Author: Jared Peters

Google is still a search engine, which is easy to forget underneath the wave of other services they’ve gotten into recently. So today, Google’s unveiled a new feature in its core search engine; nutrition information. According to Google, you’ll be able to search for nutrition information such as “how much protein is in this apple?” or something more complex, like “how many calories are in a burrito?” Google will serve up the information you need and even give you the option to adjust serving sizes or see similar foods. Despite Google Health failing, Google is apparently still interested in keeping you informed about your health decisions. With the inevitable wave of big OEM smartwatches and pedometers, this is probably a smart step to stay ahead of the market for Google.

The information in the searches pulls information from Google’s Knowledge Graph, which helps you find hard-to-access information in one convenient place. Google is still putting their rollout feature to work here, as not everyone will be able to access it immediately. According to Google, though, everyone should be able to try out the nutrition search within the next 10 days, in the US, at least.

source: Inside Search

Come comment on this article: Google searches now show nutrition information

Despite being told that LG is not working on a Nexus 5, we naturally didn’t believe them, and according to a Korean site, Daum.net, LG has already produced their first prototype of the upcoming Nexus 5. The device has apparently been kept under very strict security, but Google’s Larry Page has seen the device. Exciting stuff, right? Unfortunately, there’s no details about specs, or if it’s going to have that fantastic camera or a less-than-1080p screen, or LTE or a microSD card slot. (Tip: Don’t hold your breath for the SD card) Google tends to release new hardware with the new major iterations of Android, so whenever they decide to show off that elusive Key Lime Pie, a new handset is bound to come with it.

Also, according to Daum, LG has shipped 3 million Nexus devices. It’s not competitive with what the big dogs like Samsung and HTC have moved recently, but the Nexus 4 was never supposed to compete with those kinds of phones. Hopefully, if LG is secretly making the next Nexus, they’ll be able to avoid those early shipping disasters headaches this time around.

source: Daum

via: Unwired View

Come comment on this article: LG reportedly to have already produced a Nexus 5 prototype

According to the Korea Herald, high-level management at Samsung recently held a strategy meeting to talk design for their upcoming products. The members of the meeting discussed the trends in the electronics market lately, and they all agreed that Samsung devices need to remain easily recognizable by consumers. They’re reportedly working on “Design 3.0″ for their products, which is set to help keep Samsung devices ahead of the curve by focusing on “external beauty” as well as “technical practicality.”

While these details are extremely vague, it’s pretty clear that Samsung knows they can’t keep releasing the same device over and over and expect to stay at the top. Even with the Galaxy S4′s blistering sales and laundry list of features, the top complaint was how little it changed from the S3. Hopefully we’ll see Samsung shake the industry up by the end of the year. You never know, we may actually see an aluminum Galaxy device.

source: Korea Herald

via: SamMobile

Come comment on this article: Samsung reportedly working on new design for mobile devices

If you’ve been itching to pick up Google and Samsung’s latest joint effort in the tablet space, Woot has you covered. They’re offering a refurbished 32GB model of the Nexus 10 for just $380, which is far less than the $499 Play Store price. It’s still about $20 cheaper than Google’s 16GB model, too. It’s not a brand new model, of course,  but that’s a great price on a fantastic tablet.

The deal is set to run for two days, or until Woot runs out of stock, so don’t wait too long if you’ve been looking to replace your tablet.

source: Woot

Come comment on this article: [Deal] Grab a refurbished Nexus 10 32GB for only $380 through Woot

Verizon’s Galaxy S3 was a bit behind on features and updates, but according to a newly released support document, that’s about to change. The Verizon variant is slated to receive an update to build number VRBMD3. It’s a Jelly Bean update that (finally) includes multi-window functionality. Of course, it’s not only a multi-window update, as you’ll see other features such as S Beam’s Auto Share Shot, improved hotspot reliability, carrier billing in Google Play, the Best Shot mode in the camera, and a long list of other fixes and enhancements.

The update isn’t live yet, but since the support documents are up, it shouldn’t take too much longer. Hit the link below to check out the full changelog.

source: Verizon

Come comment on this article: Verizon Galaxy S3 slated to receive large update, includes multi-window and several other features

We’ve seen tablets explode in popularity in just the last year or two, and as of right now, it doesn’t look like anything is going to slow down that momentum. According to IDC, in 2013, tablet shipments will pass portable computer shipments worldwide. This is partly thanks to tablets 58.7% growth year-over-year, and partly due to the PC market’s apparent slump in the past few quarters. IDC’s report credits much of this ecosystem change on tablets’ abilities to meet most core users’ needs while maintaining a lower price point. The average selling price of a tablet is expected to dip to a low $381, while the ASP of a PC in 2013 is around $635. For most users, it makes more sense to spend half the money when a tablet can handle all of your daily tasks. After surpassing laptop shipments, IDC expects tablets to take the crown from total PC shipments in 2015.

Tablets will only continue to get faster, more usable, and more affordable, and while I don’t think the PC will ever go the way of the dinosaur, I think it’s pretty clear the direction the average consumer’s computing is going to go.

Come comment on this article: Worldwide tablet shipments to surpass laptops in 2013, all computers in 2015

Lambda Labs is a startup company that released a beta facial recognition API for Google Glass last year. Co-founder of the company, Stephen Balaban, says that the next version of the API should be available to developers within a week. Since launching the beta, Balaban says the company sees over 5 million API calls per month and usage by over 1,000 developers. Not too bad for a startup making an API for a product that hasn’t even been released to the public yet.

The new API will allow developers to integrate facial recognition like finding friends in a crowd or making intelligent contacts in your device based on the faces it can recognize. It might sound a little privacy invasive, but it doesn’t do the recognition in real-time. Glass snaps a picture, uploads the picture to a server that handles the recognition, then sends the notification back to the device. Still, it’s a pretty creepy, but cool, thought. Hopefully we’ll hear more about it in the near future.

source: TechCrunch

Come comment on this article: Lambda Labs to release a facial recognition API for Google Glass developers

Lately, we’ve seen Google make more of a push at getting new customers connected to the internet instead of pushing any one particular product on them. It’s a sensible business strategy for a company that sells ad space on the internet, as the more people that have access to reliable internet, the more potential customers Google can serve ads to.

On the heels of beefing up their Google Fiber rollout, Google is deeply committed to building up new wireless networks in developing markets that don’t have access to a wired internet connection otherwise. Sources close to Google say that the search giant is planning to team up with local telecoms and equipment providers to get the ball rolling, but they weren’t clear on if any deals were already in place. Building up these networks is said to be able to connect almost a billion new people to the internet.

It’s a smart business move for Google, but it’s also going to help a ton of new people gain access to new technology and information, which is always great to see.

source: Wall Street Journal

Come comment on this article: Google to help fund and develop new wireless networks in emerging markets

The ZTE Grand S was an incredibly impressive phone we got to see at CES this year. At CES, ZTE’s head of North American operations, Lixen Cheng, said he was confident the device would arrive in the United States before the end of the year, but it looks like ZTE wasn’t able to keep that promise. The latest reports have the device slated to hit North American shores sometime in 2014 due to issues with national carriers.

ZTE has had considerable success in the prepaid markets, but that success hasn’t been mirrored on the postpaid side of things. The Grand S would have been a good step in the right direction for the company, but if the device launches next year, it will be long outdated by whatever the big OEMs have cooked up at the time. Hopefully we’ll see ZTE get something high end over here in the near future, whether or not it’s the Grand S.

source: Cnet

Come comment on this article: ZTE Grand S US launch delayed until 2014

If it runs Android, it’s going to be tinkered with. The new, yet-to-be-released OUYA console is no exception. Some devs on XDA have officially unofficially ported CWM recovery to the little gaming box. This opens the doors for flashing custom ROMs and kernels on the box, although since the device is really aimed at controlling your TV, I wouldn’t expect to see too many ROMs for the OUYA. Performance-tuned kernels are definitely possible, though.

The device will need to be rooted first, but if you’re interested, hit the links below to check out how it’s done.

source: XDA

XDA

Come comment on this article: OUYA console gets unofficial CWM recovery

The latest round of rumors from the HTC camp are saying that a newer HTC One may be launching soon. The catch? It’ll have a larger screen, supposedly between 5 and 6 inches. Now, before you flip out and bash HTC for replacing a flagship device so quickly, (again) the rumors suggest that this larger phone would just supplement the One, like what Samsung does with their Galaxy S and Galaxy Note devices. And considering the HTC Butterfly and Droid DNA had 5 inch screens, this could very well be a slightly bumped up version of those devices. We have seen that speculated DLXPLUS floating around in Verizon systems for a while, remember? Anything’s possible.

At this point, this is still a pretty hazy rumor, so take it with a grain of salt. I’d like to see HTC launch a competitive phablet, but I think they’d run the risk of over-saturating their market if they release a One Mini and One Plus right on the heels of the HTC One really just starting to take off.

source: Pocket Lint

Come comment on this article: New version of HTC One to launch with a larger screen

Movies with game tie-ins are pretty common now, and it’s not surprising to see Fast and Furious 6 keep up that tradition. The game features incredible graphics, tons of challenges, and quite a bit of in-depth car customization. Aside from that, it features many of the popular characters from the movies. If you’re into multiplayer, there are also competitive tournaments and leaderboards to challenge your friends. No word on if those use Google’s new multiplayer servers and leaderboards. In the app description, it isn’t listed as using Play Services, but some apps still don’t display those correctly. Either way, the game is free to try out. Hit the link below to give it a spin.

Play Store Download Link

Come comment on this article: Fast and Furious 6 game hits the Play Store

Since the Verizon S 4 is officially available today, we’re also getting the official bootloader unlock method today. Dan Rosenberg, who has been responsible for unlocking many Snapdragon powered devices lately, was waiting for Verizon to drop their variant of the S 4 before releasing his work so Verizon couldn’t work a patch in. This method works on the Verizon and AT&T models, but now that the exploit is out in the open, a patch may come in updates down the road.

Right now, the tools aren’t really easy to use. Fortunately though, we can probably expect some friendly tools to show up for the less tech savvy soon. In case you do want to get your hands dirty and unlock your new S 4, you can check out the links below to download the tools.

source: XDA

Come comment on this article: Verizon Galaxy S 4 gets bootloader unlock method

Twitter is an extremely popular social media site, and like all other popular services, it suffers from its share of security concerns. Well, today Twitter is stepping up to help ease some of those security issues by introducing two-factor authentication for accounts. Basically, you can set up your account to require a confirmed phone number to verify you whenever you log into Twitter from a new location. This cuts down on unauthorized use from someone stealing your credentials and logging into your account miles away.

Setup is simple; go to your account settings page, check the option to require a verification code when you sign in, and set up a phone number. Each time you try to log into Twitter after that, you’ll be sent a text message with a six-digit pin number that you’ll have to put in on Twitter to gain access to your account. As always, picking a strong password and not sharing it is the best way to keep your account secure, but accidents do happen, so it’s nice to have a fallback plan if and when they happen.

source: Twitter

Come comment on this article: Twitter introduces two-factor authentication for log-ins

HTC has been keeping the spotlight on its HTC One, but that doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten about the mid-range market. The latest device in the Desire line has popped up in some benchmarks and goes by the lengthy name of HTC Desire 600 Dual-Sim. It sports a 1.2 GHz, unspecified processor, a 960 x 540 screen, and Android 4.1.2, and appears to heading to European markets only at launch. Unfortunately, we can’t get any other specs from the benchmark, but hopefully we’ll see HTC keep putting that Ultrapixel camera on devices other than its flagship phone. Then again, they keep the Ultrapixel marketing for the One line of devices. We’ll find out soon enough, either way.

source: GSMInsider

Come comment on this article: HTC Desire 600 Dual-Sim shows up in benchmarks, mid-range device headed for Europe

Samsung’s monster of a smartphone, the Galaxy Mega, was announced a few months ago with availability for some parts of Europe and Russia, and now we’re hearing some dates for the UK. According to Clove, the 16 GB version of the massive 6.3 inch smartphone is expected to be available sometime in July. You can put down a preorder for the device for £459.99 and get it in either white or black.

This is definitely not a device for everyone, but if you’re trying to pick up a huge smartphone on a budget, you can’t go wrong with the Mega. Aside from the 6.3 inch screen, you’ll get a dual-core processor clocked at 1.7 GHz, 1.5 GB of RAM, and a 32o0 mAh battery. Anybody planning on picking one of these up?

source: Clove

via: Android Central

Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy Mega to drop in the UK sometime in July

NVIDIA has really stepped up and made some great innovations for Android as a whole, and they’re not showing any signs of slowing down. The latest from the graphics chip maker is a demo of their Tegra 4i, which is the version of the Tegra 4 designed to be run in smartphones, complete with LTE modem. When the chip was first debuted, it was capable of reaching 100 mbps download speeds, which is considered CAT 3 speeds. (Most ethernet cables you probably use in your homes are CAT 5 cables, for reference)

Well, fast forward a few months, and NVIDIA has introduced a software update for the 4i that bumps up the down speeds of the modem to reach 150 mbps, which is considered CAT 4. The impressive thing here is that no new hardware was introduced; NVIDIA software-defined radio tech is running the show here. So not only can this processor’s modem reach speeds higher than what’s even available in the world today, but it can be made faster through software tweaks instead of adding hardware and is only 40% of the size of other LTE modems in use today. Watch out, Qualcomm.

source: NVIDIA Blogs

Come comment on this article: NVIDIA shows off world’s most efficient CAT 4 LTE modem

The smartphone battery is one part of our phones that’s fallen a bit behind the technological curve. An Android device can give you answers before you even ask a question, it can register input without actually being touched, or it can make a visually appealing clip out of photos and videos with almost no work from you, but it’s you’re always going to have to worry about charging it at least once a day, with relatively few exceptions. Well, 18 year old Eesha Khare looked into a way to minimize that problem by developing a supercapacitor that can charge phones in under 30 seconds for this year’s Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

Naturally, something that impressive was bound to catch some attention, and Google has apparently contacted Khare about the technology. She hasn’t disclosed any specifics about what Google has talked to her about, but she has said that she didn’t want to sell her work just yet. The technology she’s working on right now is already built to hold 10,000 charge-recharge cycles, which is 10 times more than the standard battery in our phones today. Needless to say, it’s easy to see why Google would want to figure out how to implement that type of technology in their own devices. Hopefully this won’t be the last of Khare we see in the near future.

source: Slashgear

Come comment on this article: Student catches Google’s eye with 30-second cellphone charger

Music is a big part of a smartphone’s feature set. We’ve already talked about the best available music streaming services, but sometimes music streaming isn’t an option, whether that’s because you’re dealing with a pesky data cap, you’re somewhere without a reliably fast internet connection, or you would just rather keep your music on your device. Whatever the reason, we’re going to go over the top music playing apps for your Android device.

Poweramp is one of the most robust music playing apps available. It’s packed with features and even includes theme support. If you’re looking for something that almost acts like a desktop music player, Poweramp is as close as you’re going to get.

One of the best features that Poweramp does extremely well is audio processing. It supports nearly any format you put your music in, and offers a 10-band graphic equalizer, as well as separate bass and treble adjustment, replay gain correction, and some basic mixing tools. Overall, those features make it one of the best-sounding players available. If you’re picky about your music quality, this is definitely the first app to take a look at.

Aside from the excellent audio processing, Poweramp does also have a full suite of other features. It’ll get missing artwork for you, as well as song lyrics. It supports Last.FM scrobbling, tag editing for songs, and several different widgets, including lock screen controls. There’s not too much else you could ask out of a music player. You can get a 15 day trial of the app, but the full version is only $3.99.

Play Store Download Link (Trial)

Play Store Download Link (Full)

Winamp is a popular, feature-rich desktop music player, and the mobile version is just as great. As a free application, Winamp features a great interface for playing local music files, as well as wireless syncing, support for iTunes, and lock screen and widget support. It also has a lot of integration with the Android OS, allowing other apps to interact with your Now Playing music as well as scrobbling support and a ton of SHOUTcast radio stations.

If the free version isn’t quite doing enough for you, Winamp offers a few in-app purchases to really extend how much the app can do. The first in-app purchase bundle adds song lyrics support for your music, and the lyrics will auto-scroll for you while you’re listening to music. It’s a really cool, polished feature for the extremely detail-oriented music lover. The second in-app purchase is an album art bundle. It automatically retrieves artwork for your music, as well as updated tags for your files that are incorrect or missing. The last available upgrade is the pro bundle, which is also available as a standalone application, throws in a ton of features like a 10-band graphic equalizer, support for .FLAC files, and personalized radio recommendations.

The in-app purchases add some really cool features, but compared to an app like Poweramp, it can be a little more expensive and complex to get them all set up. However, I personally prefer Winamp’s interface, and the wireless syncing support and iTunes support are really handy features that many users need. The free version of the app is great by itself, though, and it’s definitely worth trying out before making a decision. All the additional features can then be unlocked through the free app.

Play Store Download Link (Free)

Play Store Download Link (Pro)

If you’re looking for a more simple music playing application, MixZing may be a better option than the previous apps we’ve mentioned. It isn’t as feature-filled, but sometimes less clutter makes for a better app.

MixZing’s biggest draw is its attractive interface and playlist support. The interface is very clean, and the free version of the app fully supports downloading missing album artwork to keep everything uniform. It also has a robust built-in tag editor for your music organization needs, as well as an equalizer for your music. However, where MixZing really stands out is the playlist support. A unique Mood Player selects music in your library based on the “mood” of each song and creates playlists based off of those specific moods. It’s a bit like Pandora, but centered more around emotions. It’s a really cool feature, and something that makes MixZing stand apart from the crowd.

MixZing isn’t going to win over any users by throwing tons of features at them, but the features it offers, it does extremely well. It’s also easily one of the simplest music players available in the Play Store, so if you need something light, this should be on your list. There’s a free version of the app, as well as a paid version to remove ads.

Play Store Download Link (Free)

Play Store Download Link (Pro)

doubleTwist is almost like the Swiss Army Knife of music players. Like Winamp, doubleTwist boasts iTunes support, but it goes a bit further by letting you sync music wirelessly through iTunes. On top of that, doubleTwist has lots of AirPlay features baked in for streaming your music collection to other devices. If you’re unfamiliar with it, AirPlay is Apple’s proprietary streaming protocol, similar to DLNA on many other devices. The biggest advantage to using AirPlay is the out-of-the-box support for things like a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, and it’s the simplest way to utilize an Apple TV with your Android device, if you have one.

Aside from the deep iTunes support, doubleTwist also offers standard features like album artwork collection, smart playlists, and wireless podcast subscription syncing. And, doubleTwist has their newly introduced Magic Radio built in, which is like a blend of Pandora with your personal music library. It plays suggestions based on your music tastes, but throws in songs you own to keep things slightly familiar. It’s a nice spin on music discovery and it’s a great feature for the app. The service runs $3.99 per month, which is a bit cheaper than some other similar music services.

doubleTwist offers their pro features in bundles, similar to Winamp’s approach. If you buy the full Pro key, however, you do get a discount. The AirSync bundle, Music Lover bundle, and Podcasts bundle are all $4.99 a piece and they unlock all of doubleTwist’s handy, usually wireless, features. You can also opt for the Pro bundle to save $5 on purchasing all three bundles separately. I think doubleTwist does a better job of streamlining the add-ons than Winamp does, and that makes up for a few features that Winamp has on doubleTwist.

Even if you’re just looking for a straightforward music player, the free version of doubleTwist is a great choice. It sports a clean interface, as well as other music player standard features like scrobbling and widgets. It is missing a graphic equalizer, though, which may or may not be a big deal to you, depending on how picky you are about how your music sounds.

Play Store Download Link

These are just a few of the many available music players available on the Play Store. Generally, these are the most solid, highly rated apps that cover all of the basic things you’ll need, like widget support and easy ways to manage files. Are there any of your favorite apps that didn’t make the list? Sound off in the comments.

Come comment on this article: Best Android music playing applications

Simply put, Google Hangouts is awesome. It’s seamless, it’s cross-platform, and it works really well. At least, it works well so long as you’re not on AT&T’s mobile network. Unfortunately, if you try to video chat when you’re using AT&T’s network, it won’t work. According to AT&T officially, video chatting will work on their network with any app that isn’t preloaded, but it’s up to manufacturers to make sure their apps work on AT&T’s network. That’s kind of a loophole exception, because Google Talk is a preloaded app but Hangouts has to be downloaded from the Play Store… Overall, not exactly a consumer-friendly move. Regardless, don’t try video chatting over AT&T’s network in the near future. We’ll be sure to keep you updated if they change their stance on the matter.

Come comment on this article: AT&T blocking Google Hangout video chats on mobile networks