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Wikipedia Beta steps up its game on mobile

A lot of people use Wikipedia in web browsers, even on mobile, but it's a good bet that only a few of those are aware that Wikipedia has an official Android app. That could soon be changing however, with a new Wikipedia Beta that could very well make the app the first stop of those seeking treasure from the community-made online encyclopedia.



Wikipedia has had an app on Android for more than two years now but it has lingered in the past and stagnated in features. It wasn't even a full-fledged Android app, mostly a web app in Android coating. This time, however, Wikipedia is testing the ground for a new kind of app, one that takes advantage of Android's native framework and features. And the benefits of that decision clearly show in the amount of new feature's their listing in this latest beta.


In going native, the Wikiepdia app has also adopted Android conventions, like slide out side panels and the "hamburger" icon. Now much of Wikipedia's functionality is available in the side navigation panel, but still a few exist in the overflow (the three vertical dots) menu. The table of contents for articles that have one are also on the top menu, but it can also be invoked by swiping from the right edge of the screen. Besides user interface changes, there are few new features available as well. Things are supposedly faster now, for one. Users will also be able to search in other languages, bookmark pages, and, for fun, get a random article. And for those actively involved in the Wikipedia community, they can now also edit articles while on the go, right from the convenience of their smartphone or tablet.


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Wikipedia Beta is immediately available for anyone to download and try, no need to sign up or join a Google+ community. Since it's beta, there will surely be some rough edges that need to be tested and ironed out first before these major changes trickle down to the stable version of the Android app.


Download: Wikipedia Beta





Hands-on with the full TYLT Energi+ battery pack lineup

With removable batteries not available for every phone, it’s often a wise choice to have a back-up battery pack on hand. NO matter what your needs, TYLT’s lineup has you covered. Even if you’re OS agnostic, some TYLT chargers can power both Android and iOS devices quickly and easily. After checking out their massive 10,000mAh pack, we recently got a look at their entire lineup of power packs to find out how they stack up.




As you can see in the picture above, they stack up nicely. TYLT keeps the same design aesthetic throughout their lineup; a squared profile with rounded edges and corners. A colored band cuts through the black finish, bringing a very modern look to a workhorse battery pack. Button arrangements change on each pack, but the utility doesn’t.


Some of their packs also have cables attached, which make them easy winners for those grab-and-go adventures. The cords also tuck away neatly, ringing back that stealthy aesthetic we like so much. Each pack is also lighter than you’d think, and feels weightless in a bag.


The Energi 2K is the simplest model on offer, with nothing but a single input and a solitary output. At 2,000mAh, it does an adequate job of doubling your battery life on the go. The case is simply too svelte to have a cable built in, so you’ll have to take one with you, but that’s a small concession to make.


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The Energi 3K and 3K+ are both 3,000mAh packs, and each has a micro USB cable built right in. For the Android user, this will double just about any battery, even the behemoth on the LG G3 (which already has stellar battery life, but still). If you’re OS agnsotic, the Energi 3K+ substitutes the micro USB for a Lightning cable. Both have a USB input, so if you need to charge more than one device, you just need to tote a cable along.


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The Energi 5K and 5K+ bump the battery size up to — you guessed it — 5,000mAh. The difference with those two is that when you opt for the 5K+, you get the Lighting cable in addition to the micro USB attachment, so powering multiple devices is a snap. Again, an exrta input will let you charge an additional device, so powering up to three is optional here.


Each battery pack pushed juice to our devices quickly, with the 2K having a 1 amp circuit, the 3K a 2 amp, and the 5K a 3 amp. Each pack has an output voltage of 4.75-5.25, making it ideal for just about any mobile device you might have.


Charging the various packs takes about the same time it would take to power up a smartphone battery of a similar size, with the 5K topping out at around 6 hours. The 2K took about 1.5 hours, and the 3K took roughly 3.5-4.


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Conclusion


If you need a solid, reliable battery pack — TYLT has you covered. Each of their offerings is a stylish, powerful pack ready to keep you up and running all day long. An extra input on the 3K and 5K packs gives you flexibility for multiple devices.





Aereo now broadcasting to Chromecast devices

Aereo, the popular cord-cutters option for accessing live TV, is now available on Chromecast. The company announced their service was coming for Chromecast earlier in the year, and has activated the streaming capability in their app. Now users can watch live TV on any device, anywhere.




The rapidly expanding service has been a headache for legacy cable providers. The service doesn’t ask that you keep a cable subscription, only that you subscribe through them. For as low as $8/month, you can watch live network TV right from your Android device.


Of course, Aereo isn’t available everywhere, and may not carry all the channels you want. Even in major markets like New York, the options are fairly limited. For those not wanting to pay a ton for basic cable, though, Aereo is popular.

Aereo also offers DVR storage on both their $8/month and $12/month options, with as much as 60 hours of cloud storage, so you’ll likely never miss a favorite show.


If you’re interested, and live in an Aereo market, give it a shot. Chromecast is fast becoming a workaround for legacy TV, depending on your geographical location. The additoin of Aereo will only help to cement it’s place behind your TV.





LG G3 first week sales reach 100,000 in South Korea

The LG G3 is finally in the market and, in its home town of South Korea, it is being treated like a king. LG is now reporting the first week sales of its flagship, which has reached 100,000 units in just 5 days.



Divided evenly, that translates to at least 20,000 devices sold per day, though estimates actually put it at 25,000 to 30,000. Definitely not an insignificant amount if you consider that it is in a single market alone. Though it is inside LG's home court, it does portray an image of strength and popularity that its compatriot and fierce rival Samsung better take note of.


In contrast, Samsung reported numbers in the millions when it came to first week sales of its own 2014 flagship, the Galaxy S5. However, to be fair to LG, Samsung launched the device simultaneously in markets all over the world. The LG G3, on the other hand, is still only available for purchase in Korea. Analysts put Samsung's first week Galaxy S5 sales at 7,000 to 8,000, definitely a far cry from LG's record. LG is actually beating its own record, since last year's LG G2 only sold 10,000 per day in the first 5 days of its market life.


Now that the first week infancy period is over, the next figures to watch will be when the smartphone hits international markets. In the US, Verizon intends to start selling the LG G3 by the end of the month, most likely followed by T-Mobile when the latter ends its Beta G3 promo. AT&T only gave out a vague "this year" timeframe, though it will likely not stray far from its competitors' dates.


VIA: SlashGear





Sky Force 2014 blasts its way into Android

If you ever wanted to play a retro style game that still had enough modern pizazz in it, you might want to give Sky Force 2014 a whirl. Celebrating 10 years of the title, the developers are bringing the top-down shoot 'em up game to Android with some stunning visuals and some clearly modern game mechanics.



Like many airplane-themed shoot 'em ups of a bygone era, Sky Force 2014 puts you in the pilot's seat of an aircraft charged to fly through enemy skies, blasting lines of incoming enemy aircraft, sea tankers and the occasional giant baddie. Those games were usually played with physical controls like joysticks and gamepads, but in true 21st century fashion, Sky Force 2014 eschews all of those for a purely touchscreen-based model. Simply place your finger on the screen and swipe in any direction you want the plane to go. Firing is automatic so you don't have to fret about any form of virtual button mashing. The developers call it intuitive, though one problem might be that the plane automatically "attaches" to your fingertip, causing your digit to occlude the plane itself. Fortunately, there is a setting to change that default behavior.


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Sky Force 2014 also offers some of the staples of modern mobile gaming. For one, the graphics are definitely not last decade's and takes advantage of modern hardware capabilities. It uses just enough visual effects and pseudo-realistic rendering to make the game look modern but still have that retro feel to it. Everyone's favorite weapons upgrade mechanic is also here, letting you win your next set of firepower, or buy them if you can. There are also leaderboards and even weekly tournaments to satisfy your competitive craving.




All of that can be yours now for free on Google Play Store. Unsurprisingly, it has in-app purchases, mostly for upgrades, so if those irk you in principle, you might want to stay away from this game as well.


Download: Sky Force 2014 on Google Play Store


Samsung Galaxy S5 gives audiophiles knobs to play with

The Galaxy S5 doesn't just look and feel great, it sounds great, too, at least according to Samsung. After detailing the various visual and accessibility features one by one, Samsung is now focusing on an area that is often panned except by those of keen and trained hearing: sound.



Smartphone audio, whether from the phone speaker or stereo speakers, often go unnoticed except when they become too terrible to ignore. Samsung wants to assure owners and would-be buyers of the its Galaxy S5 flagship that it has taken great care to engineer the audio system to perfection. And in case users don't like the defaults, the smartphone has tools for them to adjust the quality and settings to their particular tastes. For example, there is Adapt Sound, which runs a few audio samples by the user and gets his or her feedback. Depending on those test results, the Galaxy S5 will change its audio settings accordingly in order to adjust to the user's hearing level and peculiarities. It can even save different profile for different audio accessories that you may have, from earphones to headsets to bluetooth speakers.


But if that kind of semi-automatic configuration isn't to your liking, SoundAlive might be the app for you. This is basically your equalizer on steroids, letting you decide on your own terms how your sound is delivered. It offers presets, basic, and advanced options to match your level of familiarity and expertise in the realm of sounds.


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Not all users might want to muck around with audio settings themselves but want their smartphones to be, well, smart about it. This is where Wise Voice comes in. The Galaxy S5 will automatically adjust the volume levels during voice calls depending on your distance from the phone. Stay too far and it will pump up the volume. Too close and it will mellow down. It is even smart enough to know if it's a conference call, so that it adjusts the sounds accordingly for different speakers at different distances. And if the volume just isn't enough, like in a noisy area or when outdoors, simply tap on the Extra Volume icon near the top-right of the screen and you will be given an extra 1 level of volume, even if the volume is already maxed.


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Judging audio quality is a tad more difficult than, say, graphics, and it usually has a hint of subjectiveness mixed in. There will definitely be some camps that will pan Samsung's audio capabilities and quality and praise others to high heaven. Nonetheless, it is definitely a big plus that Samsung has included all these tools, options, and smart settings to make living with audio on the Galaxy S5 bearable, in case you end up liking it at all.


SOURCE: Samsung





Google’s Project Tango gets a tablet, powered by NVIDIA

Google has just announced their Project Tango 3D imaging smartphone will get a big brother. Moving from experiment to development kit, the Project Tango tablet will be available to a select audience later this year. A sign-up page for the device is active, but it’s likely not one you’ll want to try and snap up.




This isn’t a low cost Nexus device; the Project Tango tablet will run you right around $1,000. A development kit, it’s not meant for those of us who just want a fun tablet. The scope of Project Tango also doesn’t lend itself to playing Candy Crush Saga all day long — this one’s for heady Developers who want to build next generation applications.


The Project Tango tablet will run NVIDIA’s Tegra K1 processor, and house 4GB RAM. There are a ton fo sensors on board, as you might imagine. Cameras also serve to record and understand our environment, with a 120-degree front facing cam complimenting three cameras on the rear: a 4MP finder, motion sensor, and dedicated depth sensor.


The device will have a 7-inch screen, and pack a massive (but probably necessary) 128GB Memory. Running KitKat, the tablet will also utilize OpenGL 4.4. Bluetooth LE, LTE connectivity, and WiFi round out the spec sheet. Though likely not one you’ll want to purchase, it does signal at bigger things to come from Google.


Source: NVIDIA, Google









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