Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Android Community

Android Community

Vuzix M100 Smart Glasses shown off at CES

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 11:05 AM PST

Vuzix recently announced that they had released the SDK emulator for the M100 Smart Glasses. And while we suspect the success of the glasses may come down to apps, we were interested in learning some additional details about the glasses themselves. Not to mention, spending some hands-on time.

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That being said, our sister site SlashGear managed to do just that — learn quite a few of the details while in the process of checking out the glasses. Perhaps key for some, just how expensive these glasses will be. After all, the Google glasses are expected to be in the range of $1,500. Lets just say that the Vuzix M100 Smart Glasses will be quite a bit less expensive, they are expected to come in at “under $500.”

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Now that we know they are in the price range of quite a few people, lets get into the specs. The M100 Smart Glasses will be running Android and sporting Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity as well as an eye-mounted 800 x 480 display. Some of the other goodies will include 4GB of internal storage, a memory card slot, 3-axis head tracker, gyroscope, digital compass, GPS and a 720p HD camera.

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The glasses will have a battery life of up to eight hours, though that will vary widely depending on how you are using them. In other words, the more you use these, and the more features you are taking advantage of — the quicker the battery will drain. Vuzix expects these to be off and on based on use as opposed to having them on and running all the time. Nonetheless, eight hours sounds on the low side.

Otherwise, the Vuzix M100 Smart Glasses will have three buttons — one for volume up/down, and then one for select and power. Users will also be able to control the glasses using a smartphone app that has a trackpad for (what we assume to be) easier navigation through the menus. The smartphone companion app will also have an app launcher. With that, those interested still have some waiting to do as the M100 Smart Glasses are not expected to be available until later in the year.

Asus Qube Google TV unveiled with Google Play access and 50GB of cloud-storage

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 10:18 AM PST

We had known that Asus was planning to launch a Google TV offering at CES. Of course, thanks to the FCC we also started to get familiar with what the Qube. And well, coming out of CES, Asus has come forward with an official announcement for the Qube Google TV. The catch, they have yet to offer anything in terms of pricing or a release date.

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That annoyance aside, it seems as if Asus did give just enough detail in terms of features to get some attention for the square-shaped set-top box. Asus seems to be playing up the Qube name, not only is the box cube-shaped, but it also has the Qube interface which offers a look at the screen in the form of a “rotating on-screen cube shape.”

Some of the other goodies include access to movies and television by way of Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. Users will have Chrome and YouTube as well as access to the Google Play store to download games and other apps. Those purchasing a Qube will get 50GB of cloud-based storage courtesy of Asus.

Finally, in terms of controls, the Asus Qube will be controlled by an “advanced remote control supports motion sensing for gaming and other applications” or by downloading the Mobile Remote app to your Android smartphone or tablet. Finally, in addition to the remote control, the Qube will also have support for voice search.

[via SlashGear]

Trakdot provides real-lime luggage tracking from your Android device

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 09:40 AM PST

Coming out of CES, we have word of a gadget that we suspect those traveling may have wished had been announced ahead of the show. The gadget is the Trakdot Luggage tracker and just as the name would imply, this will allow you to keep track of your luggage. In fact, the Trakdot Luggage tracker provides real-time tracking.

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You begin the process by placing the tracker in your luggage. From here, it will provide city locations in real-time. The information will be available by way of an Android app, or by SMS or email. Alternatively, you will also be able to track your luggage directly from the Trakdot website.

The Trakdot Luggage is described as being “ultra-light” and “palm-sized” which really just means that it should be able to fit in just about any bag without having to worry about using up the precious space in (of for those pushing the limits, weight of) your bag. This should also help to ease those worries of arriving at your location only to find out your bag never made the transfer — now you will know exactly where your bag is, even if you are not there to pick it up personally.

In addition to tracking the bags from city to city, the Trakdot Luggage tracker will also send an alert when your bag nears the baggage carousel. That all being said, the Trakdot Luggage is expected to be available beginning in March 2013. The tracker will be priced at $49.95. Those making the purchase will also have to pay an activation fee of $8.99 and an annual service fee of $12.99.

Pantech Discover with 4.8″ display and Android 4.0 announced for AT&T

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 08:47 AM PST

While Pantech is often thought of as a budget device here in the US market, the company may be looking to change that opinion with this latest AT&T announcement. Pantech, along with AT&T have announced the upcoming availability of the Discover smartphone. And nicely done, with a few exceptions, the Pantech Discover looks to be a handset to consider — especially at the announced price point.

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The specs begin with a 4.8-inch (1280 x 720) display, dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8960 processor, 16GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, NFC, DLNA, GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, a 2100 mAh battery, 2 megapixel front-facing camera and a 12.6 megapixel rear-facing camera. Other goodies include dual-3D surround sound and a weight of 4.76 ounces.

Aside from the dual-core processor (quad-core would have been ideal), the other point worth taking issue with is the version of Android — the Pantech Discover is launching with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Those looking towards the Discover can also expect goodies such as SwiftKey and the AT&T DriveMode app which attempts to help stop you from texting while driving.

The Pantech Discover will also arrive with the “Easy Experience” mode which aims to make things easier for those new to Android, or new to smartphones in general. Some may remember the “Easy Experience” mode from the Pantech Flex, which was released for AT&T back in September of 2012. Finally, the Pantech Discover will be priced at $49.99 (on a two-year agreement) and available on January 11.

MadFinger Games teases Dead Trigger 2 for Q2 2013

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 08:12 AM PST

We have been pretty big fans of the Dead Trigger game. Of course, as a solid game that is often updated and available for free, it would probably be harder not to like. On that thought, it looks like Dead Trigger fans have a follow-up to look forward to seeing arrive later in the year.

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The folks at Madfinger Games have recently posted a nice little teaser on Twitter. That teaser arrived in the form of the above image and stated rather simply that Dead Trigger 2 would arrive in Q2 2013. Unfortunately nothing more specific has been given which means we are going to have to sit back and wait for a while. This also suggests that we may see the Tegra 4 processor during the second quarter.

Otherwise, in case you missed our bit from last evening, Dead Trigger 2 was shown off by NVIDIA. The company offered a bit of a demo for the Dead Trigger 2 game and stated that it will be one of the first games to support the quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor, which is being touted as the “fastest mobile processor.”

Touching back on the NVIDIA event from last evening, we also saw the company make it clear that they have their sites set on the cloud gaming market. And that comes in addition to the announcement for the NVIDIA Shield game controller, which while it looks like a MOGA controller, is actually sporting a 5-inch HD display and running a vanilla version of Android.

Alcatel One Touch Idol and Idol Ultra smartphones unveiled during CES

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 07:37 AM PST

In addition to the announcement for the One Touch Scribe X and Scribe HD-LTE smartphones, Alcatel also announced the One Touch Idol and Idol Ultra during CES 2013. These devices have yet to get any official pricing or release details, however Alcatel is touting the One Touch Idol Ultra as the “world’s slimmest smartphone” which comes courtesy of the 6.45mm thickness.

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Thickness, or thinness of the Idol Ultra aside, lets mention some of the specs for the One Touch Idol first. This handset will be running Android Jelly Bean and sporting features to include a 4.7-inch IPS display, 2 megapixel front-facing camera and 8 megapixel rear-facing camera. This handset will also have a dual-core processor, weigh in at 3.88 ounces and arrive in “premium” brushed metal finishes.

Moving over to the One Touch Idol Ultra and we have a handset with a 4.7-inch HD AMOLED display. And touching back on the thinness for a moment, Alcatel is quick to point out that the measurements will not hinder the performance. Aside from the HD display, the Idol Ultra will also feature a dual-core 1.2GHz processor and an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with 1080p HD video recording. The Idol Ultra will arrive running Jelly Bean.

Finally, as mentioned earlier, we have yet to see any details regarding a release timeframe. That being said, Alcatel has stated that these One Touch Idol devices will roll-out globally in 2013. They have also stated that they have “grown exponentially since entering the US market eight years ago” and that they plan to “take things to the next level” — which sort of implies that these devices will be available in the US.

Alcatel One Touch Scribe X and Scribe HD-LTE smartphones unveiled at CES

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 07:17 AM PST

Alcatel has come to CES and wasted no time in getting started with the announcements, which include the One Touch Scribe X and Scribe HD-LTE smartphones. Or maybe more accurately given the display size, the Scribe X and Scribe HD-LTE phablets. But regardless of the name you choose to use, these One Touch devices will each have a 5-inch display.

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Keeping in mind, while Alcatel has offered an official announcement for both of these Scribe devices, they have yet to offer a full set of specs for either. Not to mention, we have yet to see anything in terms of pricing or a release date. That out of the way, lets get into what each of these will offer. Of course, the HD-LTE portion of the name does give a clue for one of the two.

The Scribe HD-LTE will be an LTE compatible version of the Scribe HD. This handset will bring goodies to include a 5-inch HD display, a quad-core MediaTek MT6589 processor, a 720p HD front-facing camera and an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera. This handset will arrive running Jelly Bean.

The Scribe X will share some of the same features. For example, this handset will also have a 5-inch HD display and 720p HD front-facing camera. Other specs for the Scribe X include a quad-core 1.4GHz processor and 12 megapixel rear-facing camera. Bottom line here, Alcatel has officially entered the 5-inch smartphone market with these Scribe branded offerings which are described as being able to offer the “perfect balance between slim design, large display, outstanding performance, and rich user experience.”

PowerA announces the MOGA Pro controller with spring 2013 availability

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 06:44 AM PST

Many will likely remember the MOGA name due to the recent giveaway where PowerA offered the controller (along with Modern Combat 4) for free. Well, for free with small fee for shipping. That model MOGA aside though, the company has come to CES and officially announced the next-generation MOGA controller, the PowerA MOGA Pro.

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The MOGA Pro is said to be a console-style controller and it will feature goodies to include full-sized console-style trigger grips, precision dual analog sticks, 4 action buttons, a classic directional pad, two shoulder buttons and two shoulder triggers. Additionally, the MOGA Pro will include a tablet stand, USB charging cord and rechargeable batteries.

Otherwise, this edition of the MOGA controller will arrive with full support for the MOGA Mobile Gaming System which means support for the MOGA Pivot App and Bluetooth syncing with Android smartphones and tablets. Aside from the tablet stand, the MOGA Pro controller will work with smartphones that are up to 3.2-inches in width.

So far we have yet to see an announcement in terms of pricing for the MOGA Pro, however PowerA has said that the controller is expected to be available during the spring of 2013. Finally, while some may opt to wait for the MOGA Pro at this point, we should point out that the previously existing MOGA controller remains available and priced at $49.99.

Belkin WeMo Light Switch announced with Android support

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 06:23 AM PST

Belkin has officially announced the latest addition in their WeMo home automation device lineup. The new addition is the WeMo Light Switch and it arrives with support for Android. This is an internet connected light switch that is designed to replace the standard in-wall switch. That said, there are a few points we need to bring up in terms of the Android support.

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To begin with, Belkin has noted that the WeMo Light Switch will support Android 4.0 or later. And sure, that will rule out about 50 percent of users. But that bit aside, it was also said that the Android support will arrive “at or shortly after launch.” For those keeping track, these are expected to arrive in the summer of 2013.

Getting back to the switch itself though, this will replace your existing wall switch and connect to your home network over Wi-Fi. The WeMo Light Switch will allow you to control the lights (using a free app) over Wi-Fi as well as a mobile internet connection. In other words, you will be able to control those lights from your Android device regardless of where you are at that moment.

Belkin has yet to reveal any pricing for the WeMo Light Switch. They have however announced that they will be launching an open beta period in February. The open beta will be available for users with a Galaxy S III as well as “other leading devices.” Finally, in addition to the support for this newly announced light switch, it will also allow Android users to control the previously existing WeMo line including the Switch and Motion.

Nuance announces Living Language crowdsourced learning for Swype

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 05:59 AM PST

We are certainly seeing the alternate keyboard market heating up lately. We have the new arrivals such as the Kii Keyboard and Snapkeys Si. Not to mention the favorites such as SwiftKey and Swype. And well, it looks like Swype has gotten out early in terms of CES and announced the latest new features for their swipe-based keyboard. The latest addition for Swype is called Living Language.

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This is a crowd sourced feature, one that is described as using “crowdsourcing to analyze new words and phrases in real-time, continuously updating our language dictionaries.” This is an opt-in feature and means that those who choose to be a part will be able to share and receive trending words and phrases in real-time. This should help to improve the typing speed, not to mention, make it a bit easier for you to spell those non-dictionary words and phrases that are often used.

In addition to the Living Language feature, this latest release of Swype also has a Smart Editor which is described as being able to analyze an entire sentence and in turn flag it for any potential errors. You will of course, have the opportunity to review and correct any of those potential errors before sending.

The Swype keyboard now also supports Dragon Dictation in a dozed additional languages including Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Greek, Hebrew, Malay, Romanian, Slovak, Turkish, Thai, Vietnamese, and Ukrainian. That all being said, this latest release is available from the Swype website, however the keyboard remains available in beta form.

Acer Iconia B1-A71 tablet gets an official announcement

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 05:22 AM PST

We have seen a few leaks in the lead up to CES, and well, it looks like Acer has come forward with an official announcement for the Iconia B1 tablet. Or a bit more specifically, the Iconia B1-A71 tablet. This is a 7-inch device that will arrive running Jelly Bean. Perhaps key for some, the price will be relatively low.

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Putting the pricing aside for a moment though, lets discuss the specs. The Iconia B1-A71 features begin with the 7-inch display, which is sporting a resolution of 1024 x 600 and go on to include a dual-core 1.2GHz Mediatek (MTK 8317T) processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage space, microSD card slot and a 0.3 megapixel front-facing camera.

Other goodies include a 2170 mAh battery, an internal speaker, 3.5mm headphone jack, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth and a weight of 320 grams. According to details coming from Acer, the price of the tablet will be “less than $150.” More to the point here, Acer is pushing the Iconia B1-A71 as a tablet that is “ideal for new users or families opting for a 2nd tablet for their children.”

Regardless of your reasoning to purchase though, the price is relatively low and the specs seems to match. Aside from the hardware goodies, this tablet will have access to the Google Play store which really just means easy access to the more than 750,000 available apps as well as music, movies, books, magazines and more. Finally, if a low-priced tablet from Acer sounds good but you are looking for something bigger than 7-inches, the company also as three 10-inch tablets running Android.

NVIDIA Shield to challenge OUYA for Android console dominance

Posted: 06 Jan 2013 10:04 PM PST

While NVIDIA GRID was big and the Tegra 4 was even bigger, NVIDIA has just surprised us all with the announcement of NVIDIA Shield. What is NVIDIA Shield you ask? It’s a new Android console from the company, and it will be one of the first devices to showcase the power of the all new Tegra 4.

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That by itself is pretty exciting, but there’s plenty more to get excited about. The image above may not look like anything special – truthfully the Shield looks an awful lot like a MOGA controller with a smartphone attached – but there’s more than enough here to get the mobile gaming enthusiast salivating. For starters, you know how you’re always craving a vanilla Android experience? You’ll find exactly that in the NVIDIA Shield.

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You’re also getting a console-grade controller, complete with face buttons, bumpers, analog sticks, and a d-pad. The face buttons in the middle of the console feature familiar Android system buttons, including back and home. The Shield is also outfitted with a dedicated Jawbone and speakers right on the controller. Finally, we’ve got a 5-inch, 1080p display attached to the controller (along with mini HDMI, USB, microSD, and a headphone jack), so you know gaming is going to be pretty awesome on it.

Not only does this run on Android, but it’s also connected to the cloud, making it a prime candidate for NVIDIA GRID, the new streaming service we just told you about. It’s certainly been an exciting night for NVIDIA fans, and you can bet we’ll be putting the NVIDIA Shield through its paces just as soon as we can. Keep it tuned here to Android Community for much more from CES 2013!

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[via SlashGear]

NVIDIA GRID sets its sights on cloud gaming market

Posted: 06 Jan 2013 09:43 PM PST

NVIDIA‘s biggest announcement of the night is arguably the reveal of the Tegra 4, but the announcement of NVIDIA GRID is definitely giving the Tegra 4 a run for its money. NVIDIA GRID marks the company’s entrance into the cloud gaming market, and though we often associate PCs with cloud gaming services, this is also a big announcement for those playing on tablets and smartphones.

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Of course, plenty of companies have failed or otherwise seem to have plateaued where NVIDIA is looking to conquer, so the company definitely has its work cut out for it. NVIDIA apparently has the power to succeed where others couldn’t, as it will be using 20 GRID servers per rack, along with 240 of its famous GPUs, which are working at 200 TFLOPS. To give you an idea of how powerful that will be, that’s equivalent to about 700 Xbox 360s.

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Seven years after the fact, the Xbox 360 can hardly be considered a super-powerful machine, but if you combine 700 of them, you’re definitely working with a lot of power. The result is what NVIDIA is calling “revolutionary cloud-gaming architecture,” and it should allow users to stream games with all of the graphics eye candy turned up to the max. That will certainly come in handy if you want to play the latest PC games but don’t have a rig that can handle max settings.

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If course, it also means good things for tablets and smartphones, all of which would probably melt if they attempted to run current PC games at max settings. Essentially, any Internet -device should be able to stream games using NVIDIA GRID, which is certainly an exciting prospect indeed. Keep it tuned here to Android Community for much more from CES 2013!

Dead Trigger 2 demo shown off as first Tegra 4 game

Posted: 06 Jan 2013 09:41 PM PST

Today the folks at NVIDIA unloaded a whopper on us. That being their new and improved “fastest mobile processor” NVIDIA Tegra 4 quad-core chip for smartphones and tablets. While they were teasing the amazing graphics we can expect in mobile gaming, they also shown off a game we didn’t know was coming. Essentially announcing a sequel to one of the best shooters on Android — that being Dead Trigger.

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Yup, the excellent Dead Trigger shooter for Android from MadFinger Games (developers of Shadowgun) are happy to formally announce Dead Trigger 2 is coming soon. In fact it will most likely be one of the first games launched with support to enjoy all the power NVIDIA’s Tegra 4 can provide.

Dead Trigger had some of the best graphics to date, and is close to Call of Duty as you’ll get — only with zombies. Dead Trigger 2 was very briefly shown off on stage here live at the NVIDIA CES 2013 press conference, and it looks epic. With stunning visuals, detailed lighting and effects that are truly “console quality”. It looks impressive.

We’ve been saying that for a while, but the Tegra 4 is finally making console quality games for mobile devices a reality. We have a feeling a ShadowGun 2 may be coming soon, followed by improvements and updates to their popular DeadZone multiplayer. Most likely NVIDIA and the developers MadFinger Games will be sharing details soon, so stay tuned.

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NVIDIA unveils Tegra 4 processor at CES conference

Posted: 06 Jan 2013 09:12 PM PST

We’re live at CES 2013, and NVIDIA is using the show to make quite a few major announcements. After letting us know what it’s been doing in the PC gaming space, NVIDIA pulled the veil off the long-rumored Tegra 4 mobile processor. Yes, we all knew it was going to be announced, but boy does it feel great to finally have official confirmation.

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As you might expect, NVIDIA is boasting some pretty awesome features with the Tegra 4. The company is calling it the “world’s fastest mobile processor” and it seems to have the statistics to back that claim up. For starters, the Tegra 4 uses four A15 cores. While the Tegra 3 was a quad core processor, that one used less-powerful A9 cores, so the Tegra 4 should be significantly faster than its predecessor.

The Tegra 4′s whopping 72 GPU cores should also help with that. Make no mistake, NVIDIA has packed the Tegra 4 with processor cores, so don’t be surprised to see this newest release in the processor family burning up the benchmarks. Couple that with NVIDIA’s 4G LTE modem processor, and you’ve definitely got a new mobile processor worth getting excited about.

To get an idea of just how much faith NVIDIA has in its new mobile processor, CEO Jen-Hsung Huang said on stage at the company’s conference that the Tegra 4 was faster than Apple’s A6X processor, which is currently featured in the fourth-gen iPad. We’re also promised improved image quality and faster HDR (along with one shot and always-on HDR features) with this new iteration of the Tegra. We shall see if this processor is the best on the block soon enough, so stay tuned.

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