Samsung launches #TabletRealities campaign with 3 ads

Do you still remember what was your primary reason when you bought your very first tablet? Was it so you could read ebooks or watch videos or access your social networks or for school or work? Samsung’s new ad campaign called #TabletRealities for its Galaxy Tab S series tries to reveal what people really are doing on their gadgets and to establish them as both serious and fun.

The first three ads for the campaign show different personalities (all fictional characters we assume) using Tab S devices. The “Artist" is Monique Veilette, and is described as a prodigy in the art world and is shown using the tablet in the park. The “Judge” is Thomas J. Walthall, the youngest judge appointed to district, and using a tablet in his austere-looking chambers. The “Mom” is Amanda Hayward, a mother of four and founder of a reading program at her children’s school and she’s doing something on her tablet while at home.

We won’t spoil it for you of course, but suffice to say, what the three are actually using their tablets may surprise you. Of course the ads also show off the gorgeous 2560 x 1600 Super AMOLED display of several of their tablets, namely the Galaxy Tab S 8.4” and the 10.5” variants, calling it “Vision redefined.” The tablets’ other specs are also impressive (although not actually shown in the ads), with Snapdragon 800 (LTE), 3GB of RAM, Exynos octa-core processor and 16/32GB of internal storage.

The ads are cute in itself, although they seems to be positioning the Tab S series as more of an entertainment gadget rather than something you can use for productivity or work. Although of course, who says you can’t use it for both? Let’s wait for more ads and see where the #TabletRealities campaign is going.

Monique Veilette working on her next achievement.

"Judge" Thomas J. Walthall rendering his biggest verdict yet.

Amanda Hayward getting lost in a world of fiction.

VIA: Talk Android

Changelog Droid manages and keeps track of app updates

With so many developers updating their apps and with your smartphone having so many apps as well, it’s getting more confusing and difficult to manage all of them. But as with a lot of our problems and needs now, there is an app to help you with that. Changelog Droid helps you keep track of all the changes in your apps, as well as manage the installing and uninstalling of different apps from the Google Play Store.

Changelog Droid constantly checks the Play Store and will let you know if there are any apps that need to be updated. While a lot of apps now are automatically updated already, this app makes sure you know what are the new features and changes that have been made to them. It also builds a complete version history for all the apps installed in your smartphone for your reference.

Aside from that basic function, Changelog Droid can also be your app manager, where you can launch the apps that you need and uninstall the ones that you don’t want anymore and search for an installed app that you are having trouble finding (if you have a gazillion ones already). If you have some that you don’t want to update for some reason, you can add them to a blacklist to stop pushing the updates. If you’re still not convinced that you need certain apps but you’d like to try them someday, you can put them on an observed apps list which you can also sync with your Google Play wish list.

If you don’t want ads popping up every once in a while and if you want to have themes for the app, you can get Changelog Droid’s premium version. But if you’re content with having ads and not having themes, you can download it for free from the Google Play Store.

Redditor creates a new Android game… using Tasker

This is probably a testament to the endless things you can do with Tasker than anything else, but Reddit forum member “derSinologe” has posted on the social network’s /r/Android channel that he has just created a game – well, a simple one at that, but still – just by using Tasker’s settings and his Android phone’s interface.

Ok, so maybe Mr. derSinologe has a lot of time on his hands – but Tasker fans have been very fond of saying that “the possibilities are endless” with this little piece of software. The Reddit contributor has just given supporting evidence to the claim, proving that you can – if you put your mind and time to it – do a lot of magical things with tasker. Watch the video below for the “game” preview.

We’re sure your palms were all sweaty and that you guys just felt that excitement and electricity in the air after seeing that action-packed game (#sarcastic), but really, who would’ve thought that you could create a game out of an interface control app like Tasker? Yep, that’s what we thought so, too.

Mr. derSinologe has our congratulations for the effort he put into making the game. If you check the original Reddit thread, it seems like he has, at the very least, the admiration of some of the people at /r/Android. Haven’t tried Tasker yet? We’ll maybe now is the time. The learning curve is pretty steep, but you can do a lot more magical (read: more useful) things with it if you put your effort into learning it.

SOURCE: Reddit

Story Timeline

• Reddit Android app tipped by company job listing


• AutoVoice Tasker plug-in blows Commandr out of the water


• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie tie-in game now on Android

Google tipped to spin Google+ Photos into its own service

Google might soon be fiddling with its photo gallery, but this time in ways that go beyond just a corner to stow and share pictures on Google+. According to insider sources, the search giant is planning to yank its Photos service out of Google+ and offer it as a separate and independent service for hosting and sharing everything from cats to selfies.

Think how Instagram works inside Facebook's business. Or even closer to home, how YouTube operates. Though acquired by larger companies, the two media web services have remained largely independent, retaining their own brand and, therefore, loyal fan base. The biggest, and perhaps only significant, difference this separation will make is that Photos would no longer require a Google+ account to use, though of course it will still work with it. Given how Google has so far failed to bring in fresh new blood into Google+ by forcing its social networking service down anyone's throat, this might indeed be a wiser move.

That said, this rumored business venture is also surprising and a bit perplexing. For those who remember, Google already had a photo hosting service in the past, Picasa which was poised to rival Flickr, which is now owned by Yahoo. But in its effort to consolidate its services and try to coax users into Google+, it virtually deprecated Picasa in favor of Photos. To drive this point even deeper, it replaced the default AOSP Gallery app on its Nexus devices with an app that specifically ties into that service. In retrospect, this move might have already been a sign of a independent Photos service.

According to those sources, Photos would be rebranded, possibly without the Google+ prefix, which might be for the best. Google+ hasn't exactly been the hot social brand that Google might have hoped it would be and is now experiencing some rather major shakeup from within. If Google wants to drive more traffic, and therefore more ad revenue, to a photo sharing service, then this might be the only way indeed.

SOURCE: Bloomberg

VIA: SlashGear

[timleine]

Devious Dungeon’s random levels keep you coming back for more

Ever fell in love with a game and wished you could repeat it over and over again without it getting old? If replay value is something you hold dear more than any other game mechanic, then Devious Dungeon might tickle your fancy. Though spread across only 5 worlds, its level randomization will keep you guessing every time.

Not all mobile games, even those that desperately try to relieve you of your real-world cash, are designed to be both long lasting and at the same time interesting. Most either have a singular plot with a single ending, while others don't have an ending at all and become boring. By making each level different each time, Devious Dungeon gives you a new experience every time, keeping each encounter fresh and exciting. That said, it also makes it quite harder to make walkthroughs and guides since things change a lot.

Devious Dungeon also has your staples of classic platformer hack and slash games. The premise of the game is a no-brainer actually. You slay monsters, collect treatures, level up, and dress your character with epic loot. Rinse, repeat, and enjoy.

That said, if you're quite sick of all those mobile games that try to relive a past golden age of gaming, you might want to skip this one as Devious Dungeon is unabashedly retro in its visuals. Of course, that mostly never gets in the way of some good old fashioned monster hacking fun. The in-app purchases that comes with this free download, however, might.

Download: Devious Dungeon on Google Play Store

LG to roll out G Watch update after corrosion complaints

LG’s G Watch was a perfectly usable smartwatch, with features that you can easily acclimatize to, but that was before people started noticing corrosion issues on the five exposed contact points behind the watch, which was for charging via the dock. People were also complaining about irritation while wearing the smartwatch, again from the said contact points. The upcoming OTA update for the device looks like a solution for this issue.

The corrosion issue was a major complaint for G Watch users, and it happened because of the current that was running continuously in two of the five contact points behind the G Watch. What happens in this case is technically called galvanic corrosion – this occurs when an electrical current runs through metals (like the contact points) and reacts to an electrolyte (like the perspiration from the user’s skin). Because of the corrosion buildup, some users have complained about having charging issues.

Also, because there is current running through the contact points, some users have testified to feeling irritation on their skins behind watch because off the electric charge. The update from LG, once it rolls out, will supposedly turn off the electric current running continuously on two of the five docking points – and therefore solve both issues.

The problem will be for some users who have G Watch units whose docking points have been corroded before this update – we suggest you bring them over to a service center to have them cleaned out. Corrosion might still happen to the exposed points even after this update – via the salt content in the user’s sweat, for instance – but it will surely be a slower process than when there was electric current present.

VIA: Android Police

Story Timeline

• LG G Watch hands-on


• LG G Watch custom ROM Gohma promises a better G Watch


• TWRP descends on LG G Watch, Samsung Gear Live

Ooloo app gives a human “face” to virtual voice-search

While virtual assistants like Siri and Google Now have made our lives a little bit easier (that is, if you have a smartphone), there is still a struggle to actually get the results that you want when using it as a voice-search engine. It can get a bit frustrating when it doesn’t understand what you’re asking for, and of course since it’s technically not human, you cannot properly explain at times. The Ooloo app is bringing a human face (sort of) to the search, creating old-school customer service but in a digital format.

The process may take a bit longer and is not as real-time as Google Now, but Ooloo promises to bring better results because of a dedicated team of actual humans that will help you get the answers you need. Through the app, you send a voice-search inquiry, for example, “Is there a Greek restaurant in my neighbourhood?” and with a single app, you send the question to the server, where a real person will search for what you’re looking for. You can even add tags to easily categorise your question and the answers will then be sent through the app as well.

Before you start using the app, it will request permission to use your location since most of the inquiries can be answered better if they are localised. You can also easily rate the answers they gave you, depending on whether you were satisfied with the options given to you or they were just “meh.”

For now, the app is limited to US residents only, but who knows, if it becomes a hit, then it might expand to other territories as well. You can download Ooloo for free through the Google Play Store.