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Jolla Launcher for Android starts alpha tests next week

Jolla once promised that it will be bringing both whole and parts of its rather unique Sailfish OS to Android devices and looks like it will be keeping its word. The startup has just given word that it is accepting requests to join its closed Community Alpha testing group to take its fancy Jolla Launcher for a spin on their Android smartphone.



This launcher will be joining the the Sailfish OS ROM that Jolla released to early adopters late last March. This is part of Jolla's vision to bring its software, and indirectly its ecosystem, to more devices than it can actually produce or sell. That ROM was officially available only for the Nexus 4 but unofficial images for the Nexus 5 were also floating around. This time, Jolla Launcher is compatible not only with both Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 but even with some devices running Android 4.3 or later.



sailfish-launcher



With many homescreen launchers available already on Android, Jolla Launcher might have a harder time making a name for itself, though it does have some unique feature. The launcher is entirely or at least mostly swipe driven, which might be well and good for a small device like the Jolla smartphone. Some features, however, like the Ambiance theme system, may or may not make it to the Android port. Functionality like shutting down apps might also require some root privileges. The video below gives a brief overview of the core concepts of Sailfish OS' launcher, and our hands-on here can give some deeper insights into the mobile platform's idiosyncrasies.




It will definitely be interesting to see what form Jolla Launcher will take on Android. For those also curious about it and want to help fine tune the launcher, you can follow the sign-up instructions in the link below, which mostly consists of firing off an e-mail using a Gmail account. Deadline is before June 27. Remember though that there is a requirement to be willing to provide feedback, as this is really more of a community endeavor rather than a simple field test.


SOURCE: Jolla





Android to get its own kill switch feature soon

In order to further curb the rampant theft of smartphones, Google and Microsoft, will be implementing their own "kill switch" features in upcoming versions of Android and Window Phone operating systems. They will be joining Apple whose kill switch was lauded to be an effective deterrent to such crimes.



The rate of iPhone theft in the US has been so high that law enforcers have come to refer to it as "Apple picking", though of course the situation applied to devices from other brands as well. With the kill switch, however, robberies were noted to have dropped by 19 percent in New York in the first five months of this year and down 38 percent in San Francisco and 24 percent in London. This kill switch, aside from wiping out the user's data, also locks down the phone so that any attempt to reactivate it, even after a factory reset, will require the owner's Apple ID credentials. Removing the incentive for resale has effectively discouraged would-be thieves from even attempting the crime.


A kill switch isn't exactly new to Android. Google's own Android Device Manager feature allows users to remotely locate, lock, and in the worst case scenario, wipe the device from a web browser. What will be new, however, is the ability to re-activate the device from a dead state. Naturally, it will require some careful planning and execution to ensure that only the valid owner of the device will be able to unlock and restore a smartphone that has been killed. Last week, LG and security vendor McAfee announced their partnership to bring and activate such a kill switch feature to LG G3 smartphones, via the free McAfee Mobile Security app.


It is not yet known when Google and Microsoft will roll out their kill switch implementations. CTIA-The Wireless Association said that members who signed its anti-theft voluntary commitment that it announced last April will be adding such features next year. Of course, in the case of CTIA's document, vendors are only required to not impede, or charge, users from installing and activating such features. Lawmakers, however, want to make it actually mandatory to have it installed and running by default, fearing that leaving it simply as an option for users will nullify the benefits of a kill switch.


SOURCE: Bloomberg

VIA: SlashGear





WorldMate 6.0 update gives better travel experience

Traveling to another country especially for the first time is always a tough task. The past few years have seen travel guides replaced by smartphone apps and now WorldMate has refurbished its travel app to give users the ultimate tourist experience, wherever they may be going.



As your trip gets closer, WorldMate displays flight cards on your home screen that indicate your flight details, updates on your flight, and even driving directions to the airport (if you haven’t been there before). The app lets you do online check-in through your airline’s website, if it’s available, to save you a few hours of being early at the airport. It also reminds you how many hours from now before your next flight and the hours when you’re estimated to land. The updated app also allows you to make hotel and car bookings for your destination, including best hotel deals with their partners. If ever you also find yourself without a hotel at the last-minute, the app shows you the hotels near your area and you can book straight from there.


The new update also finally supports Android tablets as well, with all the same features like maps and flight tracking, but just on a bigger screen. For both the phone and tablet version, other travel tools have been added, like weather forecasts for your destination (you need to know what kind of clothes to pack!), a world clock (time zone adjustments can be pretty confusing), and flight search (for when you suddenly need an alternative flight).




And what’s a trip without sharing details about it, even before it happens. You can share trip details with your friends or colleagues who are also going with you. You can even use the app to remind your trip buddies if they’re already running late. Just be careful about sharing these details in public though because you never know who might be reading.


Download WorldMate on the Google Play Store


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Lego Fusion mixing physical bricks with a virtual world

We've seen video games based on Lego characters, and it looks like Lego will soon be offering a bridge between the real and virtual worlds. The company has announced Lego Fusion, which will allow the user to build Lego creations in the real world and then transfer them to the virtual world.



This sort of brings thoughts of the mashup between Angry Birds and Hasbro, where they had the real world toys mixing in with the virtual world. The concept isn't exactly the same with Lego Fusion, however there is one similarity. Just like with the Angry Birds and Hasbro mashup -- only certain games and certain toys will be able to make the jump between worlds.


In the case of Lego Fusion -- users will have four sets available in the beginning. Those include Town Master, Battle Towers, Create and Race, and Resort Designer. These sets will all have their unique features, and using Town Master as the example -- here users will become the mayor of the town, and go about creating a happy place to live. The user will begin by creating a building in the real world and then taking it to the virtual space to continue the adventure.


The sets will each include a capture plate and around 200 bricks. You'll also be able to make use of bricks that you already have in your Lego collection. Lego has these new Fusion sets aimed at ages 7-12, though we suspect 'kids' much older will be looking to get in on the fun. These sets are expected to cost $35 each with availability beginning in August.


VIA: CNET





Nokia pre-beta tests Z Launcher for Android

For heavy smartphone users who have more than 40 apps on their devices, sometimes managing them or even finding them easily can be a challenge. Nokia’s technologies group has come up with its first project since the Microsoft deal was concluded and it’s aiming to fix that particular problem for Android users with the pre-beta testing of their Z Launcher.



The launcher is an alternative replacement to your normal home screen and it determines what apps to place on the screen based on analysis of your usage within a day. It will give you the apps that you normally use at certain moments of the day by predicting it through the time of day, your location and even through your call logs. It also has this feature called Scribble that lists down the apps that contain the letter that you write on your screen.


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According to Brett Eaton, the product manager of the technologies group, this customer insight about apps has come from their research. They concluded that instead of creating something that would use folders to organise the apps, they thought of using the first thing that people see on their phone, which is the home screen.


Z Launcher was named after the gesture you make when you want to write on the screen instead of typing on a keyboard. Currently, since it is still in its very early stage of development, the apps are just listed, with a clock and a calendar at the top. There are still no widgets or even a Google search bar, things that Android users are used to having. Well, at least, you can still suggest these things as feedback is something that the developers are asking those who will access the pre-beta version.


[vimeo 98567567]


Download: Z Launcher

VIA: Slashgear


Android source code says goodbye to Dalvik

Google has finally done it! It has completely flipped the switch and has removed Dalvik from Android's master source code. This will pave the way for only one Android runtime, and that will be ART, which is expected to be pushed in the next major Android version, whenever that is.



This doesn't come as a shock since it was Google's explicit goal to have ART replace Dalvik ever since it debuted as a test option in Android 4.4. That said, so far ART and Dalvik have lived side by side each other and users have been able to switch between the two with the usual disclaimers of using a test product. Early this year, Google made ART the default runtime in one Android Open Source Project source code change, but Dalkvik remained as an alternative. Now, Google is completely yanking out the old runtime from the source code, leaving only ART behind. Of course, this is still in the master branch of the source code, which doesn't always match the next release, so when this change will actually descend on users is still anyone's guess.



dalvik-art



The ART runtime is designed to bring many benefits to Android, for developers and users alike. It's most notable feature is the Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation, in contrast to Dalvik's Just-in-Time (JIT), which matches more closely with its Java roots. In layman's terms, compilation is the process of translating a program into executable code, a language that the machine, in this case the Android device, can understand and run. Dalvik performs this process when the program is run, hence the "just in time" moniker. ART, on the other hand, will compile programs when the app is installed or when the user switches from Dalvik to ART, saving up on startup time and resources, but at the expense of slightly slower installation times.


Theoretically, the transition from Dalvik to ART should be seamless and painless to most users. However, there might be some problems lurking beneath it that some, particular power users and tinkerers, will have to fight against. In particular, there is a possibility that rooting will become more difficult, if not totally impossible, with the switch to ART, as SuperSU developer Chainfire expressed last month. The good news is that the Android community is ever active in finding ways to give users their freedom and with the inescapable switch to ART, there will most likely be more interest and more hands working towards that end.


SOURCE: Google (1), (2)

VIA: XDA





Samsung Galaxy Tab S US launch starts 27 June

If you've been pretty excited to get your hands on Samsung's latest tablet star, you need not wait much longer. The manufacturer has just dropped the good news that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S, both in its 8.4-inch and 10.5-inch incarnations, will be available for purchase starting next week, on June 27 to be exact.



The tablets have actually been on pre-order since last June 13, but some might still be on the fence about getting one. If you are, you still have about a week to decide whether to get one. If you do decide on it, the tablets will be sold initially directly from Samsung.com and from retailers such as Amazon, BestBuy, Sears, and a lot more. The WiFi-only Galaxy Tab S 8.4 will cost you around $399.99, While the 10.5-inch model will carry a price tag of $499.99. If you plan on buying one from your favorite wireless carrier, you will have to wait a bit longer as Samsung says the tablets will be available only later this year. Samsung also notes that most carriers will be carrying only the Galaxy Tab S 10.5, although Verizon will be selling both models. All of these are, of course, LTE-compatible.


In case you've missed out on the highlights of the tablet, the Galaxy Tab S brags some pretty interesting selling points, like the Super AMOLED display with all its power-saving and color accuracy benefits and a thin and lightweight body at 6.6 mm and 465 g, respectively. You also get more or less high-end hardware like 3 GB of RAM and an 8 megapixel rear shooter. Unfortunately, the CPU has been left at a previous generation 2.3 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, though that is very much still a decent processor by today's standards.


That said, the Galaxy Tab S might not be to everyone's tastes and those with budget constraints or different needs might want an alternative. If you're still on the lookout for which of Samsung's latest tablets to go for, you can take a peek at our Samsung tablet roundup to see what the manufacturer has to offer this half of the year.





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