Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Android Community

Android Community


Soundwave updates adds Spotify and Rdio syncing

Posted: 02 Jul 2013 11:22 AM PDT

The Soundwave app has recently been updated. Those not familiar with the app should know this is a music discovery app. Think social and think discovery by way of sharing and you will start getting the idea. Soundwave hooks up to the music you are listening to on your device and then shares those tracks out with others.

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On the flip side, you can also see the music that others are listening to. With that in mind, the folks at Soundwave have recently updated the Android app and added some welcomed new support. This latest update is available in the Google Play Store and the app is currently sitting at version 1.0.2.

The app had been able to share music that you were listening to from your handset, however it now also shares music from a few services. The supported services include Spotify and Rdio. These options are both turned on by default, however Spotify users will need to take one extra step to make sure things are working properly.

To get fully setup with Spotify you will need to enable the “Device Broadcast” option in the Spotify app settings. Additionally, this latest Soundwave update added support for YouTube and Soundcloud streaming and also brought some unspecified bug fixes and enhancements to the user interface.

Otherwise, looking back to one of the previous features — there is the map view. This is called the Music Map and accessible from the left-side navigation menu. Using the map is simple, you locate yourself and then draw a circle. From this point Soundwave shows other users (inside the circle). Basically, this allows you to see which music is trending close to where you happen to be.

SOURCE: Google Play Store

HTC One S updates officially come to an end

Posted: 02 Jul 2013 10:13 AM PDT

The HTC One S is still a relatively new handset. Well, new in the respect that those who picked one up with T-Mobile are likely still tied to their original two-year agreement. The carrier had released the handset in April 2012. Anyway, with that in mind, it looks like some bad news has arrived not only for those T-Mobile users, but for anyone that happens to be carrying an HTC One S.

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HTC has confirmed the handset will not be receiving any future software updates. They have said the handset “will remain on the current version of Android and HTC Sense.” The slightly more interesting part of the statement comes in where HTC acknowledges that users will be disappointed but still reminds them about how the One S had been optimized with their “amazing camera and audio experiences.”

The full statement from HTC reads as follows;

“We can confirm that the HTC One S will not receive further Android OS updates and will remain on the current version of Android and HTC Sense.  We realize this news will be met with disappointment by some, but our customers should feel confident that we have designed the HTC One S to be optimized with our amazing camera and audio experiences.”

Basically, it looks like those who picked the One S up when it was originally released will be left where they currently stand in terms of software. One silver lining is how the handset is at least running Jelly Bean. Granted, the One S has Android 4.1 and not 4.2, but it could be worse — you could still be on Ice Cream Sandwich.

As a refresher, the HTC One S sports a 4.3-inch AMOLED display at 960 x 540 along with a dual-core 1.5GHz processor with 1GB of RAM. Not terrible specs by any means, but certainly nothing that would be considered anything above mid-range. With that, we suppose those who are truly upset by this news from HTC can start looking towards alternate options in the form or rooting and third party ROMs.

AT&T aims for Verizon with launch of 35 new 4G LTE markets

Posted: 02 Jul 2013 10:11 AM PDT

This morning AT&T had some pretty big news to announce regarding their network upgrades. It has been a while since we’ve seen an update of this size, and today they confirmed they’ll be switching on 35 new 4G LTE markets. With Verizon announcing last week they already hit their goal to have nearly all 3G covered with 4G by the end of 2013, AT&T is turning up the heat.

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Verizon is ahead of the pack in terms of network updates and expansions, but AT&T is close behind and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. The folks from AT&T have been announcing upgrades and new 4G LTE markets about once a week, and around 10-15 at a time.

However, this morning they detailed a huge push to show how serious they are with their goals, and have lit up 35 new markets across the US with 4G LTE. That isn’t all either, they’ve also expanded in 17 that already are enjoying the fast speeds. That’s a pretty massive update all in one weekend.

With nearly 50 cities all seeing updates today they list is too long to share, but all of the details and every location is available from the link below. Aside from Washington, Colorado, and Texas, all locations are mostly across the midwest and on the East Coast. From Louisiana to Massachusetts and more.

With Verizon’s announcement last week it appears that AT&T is turning the heat up and aiming for Verizon a bit harder. Might as well enjoy those new LTE speeds with the impressive Galaxy S 4 Active, or a new HTC One from AT&T. Check em out in the timeline below.

SOURCE: AT&T

Huawei names Colin Giles as Consumer Business Group EVP

Posted: 02 Jul 2013 09:09 AM PDT

Colin Giles resigned from Nokia back in April. Giles was an executive vice president of sales with Nokia and the reason for his resignation was so he could “be closer to his family.” Well, flash forward till present day and it looks like Colin Giles has turned up with Huawei. The company has named Colin Giles as the executive vice president of the Huawei Consumer Business Group.

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This has been made official as of July 1, 2013 and it was said that Giles will be in charge of global marketing, retail and open channel development. Giles appears to have already jumped in talking about the Ascend P6 stating that “the company has already made big strides in the global marketplace with the introduction of flagship products that quickly became the talk of the town.”

Looking forward Giles has said he will be working with the Consumer Business Group in an effort to “continue to 'Make it Possible' for smartphone users worldwide." Otherwise, aside from statements from Giles, there was also some talk on the matter coming from Richard Yu.

For those not familiar with the name, Yu is the CEO of the Consumer Business Group. Here he has talked about how Giles has done great things in the past and how they are “thrilled” to welcome him to the team.

"Colin has achieved phenomenal success in his previous roles in the industry and has a wealth of experience in mobile brand marketing, device sales, and open channel development. We are thrilled to welcome him to our team and believe he will be instrumental in further propelling the growth of Huawei's global marketing efforts, and contribute to our goal to become a leading consumer brand in the world."

Aside from the Giles joining the Consumer Business Group with Huawei, the company has also been ranked number four in the global market share for smartphone shipments. This number four ranking was for the first quarter of 2013 and the data comes by way of research provided by both IDC and Strategy Analytics.

SOURCE: Huawei

Pebble smartwatch Best Buy availability looks imminent [UPDATE]

Posted: 02 Jul 2013 08:34 AM PDT

Rumors surfaced yesterday about the Pebble smartwatch coming to Best Buy and it looks like they have since been confirmed. We have yet to see any official announcement from either Best Buy or Pebble, however a coming soon style listing has recently appeared on the retailers website.

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Basically, the Pebble is not yet available with Best Buy but it does appear as if that will soon be changing. At the moment Best Buy has the Pebble listed in red and with a price point of $149.99. This is a bit more than the Kickstarter backers paid for their watch, however it is not an unexpected price point. In fact, those looking to pre-order direct from Pebble will be paying $150.

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The Best Buy website simply has the Pebble showing as coming soon. A call to Best Buy didn’t offer much else in terms of details. The Best Buy we called did say the watch was coming but they also made it clear the Pebble was not on shelves just yet and were not able to provide a release date.

The other bit worth mentioning here includes the color options. Or in this case the lack of color options. At this time Best Buy only has the Pebble listed in red. We would however expect more colors once the availability actually begins. Looking back to those earlier rumors and a possible availability date could be July 7th.

While the smartwatch is just as easy to purchase direct from the Pebble website, we suppose the Best Buy availability would be nice if for no other reason than it would allow you to actually see it in person. You know, just in case you were worried that it may not actually fit your wrist. We also shared our thoughts on the Pebble a while back after wearing it for a few weeks. And just to give an update on that, we can say our Pebble is still being worn daily.

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[Update] The folks at Pebble have since confirmed the Best Buy availability. The Jet Black Pebble is available online as of today and will be in retail stores on Sunday July 7th. The price will be $149.99 and the watch has been given a new package (seen above) for retail. Furthermore, in addition to the black, the Cherry Red Pebble will be available with Best Buy in August.

VIA: Mark Gurman

SOURCE: Best Buy

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active rooted by Geohot

Posted: 02 Jul 2013 08:00 AM PDT

AT&T has had the Galaxy S4 Active available for a few weeks now, however the folks over on the xda-developer had still been searching for a way to root the handset. In fact, a thread was created in late-June that offered a bounty for the person that could root the handset and make the method available for other users. And well, it looks like famed iPhone and Sony hacker Geohot has done just that.

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Geohot jumped on that thread and shared a few images as proof. Those images also came with a brief message that makes this achievement seem rather casual and matter of fact. His comment included how he “swung by the AT&T store today on the way back from the beach” and picked up a Galaxy S4 Active. He then went on to mention how he “didn’t know they weren’t rooted yet.”

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Well, it looks like the S4 Active is now rooted. With that, those with an Galaxy S4 Active can head to a specially created website to begin the rooting process. Geohot has things setup at geohot.com/activeroot/. The process appears to be simple enough, visit that site on your Active, click the lambda, install the APK file and run activeroot.

We have yet to test the process ourselves, but from what we have seen scrolling through the xda-develoers forums — the process appears to work without issue. Further comments in the thread offer praise about how this is the easiest root method to date. Anyway, from this point users can then head to the Play Store and to grab an SU app.

As we mentioned, we have yet to test this root method ourselves but we have spent some time playing with the handset and in fact, we recently posted our review.

SOURCE: XDA

Google Reader data remains available through mid-July

Posted: 02 Jul 2013 07:22 AM PDT

As we had expected, Google has officially turned the lights off for Reader. The service went offline around midnight, however there is a bit of good news for those who may have been slacking in terms of downloading your data. Google will have all of your subscription data available until the middle of July.

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Specifically, Google has said the Reader subscription data will be available until until 12PM PST July 15, 2013. The Reader data includes your subscriptions along with lists of people you follow, items you have starred, notes that you have created and more. Of course, we suspect most will be interested only in the subscription list.

The data is available by way of Google Takeout and just to drive this point home, you will only have access to grab that data until July 15th. In fact, Google has made it quite clear that it will be deleted afterward. In what is likely to be the final posting on the Reader Blog, the team has said “all subscription data will be permanently, and irrevocably deleted” as of July 15th.

Further details mention that after July 15th Google “will not be able to recover any Google Reader subscription data for any user.” Bottom line — get your Reader data before July 15th or lose it forever. Otherwise, aside from the doom sounding get your data before the 15th bit, Google has also taken a final opportunity to thank the users.

Or perhaps more important for some, the Reader Team briefly mentioned about how they understand you may not agree with this decision and pointed users to the alternativeTo website for other options. Of course, we shared some of our alternatives in a post here on Android Community yesterday.

SOURCE: Google Reader Blog

Motorola DROID Ultra leak reveals glossy colors and DuPont Kevlar body

Posted: 02 Jul 2013 06:37 AM PDT

It looks like Motorola has revealed some details on an upcoming smartphone. The device is called the DROID Ultra and the details are coming by way of Motorola’s own website. That said, while the name and some details have been mentioned, there is still plenty of mystery remaining.

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The DROID in the name implies the handset will be heading to Verizon Wireless and otherwise, we also know it will be sporting a “high-grade DuPont Kevlar body.” And taking the exterior one step further, there was also mention of the DROID Ultra arriving in “a bunch of glossy colors.”

There aren’t any images of the handset on the landing page, however it looks like a big highlight of the Ultra will be thickness. Well, in this case the thinness may be a more accurate description. Otherwise, the little bit we have seen from Motorola goes back to the DuPont Kevlar body which should say something about the strength and durability of the handset.

The other part worth mentioning about this landing page are the specs. Yes, there are some listed if you scroll down a bit, but they appear to be nothing more than a placeholder. Or actually, a copy of the specs from another Motorola RAZR handset. The specs match the Droid RAZR M. Basically, it looks like Motorola used the RAZR M setup as a template to get things started.

The Ultra sounds interesting enough at this point, but it is also worth mentioning the use of Kevlar is nothing new. In fact, we saw Motorola use some kevlar material on the RAZR M (on the back panel) and on the RAZR HD which had a bit more as compared to the RAZR M.

VIA: PocketNow

SOURCE: Motorola

HTC One over-the-air Android 4.2.2 update surfaces in Taiwan

Posted: 02 Jul 2013 12:27 AM PDT

HTC One users will be seeing the Android 4.2.2 update surface via an over-the-air update sometime in the relatively near future, according to reports coming in from Taiwanese users. Some international users have revealed that they’ve received the newest update, with one publishing a screenshot of the update page that displays the changes other owners can expect.

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One HTC user sent a screenshot of their device update to the folks at Android Central, with the image showing a few details about the update, which features “important enhancements and bug fixes.” Those enhancements include a change to the launcher bar and switch up in the widget panel’s arrangement, as well as the addition of a lock screen-style widget.

The Home button’s behavior has been “enhanced,” according to the System Update info page. Some Home button options have been added, as well, that take away the large black bar that has already been nuked from the One X, and that has quite a few complaints from users. The battery charge can now be seen from within the status bar.

The only update to the Notifications is a “Quick Settings Panel” that allows the user to access a dozen default settings using a newly added touch gesture. Lastly, there’s the Gallery and Camera changes that feature an AF/AE lock feature for focus and exposure from the viewfinder screen. As more reports comes in, we may see some other enhancements crop up.

Previous HTC updates have been pushed out to users in Singapore and Taiwan before other locations, such as with the One X. As such, you should be seeing the update show up eventually, though you might still end up waiting awhile if you’re waiting for a carrier to roll out its version of the update. Have you received the OTA update already? Let us know!

SOURCE: Android Central

GlassTesla app brings car info to Model S and Google Glass owners

Posted: 01 Jul 2013 11:11 PM PDT

Those who own both Google Glass and a Tesla Model S can now bring the two together via the new GlassTesla app, which was announced in the auto maker’s forums earlier this evening. With the app, Glass owners will be able to monitor certain aspects of their Model S, including its charging status and where the vehicle is located at any given moment.

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GlassTesla allows those who own a pair of Glass to check out some common aspects of the Model S without pulling out their smartphone and the using the available app. As with the smartphone app, GlassTesla lets Model S owners check the charging status of their car, as well as starting and stopping the charge process with Glass and opening the charging port.

Owners can also use the app to check the status of their doors, trucks, and sunroof, with the former two showing whether or not they are locked, and with the latter show if it is open or not. As well, the app can be used to perform any of those actions, so the truck is popped when you need it, or the doors are locked without having to return to the car.

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Both interior and exterior temperatures can be monitored, and auto climate can be activated via Glass. Arguably the most useful feature, however, is the ability to view a map and the location of the Model S on that map, in addition to directions on how to get to it. If that isn’t helpful enough, you can also use GlassTesla to make your Model S flash its lights or honk.

You can see what the Glass cards look like even if you don’t have Glass by heading over to GlassTesla.com, where you can also grab the glassware if you have the requisite hardware and vehicle. You’ll need to authorize it on your Google account, then you will need to log in with your Tesla account credentials.

SOURCE: Tesla Motors

Xperia Honami camera features modded for available handsets

Posted: 01 Jul 2013 08:48 PM PDT

We’ve seen leaks of the Xperia handset codenamed “Honami” a few times over the last few weeks, including some images said to be of the device that surfaced earlier today. Among the rumored specs is a 20MP rear camera and snazzy camera features that include Timeshift, Info-Eye, and more. One industrious developer has worked up a mod with these features for a few Xperia devices, so you can try them out now.

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The work was done by “krabappel2548″ over at the xda-developers forum, where the mod was posted. With it, owners of Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, and Xperia Tablet Z devices can use the Honami’s new camera features, which you can see listed in the screenshot above. Among them is Timeshift, AR effects, Photo Effect, Info-Eye, Sweep Panorama, and Superior Auto.

You can check out the full writeup over at the forum, but in summary installation involves flashing the package in recovery mode, then clearing the cache and camera apps data in Settings. In order to use the mod, aside from having one of the three devices, you’ll need a stock 4.2.2 rom and a deodexed rom.

In case you’ve missed it, the Xperia Honami is said to feature a 5-inch 1080p Full HD display featuring Sony’s BRAVIA technology. Inside, there’s a rumored Qualcomm 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor alongside 2GB of RAM. As we mentioned the rear camera is put at 20MP with a 1/1.6-inch sensor and Xenon flash.

The battery, if the rumored specs are true, will be substantial enough to handle the 5-inch display and processing hardware at 2700 to 3000mAh. Likewise, the handset is said to be water and dust resistant at IP57 certified. Software is said to be Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, and the entire device measures in with a profile of 10mm.

SOURCE: Xperia Blog

Qualcomm TOQ patent hints at future smartwatch

Posted: 01 Jul 2013 06:22 PM PDT

Google Glass might be the most notable piece of wearable technology to consumers’ eye (get it?), but smartwatches are more prevalent, with several companies reportedly moving towards developing their own device following the runaway success of the Pebble, which is featured below. Now it looks like Qualcomm is getting into the market with a smartwatch patent discovered for a device called TOQ.

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The revelation comes from a patent Qualcomm filed on June 26th with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a device called TOQ, which is listed in the filing as a “personal communication hub in the form of a wristwatch; portable electronic devices for transmitting and reviewing test, data, image, and audio files; hands free for mobile phones; battery chargers.”

In essence, it sounds exactly like a smartwatch. Looking through the patent, there isn’t anything that stands out too readily, with a relative lack of details that would give us an idea of what the watch in particular will offer that sets it apart from others. It is a big indicator that Qualcomm will be getting into the smartwatch market, however, with a couple possibilities on how that will take place.

While it is possible that Qualcomm plans to produce a smartwatch that will be sold at the consumer level, it is more likely that the company will be entering into the manufacturing aspects of the market, and this smartwatch will be used to harbor the chipsets made by Qualcomm, being sent to vendors and such to showcase the hardware.

The patent doesn’t indicate which is the case, however, and we’ll have to wait for something more tangible to surface before we know for sure. There are some exciting possibilities – if this is a piece intended for shipping around to vendors, we may very well see a smartwatch surface that pushes the limits of what current smartwatches are capable of.

SOURCE: Phandroid

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom set to hit shelves July 8

Posted: 01 Jul 2013 04:52 PM PDT

Samsung officially unveiled their new Galaxy S4 model with a camera attached, properly called the Galaxy S4 Zoom last month. Along with the details and some hands-on during their London Premiere event, absent was an actual release date for the new handset. However, today a few online retailers such as Clove are pegging July 8th as the day.

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We originally reported that it was slated to arrive in early July, but until today we didn’t have an actual release date. While this still isn’t official, it’s likely that Clove and other online UK retailers know something we don’t. Hopefully those interested can get this Galaxy S4 Mini with a 16 megapixel camera soon enough.

Clove is currently taking pre-orders but the device certainly isn’t cheap. According to their online order page their initial stock will arrive on July 8th. So we’re expecting them to ship immediately following their arrival. A US release date isn’t yet know.

For those who didn’t know, the Galaxy S 4 Zoom comes with a 4.3-inch qHD display, 1.5 GHz dual-core and 1.5 GB of RAM. Running on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and Samsung’s TouchWiz this mini phone includes a 16 megapixel lens with 10x optical Zoom for all those photography moments. Then you can instantly upload those right to Facebook, Instagram, or whatever you’d like.

Hopefully we learn more about US release date and carrier plans soon, and in the meantime stay tuned or order one from Clove if you must.

VIA: Clove UK

LG G2 benchmarks show a speedy Snapdragon 800 quad-core

Posted: 01 Jul 2013 04:18 PM PDT

LG has already confirmed their next-gen flagship smartphone will be powered by the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, and now we might finally be seeing our first device benchmarks. Rumored to be called the LG G2, a device listed as the LG-F320 has been spotted running a few benchmarks complete with the Snapdragon 800, and scores quite high in the popular AnTuTu benchmark.

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At this point we’re pretty much sure that LG’s August 7th event will be for their new flagship smartphone to take on the Galaxy Note III, new iPhone, and anything else coming soon from Motorola. Rumors have pointed to the new Optimus G2, and we’ve even seen a few hardware pictures leak of said device as well.

With a 5.5-inch 1080p display, Qualcomm’s 2.3 GHz quad-core under the hood, backside touch controls, and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean this is a hotly anticipated device. While we can’t be certain the benchmark result below is the new G2, it is certainly a new LG smartphone that will be plenty fast. Maybe this will also be the Nexus 5? We’ll see.

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Our own results with the Snapdragon 800 had us coming away quite impressed, not to mention the recently announced Galaxy S 4 LTE-Advanced with its Snapdragon scored nearly 32,000 in AnTuTu. We’ve also seen Sony’s new Xperia Z Ultra packing the same processor, and surely the second half of 2013 will be filled with high-powered quad-core smartphones.

Until we gather more details we’re just left wondering what exactly this benchmark result is, and they can also be faked, but it’s already confirmed LG’s next phone will have the 800. So now all we need to know is what, when, and where can we buy one. We’ll be live on August 7th for all the LG details too, so stick around.

VIA: GSMInsider

Mobio Grip and Go accessory hands-on

Posted: 01 Jul 2013 03:49 PM PDT

When you do a lot more with your tablet than just the occasional light web browsing, being able to hold a 7 or 10-inch slate in various positions with ease becomes a challenge. Whether you’re browsing the web, gaming, reading a few Google Play magazines and more you’ll want to consider the Hello Mobio Grip. As we’re big fans here so far.

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Instead of only using the standard method of holding the bezels, being able to grip the back with ease is extremely comfortable. Especially during those long gaming or reading sessions. We all know extended use of tablets can sometimes get tiring on the wrists. Meet the Mobio Grip, which gives you a durable steel and aluminum ball to easily and safely hold with ease.

The Grip is more designed for tablets and bigger phablets, while the Mobio Go is for smartphones, which also makes mounting and maneuvering in a car quite easy too. The Mobio Grip is a precision-made handle that can be put on or removed in seconds. It double as a stand for your tablet too, so long as you attach it in a centered position. My main thing was being able to palm the back of my tablet with the Mobio safely sitting between my fingers. It makes it quite comfy.

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This allows users to easy carry or hold the tablet no matter the angle, all with one hand. The Mobio Grip uses an industrial magnet that is completely safe for the device, as well as durable 3M adhesive for the base to adhere to your device. While the go option was a bit big for our taste on a smartphone, using the Grip on a tablet was perfect.

Both options from Mobio are available today from Hello Mobio and will run you $34.95 thanks to the high-grade lightweight aluminum and precision design. More pictures are available below for those interested.

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Google Glass XE7 hands-on: Web browsing and better voice controls

Posted: 01 Jul 2013 02:51 PM PDT

Being July 1st Google is right on schedule and has issued another update out for Google Glass. Keeping true to their monthly update promise today they’ve delivered a pretty solid set of improvements. This time around focusing on voice commands and controls, after all Glass is mainly a hands-free device, and they’ve added web browsing. As Google put it, we can do “MOAR MOAR MOAR” with Glass.

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While last month and the XE6 update improved the camera, added HDR, and slightly touched on voice controls. Today’s update is much bigger while also addressing a few key limitations the wearable initially had. That being easy calling and messaging, web browsing, and full Google contact list support. We already received it today. Excellent stuff Google!

We can’t help but think of that darn little girl AT&T commercial “We want more” but Google’s +Project Glass social page has shared all of the details of this latest update. It’s officially known as version XE7, but they’re calling it MOAR MOAR MOAR. Read on to see what’s new with Glass.

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Not only can you navigate, scroll, and zoom web pages with the new browser, but hands-free talking and interaction is looking good. The image above is our page neatly loaded up on Glass, and isn’t it glorious! Glass already had great voice commands, but now you can say "Ok, Glass. Read aloud" to hear an incoming message. All hands-free. The same can be said for "Ok, Glass. Send Message To," make calls, or share a photo by saying "Ok, Glass. Share with" and more.

This should really improve the overall usage and hands-free experience device wide. The demo below is a quick look at web browsing. And remember, the experience is smoother on Glass than when streaming to the Galaxy S4.

With XE4 and 5 improving battery life, XE6 fixing the camera, and now XE7 working on web browsing and voice commands it’s obvious that Google is hard at work with Glass. We can’t wait to see what next month brings, and now all we need is a little price drop and we’ll be happy. Oh and here’s the full changelog for those interested.

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SOURCE: +ProjectGlass

ASUS rep leaks new Nexus 7 specs and release date

Posted: 01 Jul 2013 02:13 PM PDT

At this point we’ve heard multiple different rumors regarding the next-gen second Nexus 7 from ASUS and Google. After expecting it to arrive at Google I/O, only to have the event pass with no such news, we’re now seeing some additional details to get us excited. According to one Google+ user an ASUS rep told him Q2 for the release date and the full spec list. Read on for the latest.

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We’ve already heard a slew of rumors, seen benchmark results, and even Bluetooth SIG filings, so at this point we’re just waiting for the official details. However, this ASUS rep apparently knows all the semi-official information, and wasn’t hesitant to share them either.

As the report goes, one lucky G+ user was prodding for more details on the ASUS tech support channel, and received quite the bit of information. The screenshot below is one of many, and it clearly states internal documents have supplied the specifications revealed. As well as the Q2 release date. Given that, we could be seeing this device anytime now, and hopefully fairly soon.

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Most of the specs aren’t anything new. We’ve been reporting some sort of Qualcomm (and not NVIDIA Tegra) quad-core for some time, as well as a 1080p HD display. At this point though, we’ll take any details we can get. Here’s the full list:

- 7-inch LED display with 1980 x 1200 resolution
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 600
- 2GB of RAM
- 32GB of internal storage
- 5 megapixel rear, 1.2 megapixel front cameras
- Android 4.3
- 4,000 mAh battery
- WiFi N, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC
- 4G LTE

The ASUS chat rep clearly states they aren’t “confirmed” but makes mention of internal documents. So we feel pretty good about this list. Uh Oh, good thing this Google+ user was nice enough to blur out his name. For now we’ll just have to wait and see, but most likely many are happy to see the Snapdragon 600 in there, instead of the aging S4 Pro. Here’s to hoping that mid July release date report was true.

VIA: Phandroid

Parrot ZIK Wireless Headphones Review

Posted: 01 Jul 2013 01:59 PM PDT

We have recently spent some time playing with a set of Parrot headphones. Specifically, the Parrot ZIK headphones, which come as a result of a partnership with Philippe Stark. These headphones feature goodies such as active noise cancellation, a touch control panel, Bluetooth, NFC and a motion detector. Parrot also has an Android app available called the Parrot Audio Suite.

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Hardware

The Parrot ZIK headphones aren’t the smallest around, but at the same time, they feel don’t feel overly bulky when being worn. The folks at Parrot have said they weigh in at 325 grams, which should be a good weight for most users. These headphones support Bluetooth 2.1 and can be easily paired using NFC.

The Parrot ZIK headphones feature neodymium drivers and have a sound pressure level of 110 dB per volt to 1kHz with an impedance of 32 Ohms. The frequency response is 10Hz to 20kHz. While that may sound like gibberish to some, we can also say they feature an 800 mAh battery that should be able to provide up to 6 hours of listening time with all features activated.

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Alternatively, these can also go up to 18 hours with only select features enabled and can handle up to 24 hours in standby mode. Since we know users love features we ran these full-on and were happy to see we could get the promised 6 hours. Speaking of testing the limits, we can also say they were rather comfortable to wear even for extended periods.

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One of the features that likely helps the battery life is the motion detector. This has the headphones pausing when you remove them from your ears. Alternatively, they will begin playing once you bring them back up to your ears. The ZIK headphones also offer touch controls. With these a swipe on the right ear cup can adjust the volume and also skip tracks. The touch controls also work for voice calls. In this case you can tap on the right side to take, end or refuse a call and also switch between calls by sliding your finger horizontally.

While the ZIK headphones sounded really good with a variety of audio sources, they also use a bone conduction sensor with a double microphone which helps for voice calls. Finally, for times when you do drain the battery — you can also run these using the included 3.5mm headphone jack. Also included in the package is a microUSB cable for charing and a soft protective pouch for taking the ZIK headphones on the go.

Android App

Aside from the ZIK headphones themselves, there is also a Parrot Audio Suite app available for Android users. This app will allow you to configure the headphone settings. Some of the highlights of the app include being able to use the Parrot Concert Hall Effect which is said to alter the acoustics and sound-space. Basically, the Concert Hall effect should be able to provide a more life-life listening experience, though in truth we liked the app best for a smaller feature.

Some of the other features of the app include customizing the equalizer settings or using some of the predefined settings, being able to activate (or deactivate) the Active Noise Cancellation, updating the software and perhaps key given these are battery powered — checking the battery level. Honestly speaking, if you are going to pick up a set of ZIK headphones, the app should be a must download if for no other reason than to keep better track of where you stand in terms of battery life.

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Wrap-Up

Bottom line here, we have to say we were impressed with the everything from the way these look to the way they sound. And thankfully they were also comfortable to wear. We would love to say they would be good for just about everyone but there is one factor that will be limiting — the price. Parrot has the ZIK headphones priced at $399.99. In the meantime, make sure to head in to the gallery below for a few additional hands-on images.

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WATCH ABC app limits live streaming TV to cable subscribers

Posted: 01 Jul 2013 01:48 PM PDT

The WATCH ABC app is available in the Google Play Store and brings the promise of offering a “new way to experience ABC – anytime, anywhere.” The catch here is that statement is followed up with an note about how the live streaming is only available in select markets. Not to mention, those lucky enough to be living in one of those markets will also need to be a cable television subscriber to actually do any watching. That being said, there is another side of the app that should work for more users.

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First things first though, the live streaming is available in the following markets; Philadelphia, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Raleigh-Durham, and San Francisco. Shifting away from the live streaming and into the on-demand category. This should be available for quite a few users. In fact, the on-demand viewing will work for those outside of those six live streaming markets.

Basically, the WATCH ABC app is not going to be something fully loved by the cord cutter crowd. Otherwise, the app also appears limited in the supported devices category. Just to name a few, the app is not compatible with a Galaxy S III, Galaxy S4 Active or Nexus 7. On the flipside, there are reports of the app working wonderfully on the Nexus 10.

Bottom line here, the latest version of the WATCH ABC app is currently available in the Play Store but from what we can see — there are more people that cannot use it than can use it. With that, if you happen to be checking out the app let us know what you are seeing (good or bad) in the comments below. The screenshots make the app look really nice and ABC seems to be all over the app, but without any devices we can actually use it is hard to say.

SOURCE: Google Play Store

Google Reader: get your feeds and move on

Posted: 01 Jul 2013 12:20 PM PDT

If you are still using Google Reader today you have likely seen the reminder about the service closing down. Google announced the shutdown of Reader a while back and if you have yet to make the switch — you are quickly running out of time. Basically, at this point you should stop what you are doing and make sure you back up your data using Google Takeout.

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This process is relatively simple and should take just a few minutes of your time. Heading to www.google.com/takeout will give you the option to remove your Reader data. From here click the “choose services” option up top and then select Reader. From here it is just a matter of hitting the red “create archive” button.

“Reader will not be available after July 1, 2013. Please be sure to back up your data.”

A tap of the button will create your Reader archive and you can even check the box to get an email when it is ready — that way you don’t have to worry about sitting around. That data will come in the form of a ZIP file and once opened/unzipped you can navigate to the “reader” folder and grab the file called subscriptions.xml as that is the list you will need for the service you are heading to. This of course brings the big question — which service should you choose?

Feedly

There are plenty of options available, however one of the more talked about is Feedly and they have recently launched Feedly Cloud. Feedly is a clean looking service that has proven to be easy to navigate and easy to use. Not to mention, the folks at Feedly have been very busy preparing for those coming from Reader. Another key for us here, Feedly has a decent looking Android app available.

NewsBlur

So far Feedly has proven a good place to switch based on our experience, however it is always nice to have multiple options available. That said, there is also NewsBlur, which is available for Android and also on the web. NewsBlur looks to be a great option to consider however we will point out the service charges once you reach 64 feeds. The charge is relatively low, $24 per year, but we suspect some will rule out anything dealing with having to pay.

Digg Reader / AOL Reader

There is also the relatively new Digg Reader to consider. This one seems like it still needs a bit of work, but could be a good option to keep watching. Otherwise, AOL Reader recently launched and while there is not yet an Android app available, there is one promised to be coming soon. In the meantime, AOL Reader does have a mobile web version available.

The Other Options

While a standard RSS reader will likely be the best option for those die hard Google Reader fans, there are still other options to consider. You could move to something like Flipboard or Pulse and begin getting your news presented in more of a magazine like layout. Finally, one last option to consider is jumping from RSS completely and moving to something like Twitter. That being the case, just follow the sites as opposed to their RSS feeds. The one catch with moving to Twitter, we suggest creating a new account used solely for this reason.