Subscribe:

Ads 468x60px

Labels

Google Play Newsstand gets new look, material design

If you're a fan of curated news apps that look just like a magazine as you flip through all the relevant news just like you would a magazine, then the new look of Google Play Newsstand just might convince you to use it. The app, built-in for some devices and downloadable for others, has just updated with a new look and improved services to appeal to users to make it (one of) their news reader of choice.



If you're used to using Flipboard or Zite or Feedly to get your daily feed of news from your favorite sites, it should suit you to check out what Google has done with its Newsstand. It has adapted the material design that will eventually herald the upcoming Android L. But more than just the design, even the reading experience is enhanced with the update to the app. You don't need to zoom in and out anymore just to be able to read an article when you're on your mobile device. You can now see a list of articles from sites that you've marked and they're already resized, both text and pictures to fit the gadget you're using.


The material design has also made the app look better, with contextual headers, bigger images and smoother transitions from one story to another. Aside from subscribing to certain news sites, you can also now add even more cards for those topics that interest you, from something as general as vegetarian recipes, to something more obscure like Brony (look it up!). You can swipe left and right to look at topics, then swipe up and down to look at the news items on the topic you chose. You can also choose to use mini-cards to just browse through headlines before clicking on something that you want to look at in-depth.


There are over 2,000 free and paid publications on the app, but not all countries have access to the paid and full-length ones. Google Play Newsstand can be found in more than 40 countries and if you don't have it built-in to your device, you can download it from the Google Play Store.


Newsstand - Android - N5 - Magazines Newsstand - Android Update - N7


SOURCE: Android





Samsung Galaxy Alpha gets the iFixit teardown treatment

So we’ve been a bit disappointed with the specs of Samsung’s new “premium feel” device, the Samsung Galaxy Alpha – a device which marks the first time the Korean gadget giant has been willing to ditch plastic for a more “fruity” metal design. Maybe Samsung was doing an “anything you can do, I can do too” with Apple, hence a spec line that doesn’t really stack up to flagship level. Popular teardown specialists iFixit give the new metal-bound phone the full treatment.



As we have mentioned many times before, the Galaxy Alpha was built to “feel” like a premium phone, and for all intents and purposes it has achieved that. The phone has a decent enough processor and RAM combo – the international version torn down by iFixit rocked an octa-core Exynos chip with presumably 2GB of RAM. The middling 720p display is where it was scaled down from the 1080p display of the flagship Samsung Galaxy S5, as well as the 1,860mAh battery. For comparison though, this battery is still better than the iPhone 6’s 1,810mAh power source.


display_first


The iFixit teardown shows that the Galaxy Alpha has inherited the Galaxy S5’s midframe sandwich design when it comes to internals, although Samsung seems to have done away with the IP67 waterproofing here as there are no waterproofing measures seen on the inside of the Galaxy Alpha. The new phone also has a very tedious “display first” entry into the main PCB elements, although iFixit was very clear that upon entry via the display, all parts were visibly modular and could be replaced easily – once you beat the display first.


The Galaxy Alpha gets a middling score of 5 for repairability – with the tedious “display first” entry contributing to the score. But there is some redeeming value in the modular design of the PCB elements, allowing for quick repair and replacement, but only once you gain entry to the main PCB area itself.


SOURCE: iFixit





LG leaked to have webOS smartwatch in the works

It seems Samsung isn't the only one who wants to strike off on its own with an alternative mobile platform. In an accidentally published and quickly pulled down developer preview webpage, LG has been revealed to be working on a smartwwatch platform that is based on the similarly troubled webOS operating system.



webOS, like Tizen, has had a colorful and tumultuous history. It started as the successor to Palm OS before parent company ACCESS was bought by HP. HP briefly continued its development, even open sourcing it, before eventually halting development on its side and selling the platform to LG. Since then, LG has been using it to power some of its smart TVs, but now it seems that LG has more ambitious plans for it.


Like Android and Tizen, webOS is a Linux-based operating system but it has more in common with Tizen in that the platform revolves more around web-centric technologies and languages, in particular Javascript. Its card-based interface, first seen on the relatively few webOS devices such as the Palm Pre and the HP Touchpad, in theory makes for a good UI idiom on a smartwatch, not unlike Google's own card system for Android Wear. Unlike Tizen, webOS has had a bit more exposure in actual commercial devices, from smartphones to tablets to TVs, though Tizen has the advantage of more or less being well-tested by now on Samsung's Gear smartwatches.


This move by LG is quite unexpected, considering that the company has given no indication that it is interested in taking webOS beyond the current smart TV implementation. Perhaps it is fueled by its rivalry with Samsung, though it should probably also be aware of Samsung's precarious relationship with Google over that matter. LG claims that it has many internal projects that never really see the light of day, but a developer portal for webOS smartwatch development still hints that the company is at least mulling over that possibility.



lg-webos-smartwatch-1-600x290



VIA: SlashGear





Check Out Android L in Action on a Samsung Galaxy S5


It's been months since Google first gave us a glimpse of Android L and the Material Design manifesto. But now, the slick-looking operating system is finally getting close to primetime. At least that's how this new video from SamMobile of a Samsung Galaxy S5 running Android L makes it seem.


Read more...
















Framelapse brings Hyperlapse capabilities to Android devices

If you were suffering from Hyperlapse envy from iPhone users ever since Instagram released the video app, then you don't have to wait much longer. No, they still haven't released a version for the Android platform, but there is an app that basically performs the same function. Get ready to introduce your smartphone to Framelapse, an alternative to Instagram's baby.



We're not really sure what's taking Hyperlapse developers so long to come up with an Android version, but for the meantime, we'd have to be content with this pretty basic but useful alternative. Not that Hyperlapse in itself is a very complicated app. It's been referred to as a "dead-simple" point and shoot video app, and so Framelapse is basically the same. You will be able to set a time duration for recording and it will stop after set time has elapsed. You can also control frame interval and it has basic zoom and autofocus functions.


You can take videos from both main and front-facing cameras and you also have options for the video resolution and rotation. There is no rendering time for the video and can automatically playback after recording. The output is in high quality mp4 format which can be played on any device. There is of course several sharing options, which includes Facebook, Twitter and of course, Instagram.




The PRO version costs $2.99 and comes with more features like custom frame interval of up to 24 hours, white balance lock and exposure lock. Plus some part of your payment goes to a charitable project (they did not specify though what it is). But if you're satisfied with the basic features, then the free version should be enough. You can download Framelapse from the Google Play Store.


framelapse1 framelapse2 framelapse3


VIA: Lifehacker


Boomerang brings location-based reminders for emails

Location, location, location. That is not just the rallying cry for new businesses anymore, but more and more develioers are realizing that it is also important to add features in their apps that take advantage of the users' location. Email client Boomerang is the latest to join the trend as they add location-based features for pushing emails to your device.



The app, which supports both Gmail and Microsoft Exchange emails has added a function that lets your device snooze emails for later reading, when you've entered a particular location. So for example, an important email regarding your meeting with a client will be pushed to the top of your inbox when you've entered the company boardroom where you'll be meeting with your colleagues regarding said client. Or a personal email from your mother will be snoozed until such time when you have entered your house or bedroom so that you can read it in private.


The update also brings you a widget that you can display on your homescreen and it will show you how many unread emails you have (which can be a good thing or a scary thing. The Inbox widget also lets you read through your unread emails without even having to open your Boomerang app.


boomeranglocation-220x394


Productivity app To-doist has also made a similar location-based reminder feature in its last update, wherein instead of a time reminder, you get a notification on your task when you enter specified locations. But having this feature on an email client is also much needed, so maybe you can give Boomerang a try. You can download the app for free from the Google Play Store.


VIA: The Next Web





Activision brings the Skylanders Trap Team to Android tablets

The popular game on consoles, Skylanders, now has an Android version. Activision is finally giving fans of the game another way to play by bringing the Skylanders Trap Team to Android. For now, only tablets are supported. Actually, that’s only a few tablets because it’s specified on the Play Store that the game requires the Nexus 7 and Galaxy tablets like the Galaxy Note 10.1, Galaxy Tab Pros 8.4, 10.1, 12.2, Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 , and the 8.4 and 10.5 Galaxy Tab S. The said tablets must have 3GB of minimum storage, WiFi, and at least Android 4.3.



Kids will love this game because they can play with real toys while playing the game on the tablet. Make sure you get the Tablet Starter Pack for the complete Skylanders Trap Team gameplay experience. A kit includes all digital packs of the game, two Digital Skylanders & 2 Digital Traps, a Wireless Bluetooth Traptanium Portal, Wireless Bluetooth Game Controller, one Trap Collection Tray, one character collection poster, two sticker sheets with secret codes, and two trading cards.


The game features more than 175 playable character and over 40 villains who escaped from the Cloudtracker Prison that must be captured. With the Traptanium, you can trap the villains and bring them back to Skylands.


While this is great news for the Skylander fans, only a few tablets are supported. Most of the models in the list are high-end tablets from Samsung. The low-priced Android tablets also from Samsung and other brands have been left out from having all the fun and becoming part of the Trap Team. The starter pack only relies on Bluetooth and not WiFi or NFC so how come only a few tablets are supported?




Download the Skylanders Trap Team for Android from Google Play Store


skylanders trap team for android skylanders trap team for android skylanders trap team for android skylanders trap team for android skylanders trap team for android





Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)