Viber 5.0 brings video calling to Android devices

Viber has announced that it has updated its Android app to version 5.0. The key new feature in the updated app is that users can now get video calling on their mobile device. Other enhancements and features are also included in the new update.

Another update in the app is a change to make it easier to manage your Viber contacts. Contacts can now be added by adding the user's Viber number or by scanning a special QR code. Android users get a new design for the app that makes it more fun and easier to use.

Video calls are supported on Android devices running Android 4.0 or higher. Video calls can be transferred between the Android device and the desktop computer. New languages were also added to the app including Bulgarian, Persian, and Serbian.

The update landed today and the app is 29MB in size. The official version number is 5.0.4083 and while Android 4.0 or higher is required for video calling, the app will work for Android 2.3 and up for basic services.

SOURCE: Google Play

Story Timeline

• Viber sold for $900 million to Rakuten


• Viber transmits and stores images and videos insecurely

HTC Desire 510 hits Cricket Wireless Sept 19

Shoppers looking for an Android device on the Cricket Wireless pre-paid network have a new device to choose from. The new device is the HTC Desire 510 with 4G LTE connectivity. The smartphone will be priced at $149.99 and will be available to purchase on September 19 online and in stores.

A phased rollout will see the smartphone available at all Cricket Wireless stores by October. Eventually, the smartphone will be available to purchase in over 2800 GameStop retail stores in the US. The smartphone runs Android 4.4 KitKat and has HTC Sense 6.

Inside the phone is a 1.2GHz Qualcomm quad-core Snapdragon processor. The smartphone also has dual cameras for selfies and photos and shoots full HD resolution video as well. HTC uses a 4.7-inch screen on the Desire 510.

Cricket will also offer accessories for the smartphone including the HTC Dot View case. The smartphone will operate on any Cricket Wireless plan up to the Pro Plan selling for $60 giving 10GB of high speed data access.

SOURCE: Cricket Wireless

Android Apps Finally Arrive on Google's Chrome OS

Delivering on Sundar Pichai's promise at Google's I/O conference in June, Android apps are beginning to make appearances on Google's Chrome OS. The first set of apps incoming are Duolingo, Evernote, Sight Words, and Vine, and Google says they'll be working with select Android devs to add more in the coming months.

Read more...

Humble Bundle 7 brings Heroes of Loot, the Tiny Bang Story, and more

The Humble Bundle has been around for a while now giving mobile gamers access to some cool games in a bundle where you can pay what you want for access to the games. The Humble Bundle 7 is now available for gamers to grab and as always, it brings access to full versions of games that are DRM-free.

Money raised with the bundle helps charity and for this version the charities are the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Child's Play Charity. Humble Bundle 7 includes access to Heroes of Loot, The Tiny Bang Story, and Color Zen Premium.

Fans of the bundle that pay more than the average price will also get Kingdom Rush Frontiers, Sorcery!, and Horn. If you are wondering, the average purchase price for the Bundle right now is $3.99. So far, over 25,000 people have purchased the Humble Bundle 7 pack and nearly $100,000 has been earned.

Humble Bundle 7 will be available until September 24, 2014 at 11 am Pacific Time. That gives you about 13.5 days to make your buying decision.

SOURCE: HumbleBundle

Story Timeline

• Humble Bundle 10 arrives with Android and PC game options


• Humble Bundle app moves out of beta, gets a facelift

Create videos for Instagram with new Magisto update

Ever since short (and we mean really short) videos started becoming popular on social media, there has been a glut of apps catering to this need to post 15-second “masterpieces” online. Vine, Instagram, and even Facebook have gotten in on the action. The popular video editor and creator Magisto has joined the fray as their latest update now allows you to create videos that can be posted on image sharing giant Instagram.

You don’t need to have a film degree to be able to make videos on Magistro. In fact, you only need three steps. First, you can choose which photos and videos you want to include in your montage. Then you can choose a theme or genre that will match the mood of your video. Finally, you need a soundtrack to make it even cooler, more dramatic or funnier. Then the app will automatically create the video for you.

Since Instagram only allows 15 seconds for its videos (an eternity compared to Vine’s 6 seconds), then that’s the length that Magistro will create for you. Once it’s done, you can quickly share it on IG and other social networks if you prefer. Last week’s update for Magistro also added a “Surprise Me” feature that lets the app create a “surprise” video for you based on pictures or videos that you’ve taken recently.

Of course if you have any talent or capability for actually editing videos, you would prefer to use an app that gives you more freedom than this. But if you would just like to have a simple video and let the app do all the work for you, you can try out Magistro and the best news is it’s for free from the Google Play Store.

Moto 360 Smartwatch Review: You Were the Chosen One...

Early this year when Google first announced Android Wear, it teased us with the Moto 360. It was by far the best-looking smartwatch we'd ever seen. Many months later it's here at last . It's the best Android Wear device yet, but with the Apple Watch looming on the horizon, it's no longer clear if that's good enough.

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Samsung takes potshots at Apple (again) with new videos

Oh Samsung, you’re like the kid at the playground that can’t stop making fun of the more popular kids even though you’re part of the in-crowd as well. The new series of videos posted on their YouTube channel called “It Doesn’t Take A Genius” takes non-subtle potshots at their arch-rival Apple, just a day after the keynote heralding the arrival of their new products.

The six ads have only two characters: two guys who look like Apple Genius experts working in a supposed Apple Store repair room. They indirectly (sometimes directly) make fun of the recently launched products (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Watch) and compare it to Samsung’s own Galaxy Note 4 which they also officially announced last week before the start of IFA 2014 in Berlin, using the hashtag #NotetheDiffference at the end of each video.

The first spot actually makes a reference to the much-ballyhoed fact that the first part of Apple’s livestream was non-functional due to a supposed coding error on the website. The other videos of course pick on the fact that the features that the iPhone is touting has been in existence for the past years in Samsung products (let’s accept that this is a particular bone this dog will never let go) like a larger screen, better battery life and even a wearable device. But they also criticize Apple for not having other features like a stylus (Samsung has been singing the praises of the Note 4’s S-Pen) and multi-tasking.

I guess we’ve kind of expected that Samsung would not let the opportunity to make fun of Apple pass, but unlike the first ones that were actually funny, these videos lack an actual sense of humour and the "joke" is getting kind of tiring. Let’s hope their creatives find their mojo back and maybe come up with ads that will actually make us want to buy a Note 4 instead of just making us uncomfortably laugh (or not) at iPhone users.

SOURCE: Samsung

Story Timeline

• Galaxy S5 ad mocks Apple's rumoured bigger iPhone screen


• Samsung further teases "wall huggers" with airport outlet ads