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Google I/O 2014 attendees to get their Moto 360 soon

There were a few goodies given away at this year’s Google I/O Developers Conference, and a few of those who went were admittedly happy that they were given a choice of either an LG G Watch or a Samsung Gear Live to take home. The happiest, we think, are those who sat down for the keynote, who will be getting Motorola’s spanking new wearable – the Moto 360 – in their mail soon.



The watch hasn’t been officially announced yet, but of course, we all know about it. The shipping to the keynote attendees may well come in time for the “official” announcement. We have to wait and see if Motorola chooses to time it that way, but we see nothing that would say that they wouldn’t – it’s too great a marketing chance to waste.


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For everyone who attended the I/O 2014 keynote, September 4 is your day. But a couple of caveats, as seen in the official letter the good fellows at SlashGear received, the device will only be shipped to countries where the wearable is designated to launch. The letter also indicates a sort of “first come, first serve” mechanism in play, but the big thing is that if you live in a country where the Moto 360 is designated to launch, you’re in good shape to get it at that date, or thereabouts.


Most people were hoping for a global launch, but it seems that we won’t be getting that – at least not yet. We will have to see until the official launching of the newfangled watch-gadget how Motorola chooses to proceed. But in general terms, the Moto 360 may be very, very near launch date now, and we are all excited.


VIA: SlashGear





Samsung Galaxy Note 4 specs get leaked big time

We're just whittling down the days to IFA 2014 where Samsung will be baring it all about its latest products, particularly the Galaxy Note 4. And Indonesian online retailer, however, practically spilled all the beans about the phablet, revealing juicy hardware specs that is bound to make any smartphone aficionado drool with envy.



First, let's get to the display. It's a 5.7-inch screen, same as the current Galaxy Note 3. But while the size didn't increase, the resolution definitely made a jump, going from 1080p FHD to a 2560x1440 QHD resolution. That gives you a practical pixel density of 515 ppi. Of course, it uses Samsung's AMOLED tech so, aside from crisper images, blacker blacks and a wider gamut of colors, you can also expect power saving features to be available here, like the much advertised Ultra Power Saving Mode.


Going inside, we are met, unsurprisingly, with two variants of processors, both sporting the highest end CPUs. On the one hand, the SM-910S model will be hosting a 2.5 Ghz quad-core Krait 450 CPU, which is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 805. The other model, the SM-910C, has an octa-core setup with four 1.8 GHz Cortex-A15's and four 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7's. This is noted to be the Exynos 5433, most likely a variant of the new Exynos 5430 system-on-chip announced yesterday and used on the Samsung Galaxy Alpha. This chip boasts of a new 20 nm manufacturing process, which translates to an advertised 25 percent reduction in power consumption despite the substantial increase in raw processing power.


The memory is equally, or probably even more, interesting. Storage is at your usual configurations of 16, 32, and 64 GB capacities, with a microSD slot for added memory up to 128 GB. It is the RAM, however, that is more noticeable. The leaked specs put it at 4 GB. the highest so far found in any smartphone. On the one hand, it's not surprising considering its predecessor was the first to wield 3 GB of RAM. On the other hand, 4 GB marks the upper limit of what is normally accessible by 32-bit CPUs and operating systems. This could very well spark once more discussions and speculation about 64-bit chips.



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The rest of the specs are nothing to pan either. You have dual-band WiFi with WiFi Direct support, six bands of LTE, MHL 2.0 for video output, USB Host capability, a 16 megapixel rear shooter complete with OIS, and Android 4.4.3, not 4.4.4, out of the box. The price tag for this piece of hardware, at least in Indonesia, was marked at 9,499,000 IDR, converted to around $813. US prices will most likely be quite different, but the raw price is still a bit too steep. We'll see come September if this spec sheet will match what Samsung has on its side, but this seems to be as close as it gets to the real thing.


SOURCE: Erafone, phoneArena

VIA: SlashGear





Google Now offers flight alternatives, bakes in Field Trip

You’re just a few hours away from your flight to London, when suddenly, you received a notification that it has been cancelled. What do you do next? You are in a strange place and you don’t know anyone but would like to visit some landmarks or tourist spots. Who do you ask? Normally you would just google those information, but Google Now’s new updates allows you to eliminate a few steps in the process and brings you the info you need through its cards.



When a flight is delayed or cancelled and you absolutely still have to get to your destination, Google Now suggests alternative flights. Previously, it had the ability to scan your email for your flight details and gives you information the nearer your flight gets. So if it gets cancelled or delayed, it can suggest alternate routes or flights from other airlines that will eventually get you where you need to go.


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Meanwhile, Google has finally baked its Field Trip app into Google Now. Launched back in 2012, the separate app had the capability to give dining recommendations, historical information and trivia about the place you’re in, based on the user’s geo-location. When Google Glass came along, the app was able to maximise its potential as the info cards that popped out while using the wearable was definitely cool and useful. However, there are still just a few users of Google Glass, and so it got lost in the glut of location-based recommendation apps that suddenly sprung up.


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The integration of Field Trip into Google Now means that cards from its 200+ partners would show up on your page and suggest localised places and information, just like going on a, well, field trip. The stand-alone app is still available at the Google Play Store, in case you’d also like to give it a try apart from Google Now or if you have Google Glass.


VIA: SlashGear (1), (2)





T-Mobile to crack down on use of unlimited data for P2P

If you’ve been having a grand ole time tethering your T-Mobile and using your unlimited data for some marathon torrent downloading, your happy days just might be over. The US carrier will be cracking down on those users that have been “abusing” the fast network by engaging in peer-to-peer file sharing, as it violates the terms and conditions stated when you signed up with them.



You did read that right? Well, if you’re like the majority of mobile subscribers, probably not. But apparently the contract clearly states that P2P and tethering are outside of the terms and conditions. T-Mobile has already sent an internal memo stating that they have already identified the customers who have been causing a slowdown in their relatively fast network, affecting those who are just simply browsing through the net or using the apps installed in their smartphones.


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So starting August 17, the identified customers who are under the unlimited high-speed data will be forcibly throttled by the network. Those who are using the other plans, like the $70/month unlimited and the $80/month Simple Choice will just get a verbal warning if caught abusing their data plan. But if they continue with their P2P-loving behaviour, then eventually they will also be throttled.


T-Mobile isn’t the first carrier to take action to address data congestion. Verizon was in the news last week after the FCC expressed concern regarding their plan to slow down the speed of the unlimited LTE data plan holders when the network gets too congested. But the carrier replied by saying this is “a measured and fair step” so that all their consumers will fairly get the network resources during times when there is a high demand for data. Do you think T-Mobile and Verizon are justified in their bid to give “equal rights” to their unlimited data consumers? Or are customers entitled to get what they pay for, regardless if you're a heavy user at the expense of the not-so-heavy ones?


VIA: SlashGear





Humble Bundle app moves out of beta, gets a facelift

With all the Humble Mobile Bundle campaigns past, present, and future, you'd think that the Humble Bundle Android app would be in better shape. Though that was not exactly the case, the latest update to the app pretty much pulls Humble Bundle's Android presence forward to the current decade, shedding off the Beta moniker and falling in line with other Android apps.



The Humble Bundle app now adheres to conventional Android design and looks prettier to boot. Colors have been splashed around giving the app some semblance of life. The side navigation panel, which now houses a few more items that we'll get to later, now appears and disappears with grace. There is even a cute placeholder at the top of that panel that tries to mimic account info boxes like you'd see in the Google Play Store app, for example. It doesn't have anything there yet, but it looks like a start. Unfortunately, the app's migration to Android standards still isn't complete, like many Android apps for that matter. While Google's own apps have mostly eschewed expanded menus (the three vertical dots on the app's action bar) in favor of placing everything in the navigation panel, Humble Bundle still gives users 2 places to look through when trying to wade through the app's various options.


The changes to the Humble Bundle app isn't just skin deep, however. For some time now, Humble Bundle has been offering things other than games, like soundtracks to go with those games as well as books, particularly comic books. Now Humble Bundlers, if that's a term, can now download those too from one convenient app. That said, while the update promises improvements and bug fixes, downloading games and other items still seems to be a hit or miss situation, with some downloads just giving up without explanation nor indication.


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The app does come with a few conveniences when it comes to those downloads. Once a download is done, tapping on the little green box will launch the appropriate app for the job. For comics, depending on the format you chose to download, it will open up the associated reader or the Complete Action Using window if there are multiple choices available. For music, since they come in ZIP files, they are automatically extracted and copied to your configured Music folder. After that, every time you tap on the green box, you will be taken to your music app to play those tunes.


Download: Humble Bundle on Google Play Store





Endomondo now supports Samsung Gear Fit and Gear 2

Fitness enthusiasts have helped make wearables the gadget du jour this year. With the proliferation of fitness apps in the market, one consideration for consumers is how the app can be used in connection with their gadgets and smartphones. One popular app for the physically active crowd is Endomondo, and the latest update now includes support for Samsung Gear Fit and the Gear 2, as well as compatibility with 17 of Samsung’s Android smartphones.



When you’re doing your workout or running 5km and you want to stop and rest for a while, you can pause, stop or restart the Endomondo app without even having to bring out your phone due to this new connectivity feature. So all you need to do to control it is to use your fitness band or your smartwatch. You can also use the Gear 2 to display how much distance you’ve already covered or how many calories you’ve already burned. You can even view the app’s built-in heart rate monitor through the smartwatch. You can also choose to set the display to the lightness or darkness that you prefer, depending on where you’re running or exercising.


Samsung believes that working together with Endomondo is essential as it is “one of the most popular fitness networks” and Gear users can now enjoy the features that the app has to offer. Meanwhile, Mette Lykke, the CEO and founder of Endomondo says that it is but logical to sync with the Samsung devices as part of their goal to be the fitness app of choice for the wearable market.


You can make Endmondo your digital personal trainor, even if you don’t have either the Samsung Gear Fit or Gear 2. You can download the app for free from the Google Play Store.


SOURCE: Endomondo





Motorola is holding an event on September 4th: Moto 360 and X+1 likely

Motorola will hold an event on September 4th in Chicago, where the company is expected to officially launch the MOTO 360 smartwatch and potentially take the wraps off the much-rumored Moto X+1 smartphone. Invites for the press event hit inboxes this morning.



Along with the invitation there's an animated teaser, a screenshot of which is shown above. The graphics for the Moto X, Moto G, a watch, and a Bluetooth headset certainly suggest a fairly broad range refresh.


The MOTO 360 will be no great surprise, given the Android Wear timepiece was previewed at Google I/O earlier in the year. Still, Motorola is yet to confirm final specifications or - most importantly - how much the round-screen smartwatch will cost and when it will go on sale.



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As for the Moto X+1, that's expected to be an update to the Moto X, and stick with Motorola's recent tradition of eschewing the very fastest - and thus most power-hungry - components in favor of making the most out of more energy frugal chips.


We'll know more when we head to Chicago to join Motorola on September 4th, and see whether the company has what it takes to overshadow the Samsung and other announcements expected at IFA 2014.





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