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Race Against Ghosts on the Sony Smartwatch

ghostracer

When you exercise, it’s natural to aim to improve upon what you achieved the previous time performing that activity. That’s the very reason why we keep pushing ourselves through the last few minutes or reps, as well as why it feels so good when we do manage to push through. The great thing about having a smartwatch on your wrist is that it can also help you achieve your goals. Ghostracer for the Sony Smartwatch is no exception to this.


Developed by XDA Forum Member cjkiller, Ghostracer is an app for the Sony Smartwatch 2 that lets you train against ‘ghosts’ during your run or ride. It allows you to race against either Strava segments or GPX files, and makes use of the GPS to track your current progress and provides live feedback with audio updates of your times and distance. Furthermore, in order to help you continue in the correct direction, Ghostracer displays segments and routes on Google Maps.


Although only the Sony Smartwatch 2 is fully supported right now, support for the Smartwatch 3 is currently in beta. So if you’re interested in checking out the app or participating in beta testing, visit the Ghostracer application thread for more details.


The post Race Against Ghosts on the Sony Smartwatch appeared first on xda-developers.


7 Minute Superhero Workout makes you the hero earth needs

If you think superheroes (not the alien ones okay) are born with the bodies they have, think again. They probably spent hours working out in the gym, training in their backyard or running around the city. Okay, we might be mixing real life and fictional heroes here, but an Android app seems to be mixing real-life exercise and fictional gameplay as well. Welcome to the 7 Minute Superhero Workout.



This exercise meets defending-against-aliens mission hybrid boasts that it is the only app (so far) that uses your smartphone's front-facing camera to track your workout, making it more interactive and accurate. But to give you more incentive, you actually have a backstory. You are tasked to pilot the prototype AEGIS One battlesuit, making you a potential superhero, given that you actually do the workouts you're supposed to.


The app has 20 missions which includes 20 minutes of high-intensity exercises. There are also 12 pre-set workouts already, if you feel you need guidance on what to do. They are 7 minutes long (or short) each and focus on different parts of the body. But you also have the capability to create your own when you do the Battle Workout mode which is interactive and motion-controlled. The app also has 42 bodyweight exercises that are incorporated with exciting ones like mountain climbing, power squats, etc.


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If you feel like your mobile device is too small for your workout, you can actually stream the app to your TV screen as it is optimized for Chromecast. You can download the 7 Minute Superhero Workout from the Google Play Store for only $3.99. So are you up to saving the world while keeping fit?




SOURCE: Superhero Workout


Nano Magnetics working on the Nanoport, should be ready for CES 2015

The name Nanoport magnetic connector alone gives us an idea that this is one cool concept. Anything with the word “nano” and “magnetic” could be something great and this new project from Nano Magnetics is no different.



The Nanoport’s patent is still pending but we know this technology is going to be big. It’s still in the works but a working model is expected to be showcased at the CES 2015 as the company promised during the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year. The team showed off a mock-up back in January and promised to be back with a real, working product next year.


The working model should be ready and complete next month. We hope to see the magnetic connections that keep the devices together---those connections that also allow data transfer seamlessly.


The idea of Nano Magnetics is to bring different gadgets together and connect them to create a one, big device. Smartphone, speakers, cameras, and battery packs with Nano Magnetics’ magnets can be connected together to build what they call Nanoport-enabled devices.


This Nanoport can transfer power and data securely and quickly between several devices when connected. No need for cables or a special software to finish the transfer. Just connect the magnetic devices and the Nanoport will do what it needs to do.


Nanoport reminds me of the Project Ara but the guys at Nano Magnetics are set to reveal the magnetic system very soon. A developer kit is expected to be released soon for app developers and hardware manufacturers. We’ll see if Nano Magnetics will be able to keep its promise. CES 2015 is a few weeks from now so we’ll see.




VIA: SlashGear





Tommy Hilfiger brings solar panels to jackets to charge your device

When designers and product developers at fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger heard the term "wearable tech", they probably took it to heart. They have now come up with a line of clothing that is not just fashionable, but can also be used to charge your mobile devices because it is equipped with solar panels.



Yes, you heard that right. There are solar panels on a piece of clothing so you can justify the purchase of a designer jacket by saying you need portable chargers for your devices since they run out of juice fast. The clothing brand worked with solar manufacturer Pvilion to come up with a jacket for men and one for women that has a bit of tartan design to go with the rectangular looking solar panels. In fact, the panels are detachable from the jacket, just in case you don't feel like sporting the water resistant solar panels while walking around.


The front packet has a battery pack that doubles as a USB port so you can charge two devices at the same time, in case your friend needs juice for their smartphone as well. It is capable of charging a 1,500 mAh device up to four times if fully charged. And if you feel like charging from the sun takes too long (it doesn't indicate how long the process is), then you can get the battery pack out and charge it the usual way through a USB power source.


The limited edition jackets are now available at the Tommy Hilfiger online store and in several stores in the northern hemisphere. Both the men's and women's jacket cost $99 each and 50% of the earnings will go to an the Fresh Air Fund, a non-profit that gives free summer vacations to disadvantaged New York City kids.


VIA: CNet


Galaxy S6 benchmarks show 5.5-inch QHD screen and 20MP camera

We are undoubtedly months away from anything resembling official comments on the Samsung Galaxy S6. The earliest we are expecting to possibly see the device in any official capacity is at MWC next year. Ahead of any official unveil all we can do is keep an eye out for leaks and rumors to get an idea what the S6 might be like.



The specifications of the device have reportedly leaked via AnTuTu. According to the leak, the model number of the S6 for Europe is SM-G925F and the hardware should be basically the same between versions.


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The AnTuTu screen shot shows a 5.5-inch 1440 x 2560 display, a 20MP rear camera, and a 5MP front camera. The smartphone is also tipped to use a 64-bit octa-core Exynos 7420 processor and an ARM Mali-T760 GPU. Android 5.0 is the operating system.


Internal storage is listed as 32GB and the processor is paired with 3GB of RAM. At least we have some idea of the hardware to be expected in the smartphone. We don’t know what it will look like; Samsung is expected to go in a completely new direction with future smartphones.


SOURCE: PhoneArena





Chinese OEM Xiaomi might make US market debut in 2015

US residents may very well be getting a taste of the Chinese OEM Xiaomi's brand of smartphones as it looks like they might be entering the market by 2015. Sources say they will be appearing at the Consumer Electronic Show in January 2015 and that they are currently investing in US technology and looking for funding as well. While they ship more phones in their country than Samsung, outside of China, they still have to make a name for themselves.



Joining their first ever US-based tech show in January seems like a good move for the brand, as they're reportedly set to unveil the Mi5, their newest flagship that has high-end specs but with a low-end price, like most of the smartphones that have come out of China. It is rumored to have a 5.7-inch display running on Qualcomm Snapdragon 810. It will also supposedly have a 20.7 megapixel main camera, plus a fingerprint sensor just like what high-end Samsung phones have. And with a price of $325 off contract, you can expect a lot of interest for this gadget.


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To prepare for their entry into the US market, sources say that Xiaomi have joined in an investment round with tech company Misfit, which has been doing great things for cutting down prices of wearables. They are also looking at getting funding, with a value of $50 billion placed on their company. Hiring former Google head Hugo Barra in 2013 may also seem to be a preparation for their US invasion.


Xiaomi is reportedly looking at a sales growth of 160% for 2015, and this indicates a plan of expanding their market outside of Asia, where they already command a decent percentage in terms of devices shipped. Aside from smartphones, they also sell tablets, wearables and even televisions. So let's see if they can charm US residents into parting with their cash and the other electronic brands they're used to.


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VIA: SlashGear





World of Tanks Blitz now available on Android devices

If you're the kind of person who gets a thrill out of looking at tanks or dreams of driving one someday, then this MMO action game should make you happy. The popular game World of Tanks Blitz is now available on Android and it brings you the same action-packed tank battles, but now on mobile so you can play it wherever you are and whatever device you're using.



The game lets you engage in 7 vs 7 tank battles, with your battle gear of choice from among over 100 different kinds of tanks based on real life models from Germany, Great Britain, the US and the former USSR. You also have the choice from among 4 classes of tanks: light, medium, heavy, or if you want to go really hardcore, go for tank destroyers.


You can play with your 6 teammates versus 7 other tanks in 10 different arenas, all with brilliant graphics and real-life physics that recreate the movements and damage mechanics of actual tanks. The controls for the game are pretty intuitive so the learning curve isn't high and you don't need a working knowledge of actual tanks (although it should help if you do). You can choose to invite your friends to play as well, or you can also engage with strangers (which is sometimes more fun).


World of Tanks Blitz is available for free download from the Google Play Store. However there are some items you can purchase in-app so if you don't want to easily access that, you can change the settings to avoid a one-click payment system.


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