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Volantis is HTC’s Nexus tablet, specs leaked ahead of Google I/O

It’s been a while since a Google-approved Nexus device hit the market, so speculation is rife if indeed we are going to get our hands on one by the time Google I/O developer conference rolls in. Front and center is HTC’s rumored Volantis, and Android Police is betting on solid information that it has the specs and the build of the next Nexus device down pat.



There was speculation on whether the new Nexus device – initially code named “flounder” – would be a smartphone. But all evidence now points to an 8.9-inch tablet to be manufactured by HTC, known internally in its hallowed manufacturing halls as the Nexus 9. Although a number of things could still change with the marketing name and the possible specs of the product, Android Police deems the source pretty solid – enough to publish the leaked images and the possible specs.


The Volantis will be bannered by a 2048x1440 (281ppi) display powered by an NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor (also known as the Logan 64-bit chip). According to the leaked image, it will have a 2GB RAM allocation, an 8MP main camera partnered by a 3MP front-facing camera, and frontal speakers as well. The rumored specs include variants of the tablet in 16GB and 32GB internal storage models, and migt also come with options for LTE connectivity.


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Also very conspicuous in the image is what HTC calls “aluminum zero gap” construction. In fact, we agree that the unit takes its aesthetic cues from the iPad Mini, with hints of LG’s Nexus 5 and ASUS’s Nexus 7. Again, all of this may still be technically touted as rumors, but the source is apparently adamant that the hardware for the tablet already exists in the real world, going as far as to say that some of the people working at Google are already carrying the device around. What do you guys think of it?


VIA: Android Police





Xiaomi Mi4 tipped to sport metal frame

Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi might have just outed its very first Android tablet, but it is already at work on its next smartphone, currently dubbed the Mi4 or Miphone 4. According to rumors, Xiaomi's next hot seller will boast of a 5-inch display and a rather premium metal body.



Smartphone manufacturers use plastic in order to cut down the costs of making the device, but some will naturally come out feeling and looking cheap. The rumor that Xiaomi, whose affordable smartphones sell like hotcakes every time, will be trying out its luck with a metal-encased smartphone will surely excite its loyal fans. It could also worry them about a substantial price bump.


In terms of other rumored specs, the fourth Xiaomi flagship is believed to bear an unnamed quad-core chip, which could be of any capacity. There is also a 5-inch "retina" display, though the exact resolution is also left out. There will be a 16 megapixel rear shooter, though the size of the front-facing camera is also, you've guessed it, not mentioned. The Xiaomi Mi4 made its way through China's Quality Certification Center, where it was stopped for a short unofficial photo op that betrays an initial design that looks vaguely familiar with devices from the company's competitors.


Given the rather high profile status of Xiaomi's devices, we're sure to hear more about this next gen smartphone moving forward towards the unveiling. As for the announcement, the recent tip says that it should happen around September this year, which should also coincide with other similar events, like IFA Congress 2014, happening during that month.


VIA: VR-Zone


LG G3 mini tipped to be smaller than G2 mini

Now that the big guys are out, it's time for the smaller ones to play. With the LG G3 getting quite an overall positive reception, it will soon be the LG G3 mini's turn to take the spotlight, and this time it seems that LG has finally gotten what the word "mini" really means.



LG G2 mini, which appears in the photo above, may have "mini" in its name and is indeed smaller than the LG G2 itself, but the 4.7-inch smartphone isn't exactly what people would immediately associate with "small". This time, however, the LG G3 mini will be sporting a size of 4.5-inches. Yes, that is still quite a handful for some hands, but at least it is slowly dancing towards a mini goal. If previous rumors are to be added, this would be a 720p screen, which sounds just about right.



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This information comes via Indian website Zauba, which also lists other specs for what is supposedly a test device of a certain LG D722 headed for South Korea. The smartphone is said to be powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU and have 8 GB of internal storage, no mention of the RAM size. Curiously, these are also the same figures for the LG G2 mini. Unlike the previous rumor, the camera on this device is marked at 5 megapixels, which is a step down from its predecessor's 8 megapixel shooter.


Zauba lists the LG D722 with a value of 13,051 INR, or around $220, which sounds too good to be true. These leaked specs are all somewhat a bit of a mix of good and bad news, so we will still be holding our breath for more solid evidence of LG's next miniature flagship.


SOURCE: Zauba

VIA: TechRadar


Firefox OS dongle may just be Mozilla’s Chromecast-killer

There have been a lot of mixed reaction on Google’s Chromecast streaming stick, which allows certain Chrome and mobile apps to stream video to a TV screen – mainly because it is so selective in which apps and devices are able to use it. But Mozilla, the longtime browser rival of Google, may be working on a streaming device project as well, or at least allowing the use of Firefox OS, as seen in a tweet of a prototype device.


UK-based Mozilla developer Christian Heilmann tweeted toward this notion – posting a picture of what looks like an HDMI dongle similar to Chromecast – and describing it as a “fully open TV-casting prototype device running Firefox OS” with “open boot loader and all”. Mozilla is quick to distance itself from the project, denying that it was a Mozilla-initiated project. But it wasn’t so quick to deny the existence or even Firefox OS’s role in such a project. “Firefox OS is an open platform freely available for any company to build on without restrictions,” was its official quote.


One of the major disappointments that users have with Chromecast is that even with the latest release of the Cast SDK, the list of Chromecast-supported apps is still somewhat restrictive, while a “fully open” device would mean that potentially all streaming apps would be able to fling video to it, regardless of codecs and other such restrictions. As of the moment, Chromecast allows streams only from a limited list of enabled apps including Youtube, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora Radio, HBO GO, Google Play Music and Play Movies among a few others.


Unfortunately, the tweet did not reveal any other details to the dongle-type device, much less a release date. There are rumors across the net that at the very least, Mozilla is teaming up with a secret partner for this device – not completely innocent of the project as it claims to be. With the hype that the device is getting though, it may not be too far away ‘til we get a good look at it. In the meantime, take a look at this video.




VIA: Re/code, Gigaom





CyanogenMod adds Protected apps, teases CMHome

Users of one of if not the most popular Android custom ROM might have something to look forward to, either in their nightly builds or M releases. CyanogenMod's weekly report has revealed a couple of very interesting features, including a super hidden app utility, a dedicated search panel for the home screen, new floating notifications, and a reorganized settings app.



The biggest new feature that CyanogenMod has cooked up is Protected apps, which take the Hidden apps feature introduced last April to a whole new level. Instead of simply hiding apps, the new protection feature will require users to swipe a pattern to gain access to the app. But this feature doesn't just work on the default Trebuchet homescreen launcher, it will actually be enabled anywhere you try to access the app. For example, protected apps cannot be uninstalled or cleared even from the Applications section of the Settings app. However, they will still appear in the list of recently used apps. As an added bonus, there is also a new protected folders feature that lets you group apps on the homescreen and protect them all with a separate pattern unlock code for the folder.


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CyanogenMod has also laid the groundwork for new kind of homescreen replacement that will theoretically mimic the Google Experience Launcher or GEL. For those unfamiliar with it, GEL, also called Google Now Launcher, gives you access to Google Now when you swipe to the leftmost panel of the homescreen. CyanogenMod has added a similar "search panel" to Trebuchet. For now, that panel only launches Google Now but the dev team seems to have something in store, teasing the name "CMHome" along the way.


There is also a new type of notification called "Heads Up". This notification is actually buried deep within Android itself but left unused. It basically shows your usual Android notification in a popup window in the middle of the screen, just like those types of dialog boxes on desktops computers. Heads Up notifications support the whole gamut of actions available to regular notifications, like reply, share, or expand. This might be useful for instances when fullscreen apps don't immediately give you access to critical notifications but it is easy to imagine this being abused and quickly getting annoying. Fortunately, CM is throwing in a Do Not Disturb list of apps that lets you pick which apps will not allow heads up notifications.


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For those wondering when CyanogenMod 11 will start incorporating the newly released Android 4.4.4, the good news is that it's all practically there. The OpenSSL-related fixes that prompted the surprise Android update have already been in CM11 since early this month, and "switching" to Android 4.4.4 will merely be a matter of changing the version number. In any case, many of these features will be available in the next M8 release or already there in nightly builds.


SOURCE: CyanogenMod





GoPlug bags lets you charge mobile devices on the go

Charging one's devices while mobile is one of the major concerns of people in this age of smartphones, tablets and phablets. Powerbanks seemed like the ideal situation at first, but now, even those are not enough. An upcoming product in the market called GoPlug bags aim to be the solution to this problem of having power even when on the go.



Designed for business travellers, GoPlug lets you charge your phones, tablets, laptops and even cameras through the lithium-polymer battery pack that comes installed in each of their bags. Unlike a typical power bank which can give phones around 2 or 3 charges only, each bag lets you charge your phone up to 6 times, your tablet twice, and your laptop will be able to get two full charges on a single charge. The built-in cord that comes with the bag can also serve as an extension cord for those times when just one plug is not enough.


The GoPlug bags also come in different variants; a messenger bag (ERP $179), a backpack (ERP $179), a trolley (ERP $219), carry-on case (ERP $219), a camera backpack (ERP $259) and a camera carry-on case (ERP $319). All of the different bags are also fully functioning as luggage, aside from the built-in batteries that power them.




GoPlug bags is actually a start-up project looking for funding in crowdsourcing site Kickstarter. But it looks like there are more than enough people willing to support this project as they have already raised $144,049 as of this writing, and with 13 days to go until the campaign ends. They were only asking initially for $20,000 but the response shows that consumers are in need of this kind of product. The manufacturer is expecting the initial products to ship out to the donors as early as August this year.


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SOURCE: Kickstarter


Path comes up with new messaging app called Talk

The social networking platform Path has been relatively quiet this year, nary releasing a major update to change up its patented approach to “quick” social networking. That all changed today as the guys behind path unveiled what it has been working on during that span of “quiet time” – a standalone messaging app aptly (if not unimaginatively) called “Talk”.



The business has been rough for Path this year. The company saw major layoffs and it was becoming particularly pressing for the company to put out something new. Path Talk – now an app released for both Android and iOS – is basically the social network’s messaging feature, once found within the main app but now given life as a standalone app. Path’s CEO Dave Morin claims that people are still coming back to Path, with around 4 million DAUs (daily active users).


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Morin claims that the social network’s messaging feature was its most famous, and so it became logical for Path to grow out this feature into a standalone app. If you remember, the big blue Facebook also went this way with its own standalone messaging app. Foursquare also recently gave “check-ins” their own app, so this is really not a surprising move for Path.


Path Talk is designed to improve on what users love about messaging in Path, which is that it is very speedy. It was the first to give users a way to agree quickly with a message via a “checkmark” -- no points for guessing correctly where Facebook got the idea for the big thumb “like” in its messaging. In this process, the main Path app will lose its messaging feature, with all of that relegated to Talk now. When a user receives a message, there will be a prompt for the user to download the Talk app so that he/she can access the message.


SOURCE: Path blog





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