LifeStats automatically journals your mobile life for you

In an age where instant and automatic are what we expect from cars, food and our digital life, apps that make our life easier are certainly welcomed by smartphones, tablets and other gadgets. Journalling used to be about writing down what happened to you during the day on a notebook, which turned into something you posted on social networks, and now, it’s something you let your gadgets do for you, with lifelogging apps. LifeStats is one of the newer ones in the market, and it gives new meaning to the word automatic journal.

If you’re too lazy or too busy to record where you go and what you do everyday, then LifeStats can actually do it for you. It tracks the places that you’ve been or go to regularly, how many times you’ve been there, how long you stay there and even how long it takes you to get there. It will then generate a daily journal of all your activities and shows you the results on a graphic image and plotted out in a map. You can also choose to view it by day, week, month or year. And if you want to take a closer look at the events, you can click on a particular one and it will zoom in using Google Street View.

You can also choose to view your activities through stats, through actual places or through a calendar-type journal, where you can also input your thoughts or pictures just like you would in a diary. Other lifelogging apps, like Sony’s LifeLog (which is more concerned with physical activities) or Friday, which we did a hands-on on a few months ago, may have more features as of the moment, but trying out a new app is always something this digital generation will always enjoy.

LifeStats may have an advantage geographically speaking as it is actually powered by former check-in (and current recommendation app) giant FourSquare. If you feel like trying your hand at life logging (or rather, letting the app try it for you), you can download LifeStats for free from the Google Play Store.

VIA: XDA Developers

OPPO launches rapid charging powerbank, car-charger

There are some in the smartphone and electronics device industry that are of the opinion that it is not the processor that is the defining spec of the gadget – but rather the battery. And with a lot of manufacturers failing to balance out great specs with higher capacity batteries – the latest being the Samsung Galaxy Alpha – accessories like OPPO’s rapid charging VOOC powerbank and car charger become obvious necessities.

OPPO’s rapid charging VOOC battery technology claims that it can charge gadgets and batteries almost two times faster than regular chargers. More than that, it claims that it can get your battery to 75% charge in 30 minutes, where other chargers usually plod on to full charge in the average time of 2 hours. This means that you can get the most out of your device and keep uptime/usage at definitely higher levels than with charging normally.

The VOOC powerbank is tested with the OPPO Find 7 with great results. The powerbank’s capacity is 6000mAh, almost three times the average capacity of most smartphones around. The powerbank has an output of 5V/3.5A. This is obviously higher than most. The problem remains with the uncertainty of other phone units and brands being able to accept these levels of charging. But if your device can, this powerbank is certainly a steal at around USD$50.00.

We are assuming that the same charging technology is used with the VOOC car charger, available with OPPO for around USD$32.00. The charging accessories are all rated for OPPO devices. But if these can be safely used with other devices out there, then by all means, get it. Check out the source links.

SOURCE: OPPO Powerbank, Car Charger

Story Timeline

• CM 11 comes to OPPO Find 7a, OnePlus One, Xiaomi Mi-2


• OPPO’s premium Find 7 now available for pre-order


• Paranoid Android adds OPPO and OnePlus to supported devices

Google Voice Search now understands multiple languages

Google has finally rolled out a feature that was rumored to be in the works for a few weeks now. Starting with version 3.6 of the Google Search app, you will be able to select and speak in multiple languages and it will give you just the right answer in the right language, no sweat at all.

Sure, Google Search actually supported many languages, but this new feature supports multiple languages simultaneously. In the past, in order to have the app recognize the language you're speaking in, you'd have to switch between language in the app's settings so that if you said something in English and it will give you a result in English, even if you were saying something in Japanese. Now you can add Japanese to your list of supported languages and it'll show Japanese results when you say "konnichiwa".

There are some caveats to this new feature. First is that it works only with voice searches or spoken words. Typing out foreign words will give you results as if you were searching in your default language. Only a maximum of 5 simultaneous languages are allowed, including your preferred default language. To set that default language, you will have to tap down and hold on the language instead of simply just tapping to enable it.

This new feature will be very convenient not only for those who handle different languages but especially for those traveling abroad. As mentioned, this feature comes via Google Search version 3.6, which should be rolling out to users already.

SOURCE: Google

Story Timeline

• Google Search now lets you correct misheard searches


• Google makes searching while traveling even easier


• Google updates: YouTube playlists, Music widgets, Search deep links

Flynx browser lets you multi-task while websites load

When your Internet connection is not as fast as you’d like it to be and you’re browsing through some links but you also need to do other things on your smartphone, then you need a browser that has the capability to multi-task with you. Some lightweight browsers like Now Browser or Javelin have the ability to do that and another one that you can add to your options is Flynx, even though it is still in Beta mode.

Simply put, Flynx is a floating browser that can work in the background while you’re doing other more important things, like playing Flappy Bird or trying to like everything on sight on Facebook, because life is too short to just stare at your screen while the site you’re waiting for loads. While your web page is loading, Flynx stays as a bubble-type chat head-like shape in the background. It also shows you the progress of loading, and when you see it’s done, you can just click on the bubble to expand it.

Other features of the browser include turning the website or blog that you’re looking at more readable by removing unnecessary elements and links in the browser. And in case you feel like sharing the link with others, you also now have the option of copying and sharing it, as well as opening a link within onto another bubble. And yes, you will be able to open as many as four multiple links at the same time, and even adjust your default bubble size.

While most still prefer using full browsers like Chrome or Firefox, if you’re a person who tries to do many things on your smartphone, lightweight ones may sometimes be better in terms of getting things done. If you like the sound of Flynx, even if it’s still in beta, then you can download it for free through the Google Play Store.

PAC-MAN Friends brings classic to Android, adds tilt control

There are only so many things you can do to a classic gaming franchise like Pac-Man, before the attempts to bring them to modern times become trite and tired. Lo and behold, we have another official Pac-game release called “PAC-MAN Friends” aimed specifically at the Android platform. What will fans of the classic think about this?

The classic game of Pac-Man worked because of its simplicity, with your yellow (or 8-bit white, depending on the platform you played in) chomping dude going around the same maze being chased by ghosts that drink an ever-increasing quantity of energy drinks after every stage. People didn’t have to think so much, and the game just provided a simple proposition that was enough.

PAC-MAN Friends appeals to the classic nostalgia while adding on some very modern features to the game. You'll find stuff to chomp, ghosts, mazes and the occasional fruit here, but a lot of it is new, like using tilt controls to move Pac-Man around your puzzle stages. The new game features 95 levels and 6 worlds, with 9 new Pac-friends to help you out.

There’s the inevitable social network connection, to tell your friends how well you’re doing, and in-app purchases. The game is downloadable via the Google Play Store for USD$4.99. Check out the source link for the details and the download.

SOURCE: Google Play Store

Story Timeline

• Android gamers can now get old-school Sonic the Hedgehog game


• Nintendo Game Boy: celebrate 25 years with some emulation gaming


• Chillingo goes retro with a Spy vs Spy remake

mophie announces mobile battery case for Samsung Galaxy S5

With the demand for different solutions to prolong the battery life of smartphones and tablets, things like mobile chargers, power banks, and mobile battery cases will continue to come up with various products for all kinds of devices. mophie, which claims to be the top mobile battery manufacturer in North America at least, has announced that it now has a juice pack specifically made for the Samsung Galaxy S5.

The battery case packs 3,000mAh power capacity that can actually give your Galaxy S5 up to 100% more juice and you’ll be able to have 21 more hours of talk time (if you’re using the 3G network). If you use your smartphone for media playback, it can give you up to 67 more hours of audio or up to 13 more hours for video. It will also be able to give you up to half a day (12 hours) more if you’re using the Internet.

The battery pack uses the micro USB 3.0 port to have the pass-through charging from your phone to your case. You don’t even need to remove the battery pack from your phone to recharge it once the extra charge has run out. To make sure you don’t run out of juice, there is an embedded LED light indicator which you can check just by pushing a button. Not only does it give your Galaxy S5 a much-needed charge, it can also protect it from unexpected falls through a protective lip around the screen as well as rubberised bumpers that will absorb the shock.

It may not be the most attractive-looking phone case out there, but would you rather have a nicer-looking one but without the battery charge that your Galaxy S5 needs? If your answer is no (battery over design!), then you can purchase the mophie Galaxy S5 battery case for $99.95 (hey, 3,000 mAh doesn’t come cheap!) through their online retail store.

SOURCE: mophie

The Witcher Battle Arena starts closed beta, Android only

If you've had your fill of what is now practically known as the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena or MOBA genre for PCs, wait till they saturate Android as well. The popular RPG franchise The Witcher seems to be eying that particular market and has started accepting closed beta sign-ups for its own MOBA title called what else but The Witcher Battle Arena (henceforth called TWBA for brevity).

TWBA was revealed back in July and seemed to promise to do things a bit differently from the conventional concept of MOBAs. For one, the "Multiplayer Online" part is actually optional, as you can opt to engage in 3v3 assaults or venture off in your own offline solo campaign. Secondly, CD Projekt, creators of The Witcher series, wants to assure players that this will not be a pay-to-win game. You can play everything absolutely for free and won't have to spend an unreasonable amount of time just to unlock certain parts or features of the game. Still, if you are the impatient type, there's an option to save yourself some time for a price.

As the name would suggest, TWBA brings the cast of The Witcher series into your hands, save for protagonist Geralt. As with any MOBA, these "heroes" exhibit their own personalities and powers. The game offers two playing modes. The usual Arena pits you against other characters in the usual death match gameplay. Conquest Mode adds a bit of spice to the competition by dividing players into teams and putting multiple goal posts along the way. TWBA promises an interface and playing style that is designed specifically for mobile devices, though the exact implications of that are yet to be revealed.

Those accepted into the closed beta stage will have access to all 8 characters available from the roster and will be able to dish it out in The Arena and Korath Desert maps. They will also be able to developer their prayer profiles with stats and skills like in many RPGs. Interestingly, the closed beta is available for Android only, when the usual practice prioritizes iOS devices. The reason, according to the press statement, is because of the diversity of Android hardware out in the wild. Nonetheless, the game will launch, presumably simultaneously, on Android, iOS, and even Windows Phone sometime later this year.

SOURCE: The Witcher Batttle Arena