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Showing posts with label android. Show all posts
Showing posts with label android. Show all posts
Acer outs a pair of Liquid Z phones and Liquid Jade Z
Acer has just lifted the curtains of its MWC 2015 Android line-up of smartphones. The trio of phones includes a pair of Liquid Z devices and the Liquid Jade Z.
Starting off with the Acer Liquid Jade Z, which is the higher tier offering from the company. Featuring a 64-bit MediaTek CPU, the phone is built around a 5" 720p display. Acer uses a new Zero Air Gap technology on the unit, too, in addition to a Gorilla Glass 3 layer for protection.
Acer Liquid Jade Z
The Acer Liquid Jade Z is LTE-ready and weighs 110 grams and its body is 7.9mm thin. Visually, the phone is reminiscent of the Liquid Jade S, which isn't a bad thing at all. At the back, there's a 13MP snapper with LED flash, while a 5MP front-facing camera takes care of video chatting and selfies.
The Liquid Z220 packs a 4" display, while the Liquid Z520 has a 5" - both with WVGA resolution (233ppi and 186ppi pixel densitym respectively). Under the hood, the Liquid Z520 packs a Snapdragon 400 with a quad-core CPU and 1GB of RAM, while the Liquid Z220 makes do with a Snapdragon 200 chipset with dual-core CPU.
The two differ in the main camera department, as the Liquid Z520 has an 8MP camera with LED flash, while the Z220 has a 5MP shooter, again coupled with an LED flash.
Acer has packed the Liquid Z520 with DTS studio sound speaker at the back.
Acer Liquid Z220
In terms of pricing, the Liquid Z220 and Liquid Z520 will launch in March and April, respectively. The Liquid Z520 will retail for €109, while the Liquid Z220 will be €89. The Acer Liquid Jade Z will be out in March with a €199 price tag.
YouTube app update for Android enables video trimming
Google has released a new update for the YouTube app for Android devices with a capability to trim videos before uploading to YouTube.
Select a video from the phone using the YouTube app and it will show you the new trimming interface.With that, the users can simply tap and swipe the scroll switch to choose an exact frame.
With new scroll switches you can now select the precise frames as start and end of the video. Not only that, you can also watch the video preview of your trimmed video before uploading it to YouTube.
YouTube app for Android can be downloaded from the Google Play Store.
YouTube app update for Android enables video trimming
Google has released a new update for the YouTube app for Android devices with a capability to trim videos before uploading to YouTube.
Select a video from the phone using the YouTube app and it will show you the new trimming interface.With that, the users can simply tap and swipe the scroll switch to choose an exact frame.
With new scroll switches you can now select the precise frames as start and end of the video. Not only that, you can also watch the video preview of your trimmed video before uploading it to YouTube.
YouTube app for Android can be downloaded from the Google Play Store.
Firefox for Android gets revamped tablet interface, HTTP/2 support
Mozilla is rolling out an update for the Android version of Firefox on the Play Store. This update brings with it a new tablet interface and HTTP/2 support.
Firefox now has a revamped tab layout on top that looks just like the tab design on the desktop version of Firefox. There is also now a fullscreen tab panel, which shows a grid of open tabs with thumbnails for a better view of your open sites.
Along with that, Firefox on Android also gets support for the new HTTP/2 standard, which was added in its desktop counterpart recently, that promises to be faster, more efficient and secure than HTTP 1.1.
Most of the other changes are under the hood. You can check out the complete changelog in the link below.
Google Now lets you toggle Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and the flashlight with voice commands
On Android, Google Now serves as the virtual assistant Siri is on iOS and Cortana is on Windows Phone. Thus, Google Now can take voice commands and act on them. But up until recently that did not include toggling certain system settings – not directly, at least.
The good news is that as of this moment Google Now is in fact able to toggle your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections on or off, as well as the flashlight functionality enabled by your phone’s LED flash. The one caveat is that you need to be running Android 5.0 Lollipop.
Before, if you told Google Now to “turn Wi-Fi off” for example, it would simply take you to the relevant menu inside Settings (and this is still what happens if you use Google Now on older versions of the OS). That was reasonably helpful, but the new functionality is much more so.
Now when you tell it to turn Wi-Fi on or off, it simply does that. And the situation is identical for Bluetooth and the flashlight. Interestingly, the flashlight toggling works even on devices that have had the corresponding functionality removed from the Quick Settings by their manufacturer. The LG G3 fits this description, for example. This creates an odd situation where for such handsets the only way to trigger the flashlight function built into Android 5.0 Lollipop is by voice.
Once you’ve told Google Now what to do, you get audio feedback letting you know that the action has been performed, as well as a card and a small toggle (as you can see from the screenshots above). The toggle that’s displayed helps you quickly revert an action if you made a mistake.
For now just these three commands work like this. Trying to directly toggle Airplane mode, Location, Brightness, or Volume via voice results in you being taken to the appropriate Settings menus – just what used to happen for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and the flashlight too. So hopefully more direct voice toggles will be enabled in the future.
Updated search bar is coming to Google Play store for Android
The Google Play store for Android is about to receive an updated search bar. The new setup was teased by a Google UI engineer and is due to arrive in the near future.
The new search bar once again sits on top of the application and feature the “Google play” sign. Tapping it reveals you past searches in a similar fashion as the Google Now launcher. See how it works below.
The improved functionality will be available as a server-side update. You will not need to update the Google Play store app if you are already running the latest version.
LG Watch Urbane goes official with Android Wear on board
LG took the wraps off the high-end Watch Urbane timepiece. The smartwatch will be showcased during the upcoming MWC 2015 in Barcelona.
LG Watch Urbane is a more upmarket version of the G Watch R. Thanks to narrower screen bezels, stainless steel body with polished silver or gold finish, and stitched leather band, the Urbane looks significantly more elegant than its predecessor. LG expects the Watch Urbane to appeal to both men and women.
Specs-wise, the LG Watch Urbane packs Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC with 1.2GHz CPU, 1.3” P-OLED display with a resolution of 320 x 320 pixels, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB of built-in memory. The smartwatch has IP67 rating for water and dust resistance.
Physical measures of the LG Watch Urbane are 45.5 x 52.2 x 10.9mm. A 410mAh battery powers the device.
LG will announce pricing of the smartwatch as it approaches availability.
Google continues Android campaign #Notthesame with an ad about handshakes
Google’s previous Android ad employed cute animals, but the latest installment in the company’s “Be Together. Not The Same” campaign for its mobile OS is really different from that. No animals to be seen here, well, at least not as many animals.
This ad is called “Handshake” and it really is all about the handshake. Or fist bump. Or plenty of other ways in which people greet each other nowadays.
So it probably won’t win any accolades for cuteness like the past promo video, but this ad keeps the general idea going – you don’t have to be identical to those around you to be together with them. Or something like that.
This campaign is all about praising Android’s diversity, though it is interesting to note that only two phones and one tablet can be seen in this ad, and they all appear for very brief periods of time. It remains to be seen whether promoting a mobile OS without actually showing it is going to work.
Facebook adds some Material Design elements to its Android app
After quite a few months since Google first unveiled its Material Design guidelines, Facebook has decided to follow them somewhat. The world’s biggest social network is now testing a slightly enhanced look for its Android app, one that has been infused with a few Material Design elements.
As you can see, a big blue floating action button is present. Once you tap that a few options show up, which were previously available to you through a floating blue bar at the bottom of the screen. This bundled the “Take a photo” and “Upload a photo” items together, while “Where I am” used to be known as “Check in”. The old “Status” option from the floating bar is now replaced with “Write a post”.
The About screen tells us that this is version 28 of the app. You probably have 27 now, but even if you are on 28 you may not see the new UI. Facebook routinely tests many small improvements such as these, and sometimes they appear to some users and not to others – because, more often than not, such things are switched on at the server level. Still, if you participate in Facebook’s beta testing program for Android, you may have a few more chances of getting lucky and seeing this new design. However, that doesn’t mean it will ever be rolled out to all Facebook for Android installs out there.
And if Facebook really wants to adhere to Material Design guidelines, it shouldn’t forget to enable the tinting of the Android status bar in Lollipop.
Report says Android Lollipop is more stable than Apple’s iOS 8
Android Lollipop experiences less application crashes when compared to Apple’s iOS 8, according to a latest report from app performance management company Crittercism. While app crash rate on Lollipop is 2%, that on iOS 8 is 2.2%.
Not only this, the data also reveals that even iOS 7 is better than iOS 8 in terms of app crashes, having only a 1.9% rate. On the other hand, Lollipop is better than the previous Android versions, with both KitKat and Ice Cream Sandwich having an application crash rate of 2.6%.
It’s worth noting that apps can crash due to various reasons, including OS issues, device specific issues, and of course, issues with apps themselves so take this study with a healthy dose of skepticism.
300 Android devices perform The Hymn of Joy live
Google’s #TogetherNotTheSame moved from cute animals to emulating Freddie Mercury – 300 smartphones and tablets were put together, each displaying a different Androidify character singing the same song through the devices speakers.
Instead of Bohemian Rhapsody, the Android Chorus did a rendition of The Hymn of Joy, set to a beatbox-y Ode to Joy.
The performance can be viewed in person in Tokyo starting today until Sunday (February 15) at Omotesando Hills. Not only does it sound fun, but it’s also a visual feast with all the little cartoony characters moving and dancing during the performance.
The creepy, award-winning video game Limbo arrives on Android
The award-winning video game Limbo finally made its way to Android. Created by the developers from Playdead, the creepy title is available in Google Play for $4.99.
Limbo has been available for iOS for quite some time now. The game made its debut on iPhone and iPad back in July of 2013.
The game is focused on a boy who’s trying to find out his sister’s fate. It combines eye-grabbing visuals with immersive sound and challenging gameplay. You can find out all about it in our review.
Kodak's IM5 Android smartphone to launch in UK soon
The Kodak IM5 Android smartphone, which was announced early last month, will first be launched in the UK. The device, costing £189.98 ($289), is up for pre-order on Clove, and is expected to be in stock in late March or early April, the British retailer says.
Specifications-wise, the device is powered by an unnamed 1.7 GHz octa-core processor, and sports a 5-inch 720p touchscreen. It has 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory (expandable up to 32GB via MicroSD card), and runs Android 4.4 KitKat (with a Lollipop update on the cards).
In terms of camera, the smartphone features a 13 MP rear unit with LED flash, a 5 MP front snapper. You'll also get an app that will allow you to quickly edit photos, share them on social media, or directly print them.
Android 5.0 Lollipop update confirmed for the Galaxy Note II
Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy Note II will also get the Android 5.0 Lollipop update, although it hasn't yet confirmed the date.
The announcement was made by Samsung Poland via a tweet. It is worth noting that the South Korean company usually updates it flagship devices for around 1.5 years, but the Note II seems to be an exception as it has been more than two years since the device was launched.
The news comes just a day after the Galaxy Note 4 started receiving the Lollipop update in Poland.
Kyocera Torque lands in Europe with a rugged droid smartphone
Kyocera has decided to step out of its usual North American market and test the European waters. The company is launching the Torque smartphone in Germany and France for business users in the coming weeks.
Not to be confused with the first-generation Kyocera Torque, which the company launched for Sprint a couple of years ago, the latest Torque for the European market bears striking resemblance to theBrigadier. As such, the phone is equipped with a 4.5" 720p display, but sans sapphire crystal display, sadly.
Powering the Kyocera Torque is a Snapdragon 400 chipset with a quad-core 1.4GHz Cortex-A7 CPU and 1GB of RAM. At the back, there's an 8MP snapper with LED. Similar to other Kyocera phones, the Torque is also IPX5 and IPX8 waterproof as well as dust- and shockproof. It can also survive temperatures from -21 to 50 degrees Celsius for 3 hours.
The company will showcase the phone at the MWC 2015 and hopefully we'll have more information regarding pricing and availability then.
Rumor: HTC Petra will be the company’s first wearable, won’t run Android Wear
HTC has been promising a smart wearable since late 2013 and it finally seems ready to unveil it at this year’s MWC. It will allegedly be called Petra and will not be an Android Wear device. Instead it will run a simple custom OS that supports Android 4.4+ and iOS 7+.
The HTC Petra sounds like a sporty smart band with IP57 and MIL-STD-810G certifications and an included footpad for more accurate step counting.
The wearable will communicate with smartphones over Bluetooth though it should have its own GPS receiver. The screen will be a flexible 1.8″ PMOLED with 160 x 32 resolution. The whole thing will weigh just 23g, but pack enough battery to last three days.
It will come in three sizes and will charge over USB with built-in Pogo pins. All this suggests the wristband will not be removable, which sounds about right for a smartband.
The HTC Petra will launch by the end of March in the USA, allegedly of course. HTC was supposed to bring three wearables to the MWC last year (an exec even confirmed the company is working on one) and we got none so we’re quite skeptical of such rumors.
Note that the image above is an Issey Miyake | Twelve watch, one of twelve favorite objects of Claude Zellweger, an Associate Vice President of Design at HTC, and not an image of the rumored Petra wearable.
Microsoft and Samsung ended their dispute over royalties settling the matter out of the court
Samsung and Microsoft announced that they have put an end to their dispute over Android royalty payments. Terms of the agreement are confidential.
Here is the full text of the joint release from the two tech giants:
“Samsung and Microsoft are pleased to announce that they have ended their contract dispute in U.S. court as well as the ICC arbitration. Terms of the agreement are confidential.”
Microsoft took Samsung to court in August last year after the Korean giant stopped payments of Android royalties. Samsung argued that the acquisition of Nokia made Microsoft a direct competitor.
An end of the legal dispute means that Samsung might return to making Windows-powered smartphones. Last month, a word got out that the manufacturer is keen on making affordable handsets, which utilize Microsoft's mobile platform.
Skype update for Android brings support for offline photo sharing, picture-in-picture view
Skype has updated its Android app to version 5.2, bringing some really useful features including offline photo sharing, support for picture-in-picture view, reduced chat loading times, and call quality improvements.
The updated app lets you send photos to your offline contacts, something which wasn’t previously possible. “When they are back on Skype, photos you shared show up beautifully inline in the chat history, whether or not you’re online – allowing you to easily carry on the conversation,” said Skype in a blog post.
In addition, the update also brings picture-in-picture view for phones, allowing you to keep a video call going even when you navigate away to other apps. Finally, the app also promises call quality improvements, especially in low-bandwidth scenarios, as well as reduced chat loading times, especially when opened from a notification.
The updated app is now rolling out on Google Play.
HTC might be working on its very own 'Nexus 9' based android tablet ,upleaks depicts
After making the Nexus 9 for Google, HTC is allegedly working on its own branded tablet, which will be based on the Nexus 9.
According to upleaks, the tablet will have similar dimensions as the Nexus 9, meaning a 9-inch display, probably with the same 4:3 aspect ratio. However, the hardware specifications will be different.
The tablet is also not expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2015.
HTC hasn’t had the best track record when it comes to tablets. The first tablet, the HTC Flyer, came at a time when Android tablets were trying to get a foothold in the market, and didn’t quite fly with the customers. The second one, the HTC Jetstream, was such a colossal failure most people don’t even know it exists. The Nexus 9 is by far the most successful HTC tablet, which isn’t saying much.
Big, expensive Android tablets are still trying to be relevant in the market, and Samsung seems to be the only one who has had some luck with them. Hopefully, HTC will make a better effort with its upcoming tablet, as the Nexus 9 surely didn’t feel like a premium tablet, despite its price
‘Game of Thrones – A Telltale Games Series – Episode 2′ for iOS and Android game review
Telltale has released the next episode in its Game of Thrones series of games. Called The Lost Lords, it is the second episode in the six part series based on the hit HBO show, Game of Thrones, which itself is based on the A Song of Ice and Fire series of books by George R. R. Martin.
Gameplay
Note: Spoilers for episode 1 ahead. If you haven’t played episode 1, I strongly suggest you do before reading the review.
Episode 2 starts soon after the ending of the first episode, which ended in a typical Game of Thronesfashion, with the gruesome death of Ethan Forrester. The season introduces Asher Forrester, who is returning to Ironwrath with Malcolm Branfield. Meanwhile, Mira Forrester continues to form an alliance with Tyrion Lannister over at King’s Landing. On the other side, Gared Tuttle goes to The Wall, where we also get our first glimpse of Jon Snow in the game. There are other important events that take place in this episode, but they are best left to be discovered by the player.
Gameplay-wise, the game is more or less the same, featuring the typical point and click adventure style of Telltale games. You tap on marked objects to interact with them, and you interact with characters with through set options, which you have to select. As you make choices, you alter the game’s progress and how the next series of events take place.
The game also has several quick time events, where you have to tap or swipe at the right time in the right direction during the fight sequences. The second episode adds a new timed button, where a button appears on the screen but you can’t press it until the right moment. If you press it early or late, then you basically fail the event.
This is where my main problem with the game comes in. For a game that requires so heavily on quick time events, there is an annoying delay between pressing or swiping on the screen and the game actually accepting the input. I also often found the game ignoring a perfectly well timed input, causing the event to fail. This wasn’t a problem with episode 1, which works fine.
Another problem nonexistent in episode 1 is the long pauses between sequences. Basically, the game reacts to your inputs, and changes the sequences based on the choices you made. In other Telltale games, this happens seamlessly, where you don’t even realize the game is going through multiple sequences to choose the right one for your input. But in this episode, the game would just pause for a second or so before starting the sequence, which killed the immersion.
Admittedly, both issues can be fixed in future updates, but as of now, they do make the game less enjoyable. which is unfortunate, because the episode itself is quite good. The writing is good and you are kept entertained throughout the roughly two hour duration of the episode. I also like how the little decisions you made in episode 1, including choosing to pick up certain objects, affect your progress in this episode to quite an extent, and as an extent, future episodes, so you can’t take any decision lightly. This is one of the best part of these Telltale games and why they are so enjoyable despite their offbeat nature.
Graphics and Sound
I complained heavily about the graphics in the review of episode 1. The game looked awful on mobile and on top of that, ran at a terrible framerate on the iPad. Thankfully, the game got updated later, which not only improved the visual quality but also the framerate.
Episode 2 benefits from these changes and does actually look quite good. The graphics have the same oil painting look to them, which is quite fetching, and the game also has very impressive facial expressions on characters. There are some ugly textures here and there but nothing too much to complain about. The framerate isn’t exactly butter smooth even after the update, hovering just under 30fps most of the time, but it’s still alright, except the few times it dips dangerously low, especially when there are flames on screen.
The sound is great too. The game features some of the sublime music from the TV show by Ramin Djawadi but the rest of it seems original. There is also some really good voice acting, with many of the actors from the TV show reprising their roles in the game, most notably Peter Dinklage who plays Tyrion Lannister.
Verdict
The Lost Lords is definitely a good followup to the original, with new characters and interesting story development, and sets a good tone for the rest of the season. If you enjoyed the original episode, or you are just a fan of Telltale games, then it is worth getting the second episode. I just hope they fix the issues with the quick time events and lag and stuttering between sequences soon.
Pros: Good story and gameplay, attractive visual style, good music
Cons: Lag in accepting input for quick time events, lag and stuttering between gameplay sequences
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