| Omate TrueSmart teaser video takes Android for a spin Oct 9th 2013, 19:11, by Robert Nelson Omate seems to have slowed down on the TrueSmart updates since the Kickstarter came to an end, however judging from this latest video, it looks like they have been making some progress. We know the watch will be running a full version of Android. In this case Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, however we suspect some are concerned with how that may translate to the 1.54-inch 240 x 240 display. 
Or for that matter, how well it will perform with the dual-core 1.3GHz Cortex A7 processor. The true test of these will likely be when the smartwatch begins arriving in the mailbox of those who backed it on Kickstarter. But for now the Omate team is giving us a fairly good look in this latest video. The performance seems to be good and the touchscreen appears to be responsive. In addition, this video also offers a look at what may be a more everyday use case — bouncing in and out of various apps. In the video we get a brief look at the watch in the Play Store, and also on Google+. This video also takes you into Facebook and the Settings. Perhaps key here, while this may seem like an obvious statement, things appear to be just like Android, just done on a smaller scale. There was also a look at some of the watchfaces. The video showed a few of them, and also went into how a swipe up (on a face) will offer various color or style options. Alternatively, it appears as if you can swipe to the left (from the right) to switch from face to face. Aside from the specs already mentioned in this post, the TrueSmart will also have a microSIM card slot, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, 600 mAh battery, speaker/microphone and 5 megapixel camera. General Kickstarter shipments are expected in November with some developer editions expected to arrive in October. |  | Amazon will have streaming media player by Christmas, according to WSJ report Oct 9th 2013, 18:59, by Nate Swanner Remember the 'Firetube" name we told you Amazon registered not long ago? It seems there might be something coming this holiday season from everyone's favorite online retailer. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that "people briefed on the company's plans" say Amazon will release a Roku-esque streaming media player this year. 
If true, this pits Amazon against a host of other set-top boxes and plug-in dongles. Most notably the Roku, which Amazon currently makes their content available for. An Amazon branded streaming device would also explain why Amazon has been mum about bringing Prime to the Chromecast, which is highly desirable for fans of Google's powerhouse dongle. According to the sources, the Amazon media player would even resemble a Roku box, and could offer games — like Roku does. Of course, this would all tie into Amazon's Prime membership, and if Amazon history tells us anything, it won't offer any outside services like Netflix. Amazon is keen to sell their own tablets, and that strategy may be coming to living rooms as well. Codenamed "Cinnamon", there was no hard date for release, or even specifics on pricing from the WSJ sources. If Amazon plans on entering the living room with their own device, they may be a little late to the game; between the Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, and On-Demand content from cable providers, the space is limited.
| | Google shopping results now showing up on mobile Oct 9th 2013, 17:58, by Nate Swanner When searching for products on the desktop, Google's new format brings you "Shop on Google" in the results, where you can click on the item you want and find it at a retailer. Sometimes online, but also listed at local stores, Google's shopping feature is designed to drive traffic to retailers, which in turn boosts ad revenue for the mothership. It's a win-win. 
Those results are now coming to mobile, with Google bringing it all to your search queries on your phone or tablet. In a random search for "tents", the results were the same across desktop and mobile. Right down to clicking on the header for "Shop on Google", what was returned was nearly identical — even the ads on top.
This is all housed in the Google Merchant Center, where retailers can alert Google of stock on hand and pricing in real-time. What was already a great feature about Google search has gone mobile, bringing an added layer of depth to mobile searches. Oddly enough, this wasn't available on a Nexus 7 2013, but a Nexus 4 returned the promised results just fine. It's worth noting that mobile data was turned off on the phone, so perhaps this is a staged rollout. Either way, Google's shopping programs are all rounding into shape.
| | Archos GamePad 2 US pricing and release details revealed Oct 9th 2013, 17:45, by Robert Nelson The FCC spilled some details on the Archos GamePad 2 and we later saw it briefly appear online. As of today however, Archos has come forward with some official details. We now have an official set of specs, some pricing and word the GamePad 2 will be available for purchase in the US at “the end of Q4.” 
Archos has yet to offer anything specific in terms of a date, or even a month for the US release. They have offered a price though, the GamePad 2 will be $199.99. That said, given those earlier leaks some of these specs may sound a bit familiar. The GamePad 2 has a 7-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 and will be powered by a quad-core A9 processor at 1.6GHz. The system will also have 2GB of RAM, 8GB or 16GB of internal storage and a microSD slot that supports cards up to 64GB in size. Connectivity will be provided by dual-band WiFi and there will also be Bluetooth, a front-facing camera, stereo speakers, HDMI and a 3.5mm headphone jack.    As for the gaming side, the GamePad 2 will have two analog thumb sticks, a directional pad, 6 front-facing buttons and 4 shoulder buttons. Obviously the focus will be on the gaming side, however given this is running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with Play Store access — it will also serve as a tablet. In addition to being able to download games from the Play Store, Gameloft is providing a few freebies. Specifically, Asphalt 8: Airborne and Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour. These have both been tweaked to work better with the physical controls on the GamePad. Archos has also improved the Game Mapping Tool for other games. This should allow users to map any touch-screen game. Otherwise, aside from the US release, Archos has also said the GamePad 2 will be available in Europe at the end of October. The European price will be €179.99 and regardless of location — the system can be purchased from the Archos website. | |
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