| Readmill, the popular iOS eReader app, is now available for Android Oct 3rd 2013, 18:51, by Nate Swanner Available only for iOS until now, popular mobile device reading app Readmill has made its way to Android. The simple, elegant iOS app offers nothing more than a clean reading environment, free of cluttered ads or a fussy interface. Readmill also offers a community for sharing books, and will upload books you have saved on your device in ePub format. Of course, for those using Kindle or Play Books, the app will not find any of your books. 
The reading app also sets itself apart, offering reviews from users, not just those grabbed from the web. You can also see annotations made by other readers, and share yours to followers or the web, making for a truer sharing experience. The Digital Reader is also reporting that Readmill has partnered with several self publishing houses and independent booksellers to bring users more to read. The app is one of the cleanest readers around, but has a few niggles to overcome. It doesn't have a search function for finding books in their free marketplace, which could prove cumbersome for those looking for a specific title. Gladly, they have a bevy of classic titles to keep you occupied until they fix their search problem, and the typography and overall aesthetics are easy on the eyes. Readmill is available for download now on the Play Store, so give it a shot. Early reviews are very positive, with a 4.9 at the time or writing. It's free, social, and a pleasure to use, so we hope they fix their minor issues sooner rather than later. |  | Samsung Mobile Chief Kevin Packingham leaves company, reasons unclear Oct 3rd 2013, 18:45, by Robert Nelson Samsung’s Kevin Packingham has departed from the company. Packingham served as the chief product officer and spent two years with Samsung Mobile. He played a role in the introduction of many of Samsung’s top devices including the Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S 4. The reason for his leaving remains a mystery and Samsung hasn’t yet confirmed if this was a voluntary move. 
Samsung did issue a statement, though it was on the vague side as far as departure statements go. Samsung Mobile spokesperson, Ashley Wimberly said rather simply that; “Kevin Packingham has departed Samsung Mobile.” She also went on to say they “thank Kevin for his contributions and wish him well in his future endeavors.” Packingham has yet to issue any statement or confirmation. Aside from working on some of the bigger devices coming out of Samsung, Packingham also dealt with the carriers. In fact, he recently spoke about how Samsung was able to take a different approach with the carriers. He touched on how carriers often have to do much of the advertising in addition to the selling of the hardware. As many will likely realize, Samsung took care of quite a bit of advertising, which according to Packingham, that “took a lot of burden off the carriers.” Anyway, with no hints as to where he may be headed next, we can look back in history. Packingham previously served as chief executive of Amerilink Telecom and was also with Sprint as a product executive. SOURCE: The New York Times Bits Blog | | Google acquired gesture-based company Flutter Oct 3rd 2013, 18:13, by Nate Swanner Yesterday, Google very quiety acquired gesture-based company Flutter for an undisclosed amount. While Google made no mention of the acquisition, they did provide The Next Web with a statement, saying "We're really impressed by the Flutter team's ability to design new technology based on cutting-edge research. We look forward to supporting and collaborating on their research efforts at Google." 
Flutter has been touting its service as "Kinect for OS X", and the video below gives a glimpse into what they're all about. Essentially, the service uses your front-facing camera to identify gestures, which then relate to which app or service you're using. It is opt-in, so those of us concerned about security or battery life need not worry too much. While Flutter's efforts so far have been with OS X and the laptop/desktop realm, Google offered no word on just how they'd be working Flutter into their current offerings. Recent acquisitions by Google have been adopted straight into existing services, as Waze did with Maps. Flutter, however, is nothing like any Google service or function we're aware of. The quick assumption is that this will find its way into Chrome OS, and that's fair, but it may not tell the whole story. With Google continuing to merge functionality across Chrome and Android, there is no reason Flutter couldn't find its way onto Android in the future. All devices seem to come with a front-facing camera, and that's what Flutter relies on, so we'll be excited to see just what Google does with the Flutter team under their wing. | | OUYA preps further European expansion Oct 3rd 2013, 17:54, by Robert Nelson OUYA has recently announced plans to bring the game console to additional markets across Europe. The goal is for the console to begin arriving later this month. According to Gamasutra, this expansion will include a mix of Western and Eastern Europe, though as of now we have yet to see details on each and every market. 
Distribution in Eastern Europe will be handled by Action and P.A., while distribution in Western Europe will be provided by Flashpoint and Digital Brothers. There hasn’t been many specifics in terms of Eastern Europe just yet. Basically, we have yet to see any specific stores or countries named. As for Western Europe, that list is pretty wide open. OUYA availability will be coming to the following countries; Austria, Benelux, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Scandanavia, Spain and Switzerland. Basically, that is to say those in Western Europe should be covered. While we have the basics, we expect more details from OUYA as they get firmed up. Otherwise, aside from this latest expansion news, there has been plenty of OUYA related chatter recently. The company updated the firmware back in September and that brought improvements in terms of game discovery and also promised that external storage support was something planned for the future. Sadly though, the OUYA team has yet to reveal a solid timeline as to when that can be expected to arrive. There was also a bit of backlash from the “Free the Games” program which prompted some changes in the rules. OUYA detailed these in September, however despite making some adjustments, they made it pretty clear they will be “sticking with it.” For more OUYA related news, including our hands-on review, make sure you dive into the Story Timeline below. | | Google Now update gives card based results, allows for "Ok, Google" command Oct 3rd 2013, 17:39, by Nate Swanner Google recently updated Search to allow for a more unified approach to voice activations. When under the auspice of Google Now, users have become accustomed to saying "Google" before executing a voice search. We'll now be able to add "Ok, Google" to our repertoire, though the traditional "Google" still works fine. 
This brings the search function in line with other Google products, most notably Google Glass, in which wearers say "Ok, Glass". This is also reminiscent of the Moto X, and their touchless control interface which allows us to say "Ok, Google Now" to wake the device from its slumber. The information displayed may also be a bit different. When asking about a popular personality or entity, Google's new card-based interface will show you Wikipedia info about that person or company before getting into the web results. I ran Google Now through its paces, just to see how robust it was. I searched for Lady GaGa (don't judge me!) and was greeted with her Wikipedia entry in card form, then a list of web results. Google even read me the byline to her page, so be sure not to search for something embarrassing in public, unless you're comfortable with the world knowing about your pop culture addiction. 
It got a bit interesting when I searched for more obscure topics. I also did a search for the elusive Daft Punk duo, and was simply told who the members are. Searching for CyanogenMod gave me a quick byline and list of obscure devices they support, and I was pleased that Google easily recognized them, even though the voice reading it back pronounced it very different. Search for HTC, and you'll get a listing above the Wikipedia entry, which is clearly marked "ad". That one raised an eyebrow. If you forget (or just aren't aware yet) all that Google Now can do for you, just say "Ok, Google" when it's listening, and the service will give you a list of cards designed to help you understand how sublime Google Now can be. Set reminders, send messages, even check up on Lady Gaga(!). The update is rolling out now, so be on the lookout for it on your device soon. | | Samsung Shape M7 bringing smartphone-provided wireless audio Oct 3rd 2013, 17:19, by Robert Nelson Samsung has recently introduced the Shape M7 wireless speaker. This one will allow the user to wirelessly stream audio from their smartphone or tablet and the M7 can be used by itself or in conjunction with the Samsung Hub. Having this connected to a Samsung Hub will open things up for a multi-room setup, but regardless of the setup option you choose — the M7 is able to pull audio from a variety of sources. 
Options here include streaming files stored locally on a computer or from the cloud using TuneIn Radio, Amazon Cloud Player, Pandora and Rhapsody. The M7 does require a net connection, which means users will have to plug the speaker directly into their home router, or connect it wireless with a Samsung Hub (that happens to be connected to their home router). Using the Hub will bring some additional cost, however it also means less wires run through the house should you have multiple speakers in-use. Samsung has the Shape M7 using a dual-band WiFi and Multi-Channel Mesh Network technology which is really just another way of saying you should be able to stream audio without having to worry about any interference. As you can see from the images included here in the post, the Shape M7 is available in both black and white and can be used sitting flat or standing up. There is also an optional wall mount for those looking to keep the tables clear. 
Otherwise, Samsung describes the Shape M7 as being able to provide audio that is “articulated through speaker technology that delivers warm and natural sound color.” To that point, the Shape M7 speaker setup includes a Foam Core Woofer, CNT pulp cone mid-range speakers and silk dome tweeters. The Samsung Shape M7 speaker will be available beginning on October 13th with a price tag of $399.99. As for those looking to use it in conjunction with the Samsung Hub, that will add another $49.99 to the total price. | |
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