BlackBerry 10 keyboard features edge-to-edge keys, predictive spacing

BlackBerry 10 keyboard innovations

The BlackBerry 10 release date is less than two months from today, so smartphone developer Research In Motion is demoing how its touchscreen keyboard is going to make fans feel right at home.

"We've really played close attention to make it look and feel like a BlackBerry keyboard," said RIM Head of Software Portfolio Vivek Bhardwaj in a video interview on the company's official blog.

The visual design of the BB10 keyboard is complete with familiar white letters on top of black keys and BlackBerry's famous white frets between the keys.

"You have a look at each key," said Bhardwaj. "It's kind of maximized edge-to-edge."

Predictive vocabulary

RIM also has new predictive typing features in the BlackBerry 10 OS that may help the company remain known for its stellar smartphone keyboard and achieve its goal of becoming the No. 3 mobile OS.

"When it comes to next-word suggestions," said Bhardwaj, "they're personalized with your own vocabulary."

Next-word suggestions appear right on the keys, and a simple swipe-to-type gesture adds the predicted word. There's no tiny little X button to deal with like on the iPhone 5.

Predictive spacing

The BlackBerry 10 keyboard takes typing convenience a step further with innovative predictive spacing.

"When rushing out and typing a lot of words, and you miss that space key, with BlackBerry 10 we recognize that," said Bhardwaj.

The phone will infer that space and drop one in automatically. No word on how this predictive spacing function will treat hashtags, however.

Bhardwaj calls this his favorite BlackBerry keyboard feature, saying, "the largest key on the keyboard is space, but [on touch] it's something that we miss very often just because of the speed we're typing at."

"When you type two, three, even four words, and you've missed the space, you don't stop, you don't need to look back. We'll correct all of that for you and you just continue typing."

Check out the full video below:

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/blackberry-10-keyboard-features-edge-to-edge-keys-predictive-spacing-1119317

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Acer V360 may be the company's first Jelly Bean smartphone

A new flavor (credit: Amelbo.jp)

After including Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with its Iconia Tab A110 tablet, Acer may finally be taking the jump to Jelly Bean with its next smartphone.

Acer has already released several smartphones with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, including the CloudMobile S500, but had yet to release one with the latest Android OS.

However, a new report has revealed the company's first potential 4.1 phone, the Acer V360.

While there's no release date or price currently lined up for the rumored phone, some of the specifications have made their way online.

Full circle

The V360 will supposedly be available in both black and white models, with each version of the phone sporting a 4.5-inch qHD screen with 960 x 540 resolution.

Additionally, the V360 will include a 5 megapixel rear camera, a VGA front-facing camera, and an undetermined 1GHz dual-core processor.

Unfortunately, the V360 will only be available with 3G connectivity, putting it a step behind likely competitors like the slightly bigger HTC Droid DNA.

As Acer has yet to officially announce the V360, there's no telling what kind of market availability the device will have.

TechRadar has reached out to Acer for more on the V360, and will update this story if and when they respond.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/acer-v360-may-be-the-companys-first-jelly-bean-smartphone-1119270

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Google+ mobile app overflowing with updates

Share your full size holiday photos on Google+

Google rolled out an update to its mobile Google+ app as a holiday gift for both Android and iOS users.

The Android Google+ app receives the bigger update, with users able to upload full resolution photos from their smartphone by using the instant upload feature.

Previously, the app would compress photos in order to save on storage, but Google is now providing 5GB of space for Android users who want to back up their full size photos through Google+.

The Android Google+ app also now lets users edit their profile through the app, adds improved notifications, and the ability to take photo spheres for 360 degree panoramic shots.

iOS gets some love too

The iOS Google+ app got its own photo viewing update, allowing for inline swiping through photo albums and adding "a subtle pan-zoom-scale effect to pictures in the stream."

Aside from the OS-specific improvements, both versions of the app can now access the newly added Google+ Communities.

Mobile Google+ users will also have better control over events with the option to send messages to individual guests, see who has opened their invitation, and RSVP with the number of guests you plan to bring along.

As a final feature for the update, the Google+ app on Android and iOS devices now supports Hangouts over connections as low as 150KB, which should be a big help in low bandwidth areas.

Cutting back on ad spam

While Google was busy improving its social network for mobile devices, it also rolled out an update to its mobile banner ads.

The new banner ads are designed to avoid accidental clicks by requiring a second tap to confirm that users want to see the site being advertised.

Google says it found that users often accidentally click on banner ads while scrolling or clicking links near the edge of a banner. It's annoying for users, and expensive for advertisers who pay for ads on a per click basis.

Google had already implemented a similar confirmation click system on text-based banner ads, and found that it led to fewer accidental clicks and an improved rate of users actually buying products from the ads.

Confirmation clicks will now be implemented for in-app image banners distributed by Google Mobile Ads, which covers a wide range of apps available on all mobile devices.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/google-mobile-app-overflowing-with-updates-1119279

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Google discontinues a bunch of calendar services, including Sync

Google has revealed a list of apps and services that will not make it to 2013.

The year isn’t over yet, but Google appears to have already announced at least one New Years resolution. The search engine giant revealed a list of features that will not make it to 2013; a move the company has referred to as “winter cleaning.”

“Last January we renewed our resolution to focus on creating beautiful, useful products that improve millions of people’s lives every day,” read Google’s official blog. “To make the most impact, we need to make some difficult decisions. So as 2012 comes to an end, here are some additional products, features and services we’re closing.”

As of January 4, Google will be eliminating some of the less popular Google Calendar features. Users will not longer be able to create new reservable times for their Calendar through Appointment Slots, although existing slots will remain active for one more year. Two Calendar Labs called “Smart Rescheduler” and “Add a gadget by URL” will also be removed, and Google has suggested alternatives on its blog. Other features that Google plans to eradicate include the “Check your calendar via sms” and “Create a calendar via sms (GVENT),” which will no longer be available as of today.

Google is also making some tweaks to its Google Sync feature. On January 30, users will no longer bet able to set up new devices using Google Sync, but existing connections will not be affected. Google Sync will continue to support Google Apps for Business, Government and Education. For other individual users, the company is implementing sync features using open protocols through IMA, CalDAV and CardDAV.

Along with these previous announcements, Google is also discontinuing its Calendar Sync function as of today. Google Sync for Nokia S60 will also be eliminated on January 30 along with a service called SyncML, which is a feature that syncs a user’s contacts and is compatible with a small number of older mobile devices.

In addition to these calendar and syncing capabilities, Google will be shutting down two other apps and services. The Issue Tracker API, a tool for developers that tracks and updates issues with client applications, will be discontinued on June 14, 2013. Google’s virtual loyalty punch card app known as Punchd will also be eliminated as of June 7, 2013.

As Google notes, these are some of its less popular features and apps, so users won’t be missing much with their disappearance. As the company said when it announced that it will not be developing apps for Windows 8, Google is “very careful” about where it spends its time and resources, so hopefully we’ll be seeing some new improvements in 2013. 

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/google-services-apps-discontinued-2013/

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Google axing 'less popular' products and features for 'winter cleaning'

Several Google Calendar functions are being discontinued, among other cuts

Google announced on Friday that it will shut down several "less popular" products, features and services as part of a "winter cleaning" effort.

Google Calendar will suffer several losses on Jan. 4, after which users will be unable to create new reservable times through appointment slots, though existing appointment slots in Google Calendar will continue working for a year after that date.

In addition, the Calendar Labs "Smart Rescheduler" and "Add gadget by URL" will be discontinued on Jan. 4.

Finally, as of Friday, U.S. users' ability to check their Google Calendars and create events via SMS will be eliminated, since most people just use Calendar apps at this point.

Goodbye to Google Sync

Google Sync, which provided users access to Gmail, Google Calendar and Contacts via the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync protocol, will be discontinued as well on Jan. 30.

According to Google Vice President of Engineering Venkat Panchapakesan, who wrote the Google blog post describing the upcoming changes, Google currently offers users access to the same data via other protocols, making Google Sync obsolete.

Existing connections will continue to work, but users will not be able to set up new Google Sync connections.

Google Sync will also continue to be supported for Google Apps for Business, Government and Education.

That's not all, folks

As of Friday, Google Calendar Sync will no longer function either, with Google Sync for the Nokia S60 and SyncML, a contacts sync service for older devices, stopping on Jan. 30 as well.

Finally, Google's Issue Tracker Data API, which let client applications view and update issues with Google Data API feeds, will stop working on June 14 next year, and Punchd, a digital loyalty card app on iOS and Android, will be discontinued on June 7.

Punchd merchants will no longer have to honor Punchd loyalty cards, though Google remains "focused on developing products that help merchants and shoppers connect in new and useful ways," Panchapakesan wrote on Friday.

"Last January, we renewed our resolution to focus on creating beautiful, useful products that improve millions of people's lives every day," he added. "To make the most impact, we need to make some difficult decisions."

"Technology offers us a way to make a big impact on the world," Panchapakesan concluded. "In 2013, we'll keep working hard to build a seamless, amazing Google experience for you."

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/google-axing-less-popular-products-and-features-for-winter-cleaning-1119272

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Microsoft adds SD card app installs, universal search to Windows Phone web store

Windows Phone 8 app management just got easier

Microsoft updated the Windows Phone store on Thursday to allow users to install Windows Phone 8 apps from an SD card, among other new and improved features.

The Windows Phone store update came on the heels of the first update to the Windows Phone 8 OS, called Portico, which improved the HTC Windows Phone 8X's SMS capabilities.

The latest Windows Phone web store update also added easier app reinstallation, improving the functionality already available in the store's "My Phone" section.

In addition, the Windows Phone web store is now available in 37 more countries, bringing the total number up to 112 countries worldwide (the Windows Phone Store - the one you access on your device itself - is available in 191 countries).

New freedoms and old limitations

Windows Phone 8 users whose devices support SD cards will now find it easy to install apps even when Wi-Fi and data connections aren't available.

Apps can be downloaded to a computer from the Windows Phone web store (using the new "download and install manually" option at the top of an app's details page), then copied over to an SD card and installed to a Windows Phone 8 device manually.

Unfortunately, those apps cannot be run from the SD card, only stored there and installed directly to the phone; those with storage space issues won't find a solution here.

Luckily, thanks to the changes Microsoft made to the "My Phone" section of the web store, users' purchase histories now include a "reinstall" button next to each downloaded app, making it easier to delete apps when you need the space and reinstall them later.

Universal search and more

In addition to the new SD card and re-installation functions added to the web store this week came a new universal search function, which allows users to discover apps, articles and more types of content with a single search query.

Microsoft Partner Group Program Manager Mazhar Mohammed described the Windows Phone web store update in a blog post on Thursday, writing, "The team worked hard this year to expand the Windows Phone Store to new markets and add improvements making it easier to find and download great apps and games."

"Our focus on improvement won't change in 2013, so please keep the suggestions flowing: we're listening, and looking forward to making the Store even better next year, " he added.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/microsoft-adds-sd-card-app-installs-universal-search-to-windows-phone-web-store-1119264

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Apple found to infringe MobileMedia patents in US

Apple lost a weeklong patent infringement case brought by a patent-licensing company MobileMedia Ideas LLC, a company in which Nokia, Sony and MPEG LA own about a 10% stake.

It took the jury just four hours of deliberation to find that the iPhone 5 was in violation of three of the patents held by MobileMedia.

The patents in question, which had been whittled down from 14 initially contested by MobileMedia, are 6070068 – "incoming/current call processing", 6253075 – "incoming call rejection", and 6427078 – "image capture/transfer." The patents were filed between 1994-1998, when these technologies were first introduced, and originally belonged to Sony and Nokia.

CEO Larry Horn claims that MobileMedia will suffer "irreparable injury" if Apple continues to use the patents without paying royalties, which he claims could be "substantial."

U.S. District Judge Sue L. Robinson has yet to schedule a trial date to determine what sort of damages Apple will pay.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_found_to_infringe_mobilemedia_patents_in_us-news-5209.php

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