Obsessed with Santa? Check out these crazy Christmas apps

Santa Claus is coming to town, but while you wait you might want to check out some useful, fun, and just plain crazy Christmas apps for iOS and Android. Here’s our roundup of Christmas-themed apps to get you in the holiday spirit.

The season of family get-togethers, drinking and eating too much, and sacks full of presents, is upon us. Are you feeling jolly yet? Some of you will be dreading the inevitable arguments as the whole family is stuffed into one house; some of you will be focused on the new gadgets heading your way; and some of you will be counting down the days until vacation starts and you can put your feet up in front of the TV. Whether you’re going to be donning a Christmas jumper and singing carols or just playing up the Santa visit for your kids, we’ve got a bunch of ridiculous Christmas apps for you. If these don’t get you in the spirit then nothing will. They’re so full of holiday spirit they’d make little 8-pound, 6-ounce baby Jesus cry.

Sleeps to Christmas 2 (Free)

How many more sleeps before Christmas rolls round? This app will tell you exactly how many days, hours, minutes, and seconds remain before you hear those sleigh bells ringing. If that isn’t enough for you, the countdown is accompanied by some animated characters and a smattering of classic Christmas carols including Jingle Bells and Joy to the World. This one is only on the iPhone.

Christmas Countdown FULL 2012 ($1)

Here’s an Android app that will keep your kids amused and get them excited as the big day approaches. It’s a supercharged advent calendar that challenges you to help the elves save Christmas. There’s a new game every day with puzzles and riddles to solve and you’ll also be rewarded with a comedy Elven Advent poem and a funny animation when you complete each one.

Christmas HD ($2)

This animated Christmas scene is super-detailed, it’s live wallpaper for your Android smartphone and it’s guaranteed to fill you with the Christmas spirit. There’s a decorated tree, stockings hanging in front of a roasting fire, a countdown calendar, and snow outside. You can even customize the lights, ornaments, text, and lots of other little details.

Talking Santa (Android, iOS, $1)

Your kids can talk to Santa every day with this app and he will repeat whatever they say. You can also play around to discover some comical animations. The app includes options to create videos, Christmas messages, or cards and send them via text, email or Facebook. The developers have added another character from their talking menagerie into this app – Ginger the cat. It’s daft, but kids generally find it funny. Make sure you turn off Wi-Fi or keep an eye on them as they play because it’s very easy to download more content from within the app if they tap the wrong button or hit an ad.

A Charlie Brown Christmas ($5)

Who can resist the Peanuts classic from 1965? It appears here as an interactive story book with narration, animations and music to enjoy. You or your kids will feel that warm Christmas glow as you play Schroeder’s piano and decorate Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree. This is seasonal nostalgia for adults and proves just as entertaining for a new generation. It’s only available on iOS.

Christmas Photo Frames (Free)

You know those horribly twee Christmas cards with shiny baubles, snowflakes, and holly? Have you ever wanted to make your own? With this free Android app you can take your own photos and choose from over 100 different Christmas themed frames to decorate them with. This app is perfect for making your own batch of Christmas cards.

The Christmas List ($1)

If you’re anything like me, Christmas shopping is one night on the Internet and everything arrives by mail, but some people like to plan, shop around, and find truly thoughtful gifts. If you want to stay organized then The Christmas List app on iPhone is pretty unbeatable. You can set budgets, sync lists via email, track gift status, add people directly from your contacts list, and even password protect the app. This is perfect for Christmas shoppers who crave military precision.

If you want an Android alternative try Christmas List Pro, it’s not as feature-rich or polished, but it basically does the same thing.

Super Dance Elf Christmas with Friends ($1)

Everyone harbors a secret desire to see their friends and loved ones’ heads pasted onto dancing bodies in elf suits right? This iPhone app lets you put a face from one of your photos onto a male or female elf, Miss Merry Christmas or Reggae Reindeer body and watch them dance to seasonal tunes. Sadly, you can only share with other people who have the app so it’s best employed when you’re going to pass your iPhone round so everyone can have a laugh.

Christmas Carolizer (Free)

How about a spot of Christmas karaoke complete with auto-tune? This app comes with two free seasonal songs (extras are $1 each) and you can sing along karaoke style. You can also create cards with your own photos, add Santa hats and other bits and pieces, and then share them via Facebook, Twitter, or email. This one is only available on iOS.

Holiday Time Machine (Free)

Travel back to Christmas past with this Video Time Machine offshoot that focuses on the holiday season. Simply set your year and you can enjoy TV, adverts and music from Christmases gone by. You can also share what you find on Facebook and Twitter. This might just rekindle your childhood wonder and it should have something everyone because it goes all the way back to 1898. It’s only available for iOS.

Toca Hair Salon – Christmas Gift (Free)

Easily claiming the prize for the weirdest Christmas app on the market, Toca Hair Salon – Christmas Gift challenges you to cut, color, and style Santa’s hair and beard. There are lots of colors to choose from and various accessories, so if you want to know what Santa looks like with a red Mohican then this is your chance. There’s also a tree to trim and decorate. This is actually a good app for kids and there are no ads or in-app purchases in sight. It’s only on iOS.

Have you found any other useful, fun, or over-the-top Christmas apps? Post a comment and share.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/christmas-apps/

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Indian town bans women from using cell phones to cut down on affairs

In an attempt to save the institution of marriage, a village in eastern India has banned women from using cell phones, believing that that will reduce the number of extra-marital affairs in the community.

For those who tend to get upset about patriarchal over-reach and misogyny as it appears on the Internet, prepare to have your minds blown in the worst way possible by the recent decision of a village council in Suderbari, a town in eastern India. In an effort to prevent what is being described as pollution of “the social atmosphere,” women in the town have been prohibited from using cell phones.

The decision was announced earlier this week following a formal meeting of the village council held on Sunday, with the president of the council’s social advisory committee, Manuwar Alam, explaining that “unrestricted use of mobile phones is promoting premarital and extramarital affairs and destroying the great institution of marriage.” Characterizing the council’s attitude towards this attack on the institution of marriage to be “extremely worried” (“We had to hide our faces out of shame,” he explained), the village council announced the ban on women being able to have unrestricted use of cell phones in the future, with Alam describing the action as a choice “to do something that could firmly curb such cases [of cheating and marital disrespect], which were earning a bad name for all of us.”

Because, you know, trying to prevent half of your population from having access to technology widely available throughout the world and, in the process, removing any right to free speech while also seeming to place the blame for societal downfall squarely on their shoulders by reason of their gender alone is the kind of thing that gives a society a far better name. Obviously.

It isn’t a complete ban on women using cell phones, however; women will be allowed to use a phone in the presence of a male family member, according to the council. Women who are caught breaking the ban will be fined, with the amount of financial penalty on a sliding scale depending on social status; unmarried women will have to pay 10,000 Indian rupees ($184 US) if caught using a cell phone, while married women will only have to pay 2,000 rupees ($37 US).

Thankfully, this decision has not gone unnoticed by human rights groups who have been rightfully appalled by the idea. Pointing out that cell phones can be almost immeasurably important for women in terms of personal security in certain rural areas of India, especially with the danger of sexual assault, campaigners have started to mobilize in response to the Suderbari council’s decision. One campaigner, Farzana Begum, described the announcement as an attempt to “infringe on rights of women,” adding that “such things cannot be allowed in a democratic society.”

The Suderbari council is apparently standing by its choice, refusing to back down or even address criticisms of its announcement.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/women-used-from-using-cellphones-in-india-to-save-social-atmosphere/

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Qualcomm snaps to with 2 new quad-core Snapdragon S4 processors

Qualcomm optimizes for China

Qualcomm, likely now standing as the third-largest semiconductor producer in the world, is expanding on its line of Snapdragon S4 processors with two quad-core CPUs optimized for China.

The MSM8226 and MSM8626 specs deliver a 3G system-on-a-chip with an Adreno 305 GPU, 1080p capture and playback, and support for a 13-megapixel camera.

"The expansion of our Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 family extends our leadership in performance and low power for the high-volume smartphones," Cristiano Amon, Qualcomm vice president and co-president of mobile and computing products, said in a statement.

The chip imports are further helping Qualcomm position itself to be a major global player in the coming years. It was recently announced that the company dropped millions into Sharp to help it develop IGZO displays.

Snapdragon S4 for China

Qualcomm is having a record-breaking year thanks to its smartphone-powering Snapdragon processors, with revenues up 28 percent in its financial year 2012.

Optimizing its line of processors for China should only increase the San Diego, Calif.-headquartered company's revenue spike.

"This expanded roadmap provides our customers with a differentiated feature set upon which to build compelling smartphones for budget-conscious consumers," Amon said.

MSM8226, MSM8626 chip specs

The MSM8226 and MSM8626 processors were created using a 28nm technology node and support multi-SIM capabilities.

Also on board is the important WTR2605 multi-mode radio transceiver, which addresses China-specific requirements for support of TD-SCDMA, CDMA 1xAdv and HSPA+.

The new WTR2605 transceiver comes with an integrated, high-performance GPS core with GLONASS and Beidou support.

This transceiver is supposed to offer a 40 percent power savings and a 60 percent smaller footprint compared to previous generations, according to the company.

Qualcomm says that it will have MSM8226 and MSM8626 samples by the second quarter of 2013 for all customers interested in UMTS, CDMA and TD-SCDMA.

Though these chips are intended for a foreign market, we can only assume the Qualcomm has some mighty fine processors planned for 2013.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/qualcomm-snaps-to-with-2-new-quad-core-snapdragon-s4-processors-1117446

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Qualcomm snaps to with 2 new quad-core Snapdragon S4 processors

Qualcomm optimizes for China

Qualcomm, likely now standing as the third-largest semiconductor producer in the world, is expanding on its line of Snapdragon S4 processors with two quad-core CPUs optimized for China.

The MSM8226 and MSM8626 specs deliver a 3G system-on-a-chip with an Adreno 305 GPU, 1080p capture and playback, and support for a 13-megapixel camera.

"The expansion of our Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 family extends our leadership in performance and low power for the high-volume smartphones," Cristiano Amon, Qualcomm vice president and co-president of mobile and computing products, said in a statement.

The chip imports are further helping Qualcomm position itself to be a major global player in the coming years. It was recently announced that the company dropped millions into Sharp to help it develop IGZO displays.

Snapdragon S4 for China

Qualcomm is having a record-breaking year thanks to its smartphone-powering Snapdragon processors, with revenues up 28 percent in its financial year 2012.

Optimizing its line of processors for China should only increase the San Diego, Calif.-headquartered company's revenue spike.

"This expanded roadmap provides our customers with a differentiated feature set upon which to build compelling smartphones for budget-conscious consumers," Amon said.

MSM8226, MSM8626 chip specs

The MSM8226 and MSM8626 processors were created using a 28nm technology node and support multi-SIM capabilities.

Also on board is the important WTR2605 multi-mode radio transceiver, which addresses China-specific requirements for support of TD-SCDMA, CDMA 1xAdv and HSPA+.

The new WTR2605 transceiver comes with an integrated, high-performance GPS core with GLONASS and Beidou support.

This transceiver is supposed to offer a 40 percent power savings and a 60 percent smaller footprint compared to previous generations, according to the company.

Qualcomm says that it will have MSM8226 and MSM8626 samples by the second quarter of 2013 for all customers interested in UMTS, CDMA and TD-SCDMA.

Though these chips are intended for a foreign market, we can only assume the Qualcomm has some mighty fine processors planned for 2013.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-phones/phone-and-communications/qualcomm-snaps-to-with-2-new-quad-core-snapdragon-s4-processors-1117446

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Still got a Blockbuster nearby? It may become a cell phone store

In an attempt to break into the mobile industry, Dish Network may begin selling smartphones at its Blockbuster brick and mortar locations.

With the prominence of services such as Netflix and Hulu, renting movies from a local Blockbuster has become a staple of the past. The dated rental company, however, may begin to change with the times. Dish Network is reportedly planning to start selling mobile phones at Blockbuster’s remaining brick and mortar locations.

Blockbuster recently began selling phones on its website under the moniker “Blockbuster Mobile,” and has been working with carriers such as Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile. This movement will expand to Blockbuster’s 850 retail locations, according to Bloomberg who spoke with sources familiar with the matter.

Dish, which acquired Blockbuster last year, could be using this venture to launch its very own mobile phone service. The company now owns a batch of wireless airwaves and is waiting for approval from the FCC before makings its next move.

The satellite TV service provider had planned on utilizing Blockbuster to sell mobile phones ever since it purchased the chain in 2011, Dish chairman and co-founder Charlie Ergen said according to Bloomberg. The company plans to bring on a partner to facilitate the launch of its mobile services, but all talks are on hold until Dish gains permission from the FCC.

“Wireless will compliment all of our technologies and allow us to be in more places and offer more of our services on one bill,” Joe Clayton, Dish’s Chief Executive Officer, said to Bloomberg yesterday.

This could introduce Dish into a whole new sector of the mobile market, giving the company an opportunity to excel in more than one area. Competing companies Verizon and AT&T currently control more than half of the U.S. market. Dish might be able to team up with an existing carrier, but further plans have been detailed at this time.

However, Blockbuster will have a sizeable hurdle to overcome: its lack of retail locations. Dish closed down half of the 1,700 Blockbuster stores when it bought the company out of bankruptcy in 2011, Bloomberg reports. AT&T and Verizon have more than 4,000 retail locations combined. When the movie rental company was owned by Viacom in 2004, it spanned about 9,000 brick and mortar stores. 

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/blockbuster-browsing-smartphones-movies/

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Qualcomm adds two quad-core Snapdragon S4 processors, eyes China

Qualcomm optimizes for China

Qualcomm, the third-largest semiconductor producer in the world, is expanding on its line of Snapdragon S4 processors with two quad-core CPUs optimized for China.

The MSM8226 and MSM8626 specs deliver a 3G system-on-a-chip with an Adreno 305 GPU, 1080p capture and playback, and support for a 13-megapixel camera.

"The expansion of our Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 family extends our leadership in performance and low power for the high-volume smartphones," said Qualcomm vice president and co-president of mobile and computing products Cristiano Amon in a statement.

Snapdragon S4 optimized for China

Qualcomm is having a record-breaking year thanks to its smartphone-powering Snapdragon processors, with revenues up 28 percent in its financial year 2012.

Optimizing its line of processors for China should only increase the San Diego-headquartered company's revenue spike.

"This expanded roadmap provides our customers with a differentiated feature set upon which to build compelling smartphones for budget-conscious consumers," said Amon.

MSM8226, MSM8626 chip specs

The MSM8226 and MSM8626 processors were created using a 28nm technology node and support multi-SIM capabilities.

Also on board is the important WTR2605 multi-mode radio transceiver, which addresses China-specific requirements for support of TD-SCDMA, CDMA 1xAdv and HSPA+.

The new WTR2605 transceiver comes with an integrated, high-performance GPS core with GLONASS and Beidou support.

This transceiver is supposed to offer a 40 percent power savings and a 60 percent smaller footprint compared to previous generations, according to the company.

Qualcomm says that it will have MSM8226 and MSM8626 samples by the second quarter of 2013 for all customers interested in UMTS, CDMA and TD-SCDMA.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-phones/phone-and-communications/qualcomm-adds-two-quad-core-snapdragon-s4-processors-eyes-china-1117446

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Microsoft’s Surface is not selling, says yet another analyst

Brokerage firm Detwiler Fenton has estimated that sales of Microsoft's Surface tablet will turn out to be lower than expected for this quarter.

Although Microsoft has implemented some creative advertising strategies when it comes to its Surface tablet, such as the guerrilla-style wall art found in New York City, sales of the device are off to a slow start. On Wednesday morning, Boston-based brokerage firm Detwiler Fenton said in a research note that Microsoft is projected to sell less than one million Surface tablets for the December quarter. Detwiler referred to the Windows-maker’s strategy as “in disarray,” according to Forbes.

The firm does, however, expect that Surface sales should improve in the second half of 2013 as Microsoft improves its hardware and distribution. According to Detwiler, a lack of distribution is the largest hurdle standing in the product’s way. In fact, the firm referred to poor exposure at major electronics retailers such as Best Buy as “severely depressing sales.” The only way to purchase the Surface is through Microsoft’s website or through its small chain of retail locations.

Combined with mixed reviews and a somewhat hefty price tag this lack of exposure has held Microsoft back from reaching projected estimates of between 1 million and 2 million Surface sales. The long-time PC software maker is hitting about half of that number, as Detwiler estimates that sales are dipping into the 500,000 – 600,000 range. The upcoming Surface Pro, which will be released in early 2013, is expected to reach between 2 and 3 million in sales.

While sales of Microsoft’s first ever self-branded tablet may be looking slim, the company is succeeding in other sectors of its re-branded Windows devices. Windows 8 laptops are far outselling the Surface RT, Detwiler acknowledges. Windows Phone 8 devices are also off to a “relatively strong start” on AT&T’s network, according to the firm.

Still, Microsoft and its OEM partners are “struggling to gain traction” at Verizon. This could be attributed to a lack of interest in Nokia’s Lumia 822 and HTC’s Windows Phone 8X. Nokia’s Lumia 920 appears to be the flagship product of that brand, but it’s currently exclusive to AT&T and could remain that way for a while. As for HTC, the firm noted that its Android-based DNA has proved to be an easier sell than its Windows-based device.

Detwiler also noted that Microsoft might have to push its Surface brand into the mobile market to achieve more success, hinting that a Surface phone could be what Microsoft needs.

“MSFT needs to go into 2013 with some momentum,” Detwiler said. “And while sales are obviously headed in the right direction, we’re skeptical they are going to have much of an impact.”

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/surface-sales-below-1m-units/

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When will your phone battery last as long as your Kindle?

Disappointing battery life continues to plague smartphones even as they improve in every way. When will new batteries finally save us from the nightly recharging routine?

In the last decade, we’ve seen laptops shrink to cardboard thickness, ubiquitous Internet connectivity allow us to carry all the world’s knowledge in a pocket, and touch-based tablets make computing intuitive enough for two-year-olds. Everything seems to be improving. Well, everything with one big exception: batteries. As the rest of the tech world rips forward, battery technology remains stagnant. Smartphone clock speeds are measured in GHz and screens are so dense we can’t even see pixels anymore, yet battery life is still measured in hours, not days.

We’ve been putting up with crappy battery life for our entire lives, but our dependence on batteries is growing. More and more of us look at the battery specs of new devices to judge their overall competence, even before they’ve gone on sale, in the same way we check the screen resolution and the clock speed of the chip. The new Verizon Droid DNA is an excellent example. The 1080p, 5-inch screen may have grabbed the headlines, but the seemingly weedy 2020mAh battery had many complaining that it wouldn’t be up to the job of powering such a pixel-dense screen.

A recent J.D. Power survey found battery performance was the least satisfying aspect of smartphone ownership, and it was one of just two areas that showed a significant decline between 2011 and 2012. Owners of 4G devices are particularly frustrated by poor performance. Bottom line: Batteries need to get better, but will they? Is a single day of battery life really the best we can hope for? Fortunately, no. A number of promising developments on the horizon promise to bring batteries out of the dark ages and potentially last for weeks.

Sprucing up the lithium-ion battery

Lithium-ion batteries were developed in the 1970s and reached the market in the early 1990s. Since then, they’ve made their way into almost every battery-powered gadget. But they’re ready for retirement, right? Not according to Professor Harold Kung of Northwestern University. He led a project which redesigned standard li-ion batteries using a graphene-silicon anode so they could hold up to 10 times as great a charge as before, while decreasing the time it takes to charge them by the same amount.

Researchers at Rice University have used a similar-sounding technique to make another type of cell, this time with a porous silicon-powder anode, which again boosted performance 10 times over. While a standard graphite anode li-ion battery has a capacity of 350 to 400mAh per gram, Rice’s battery hits 1,000mAh per gram, so it can store more charge without adding bulk.

Silicon has proven popular in next-gen batteries because it’s cheap, plentiful, and can hold more power than carbon; but it has proven difficult to master the longevity of cells built using it. Battery expert Yi Cui, working at Stanford University, has developed a “double-walled silicon nanotube anode” which can provide a capacity of 4,000mAh per gram and more importantly, achieve the long-term goals always thought possible using silicon. His research states the battery will still operate at 85-percent capacity even after 6,000 cycles.

While all these new technologies can theoretically be used in small batteries powering our gadgets, much of the research is currently aimed at electric vehicles.

New types of batteries

Though there are some promising new techniques that may squeeze more juice out of them, improved li-ion batteries only represent one avenue of innovation. So what else is out there?

Li-imide technology, developed by Leyden Energy, is also vying for a shot at powering your gadgets. Although the batteries are based on a different chemistry, they cost the same to produce as li-ion, and return as much as 25 percent more energy. They’re also more resistant to varying heat levels (li-ion cells don’t react well to hot and cold) and will last three times as long as existing cells too, even with a daily charging cycle.

Lithium-air, or li-air, batteries are another contender, but they’re still in development. Like much of the research into new battery tech, li-air cells will most likely find their way into cars, but could be adapted for use in consumer electronics, too. According to Professor Peter Bruce from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, it’s currently a challenge to make li-air batteries that are stable enough to only create reactions that supply power. “The science is promising but we can’t yet guarantee it will end in a workable technology,” he told the BBC earlier this year.

One challenge of developing a new battery is the sheer variety of  potential chemical cocktails to examine. To speed up the process of deciding which could offer the best results, a computer algorithm developed by the Materials Genome Project at MIT simulates possible reactions so scientists can focus on the best candidates. A startup named Pellion Technologies is a spin-off of the project, and is currently developing a magnesium battery which could power cars, consumer electronics, and handheld devices in the future.

There have been advances in bio batteries too. Wile the idea of a Coca-Cola powered phone is good for a laugh, Toshiba and Sony have experimented with enzyme-powered fuel cells using everything from waste paper to vodka in the quest for an environmentally friendly source of power.

New ways to conserve energy

New batteries present one obvious way to improve how long a gadget can run without a recharge, but conserving the charge of an existing battery can accomplish the same feat. A team at the University of Michigan examined how phones use the most power, and found them to be particularly wasteful at idle. Constantly monitoring wireless networks for signal and incoming data uses as much energy as sending out messages. To fix this, the researchers came up with E-MiLi, which is short for Energy Minimizing Idle Listening. It’s like an ultra-power-saving mode, slowing down the connectivity processes, then giving them a kickstart when the phone detects an incoming signal. The result is a smartphone that’s 44 percent more efficient.

The downside of E-MiLi is that for it to work, the tech not only has to be built into every gadget, but all Wi-Fi and cellular hardware, as well. Kang Shin is a professor of Computing Science at U of M who works on the E-MiLi team. He revealed that the team is about to “sign a licensing agreement with a major cellphone manufacturer,” but won’t be able to provide any solid details for a couple of weeks. This could be one of the few emerging power technologies that we’ll get to see in use quite soon.

Companies are also exploring totally different ways of charging batteries, which can help negate the pain of it running out of power at an inopportune moment. Piezoelectric films can now be built into clothing, where vibration from ambient sound can supply power to a phone. Personal solar panels can store energy during the day to power hardware in an emergency as well. The U.S. military has even demonstrated clothing that stores kinetic energy and can power devices.

The future

These next-gen batteries could provide more energy, last longer, and in some cases even cost less than current batteries. It all sounds wonderful, so why aren’t any of them in our phones and laptops?

Sadly, none of them are ready for prime time yet. While Leyden has licensed its li-imide batteries to Nvidia, it will only be used in development platforms. Meanwhile, Professor Bruce from the University of St Andrews says he believes lithium-ion batteries are “here to stay” for at least another few years.

Here’s hoping those alternatives can offer us a power boost in the meantime. It’s going to be a while before any phone battery lasts as long as a Kindle.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/feel-the-power-the-future-of-smartphone-batteries/

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Dumped by Apple, Boyfriend Maker starts relationship with Android users

The game that was too odd and inappropriate for the Apple App Store has rebounded and started a new relationship with Android users. Boyfriend Maker, a dating simulation style game with an off-the-wall artificial intelligence, has a new home after being banished by Apple.

If you’ve ever attempted to chat with Cleverbot, you know the hilarity conversation with artificial intelligence can produce. That is the entire basis of Boyfriend Maker, a game from 36 You that was recently ditched by the Apple App Store for being a bit too risque for the 4+ rating it received. Not one to wallow over the breakup, Boyfriend Maker rebounded quickly and is now available to download for Android devices.

The game allows users to essentially do what the title insinuates: make your perfect boyfriend. You can buy him new clothes to dress up in, go to various locales, and enjoy dates with your virtual lover. The real fun comes from the conversations, though. Sitting down and talking to the AI of  your portable partner provides some hilarious and occasionally inappropriate dialogue. As with any artificial intelligence, the fun is trying to get it to respond to things and respond this game does. There is a Tumblr that contains some of the best chats that people have had. It’s almost as fun reading them as it is trying to create your own memorable moment. It’s less like the early months of a relationship where you’re always trying to impress your partner and more like a couple years in when you’re just trying to throw one another curveballs to get a response.

You can try out Boyfriend Maker and see just how much you have in common with your digital date. Download it from the Google Play Store for free. For iOS users, you’ll have to wait until a toned down version is submitted to the App Store.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/dumped-by-apple-boyfriend-maker-starts-relationship-with-android-users/

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Xbox SmartGlass update brings iPhone 5 optimisation

Developers are slowly updating their iPhone apps for the new screen ratio

Microsoft has issued an update to the popular Xbox 360 SmartGlass second screen app to accommodate the iPhone 5.

The free app allows users to navigate around an Xbox 360 with swiping and tapping gestures, browse the internet through their TV, zoom in on pages and use the iPhone's keyboard to search for media content.

SmartGlass also provides rich supplementary and interactive features for games, movies and music, while you're viewing the content on your television set.

Now, following last week's update for 7-inch Android tablets like the Google Nexus 7, today's revamp gives iPhone 5 owners the benefit of the full widescreen experience.

Bye-bye, black bars

The SmartGlass app, released earlier this year for iOS, Android and, of course, Windows Phone platforms, also allows users to personalise their Xbox LIVE Avatar and compare achievements with friends.

The new update also features a few minor bug fixes, but nothing in the way of new features.

App developers have been gradually updating their wares to accommodate the iPhone's new 16:9 aspect ratio.

Google has been particularly prompt with the process, while other top apps still have the annoying black bars at the bottom and top of each screen.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/xbox-smartglass-update-brings-iphone-5-optimisation-1117416

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HTC M7 said to launch in Q1 2013

HTC wants to plant its flag in 2013 before the competition

New reports indicate HTC is already planning ahead for the release of a new potential flagship smartphone during the first quarter of 2013.

Even though HTC's Droid DNA released just a few short weeks ago, the Taiwanese manufacturer is said to be working with its suppliers to gear up for the launch of a new smartphone -- the HTC M7.

Multiple sources indicated HTC is making sure enough semiconductors and casings can be created to manufacture between 4 and 5 million units of the new smartphone during the early stages of the new year.

The race is on

As 2012 comes to a close, the battle for 2013's market share is already heating up.

Though details on the HTC M7 are sparse at the moment, it's being speculated the reason for the Q1 release is to beat the Samsung Galaxy S4 to market.

The HTC M7 is rumored to include a 5-inch HD display, a Qualcomm APQ8064 quad-core processor, and a 13 megapixel camera.

All of those features would be contained in a uni-body aluminum shell, though there's no indication as to the thickness of the M7.

Earlier Wednesday, purported images of the iPhone 5S leaked, which could also provide some competition for the HTC M7 and Galaxy S4.

Releasing the M7 ahead of both those devices could give HTC a much needed edge in sales during the first half of 2013.

HTC has struggled to keep up with Apple and Samsung in 2012, and saw its October revenue drop 60 percent from where it was in 2011.

TechRadar has reached out to HTC for more info, and will update this story if and when they respond.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/htc-m7-said-to-launch-in-q1-2013-1117414

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Huawei exec tips Ascend Mate, 6.1-inch phablet to take on Note II

Not(e) so fast

Back in October, reports of a new phablet being developed by Chinese manufacturer Huawei made the rounds.

Huawei's Ascend Mate was rumored to be a 6.1-inch phablet, with a full 1080p HD screen, a 1.8GHz quad-core processor, and 2GB of RAM.

On Wednesday, those reports gained a bit more credibility when Huawei's senior vice president Yu Chengdong revealed the company's plans to release a large-scale phablet in 2013.

Bigger, better, thinner

Chengdong announced the news on Weibo (the Chinese version of Twitter), where he described the in-development device as more powerful and thinner than its closest competitor, the Galaxy Note II.

Though Chengdong doesn't officially call the device the Ascend Mate, there are enough similarities between device he describes and the one revealed in those October reports to make the connection.

Ironically, Chengdong's Weibo account revealed he was sending the outburst from a Galaxy Note II, which he claimed to be using as research to make Huawei's phablet even better.

Though there's still not a firm release date or price lined up for the Huawei Asend Mate, Chengdong did relate the phablet would be cheaper than the Galaxy Note II when it does finally arrive.

TechRadar asked Huawei for more info and will update this story when and if they respond.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/huawei-exec-tips-ascend-mate-6-1-inch-phablet-to-take-on-note-ii-1117396

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Potential 'iPhone 5S' leaked, here we go again

It appears little will change inside the next iPhone (credit: Nowhereelse.fr)

Apple may have finished dazzling us with new products this year, but a new leak from a French website may provide a glimpse into what the company may be up to in 2013.

CNET reported Wednesday that images of a purported next-generation iPhone have surfaced on French website Nowhereelse.fr, revealing an exterior virtually identical to the current iPhone 5.

The leaked handset has already been referred to as the "iPhone 5S," in keeping with Apple's naming convention for updates to the outward appearance of its iconic device.

Minor tweaks

Thus far, Apple has used the "S" appendix twice: First with the iPhone 3GS in 2009, then again two years later with the iPhone 4S, each modest updates from their respective iPhone 3G and iPhone 4 predecessors.

In keeping with its bi-annual tradition, the presumed iPhone 5S prototype reveals slightly different placement for internal screws, but otherwise minor tweaks from the current version.

The casing of the handset also appears identical to the iPhone 5 - with specific information branded on the back has been replaced with an X - which could indicate the leak comes from a prototype under development.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/potential-iphone-5s-leaked-here-we-go-again-1117373

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French site leaks potential 'iPhone 5S', here we go again

It appears little will change inside the next iPhone (Credit: Nowhereelse.fr) (credit: Nowhereelse.fr)

Apple may have finished dazzling us with new products this year, but a new leak from a French website may provide a glimpse into what the company may be up to in 2013.

CNET reported Wednesday that images of a purported next-generation iPhone have surfaced on French website Nowhereelse.fr, revealing an exterior virtually identical to the current iPhone 5.

The leaked handset has already been referred to as the "iPhone 5S," in keeping with Apple's naming convention for updates to the outward appearance of its iconic device.

Minor tweaks

Thus far, Apple has used the "S" appendix twice: First with the iPhone 3GS in 2009, then again two years later with the iPhone 4S, each modest updates from their respective iPhone 3G and iPhone 4 predecessors.

In keeping with its bi-annual tradition, the presumed iPhone 5S prototype reveals slightly different placement for internal screws, but otherwise minor tweaks from the current version.

The casing of the handset also appears identical to the iPhone 5 - with specific information branded on the back has been replaced with an X - which could indicate the leak comes from a prototype under development.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/french-site-leaks-potential-iphone-5s-here-we-go-again-1117373

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French website leaks potential next-gen "iPhone 5S"

It appears little will be changing inside the next iPhone (Credit: Nowhereelse.fr) (credit: Nowhereelse.fr)

Apple may have finished dazzling us with new products this year, but a new leak from a French website may provide a glimpse into what the company may be up to in 2013.

CNET reported Wednesday that images of a purported next-generation iPhone have surfaced on French website Nowhereelse.fr, revealing an exterior virtually identical to the current iPhone 5.

The leaked handset has already been referred to as the "iPhone 5S," in keeping with Apple's naming convention for updates to the outward appearance of its iconic device.

Minor tweaks

Thus far, Apple has used the "S" appendix twice: First with the iPhone 3GS in 2009, then again two years later with the iPhone 4S, each modest updates from their respective iPhone 3G and iPhone 4 predecessors.

In keeping with its bi-annual tradition, the presumed iPhone 5S prototype reveals slightly different placement for internal screws, but otherwise minor tweaks from the current version.

The casing of the handset also appears identical to the iPhone 5, with specific information branded on the back has been replaced with an X, which could indicate the leak comes from a prototype under development.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/french-website-leaks-potential-next-gen-iphone-5s-1117373

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Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie release date, news and rumours

Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie has started baking

Google's showing no signs of slowing its pace of Android development, with Android 4.0 appearing on the Galaxy Nexus late in 2011, followed in July of 2012 by the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean release that arrived powering the super Nexus 7.

But, forward-looking, update-obsessed people that we are, we can't help but imagine how Google's going to maintain the pace of innovation in its next version of its mobile OS, which, if it follows the patterns of previous years, ought to arrive on a new Nexus-brand mobile at the end of 2012.

All we know thus far is that Google's working away on the K release of Android, which it's developing under the dessert-related codename of Key Lime Pie. Regarding the version number, it's likely that the Key Lime Pie moniker will be given to Android 5.0. We thought we might find out on 29 October but as yet there is no official word from Google.

Rumours of a new Nexus handset started trickling in during the third quarter of 2012, as we reported on 1 October 2012. There was speculation that this phone would be sporting Key Lime Pie, but sources who spoke to AndroidAndMe correctly claimed that the handset, which turned out to be the Google Nexus 4 would be running Android Jelly Bean.

So now as we wait on official news of the Android 5.0 release date and features, we can start to pull together the Key Lime Pie rumours from around the web, with the first sighting of Android 5.0 on a benchmarking website, apparently running on a Sony smartphone. There has previously been speculation that Sony is in line to produce the next Nexus phone, which may lend some credence to this rumour.

Android Key Lime Pie release date

Google has announced that its next developer conference - Google IO - will take place from May 15 to May 17 2013, a month earlier than 2012's June dates. Given that Google announced Android 4.1 Jelly Bean at 2012's IO conference, it's not unreasonable to expect to see Android 5.0 at next year's event.

As we scour the web for more news, we've also been thinking about what we want to see in Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. Hopefully the new mobile OS will feature some of these things...

1. Performance Profiles

It's bit of a fuss managing your mobile before bed time. Switching off the sound, turning off data, activating airplane mode and so on, so what Android 5.0 really needs is a simple way of managing performance, and therefore power use, automatically.

We've been given a taste of this with Blocking Mode in Samsung's Jelly Bean update on the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Note 2 but we'd like to see the functionality expanded.

Something like a Gaming mode for max power delivery, an Overnight low-power state for slumbering on minimal power and maybe a Reading mode for no bothersome data connections and a super-low backlight.

Some hardware makers put their own little automated tools in, such as the excellent Smart Actions found within Motorola's RAZR interface, but it'd be great to see Google give us a simple way to manage states.

Another little power strip style widget for phone performance profiles would be an easy way to do it.

Set telephone to BEDTIME SLEEPY MODE

2. Better multiple device support

Google already does quite a good job of supporting serious Android nerds who own several phones and tablets, but there are some holes in its coverage that are rather frustrating.

Take the Videos app which manages your film downloads through the Play Store. Start watching a film on one Android device and you're limited to resuming your film session on that same unit, making it impossible to switch from phone to tablet mid-film.

You can switch between phone and web site players to resume watching, but surely Google ought to understand its fans often have a couple of phones and tabs on the go and fix this for Android Key Lime Pie?

3. Enhanced social network support

Android doesn't really do much for social network users out of the box, with most of the fancy social widgets and features coming from the hardware makers through their own custom skins.

Sony integrates Facebook brilliantly in its phones, and even LG makes a great social network aggregator widget that incorporates Facebook and Twitter - so why are there no cool aggregator apps as part of the standard Android setup?

Yes, Google does a great job of pushing Google+, but, no offence, there are many other more widely used networks that ought to be a little better "baked in" to Android.

4. Line-drawing keyboard options

Another area where the manufacturers have taken a big leap ahead of Google is in integrating clever alternate text entry options in their keyboards. HTC and Sony both offer their own takes on the Swype style of line-drawing text input, which is a nice option to have for getting your words onto a telephone. Get it into Android 5.0 and give us the choice.

UPDATE: Google heard us and this feature appeared in Android 4.2.

P-U-T T-H-I-S I-N A-N-D-R-O-I-D 5-.-0

5. A video chat app

How odd is it that Google's put a front-facing camera on the Nexus 7 and most hardware manufacturers do the same on their phones and tablets, yet most ship without any form of common video chat app?

You have to download Skype and hope it works, or find some other downloadable app solution. Why isn't there a Google Live See My Face Chat app of some sort as part of Android? Is it because we're too ugly? Is that what you're saying, Google?

6. Multi-select in the contacts

The Android contacts section is pretty useful, but it could be managed a little better. What if you have the idea of emailing or texting a handful of your friends? The way that's currently done is by emailing one, then adding the rest individually. Some sort of checkbox system that let users scroll through names and create a mailing list on the fly through the contacts listing in Android Key Lime Pie would make this much easier.

Make this a destination, rather than a never-used list

7. Cross-device SMS sync

If you're a constant SIM swapper with more than one phone on the go, chances are you've lost track of your text messages at some point. Google stores these on the phone rather than the SIM card, so it'd be nice if our texts could be either backed up to the SIM, the SD card, or beamed up to the magical invisible cloud of data, for easy and consistent access across multiple devices.

8. A "Never Update" option

This would annoy developers so is unlikely to happen, but it'd be nice if we could refuse app updates permanently in Android 5.0, just in case we'd rather stick with a current version of a tool than be forced to upgrade.

Sure, you can set apps to manual update and then just ignore the update prompt forever, but it'd be nice to know we can keep a favoured version of an app without accidentally updating it. Some of us are still using the beta Times app, for example, which has given free access for a year.

Let us keep older versions. Many people fear change

9. App preview/freebie codes

Something Apple's been doing for ages and ages is using a promo code system to distribute free or review versions of apps. It even makes doing little competitions to drum up publicity for apps much easier, so why's there no similar scheme for Android?

It might encourage developers to stop going down the ad-covered/freemium route if they could charge for an app but still give it away to friends and fans through a promo code system.

10. Final whinges and requests...

It's be nice to be able to sort the Settings screen by alphabetical order, too, or by most commonly used or personal preference, as Android's so packed with a huge list of options these days it's a big old list to scroll through and pick out what you need.

Plus could we have a percentage count for the battery in the Notifications bar for Android 5.0? Just so we know a bit more info than the vague emptying battery icon.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/android-5-0-key-lime-pie-release-date-news-and-rumours-1091500

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Nokia Lumia 505 teased ahead of launch in Mexico

The Mexican carrier Guerrero Móvil teased an upcoming Nokia smartphone, called Nokia Lumia 505. It will be exclusive (at least initially) to its network and should become the cheapest Nokia WP device to date.

The Lumia 505 specs are mostly unknown for now - all the carrier's Facebook account gave us was the 8 megapixel camera. We can also see that there's not going to be a flash of any kind alongside the camera.

However, the Windows key at the front features the old WP logo, so it's all but certain that the smartphone will be running some Windows Phone 7 version.

Now a closer look at its homescreen shows the support for resizable live tiles, so it's obvious that the smartphone will be running Windows Phone 7.8 out of the box.

There are also rumors of a 4" WVGA display, 800MHz CPU, 4GB of storage and 256MB of RAM, which make sense, but are yet to be confirmed. It would be a strange if Nokia invested too much effort in the design of a smartphone that is going to be exclusive to a Mexican carrier, so the Lumia 505 is most probably little more than a redesigned Lumia 510.

Guerrero Movil promised to reveal more information on the Nokia Lumia 505 in a week, so we won't have to wait long to find out.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/budget_nokia_lumia_505_headed_exclusively_to_mexico-news-5167.php

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Galaxy S III gets Android 4.1.2 update, lots of Note II features

Samsung is now seeding the Android 4.1.2 update for the Galaxy S III. The update brings the new Multi-View multitasking interface, system apps, controls, settings and more.

Samsung has just started seeding the Android 4.1.2 update for the Galaxy S III. It's available over-the-air and the first country to get it is Poland. Other countries should join the roll out very soon, though.

The update brings lots of new features to the Galaxy S III, which were introduced with the Galaxy Note II phablet. Here is the complete changelog:

• Android version 4.1.2
• Multi-View
• Page Buddy
• New Gallery App (Same as in Note II)
• Notification Panel (Notification Panel can now be customized)
• Brightness Slider in Notification Panel Can Now Be Disabled
• Smart Rotation (Screen Display adjusts to your angle of sightings)
• Paper Artist App
• Group Cast App

The continuous input claimed to come with the 4.1.2 version actually was available within the original 4.1.1 update.

The Galaxy 2 10.1 Wi-Fi slate is also getting some Jelly Bean treatment today. Samsung has started the update process for the Ice Cream Sandwich-running slate and if you live in the United Kingdom you can update your device over-the-air or via Kies.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/galaxy_s_iii_gets_android_412_update_brings_note_ii_experience-news-5166.php

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How to take a screenshot on a Galaxy S3, Note 2, or other Android device

Having trouble taking a screenshot on your Android phone? Our guide to snapping a picture of your screen should make things much easier.

Although taking a snapshot of your Android phone’s screen sounds like something only app reviewers would want to do, there are all sorts of other situations where a screenshot would come in handy, such as sharing your homescreen setup with friends or obtaining pictorial proof of a great score on a particular game.

Except it has never been all that easy to accomplish, often needing a third-party app to achieve. With the introduction of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), that all changed, so here’s a quick guide on how this feature works, using the Samsung Galaxy S3 as an example.

Take a screenshot on the Galaxy S3:

1. Open Settings and go to Motion.
2. Scroll down and find Hand Motion, find Palm Swipe to Capture, and tick the box.
3. Close the menu and shape your hand like you are “chopping,” then swipe it across the screen – it doesn’t matter which way – and you should hear the camera shutter and receive a notification that a picture has been saved to the gallery.

Alternative method for taking a screenshot on the Galaxy S3 or Note:

1. Pressing the power and home buttons at the same time will also grab an image of the screen. This can be awkward to get right, so it’s important to remember to press both buttons at the same time, and hold them until the shutter sound is heard.

Both these methods also work on the Samsung Galaxy Notes, and the second method is also applicable to the Galaxy S2.

Take a screenshot on other Android 4.0, 4.1, or 4.2 devices: 

1. Press the power button and volume down key at the same time. Remember to hold them until you hear a click or see a screenshot being taken. This works on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the Google Nexus 7 tablet and should be the first method you try on an Android device. Remember to hold both keys down at precisely the same time, and hold until the shutter clicks.

For older Android phones, such as those running 2.3 Gingerbread, you’ll need to head over to the Google Play Store, where there are several apps that will do the job for you. Screenshot ER and Screenshot UX are popular choices, but often require your phone to be rooted, or take a look at No Root Screenshot It if you don’t want to root your device.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-take-a-screenshot-on-galaxy-s3-note-2-android/

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Qualcomm announces two new Snapdragon S4 chipsets for China

Qualcomm announced two new Snapdragon S4 chipsets, which are optimized for the Chinese market. Both feature a quad-core CPU, Adreno 305 GPU and a transceiver that supports Chinese wireless networks.

The new Snapdragon S4 chipsets are called MSM8226 and MSM8626 and they pack a quad-core processor manufactured on a 28nm process (Qualcomm has reserved that for Krait cores), though the frequency wasn’t announced. The CPU is paired with an Adreno 305 GPU. The chipset supports cameras up to 13MP along with 1080p video recording.

There's also a WRT2605 transceiver, which supports Dual-SIM, Dual Standby and Dual-SIM, Dual Active modes of operation and works on China-specific TD-SCDMA, CDMA 1xAdv and HSPA+. It also supports GPS, GLONASS and Beidou (Chinese equivalent of GPS). The radio chip is smaller and uses 40% less energy than its predecessor.

The Qualcomm MSM8226 and MSM8626 will sample in Q2 next year and will be available in Qualcomm Reference Design form too.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/qualcomm_announces_two_new_snapdragon_s4_chipsets_for_china-news-5165.php

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Sony brings Android Jelly Bean to the masses with the Xperia E

Sony has announced the Xperia E, a low-cost Android phones with a specification that's good enough for it to run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a rarity on budget phones.

Sony has announced a new, budget Android phone called the Xperia E, and just in case anybody is confused over its position in the market, it has labelled it as the “no-nonsense Android smartphone.” That’s that cleared up, then. Keeping that in mind, don’t be expecting any mind-blowing spec details, but it does have one ace card to play.

The phone has a 3.5-inch touchscreen with a 320 x 480 pixel resolution, driven by a single-core, 1GHz Snapdragon MSM7227A processor, also known as the Snapdragon S1 which has been used in many modern Android phones such as the HTC Desire V and the LG Optimus L7. It’s backed up by a healthy 512MB of RAM, while on the rear of the phone is a 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera which can also shoot basic, VGA-quality video.

Thanks to the processor and RAM specs, the Xperia E comes with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean already installed, a big bonus on a device of this level, as lowly specs tend to mean older operating systems. The Xperia E will be joined by a dual-SIM version too, but this will have Android 4.0 as standard, with a 4.1 update coming in the future.

The Xperia E is a curvy, lightweight device at 115 grams and measures only 11mm thick, but it does hide a 1530mAh battery which works in conjunction with some clever power management tools to gain as much standby time as possible. Sony quotes a talktime of 6.3 hours and standby of 530 hours. There is also a data usage app which monitors other apps to help minimize your bill.

Sony has equipped the phone with its Walkman music player, xLoud enhancements and Music Unlimited access. Other features include HD Voice, DLNA connectivity and a microSD card slot to expand the 4GB of internal storage memory. The Xperia E will be available in black, white and pink, and is expected to go on sale during the first three months of 2013, although no price details or list of countries which can expect the Xperia E have been provided.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/xperia-e-announced-by-sony-complete-with-android-4-1-jelly-bean/

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Zite 2.0: Popular personalized news app unveils new look

Zite rolled out a major update to the iOS version of its popular personalized news app on Tuesday, overhauling the design and incorporating a number of new features.

If you were already a big fan of personalized news reader app Zite, the likelihood is you’ll be an even bigger fan once you’ve had a chance to experience its all-new look.

Zite 2.0 for iOS devices was rolled out by the company on Tuesday, giving news junkies even more options and control over the content delivered to their screen.

When some apps receive an overhaul, heavy users can be left sweating while they download the new version, wondering if things will ever be quite the same again. Zite addicts need not worry – it’s still intuitive, it’s still fun to use, it’s still a joy to simply look at and most important of all, the content is still as engaging as ever – indicating that the algorithm used by Zite to assess your tastes is still in good shape.

Changes

So what’s new? The logo, for a start, with the old ‘Z’ on a green background having been replaced by the face of a big-eyed owl (much prettier). Once in, you’ll soon see the overall design has been given a subtle but nifty makeover, making it even easier on the eye. 

Zite users know all about how you can give each article a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, teaching the app about your article preferences in order that it can serve up more along similar lines – you can still do this while reading the article, but with the iPad version you can now also do it on the contents page by simply swiping up (like) or down (dislike) on the box where the heading and opening lines of the article sit.

Zite said in a blog post Tuesday that the free app now categorizes stories into a colossal 40,000 topics, “allowing you to drill even deeper into your interests and give Zite even more feedback about what you like and don’t like.”

Facebook integration has also been incorporated – alongside Google Reader, Twitter and Pocket – enabling you to link Zite to your Facebook account to get topic suggestions according to your Facebook history.

Your Top Stories has been expanded with the inclusion of more articles, and it’s now possible to change the order of your Quicklist. Before, the order was fixed, meaning that if your most-viewed category was far down the list, you’d have to scroll down to get to it. Not anymore – now you can drag it to the top.

All in all, it’s certainly a pleasing update and should be popular with long-time users as well as those coming to the app for the first time. Android users will unfortunately have to wait for the refresh; iOS users can grab it here (requires iOS 6 or later).

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/zite-2-0-popular-personalized-news-app-unveils-new-look/

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Droid DNA-challenging, Oppo Find 5 1080p smartphone given $499 price tag in U.S.

The Oppo Find 5 1080p smartphone looks set to challenge the HTC Droid DNA soon, as a website has appeared offering the phone for $499 SIM-free. It's set for official announcement next week.

Before smartphones with 1080p screens reached the U.S. with the Verizon-exclusive Droid DNA, one of the first phones which boasted a Full HD screen to be discussed was the Oppo Find 5. Oppo may not be a brand one instantly connects with mobile devices, as it’s better known for its Blu-ray players, but if the Find 5 is anything to go by, the company is working hard to change that perception.

Initially expected to only be released on the Chinese market, it’s looking like Oppo will bring the Find 5 to the U.S. too, judging by its barebones oppousa.com website. It has been given a SIM-free price of $499, and is supposedly compatible with T-Mobile and AT&T’s networks.

For those who’ve not heard of the Find 5 before, here’s what it’s all about. The screen measures 5-inches and has a Full HD, 1080p resolution with a 441ppi pixel density, along with a covering of Corning’s Gorilla Glass 2. Inside is a Qualcomm APQ8064 processor, better known as the quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro, with a 1.5GHz clock speed. There’s 2GB of RAM to help it along, plus 16GB of internal storage memory too. The Oppo Find 5 runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, plus it has other features including GPS, Wi-Fi, DLNA, NFC and support for HSPA+ networks.

December 12 debut

Many were disappointed by the Droid DNA’s 2020mAh battery, although it hasn’t performed quite as badly as feared, but the Find 5 has a 2500mAh battery inside. While this has the potential to provide more energy, its longevity can be affected by how well the software has been optimized too; however, Oppo does not mention a skin over the top of Android, so this could be a clean install of Jelly Bean, which could help out even more.

The Oppo Find 5’s design is sleek, although all we have to go on at the moment is a set of press shots which look a little too computer generated for our liking. The $499 price is good, and comes in below that of the Droid DNA and the Samsung Galaxy S3, but until we see the real thing along with Oppo’s warranty information, it still remains a wild card.

Oppo will be launching the Find 5 at a special event to be held in Beijing on December 12, so we can expect the U.S. website to be updated after that time. You never know, it could turn out to be the second, major smartphone bargain of the year.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/oppo-find-5-1080p-smartphone-given-499-price-tag-in-u-s/

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Oppo Find 5 full spec sheet and price revealed

The Oppo Find 5 has been making waves recently with rumors of a 5-inch 1080p display powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm APQ8064 processor. Those rumors have since been confirmed by Oppo, as well as the contract-free price of $499.00.

The 5-inch FullHD display results in an impressive 441 ppi, and has Gorilla Glass 2 for extra protection on top. It comes with 16 GB of internal storage (whether the 32 GB model will be sold Stateside remains to be seen), and 2 GB of RAM.

All the right connectivity features are there as well, including Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, DLNA and Wi-Fi Direct. The 2500 mAh battery has also been confirmed, as is the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean OS.

Look for the Oppo Find 5 in the US from AT&T and T-Mobile not long after its official launch event in Beijing next week.

Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_find_5_full_spec_sheet_and_price_revealed-news-5164.php

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Schmidt: Apple v Google is a cold war, not a riot

Don't be fooled, he's got a .44 secreted off-screen

Google's ex-CEO Eric Schmidt has described the political situation between Apple and Google as being less like a gun-fight and more like a political balancing act.

Describing relations between the two tech behemoths, Schmidt understated the situation by saying, "It's always been on and off.

"Obviously we would have preferred them to use our maps. They threw YouTube off the home screen. I'm not quite sure why they did that."

We might have an idea, Schmidtster – something to do with Apple wanting to own and control everything ever, perhaps.

Sparring

He went on to describe the two companies as being in a cold war, of sorts.

He said, "The press would like to write the sort of teenage model of competition, which is 'I have a gun, you have a gun, who shoots first?'

"The adult way to run a business is to run it more like a country. They have disputes, yet they've actually been able to have huge trade with each other. They're not sending bombs at each other."

"I think both Tim and Larry, the sort of successors to Steve and me if you will, have an understanding of this state model. When they and their teams meet, they have just a long list of things to talk about."

We're sure. Other Schmidt-bits include his view of Google, Apple, Amazon and Facebook as the big four tech contenders, and identification of the losers in the patent wars as the potential future Androids and Googles.

Patent warfare

Although the patent fights between Apple and various Android-friendly device makers have hit headlines consistently over the past year, Schmidt says that none of the big companies are really losing out.

"Google is doing fine. Apple is doing fine. Let me tell you the loser here," he warned.

"There's a young Andy Rubin trying to form a new version of Danger [the smartphone company Mr. Rubin co-founded before Android]. How is he or she going to be able to get the patent coverage necessary to offer version one of their product? That's the real consequence of this."

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/schmidt-apple-v-google-is-a-cold-war-not-a-riot-1117305

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Keeping the kids happy: Amazon announces Kindle Fire subscription service for children’s content

If you're a Kindle Fire owner with kids, you may already be familiar with FreeTime, a feature that offers controls on how your child uses the tablet. Building on this, Amazon has just announced a subscription service for FreeTime, offering unlimited access to a mass of child-friendly content.

While parents already have a decent amount of control over what their little ones use their Kindle Fire for with the help of FreeTime, a new subscription service set to be rolled out as part of a software update in the coming weeks is about to make the feature a much more attractive proposition – or so Amazon hopes.

FreeTime Unlimited, announced Wednesday by the e-commerce giant, will bring together all the child-friendly content available for the Kindle Fire tablets – encompassing books, games, educational apps, movies and TV shows – into the walled garden of the existing FreeTime feature, offering unlimited access for $4.99 per child or $9.99 per family. Prime members can sign up for slightly less: $2.99 and $6.99 respectively.

FreeTime allows parents to set up a Kindle Fire profile for their kids according to their age and gender, and to create time limits so their eyes don’t turn rectangular through overuse.

Parents select what they feel to be appropriate content for their child, which then appears in FreeTime for them to enjoy. However, this hasn’t stopped little Tom, Dick and Henrietta from finding new content in the Amazon store and pestering their parents to buy or rent it. With FreeTime Unlimited, however, there’ll be so much content – from providers including Chronicle Books, DC Comics, Disney, HIT Entertainment, Nickelodeon, PBS, and Sesame Workshop – kids won’t know what to do with it all. And there are no worries for parents about their offspring emptying their bank accounts with a ton of unapproved purchases or in-app payments as these are blocked within FreeTime.

Though cynics might suggest Amazon’s aim is to get the littl’uns familiar with its products and trained up on its platform at an early age in the hope that they might become Amazon devotees later on, the company will claim it’s simply looking for ways to give parents greater control over what content their children access, freeing them from having to constantly supervise their children’s tablet use.

If you’re a FreeTime advocate, can you see yourself signing up for FreeTime Unlimited?

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/amazon-launches-kindle-content-service-for-kids/

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