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Viewbox VR Headset is designed for smartphones

We have seen a number of VR headsets that are basically holders for smartphones in the past. One of the more interesting and cheap VR headsets out there came from Google in the form of Google Cardboard. Another new VR headset has been unveiled and this time it's from a company called Evomade.

The Evomade unit is called the Viewbox and it looks to be much more comfortable than wearing a cardboard box on your head. Viewbox is a headset that is made from a neoprene type material and is meant to hold you smartphone in front of your face to make it seem like a larger screen.

The device works for both Android and iOS smartphones and supports any 2D or 3D movie. The head straps and housing of the device are one piece and phones up to 3.5" x 6.7" will fit inside the headset. The fabric the headset is made from is breathable to help prevent fogging.

The lenses inside the headset give a 90-degree field of view. Viewbox was designed to allow people who need glasses to wear it comfortably. The project is on Kickstarter seeking 80,000 SEK ($10,280) and has racked up over SEK 149,200 ($19,180) at the time of writing. A pledge of 200 SEK ($25) or more will get you a headset by April 2015.

SOURCE: Kickstarter

Lazy Swipe makes it easy to reach all your icons with one hand

If you are the sort who often uses your smartphone with one hand, you know that it can be hard to reach some of those icons on the screen. This is especial true if you have smaller hands. A new app has landed on Google Play called Lazy Swipe that is designed to make it as easy as possible to reach your entire screen with one hand.

Lazy Swipe deploys from the left or right bottom corner of your screen in any situation. You can use it or a number of things including opening frequently accessed apps. It can be used to find and open newly installed apps or a recently used app.

Lazy Swipe can also turn settings like WiFi and Bluetooth on and off. The app was updated recently and gained some new features and tweaks. It was optimized for memory consumption and a bug affecting the launcher and non-full screen apps was fixed.

A repeated icon bug was also fixed and the transparency of the notification bar was optimized. The update also tweaked and optimized the UI. The app is only 613k in size and has as many as 500,000 installs. Android 4.0 or higher is required.

SOURCE: Google

Power Pen is a stylus, pen and battery charger in one

In an era where mostly everyone is mobile and digital, (insert your preferred number)-in-1 gadgets are always welcome and sometimes necessary. Didn't you ever wish for a battery charger as small as a pen or a stylus that also doubles as an actual pen or a stylus that can charge your device? Fortunately, there are some smart developers out there who have come up with a nifty gadget that meets all three requirements with the brand new Power Pen.

First off, the pen-like gadget is a brushed-aluminum stylus that can be used to draw on your tablet or to write notes on your smartphone. But when you swivel it, it will turn into an actual ballpoint pen. Yes, there are people who still use real pens to write on real paper. So if you prefer both the digital and actual style of writing, then the Power Pen may seem like a dream come true.

But when you look at the other end, it gets even better. Just twist off the cap and you'll see that it is actually a charger that has tips compatible with both lightning (for new Apple devices) and microUSB (the rest of the world) tips for charging. However, don't expect it to be able to fully charge your device. It only has 700mAh capacity so it will just be able to give your phone a battery jumpstart. But that should be enough in emergency situations when your phone is about to die but you need to send an all-important email or message or Tweet.

The Power Pen is available in classic black and gold colors and is now available for pre-order from Firebox. It will cost you $39.19 which might be pretty steep for a stylus or a portable charger (and especially a pen) if taken separately. But put them all together, it might be a little more reasonable. Shipment is expected to start by December 29.

SOURCE: Firebox

ASUS teases dual camera setup for ZenFone, CES 2015 reveal

For a teaser, 10 seconds is on the short side, but that’s what ASUS is giving us today via their social media platform. We almost didn’t catch what the big deal was about, but a few views gave us the point of the teaser – dual cameras.

Seems everybody is going with dual cameras these days, taking their cue from the HTC playbook. The video shows – or we think it shows – dual rear cameras, very, very quickly, and then it goes on to say "See what others can't see." Makes sense, right?

asus-zenfone-dual-camera-teaser-screenshot

So it is probably good to assume that ASUS will be bringing the stuff to CES 2015 in Las Vegas in January. The ZenFone line has carried ASUS’ top tier smartphones in the past few years, so we hope that the dual camera setup will give it an edge when it launches in January.

asus-zenfone-teaser-screenshot

If you want to see the video for yourself, head on over to the source link below. Tell us what you think in the comments section too.

SOURCE: ASUS

Metal unibody shell for Samsung Galaxy S6 leaked

So if these reports and leaks are true, then Samsung must be taking the jibes at them not being able to make a metal-bound phone very seriously indeed. We thought the Samsung Galaxy Alpha – including the whole Samsung A Series – was going to be the end of it, but here we are looking at a leak of the Samsung Galaxy S6’s purported metal casing.

If the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the Samsung A Series was to be evidence, we would understand if the South Korean gadget giants went with a metal frame around its upcoming flagship smartphone. But nobody would have seen a metal unibody design (much like the HTC One) coming from the kings of plastic smartphones.

samsung_gs6_unibody_leak_1

And yet here we are, looking at a leaked group of photos that if true, shows us that not only would the framing be metal, it would cover the whole back of the device as well. This design would mean that the Galaxy S6 would not be featuring a removable battery, a feature that had always been present in the flagship Galaxy devices to this point.

samsung_gs6_unibody_leak_2

It is still not clear from this leak whether the rumors of two curved displays on the left and the right side of the upcoming Galaxy S6 would be true, but we have to take everything with a grain of salt, since it is still early days. But remember this leak, because if by March you would see the launch of a new metal unibody Samsung Galaxy S6, remember that this was leaked as early as December.

VIA: NoWhereElse.fr

Nike finally outs Golf 360 app for Android

Into playing golf? I still don't understand the game but I've got much respect for those who do play and excel in it. I know it can be difficult but it's really not for me. And for those who still want to improve their golf game, there's the Nike Golf 360 app to help motivate you and provide all the help you need. The app has been out on iOS but it's only now Nike has released it for Android. The app is not new. In fact, it's been on the App Store for two years so we're wondering why it took Nike that long to bring the Nike Golf 360 to Android.

With the Nike Golf 360 app, you can score your rounds, track progress across stats, analyze performance, and see how you've improved. It features various tools like statistics tracking, training tips, golf-specific workout videos, and viewing of some of Nike Gold athletes like Rory and Togers' swings frame by frame. What's great about this app is the golf scoreboard that lets a maximum of four players to compete and play on the 26,000 pre-loaded courses from Europe and North America. You can sync your scores with the web service to track progress and history of your golf games.

If you do good on a game, you can earn trophies, capture and share photos of your winning round and numbers to friends and families on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. App is free to download and no in-app purchases are necessary. With this app, you can train like a pro, track your progress, and understand that golf really is a sport.

Download Nike Gold 360 from the Google Play Store

Runkeeper app updated, now supports Sony SmartWatch 3 SWR50

The team behind Runkeeper seems to be always busy working on the app. It receives regular enhancements and only a month after its Google Fit integration, the 'RunKeeper - GPS Track Run Walk' has added support for another device that runs Android Wear. The new Sony SmartWatch 3 SWR50 is now supported by the app. This means you can use the smartwatch and run even without your phone. The latter's GPS will track you as you run and data will be synced to your smartphone when you get back.

Runkeeper also added support for SMS Audio BioSport Earbuds. It's a pair that comes with a built-in optical sensor that can measure heart rate continuously as you listen to your favorite music while working out. As usual, the app can still track important data you want to track like pace, work out distance, training goals, and weight loss. The app can help you improve health and fitness as it tracks data that will tell you how you're doing so far.

All bike rides, walks, runs, and training workouts can be tracked, thanks to your Android phone's GPS. For those who are more serious with all the trainings, you can also calculate route distance, calorie burn, elevation, cycling speed, and running pace. If you want to start a new fitness plan, there are pre-planned routes to map your walk or run.

The Runkeeper app continues to offer more for the health buffs or at least those trying to be healthy. There are audio updates while you work out, Polar Heart Rate Monitor sync feature, training plans by professional running coach like Jeff Galloway, as well as, running for fat loss plans by Mike Diebler.

There really is no reason why you can't get fit and healthy. What with all the app available for smartphones and wearables now, all data can be tracked, analyzed, and fitness plans are provided for you. All you need to do is move and get up from the couch...or behind the computer.