaxy S3 looks like before the big unveiling next Thursday.
The alleged picture of the Samsung Galaxy S3 was sent by a tipster to PhoneArena, which then generously shared it with the rest of the world. As always, we're not going to say it's the absolute real deal until Samsung says so, but the image does bear a strong resemblance to yesterday's device sketch of the Samsung GT-i9300, the presumed model number for the Galaxy S3.
How does the sketch match up with the latest leaked picture? Sam Mobile has done some mock-ups of the Galaxy S3 based on yesterday's diagram. The result, as you can see for yourself, does look a lot like the leaked image.
We have to say that everything seems to fit the description of what's expected of the Samsung Galaxy S3, from the thin metal bezel to the rectangular home button. On the other hand, it's really nothing that a few minutes in Photoshop can't produce.
Also, we superimposed Sam Mobile’s image on the teaser image found on Samsung’s Denmark Facebook page, and the two silhouettes seem to fit perfectly:
We'll leave it to you to decide if this latest image really is the Samsung Galaxy S3 that the whole world is craving. What's it going to be: a good tipster or a wily trickster? Share your thoughts below.
When many of today's smartphones resemble each other in terms of design, and, to some extent, in terms of hardware and software, manufacturers clearly need some touches of originality here and there, just to differentiate their products. That's why some phone makers are battling it out for the titles of "world's most powerful", "world's thinnest", or "world's lightest" device. However, things change so quickly in the mobile business, that the average user risks getting even more confused when choosing a device based on these self-styled titles.
Case in point: just a few months back, when Huawei unveiled the Ascend P1 S, the device was dubbed the world thinnest smartphone. But before Huawei’s device even hit the market, another "player" came along, challenging the respective title.
Yesterday, China-based Oppo has "slipped" a photo to Engadget China, supposedly showing the phone maker’s upcoming Android-based smartphone. Measuring an incredibly thin 6.65 mm (0.26 inches), this still unnamed device is set to be 1 mm (or 0,039 inch) thinner than the Huawei Ascend P1 S.
That should make a huge difference to any smartphone lover out there (insert ironic grin here), which is why this upcoming Oppo device should be watched out for by all the important players in today's technology market (or not).
Irony aside, we must say that, while we can't make much of that leaked photo from Engadget, the smartphone looks pretty stylish and elegant. Some might say that it closely resembles the iPhone 4/4S. But hey, we're talking about an unknown manufacturer from China, and making gadgets very similar to Apple's iDevices is kind of their thing, isn't it?
The Oppo device will supposedly hit the local Chinese market in September. There are no hardware details known about this future smartphone for now, while on the software front we only know that the device will run Android. We can also guess from the leaked pic that Oppo's future gadget will come with an optional dock of some sorts and that the touchscreen will house three capacitive Android navigation keys.
What do you guys think? Will you be looking for this new challenger to the title of the world's thinnest smartphone? Or has this quest for shaving off another 0.0000000001 inch become plain boring?
