iRig UA officially arrives for Android

Up until recently, recording half-decent songs on Android devices was a huge trouble, as most musicians would know. Hearing about IK Multimedia's plan to release the its famous iRig for Android sure was a boost, as the guitar adapter was only had an iOS existence before that. Enter the the new iRig UA and the iRig Mic Studio, which promise to make digital recording and processing for guitar music on Android devices that much easier and several notches more exciting than ever.

The iRig UA allows universal near-zero latency guitar processing via the AmpliTube app on all devices with Android 4.0 or higher. It features high-performance 32-bit DSP, 24-bit A/D converter, 44.1/48KHz sample rate, crystal-clear low-noise instrument preamp, and an ultra-compact enclosure to provide you with the best sound possible.

With the processing done on the iRig UA unit and not on the Android device, you get to enjoy consistent near-zero latency regardless of the make and model of your smartphone or tablet. This was the problem with Android before -- the issue of Android platform fragmentation and OS latency. With that resolved, it is now possible for you to churn out excellent plug-and-play performances on the fly using only your Android device (which is pretty helpful when you’re put on the spot and you left your favorite effects at home).

Meanwhile, the iRig Mic Studio adds an exciting dimension to your personal music recording. Sure, you’re an accomplished musician, you’ve written a few songs and you want the world to know how good you are. The easiest way to go about it is to have your Android device record a clip of you playing your guitar and crooning to your online subscribers. The iRig Mic Studio gives you a large-diaphragm, digital condenser microphone that works nicely with your Android device (you might need Android 5.0 Lollipop to run this, though). With a 24-bit audiophile-grade A/D converter and built-in low-noise HD preamp combining to produce a 133dB SPL rating, you can basically capture and record everything, ranging from the subtle nuances of your voice to the full-blast of an amplified electric guitar.

The iRig UA will be available to the market at Q2 of 2015 at a price point of USD$99.99, while the AmpliTube UA app will be available at the launch of the device as a free download. The iRig Mic Studio will be available sooner, this Q1, at a price point of USD$179.99. This may well raise the quality of your recordings, but as for crappy lyrics, well, that’s another matter entirely.

SOURCE: IK Multimedia (1), (2)

Story Timeline

• iRig Recorder app now available for Android


• Record your guitar riffs on your Android phone with iRig HD-A


• iRig 2 launches at CES 2015, now available for Android

OPPO U3 ready to hit the market with ‘rabbit’s tail’ technology

Yes, you read that one right — the most distinguishable part of the new OPPO U3 phablet is not its huge screen size or even its crisp sound, but a special casing with a ball of white fur on the rear cover that looks, well, like a rabbit’s tail (which is what OPPO calls it, actually). This unintentionally cute innovative tech is apparently meant to help users grip the U3 better, due to the phablet's size.

OPPO has offered a first glimpse of the new U3 which is expected to hit stores Q1 of 2015, and from the looks of it, this phablet has a lot to offer. With a 64-bit 1.7 GHz Mediatek MT6752 octa-core processor supported by 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage, the U3 seems ready to meet the high demands of modern users. The OPPO U3 will run on Android 4.4.4 KitKat, that is, under OPPO's version of it called Color OS 2.0.1. The phablet will support 4G LTE, and is dual-SIM capable.

Ah, yes, the display: The U3 comes with a large 5.9-inch display with Full HD resolution (1920x1080), enough to satisfy anyone’s penchant for detail. The large screen is perfect for examining selfies made by the 5MP front-facing camera, as well as photos taken through the 13MP rear cam. The rear camera is powered by a Sony IMX214 sensor, same technology on those vaunted high-end Sony Xperia phones -- can take pictures of up to 50MP. Wow.

The OPPO U3 also has the AK4961 audio chip which promises crisp and clear sound, making this unit ideal for music lovers. A VOOC fast charge feature enables the device to reach 75 percent capacity in just 30 minutes. With so much to look forward to, here’s hoping users can get their hands on the OPPO U3 faster than a magician can pull a rabbit out of a hat. No information on the pricing as of yet.

VIA: GizmoChina

Story Timeline

• OPPO R5 goes Hulk, smashes everything


• Polaroid Selfie smartphone could be in legal trouble with Oppo


• Brand new OPPO R1C announced, out to market on January 20

Google Cellular Service in the works?

Is Google finally venturing into the cellular network service industry? Well, we've heard of this rumor before and now we've got word again that Google is already preparing to sell mobile phone plans. This seems to be ambitious but the search giant selling cellular phone plans and mobile data plans could enter this arena. Google is a big tech company it can really do anything but managing its own cellular network--I don't think so.

Google as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) may not really be surprising but a lot of work must be put into it. The rumor has been persistent actually but honestly, we're still not convinced. I easily believe tech rumors but sorry, not this one.

Google has been successful with its Fiber campaign but cellular network service is another different game. A new rumor has come out that Google is working with T-Mobile and another carrier for this special service that company initially wants to introduce in Fiber cities.

Does Google want to become a cellular or Fiber network provider? We don't really know for sure but Google renting a space on an existing carrier network could mean it's only experimenting. If not an experiment, it could really be a new thing and a Google-powered cellular network has the potential to bring a lot of great things.

SOURCE: SlashGear

Streamus extension brings YouTube Music to Chrome

YouTube is great for one for reason and one reason only - hosting a massive amount of videos. Late last year, YouTube launched its music platform which offered subscribers unlimited amounts of music for $7.99 per month. Streamus is the new Chrome extension which gives you the freedom to stream music without having to pay. Search your favorite songs, create playlists, and play songs all day - without ever accessing YouTube directly.

If you’re like me, you’ve searched your favorite songs and videos, made your own playlists, added to that and now just hit repeat. It’s the lesser approach if you don’t want to tack on to your monthly bill. The down side to listening to YouTube videos for music in this way is advertising - 30 second ads or the rare “skip this ad in 5 second”- its annoying and tedious.

Without having to open YouTube's standard webpage at all, Streamus - a new third party Chrome extension, now displays YouTube music as a popup window in your browser. Working with Google's Material design aesthetic, this Chrome extension displays YouTube as a separate music service like Spotify, Pandora or Google Music. Search for songs through the popup window, add them to your playlist, and jam away without having to open a YouTube tab.

The creator of this extension suggests that he's quit his job to work full-time on the extension and that he’s been dedicated to developing the extension over three years.

This extension has other features as well - for example, sharing your playlist with friends via a URL. Streamus also offers a radio service which automatically picks songs and plays them for you. This extension allows you to queue up songs by simply right clicking on them and allows you to avoid the ads you'd normally have to deal with on YouTube.

Download Streamus for free if you find yourself on YouTube all the time searching for and listening to music. The extension only works with Google Chrome. Simply search any song you like, click play, and head back to surfing the web, while the music bumps in the background.

SOURCE: Streamus

VIA: TheNextWeb

Developing for ART and 64-bit Android

Learn what you need to know to dive into 64-bit optimization and the new Android Run Time found in Lollipop. Stay ahead of the game and keep making the best you can. Rev up your emulator!

The post Developing for ART and 64-bit Android appeared first on xda-developers.

Defend Your Life: tower defense game set inside your body

Haven't we been looking forward to a tower defense game, action-packed combat and biology lesson all in just one game? No? Well, even if you haven't been clamoring for it, that is what you will get when you play a new Android game called Defend Your Life. And literally, you are defending the life of the body where the game is set in, as you fight hordes of bacteria and viruses bent on conquering the body.

The human body where the game is set in has a host of sentinels ready to defend it. Your role is to command them all and make sure that the bacteria and virus will not be able to get past the defense system. All you have to do is put up buildings and place them in the best places, tactically speaking, upgrade them when needed, train and reinforce your troops, and give them upgrades as well to fight against the enemy.

There are 27 different kinds of enemies that you will come up against in 17 different levels. These levels are actually different parts of the human body, like the heart, stomach, appendix, and even the brain. So yes, you also get a quick biology lesson here, in case you've forgotten already where everything is supposed to be. Each building can be upgraded four times, plus you get bonuses, powers and power-ups to help you defend the body.

The graphics in the game is pretty neat, although at times, there are too many things going on in the screen that it's quite confusing. But the gameplay is pretty addictive, if tower defense games are your thing. You can download Defend Your Life from the Google Play Store for free but with in-app purchases.

Your Favorite Android Keyboard and Why?

There are dozens of keyboards available on the Play Store, but a few of them stand out from the rest of the pack with beautiful designs and innovative features. Do you choose your keyboard based on functionality or theming ability? Let us know what your favorite keyboard is and why.

The post Your Favorite Android Keyboard and Why? appeared first on xda-developers.