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XDA Xposed Tuesday: CrappaLinks – XDA Developer TV

crappalinks

In the age of text message, Twitter, and quick communications in general, we have a plethora of URL shorteners. However, URL shorteners have a dark side. Many things can be hidden within, including viruses, scams, and worst of all, the dreaded RickRoll. But now, there is an option for you to protect yourself.


In this episode of XDA Xposed Tuesday, XDA Developer TV Producer TK reviews an Xposed Module that allows you see shortened links before you open them. XDA Forum Moderator GermainZ created the CrappaLinks Xposed Module. TK shows off the module and gives his thoughts, so check out this Xposed Tuesday video.




Be sure to check out other great XDA Developer TV Videos



Google I/O registration to open next week for 4 days

Eager Google followers might have been wondering why registration for the company's biggest tech event hasn't gone live as previously indicated. Now Google has announced a delay of registrations for Google I/O 2014 but is also extending the period to four days.



The website for Google I/O 2014 went live last month with an indicator that registrations will open on April 8 and will stay open until the 10th. However, now that we're just hours away, Google is coming out with a notice of a slight change in plans.


Registration will, instead open on April 15, a full week from now. Google says that it is to ensure a stress free process, though those that will be stressed by a week-long delay might beg to disagree. Worry not, however, as Google will be extending the registration period, which will now last for four days, from Tuesday to Friday. That said, there is still no reason to rush as it is not a first come, first served queue. Instead, once the period is over, Google will be randomly selecting participants, so it's more a matter of luck than speed.


For now, there aren't any strong rumors as to what to expect during this year's Google I/O, but Google loves to give suprises, not to mention devices. There are several good candidates to choose from, including an incremental Android 4.4.3 update, an 8.9-inch Nexus tablet from HTC, or maybe even an early prototype of an Android Wear smartwatch.


SOURCE: +Google


Project Ara photos show modular smartphone well on its way

If you aren't yet entirely convinced that Google's Project Ara is still alive and kicking, then the recent round of press materials should hopefully change your mind. After getting a video tour of the places and people behind the scenes, the public is now getting treated to a few still images of the modules currently being developed.



The dream of modular smartphones is definitely not new but the combination of timing, today's technology, and an increasingly mobile world might just be enough to turn this dream not only into a reality but also into a business.


It all starts with the endoskeleton, an aluminum frame that will hold the smartphone modules, 8 at the back for various things like battery, data storage, sensors, etc. and two at the front for displays and buttons. In Google's business plan, it will be selling these endoskeletons as the only Google-branded part of the device. As mentioned before, modules will be kept in place using electro-permanent magnets.


project-ara-photos-2 project-ara-photos-1 project-ara-photos-3 project-ara-photos-4


And when it comes to modules, the sky's the limit, almost. These can range from the truly essentials one to the more eccentric or niche options. Sensor-laded smartphones will have nothing on a Project Ara device, which can don any sensor as needed, and swap them with other parts along the way. Below, you can see some examples, including an infrared camera that can be used for thermal-based photography, a model of a thermal imaging lens with an enclosure, and a prototype of a pulse oximeter for measuring blood oxygen levels.


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But while Google has the technology and resource to make Project Ara happen, the greatest challenge for the company will be turning it into a sustainable commercial product. For that, it will need not only a crowd of interested buyers but also hardware makers that will be making Ara modules. There might be no market yet to convince bigger players, but as much 3,328 companies have registered for the developer conference this month, signifying their interest in being a part of what could be the next smartphone revolution.


SOURCE: MIT Technology Review

VIA: SlashGear





HTC One M8 gets booted from 3DMark for cheating

HTC has openly admitted tweaking hardware performance to affect benchmarks, and now it's starting to pay the price. Futuremark, creators of the popular 3Dmark graphics and CPU benchmarking tool, has officially placed the HTC One M8 at the bottom of its list, below 1000 other devices.



Benchmark cheating became an issue last year when Samsung was discovered to be selectively boosting its hardware when benchmark app are run. The scandal led to the discovery of other manufacturers employing the same tactic, as well as the creation of anti-cheating tools and more stringent benchmarking rules. Though the topic has somewhat died down recently, and Samsung was reported to already be playing fair, it came up once again when the new HTC One M8 was announced.


Rather than denying the accusation as Samsung did, HTC openly admitted to the crime. But more surprising is the fact that HTC doesn't believe it's a crime at all. It defends its performance modifications by claiming that the HTC One M8 has, or will have, a High Performance Mode in the developer settings that squeezes out every last bit of juice from the device. It uses this mode when benchmark tests are run because, according to HTC, these tests are meant to determine the maximum performance of the device. The chart below shows how the HTC One M8 performs when running the stock 3DMark app from Google Play Store versus an equivalent but renamed APK.


htc-one-m8-3dmark


Futuremark couldn't disagree more. The company behind one of the most popular graphics benchmark suites says that these tools are meant to gauge real-world performance and not maximum performance. The HTC One M8 violates Futuremark's rules that no device should detect a benchmark app and modify its performance based on that because it would otherwise be impossible to measure how a device will perform under normal circumstances. This latest incident may become a springboard for debate on whether benchmarks do or should test for real-world conditions or for theoretical capacity. So far, other benchmarking sites, like AnTuTu and GFXbench, have been silent on which point of view they agree with.


SOURCE: Futuremark





Samsung Galaxy Ace Style Android 4.4 budget smartphone now official

Samsung has finally given the official word on its Galaxy Ace Style smartphone previously sighted only in Germany. This budget smartphone is one of if not the first low-tier smartphone that will be running Android 4.4 KitKat right off the bat.



The Galaxy Ace Style made its appearance last week in photos taken from Germany. The information taken from there revealed a small smartphone with quite low hardware you'd typically see in budget smartphones. Samsung's announcement now confirms all of those, leaving nothing to the imagination.


Here we have a 4.0-inch WVGA display. No IPS or AMOLED here, you only get TFT technology. The exact resolution has been left out but our previous source put it at 800x480. You also have an unnamed 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU paired with only 512 MB of RAM, typical of a low-tier device. The 4 GB of internal storage might worry some, but the Galaxy Ace Style is capable of supporting an additional 64 GB via a microSD card. You do have WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC, though no LTE. Battery capacity is at 1,500 mAh, which, again, is fairly normal for this class of device, though how long it will last with a more recent Android version is yet to be measured.


Perhaps the most interesting feature of this smartphone is the Android 4.4 running on it. Samsung is practically giving more budget-conscious Android fans a chance to enjoy the latest version without having to worry much about the price. What that price will be is still unknown, but the Galaxy Ace Style, available in Cream White and Dark Gray colors, is scheduled launch this month.


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SOURCE: Samsung


Sony Xperia Z2 unseats Nokia 808 Pureview in DxOMark camera ranking

It was only a matter of time before Sony, who has a longer and more extensive experience with cameras and imaging, rose to the top of DxOMark's benchmarking tests. With a score of 79, the Xperia Z2 has grabbed the crown from long-time titleholder, the Nokia 808 Pureview.



This is definitely not the first time a Sony Xperia came close to toppling Nokia's contender. Last October, the newly unveiled Xperia Z1 almost accomplished it but came up short with only 76 points versus the Pureview's 77. By building up on its predecessor's experience and technology, the Xperia Z2 was able to achieve the highest score to date on the benchmarking site.


sony-xperia-z2-dxomark-1


The ranking isn't a straight win, however. Aside from the overall score, DxOMark also separately ranks devices based on their performance on still photos and video. When it comes to stills, the Xperia Z2 may be at the top with a score of 81, but it as actually tied with the Nokia 808 Pureview but still way ahead of late 2014's flagships like the iPhone 5s, the Galaxy S4 and the Lumia 1020. Interestingly, the Xperia Z2 actually performed poorly compared to the Xperia Z1, managing to score only 73 versus its predecessor's 74, landing it in third place.


sony-xperia-z2-dxomark-2


That said, the Sony Xperia Z2 offers the best balance when it comes to camera features. Color and detail preservation are superb and noise levels remain quite low. And while the video recording performance isn't as high as some might wish, the ability to record in 4K resolutions of 3840x2160 is something you cannot ignore. Overall, the Xperia Z2 does well in proving Sony's camera chops, leaving digital photography fans looking forward to the next iteration.


SOURCE: DxOMark





Samsung Gear Solo rumored to have a SIM card slot

If Samsung gets its ways, we may soon be seeing smartwatches that are more independent of paired smartphones. The Korean manufacturer is said to be preparing a certain Gear Solo, an incarnation of the Gear 2 smartwatch that is capable of housing a SIM, or USIM, card for its own mobile connectivity.



There is no doubt that smartwatches are now a thing. However, most, but not all, of them are more of intelligent accessories to smartphones and tablets rather than smart devices in their own right. This is especially true when it comes to data connection, as these timepieces are utterly dependent on the paired smartwatch for any form of Internet connection. There have, of course, been exceptions, with sometimes highly amusing results, but most follow this norm.


It seems that Samsung will be trying again to be different. It has been seen trying to trademark the name "Gear Solo" for a device that can not only make and take calls on its own but also use mobile data. Judging by the name, we know that it will be a smartwatch, or at least a wearable device. Rumors ramping up in Korea says that the Gear Solo takes its form from the Gear 2 rather than the Gear Fit sports-focused wristband. It isn't known whether it will actually be more like the Gear 2 Neo and eschew the camera module as well.


Samsung is said to planning on testing the Gear Solo first in Korea to gauge market reception before expanding worldwide. Given that the Gear 2 and its siblings are just about to go on retail, it is likely that we won't be seeing the Gear Solo in the US market until 2015. But then again, Samsung did out the Gear 2 just half a year after the original Galaxy Gear, so there might still be a chance that it will do it earlier depending on how well the Gear 2 and Gear Fit perform in the market.


SOURCE: Korea Herald

VIA: SlashGear





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