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iFixit, Google team up to tear down Project Tango Tablet

Ever wondered what was inside Google's highly experimental contraption, the Project Tango Tablet? Now you can satisfy your curiosity with this iFixit teardrown treatment. However, unlike most teardowns, the OEM, in this case Google, is giving a hand in revealing some interesting bits and pieces behind, or rather inside, the device.



The Project Tango Tablet is built for power, with specs that would make any tablet owner dream of better days. It has a 7-inch 1920x1200 screen, powered by one of the most powerful SoC's in the market, the NVIDIA Tegra K1. It also has one of the highest memory configuration, with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage that can still be augmented by a microSD card slot. Google claims that it wants to deliver power to developers so as not to hamper their ambitions with substandard hardware. And to really emphasize on power, Google has thrown in a 7.6-volt dual-cell battery that gives off 18 Wh of power. In comparison, the latest Nexus 7 only has a 15 Wh battery. All that power, of course, generates a considerable amount of heat. So, unlike most tablets, this one has sports a hefty heat pipe running along the the motherboard.



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But all that power is there only in the service of Tango's primary purpose of mapping the world in full 3D. And for that, Google has bestowed more than the usual assortment of cameras and sensors on the tablet. Unlike Amazon's fancier Dynamic Perspective Fire Phone, the Tango tablet only has one on the front that boasts a field of view of 120 degrees. On the back, there is a 4 megapixel RGB-IR camera, a 170-degree motion tracking camera, and an IR projector, with the cameras held in place with some rather strong glue. Google notes that to give the cameras an unobstructed view of the world, it designed the back cover to somewhat "force" users' hands to hold the tablet in a certain position, avoiding the risk of blocking the cameras.



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Now we get to iFixit's repariability index and the Project Tango Tablet scores a rather low 4 mark. That, however, is neither unexpected nor tragic. Though more available than the Project Tango phone, this is still a developer device that isn't meant for public consumption so repairability isn't exactly a financial or practical issue. And with a pricte tag of $1,000, this is definitely not a tablet you'd be keen on buying, even if the specs are to die for.


SOURCE: iFixit





Mobile banking app Simple rolls out version 2.0

It may not yet be as popular or accepted as PayPal, but online bank Simple has had a steady and growing customer base, which led them to redesigning from the ground up their mobile app to serve their users better. They have started rolling out Simple 2.0 which brings to your smartphone some features that were web-based only, as well as a new look and feel for the banking app.



Probably the biggest feature to be added with v2.0 is bringing Simple Instant, something that has been available on the web version, to the mobile format. The feature allows immediate funds transfer between two Simple account holders, without having to go through the typical holding period and additional fees that some banks charge. It’s as, well, simple, as adding another account user as your contact and then transferring your money to them. This is a good way for couples, families or housemates to transfer money for shared bills and expenses.


The Goals feature of the app has also had a major overhaul. Previously on mobile, you could just move money in (or out, but that defeats the purpose) the section to save up for a big purchase like a new gadget, a vacation, or even a car. Now you can track your progress towards your goal, like how much more you need to add to finally get that brand new TV HD flatscreen you’re saving up for, how much you need to add daily to reach that by a certain date.


The new design of the app has been simplified, with a minimalist feel that focuses on basic colors and typography, which makes it easier to use on the mobile format. Simple Version 2.0 is now available to download for free from the Google Play Store.


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SOURCE: Simple


Google Play Music, All Access now in 9 new countries

Music lovers in South and Central America now have something more to be happy about. Google has announced that their music streaming service called Play Music All Access (at least that’s what it’s called for now, as we’ll explain later) is now available in 9 more countries in the region, particularly The Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, and Venezuela.



Just like when it became available in other regions, All Access has an initial 30-day free trial period, where you can check out how it works, what are the available music in their database, and then try out unlimited streaming for a month. Most of its competitors like Spotify, Pandora, Rdio, etc offer the same kind of free trial, and has basically the same features as All Access. But there are rumours circulating that this service will be rebranding to Google Play Music Key, which will be packaged with a new product that will be called YouTube Music Key.


Based on the supposed similar names of the two services, we can assume that the new YouTube product would be like any other music streaming service, except that it would feature music videos, HD concert footage, live performances, covers, remixes etc. And given the large amount of videos that can be found on YouTube, estimated at 20 million high quality tracks available for now, we can expect that this Music Key business might just be a hit. Google Play Music Key would also benefit from that kind of service and following, as it will probably be bundled together.


But for now, our friends in the 9 additional countries in South and Central America can enjoy 30 days of unlimited music. Afterwards, if they want to continue using the service, they would have to shell out $9.99 per month, which is also the estimated cost for the YouTube Music Key subscription. You can download the Google Play Music All Access app from the Google Play Store.


SOURCE: +GooglePlay





Sharp Aquos Crystal smartphone gets its official video trailer

We talked about the Sharp Aquos Crystal smartphone a bit earlier this month when the edge-to-edge display of the smartphone was first unveiled. This week Sharp has rolled out the official video trailer for the phone touting some of the features the device offers. The video focuses not so much on the hardware inside the smartphone as it does on the things the phone offers for audio and camera functionality.



Sharp brags that the Crystal smartphone has Harmon Kardon audio inside to improve the quality of sound for music and conversations. Another cool feature of the device when it comes to audio is that the smartphone has a direct wave receiver that uses the entire front panel of the phone to produce sound, rather than a small speaker.


That direct wave receiver means that when you pick the phone up to answer a call you get better sound quality no matter what position you hold the smartphone in against your face. Sharp also fits the Crystal with Clari-Fi sound technology that is designed to restore audio files to their original glory for improved sound quality.


The video also talks a lot about the camera featuring shutter detection to snap a picture when a smile is detected on the subjects face. Other camera features include panoramic mode, night capture mode, and a picture framing advisor with grid lines to make framing images easier. To store all the video and images Sharp expects users of the device to take, the Crystal has a microSD card slot that supports up to 128GB of storage.




Samsung Galaxy Mega 2 leak shows a different set of specs

Samsung is preparing yet another one of its gigantic contraptions, that much is known. But what the Galaxy Mega 2 will bring to the table is still a bit of a mystery. A new leaked photo gives us a glimpse of the giant once again, but it is noticeably different from the specs we've seen before.



The details we've gathered from TENAA certification reveal a 6-inch beast with a 720p resolution screen. It is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and paired with 2 GB of RAM. Internal storage is capped at 8 GB. The two cameras on this version of the specs measure 13 megapixels and 5 megapixels on the rear and front, respectively.


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This new set of components differ slightly but still comes with the same 6-inch 720p display. The processor has been swapped out with a relatively unknown Pega Pro quad-core chip, said to be running at 1.5 GHz, while memory has been taken down a small notch, now at 1.5 GB only. The cameras have also been downgraded, left at 8 megapixels on the back and 2.1 megapixels for selfies and video chat. Interestingly, there is more storage space, which now measures 16 GB.



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There is a plausible explanation for this discrepancy. Samsung has been known to out at least two variants of a device with slightly different specs, depending on the region. That said, this tactic will be quite new to the Galaxy Mega, which previously had two very different models, one with a 6.3-inch screen and another with only 5.8 inches. It is somewhat reassuring that this time, Samsung will be sticking to the same 6-inch size for both variants. All that's left now is to find out which of the two will be landing in the US, a detail that might be revealed in IFA 2014 next month.


VIA: SlashGear, GSMArena





ASUS teases Android Wear smartwatch unveil at IFA

Around two months ago, rumours of a fourth smartwatch using the Android Wear platform began circulating, and ASUS was the most likely suspect to develop it. Reports were saying that the Taiwanese OEM would be launching its own device to compete with the LG G Watch, Samsung Gear Live and the soon-to-be-out-in-the-market Moto 360. Now a tweet from ASUS seems to confirm and tease that they will indeed be launching one at next month’s IFA.



The tweet teases a watchface-like image hidden in the shadows, which most likely pertains to the launch of a new smartwatch. The image also contains a quote from author Khalil Gibran, saying “Time has been transformed and we have changed.” The tweet then says that “something #Incredible” will be happening at the #IFA2014. So unless they’re pertaining to an entirely different thing, then it’s most likely their long-rumored new toy.


Rumors have placed the smartwatch, at least in terms of prices, somewhere in the lower range of Android Wear devices, between $99 and $149. But in terms of specs, it will probably be close to the two existing ones in the market, as the platform is relatively new in the wearables industry. It will reportedly use both voice and gesture controls as well as “more natural user interfaces” as per ASUS chairman Johnny Shih.


All will be revealed in a few days time, as the graphic included in the tweet shows the date September 3 during the IFA in Berlin. The highly-anticipated Moto 360 is also expected to finally be available in the market by early September, so we’ll wait and see how the Asus smartwatch will compare to it, as well as the two other existing wearable devices on Android Wear.


SOURCE: Asus


Verizon One Max finally gets a new Sense

Verizon is rolling out an update to HTC's 2013 giant and it is quite a big one. The update brings the new HTC Sense 6.0 experience to the One Max phablet, a promise that was made quite some time ago. Curiously, HTC's software update page remains unchanged, but this news comes from the horse's mouth so there is little doubt about its veracity.



Sense 6.0 gives HTC's devices a fresh new coating when it comes to the user interface. Most obvious changes can be seen in the new design that is noted to use a stronger color palette and emotive typography, quite in line with Google's own aesthetic bent. HTC's custom news app BlinkFeed has also seen significant improvements, letting users easily customize the content they want to see. The homescreen has also been updated with ease of use and quick changes in mind. One new feature is the ability to not only choose a font but to also to download new ones from Google Play Store.


The update isn't all about UI changes, however, as HTC has also included several behavioral ones as well, primarily bug fixes. Issues surrounding the ISIS mobile wallet system as well as the fingerprint scanner have been addressed. There are even new features included, like the ability to set a schedule for Do Not Disturb mode. And there is a new pre-loaded app included in the package in the form of Emergency Alerts.


As always, firmware updates roll out in staggered fashion, so it is unlikely that all owners will receive the notification all at the same time. If you haven't yet, the usual method of manually querying the update servers via the device's About Phone settings is always available. And of course, a stable WiFi connection and ample battery charge will be required to perform this update smoothly.


SOURCE: Verizon





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