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Facebook app testing opening links in built-in browser

Most people who are on Facebook have a love-hate relationship with the hugely popular social network, particularly when it comes to rolling out new features. What the social media giant does is test out new features on a random subset of users before slowly rolling it out to the public. So if you’re one of the “lucky” ones to run into this new functionality on the Android app, you’ll notice that opening links within now leads you to a built-in web browser rather than your smartphone’s default browser.



Of course the logic behind this feature is for you to never leave the Facebook app and stay on it for hours (and yes, some people really do!). So when you click on a link that one of your friends has posted on their timeline, it will not lead you to Chrome or Firefox. Instead, it will open in a WebView type of browser (just like some other apps do), and it also has a drop down menu of options like forward/backward, copy link, and save, that handy new feature rolled out a few weeks ago where you could save links for opening and browsing later on.


There is also an option to open the link in another browser or app. So it means if you want to “escape” from the Facebook app, it will take you a few steps more. The built-in web browser is useful if you get annoyed with having to switch back and forth between the Facebook app and another app, particularly if you rely on the social network to keep up with the latest news or life hacks or BuzzFeed articles. But if you’re not too fond of the Facebook app itself, then the new functionality would be another one of the numerous complaints against Mark Zuckerberg.


No news yet if Facebook intends to actually roll out this feature to all other users or if it’s just another one of their “experiments” on several thousands or millions of users. They just have to keep in mind that a lot of people still haven’t forgiven them for the current fiasco over forcing people to switch to the stand-alone Messenger app.


VIA: Android Police





1Password for Android update: freemium model, new features

Now that the official free trial period for 1Password for Android is over, it’s now time for the password manager to unveil version 4.1. It has now rolled-out the new features that they announced a few weeks ago, plus a freemium model that lets you use the app for free for a limited number of features. They’re also offering a sale price for the Android app, since most of its other platforms are on sale as well.



Some of the major improvements that the Android app now has is the addition of 17 new languages, which includes Spanish, German, Portugese and Russian, because they want you to be secure in any (major) language. Another new feature is the ability to create new password vaults from the app. Previously, you could only do so in 1Password’s desktop version but now, you could do it through your smartphone or tablet, if you are on the app’s paid premium version.


The freemium version of 1Password is still pretty nifty, if you don’t want to shell out a one-time fee to upgrade to the premium one. For the free app, you can still view and delete items from your password vault, configure it with Dropbox’s cloud service, access your settings, and even view your favourite websites with a built-in web browser. The one-time in-app purchase of $9.99 lets you create and add new items as many as you’d like to and modify the ones you already have. You can also organise them into folders, if you already have too many passwords to handle.


If you think $9.99 is a little too steep, but would like to have that premium version, you better move quick as the price is now temporarily at $7.99 and they have not indicated how long this sale with last. But if the freemium one is all that you need right now, you can download it from the Google Play Store.


SOURCE: 1Password





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





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