Google announced the smartwatch-ready Android Wear platform in March with LG And Motorola immediately confirmed as the first two manufacturers to embrace it. Those two are expected to finally completely detail their offerings at the Google I/O developer conference that begins next week. However, a new report now suggests that they will be joined on stage by what is currently the biggest player in the smartwatch game – Samsung.
According to CNET sources familiar with the matter, Samsung is planning to launch its own Android Wear-running smartwatch at the event. Read more »
So that’s why it is refreshing and surprising to see that the US House of Representatives has voted to limit the access the NSA has to our data. Read more »
There have been murmurs of a Surface Mini for a little while now, without any real concrete evidence of the device.
Well it looks like Microsoft has decided to leak the tablet itself, in the form of multiple mentions throughout the Surface 3′s user guide. Read more »
Google Now’s service is constantly evolving to make your Android experience a more personalized one by providing you easier access to the applications and services you use most.
Now, you’re able to click on links to music services for the bands that you search for on Google Now. Read more »
Google has announced yet another expansion of its Play services – Play Movies comes to 21 new countries, while Play Books adds 11 new ones. This brings the total for Movies to 90 countries and for Books to 57.
Google has launched an Introduction to Android Wear video, further hyping everyone a week before Google I/O 2014 kicks off. The video shows the Android Wear look and feel and goes on to shed some light on the developer side of things.
In the video, Google Developers evangelist Timothy Jordan also talks about the problem with most smartwatch user interfaces. According to Google, the UI of Android Wear is better, as it is centered around context and this helps users have all relevant information at a glance. Read more »
Apple’s iWatch has apparently been finalized, in terms of design, specs, and features. The reason why it isn’t actually being manufactured yet has nothing to do with the Cupertino company not being satisfied with its new product, and everything to do with the iWatch requiring certification from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
This is necessary because Apple wants to position the iWatch as a medical device, the latest rumors on the matter say. And if that’s the case, then the FDA’s approval is needed before it goes on sale. Read more »
The latest iteration of Microsoft’s popular Surface tablet has gone up for preorder on Microsoft’s online store, and is set to hit brick-and-mortar Microsoft and BestBuy retailers in the US in limited quantities.
The Intel Core i5 128GB/256GB models will ship by June 30 in the US, while the Core i3 base model with 64GB of internal storage, as well as the high-end Core i7 models with 256GB/512GB memory will start shipping on August 1. Read more »
Before Nokia announced that its future smartphones would be powered by the Windows Phone OS, there was a lot of speculation as to whether or not the Finnish manufacturer would make the move over to Android.
Nokia has technically, released an Android handset with the Nokia X, but it is hardly a flagship phone. A portion of the Nokia team that did not transfer to Microsoft as part of the deal has decided to work in the Android sphere after all, by creating the Z Launcher. Read more »
Hidden neatly inside the iOS 8 betas is a feature that got mentioned only very briefly during Apple’s announcement of its newest mobile OS – City Tours.
This is basically like a guided-camera version of the Flyover view that made its debut in iOS 6 alongside the new Apple Maps. Read more »
The Android Runtime (ART) which Google introduced for testing purposes with its release of KitKat last year has now fully replaced the Dalvik virtual machine in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) code.
This means you should expect the next version of Android (which could get official as soon as next week) to come with ART and only ART – Dalvik is essentially dead from this point on. Read more »
The stock Email app that has been part of Android for a long time is now available to download in the Play Store. The app is also updated with a few new visual additions that reflect the latest look and feel of Google’s apps.
As part of the changelog, the Email client now sports increased security for Gmail accounts as well as easier account setup flow (not that it was difficult to start with). Read more »
Motorola was accepting submissions for watch faces for its upcoming Moto 360 smartwatch. After going through 1300 submissions, the company has whittled down to just 10 and is now letting the people choose the one they would want to see on the Moto 360.
The top 10 watch faces have significantly different designs, with some being overly simplistic and others cramming quite a lot of information on the screen at once. I personally didn’t find any one design particularly great (which makes me wonder about the other 1290 that were discarded) but there are a few that do look quite decent while conveying the necessary information. Read more »
After years of preparation, after many a tablet and various service unveiling, Amazon finally unveiled its first hand at a phone – the Fire Phone. The event took place in home-town Seattle and the venue was made a stage for innovation and differentiation.
Amazon’s event yesterday wasn’t available for watching live but it’s up online now. And if you’re just getting up and having your first coffee of the day, you can watch Jeff Bezos show off the Fire Phone after the break. Read more »
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