Latest Articles
Google Services Bug Causing Location Issues For HTC Owners, Google Working On A Fix
Sometimes, updates break things. That seems to be the case for some HTC owners who, upon receiving a silent update to the newest version of Google Play
Sometimes, updates break things. That seems to be the case for some HTC owners who, upon receiving a silent update to the newest version of Google Play Services, are having trouble using apps that rely on location data. According to HTC phone users in this support thread, Google Now continually asks to turn Location Services on, location-dependent applications like Foursquare and WeatherBug don't function properly, and Maps is unable to lock onto a location.
[New App] ArtFlow Studio For Android Transforms Your Tablet Into A Drawing Pad
Since their inception, tablets have been seen as a computing form factor conducive to a particular kind of artistic expression: drawing and painting. Of
Since their inception, tablets have been seen as a computing form factor conducive to a particular kind of artistic expression: drawing and painting. Of course, accurate sketching can be a little difficult with clumsy fingers, and conductive stylus pens have proven a middling solution, at best. Fortunately, with the advent dual-digitizers capable of supporting pressure-sensitive styli - like those found in Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 - tablets have become a much more practical art tool. Hardware is nothing without the software to take advantage of it, though. Enter ArtFlow, a new drawing app for Android that comes with, in addition to a number of effects, support for advanced styli baked in.
[New App] Glide Instant Video Messaging Now Available On Android, Currently In Beta
Love using Skype and Hangouts but have friends or family that are rarely available to video chat? Glide is an attempt to solve that problem by taking an
Love using Skype and Hangouts but have friends or family that are rarely available to video chat? Glide is an attempt to solve that problem by taking an asynchronous approach to instant messaging. Here's the concept: conversationalists can login with their Facebook credentials, join a chat room, and respond to one another with videos up to 42 seconds in length. Videos are stored in the cloud, available for playback either immediately or some time after their initial posting. There isn't any message limit and data retention is currently unlimited – you won't see your videos disappear in the foreseeable future.
Amazon Local For Android Now Available In The United Kingdom
As part of Amazon's overarching goal to be the center of your shopping life, the company debuted an aggregator of daily deal services (think Groupon and
As part of Amazon's overarching goal to be the center of your shopping life, the company debuted an aggregator of daily deal services (think Groupon and Living Social) 2 years ago. The initial launch was limited to the United States, but Amazon Local has since expanded to foreign shores; last year, Amazon rolled it out in the UK. Now, the company's making Local's companion Android app compatible with UK deals.
Agent, The Self-Proclaimed "World's Smartest Watch," Smashes $100,000 Kickstarter Goal In Less Than 12 Hours
Who said smart watches were a fad? The intelligent wristwear market, while not exactly new, is iron-hot, as evidenced by everyone and their mother's intentions
Who said smart watches were a fad? The intelligent wristwear market, while not exactly new, is iron-hot, as evidenced by everyone and their mother's intentions to enter it. The real winners now are those companies able to introduce stop-gap products that fill the void between, say, Pebble and Google's rumored Android watch. The insatiable demand for these halfway smartwatches is perhaps epitomized by the early success of Secret Labs's and House of Horology's Agent watch, a Kickstarter project which blew through its $100,000 goal in less than 12 hours today.
Here's How To Enable The New Hangouts In Gmail, But Only If You're Ready To Lose Phone Dialing
Google may've said during Wednesday's keynote that it planned to roll out Hangouts to Gmail users gradually, but if you just can't wait to integrate the
Google may've said during Wednesday's keynote that it planned to roll out Hangouts to Gmail users gradually, but if you just can't wait to integrate the new messaging service into your e-mail dashboard, there's a way to gain early access. Simply log into Gmail, ensure you've signed into Google Talk (if you're having trouble enabling Talk, try installing the browser plugin), click on the thumbnail associated with your account in the Talk sidebar, and select the "Try the new Hangouts" option.
Google Glass Getting Social Media, News, and Productivity Apps, Becoming More Useful Every Day
Ah, Google Glass. Though the venerable headset has a lot of potential, it has yet to become something people want to use all the time. If you're a social
Ah, Google Glass. Though the venerable headset has a lot of potential, it has yet to become something people want to use all the time. If you're a social media addict, a news junkie, or a productivity pro, though, Google's heads-up computer just got a lot more compelling. Today at I/O, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, CNN, Elle, and Evernote pledged to support Glass by releasing official applications - "glassware," as Google calls them. Facebook's app is available now.
Recon Instruments Looks To 'Jet' Over Google Glass With New Heads-Up Display Running Jelly Bean
Heads up, Google, Glass is about to get some serious competition. Recon Instruments, a Canadian technology company known for athlete-focused heads-up display
Heads up, Google, Glass is about to get some serious competition. Recon Instruments, a Canadian technology company known for athlete-focused heads-up display products, is looking to expand into general-purpose HUD technology. The company's prototype device - dubbed Jet - was officially unveiled today, and Recon Instruments hopes to release a retail product by the end of this year.
[WTF Japan] NEC Unveils A Water-Cooled Smartphone - With Jewelery - Especially For Women
It's probably not the water-cooled superphone you've been looking for, but Japanese smartphone maker NEC announced the succinctly named Medias X 06E for
It's probably not the water-cooled superphone you've been looking for, but Japanese smartphone maker NEC announced the succinctly named Medias X 06E for the NTT DoCoMo network today, the world's first smartphone with a CPU cooled by H2O. Unfortunately, the specs are decidedly middling, and NEC intends to market the device as a "lady's" phone in essentially the same vein as HTC with the Rhyme.
YouTube For Google TV Gets A Big Update, Simplified Interface And Support For Paid Channels Included
Let it be not be said that Google neglected the Google TV platform today at I/O. Though it wasn't mentioned during this morning's 3 hour-plus keynote,
Let it be not be said that Google neglected the Google TV platform today at I/O. Though it wasn't mentioned during this morning's 3 hour-plus keynote, the company rolled out a new version of the YouTube app for TV during the presentation.
The Verge, WSJ: Google Strikes Music Streaming Deal With Sony and Universal, Spotify-Like Service Imminent
On the eve of I/O, Google managed to finalize deals with Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment to bring a music subscription service to both
On the eve of I/O, Google managed to finalize deals with Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment to bring a music subscription service to both YouTube and Google Play, according to a report by The Verge that is now being corroborated by The Wall Street Journal. If everything goes smoothly, a preview or launch of the new service tomorrow isn't out of the question. The Journal similarly says the streaming solution could launch "as soon as this week." That would give Google a substantial leg up over Apple, which is still in the process of negotiating contracts for its own music streaming solution.
Head Of Android Sundar Pichai Talks Google I/O, Android, And Chrome - Confirms Focus On Developer Tools, Not A Major Android Revision
Newly appointed head of Google's Android division Sundar Pichai - who perhaps not-so-incidentally also leads the Chrome OS team - recently sat down with
Newly appointed head of Google's Android division Sundar Pichai - who perhaps not-so-incidentally also leads the Chrome OS team - recently sat down with Wired for his first interview since Andy Rubin's departure. Though he didn't speak to specifics about any mysterious Motorola smartphone or Chromebook Pixel follow-up, Pichai did shed some light on the state of Android, Google's open-source philosophy, and future projects.
Notion Ink Adam 2 Revealed: Meager Specs And One Interesting Quirk
Unveiled in December of 2010, Notion Ink's original Adam was intended to be an innovative, disruptive Android tablet that could compete with the iPad.
Unveiled in December of 2010, Notion Ink's original Adam was intended to be an innovative, disruptive Android tablet that could compete with the iPad. Its primary selling point - besides a relatively high-end (at the time) dual-core Tegra 250 processor and 1GB of RAM - was a UI overlay known as Eden, which promised to make underlying the Android 2.2 more tablet-friendly. Launched to much fanfare in January 2011, the Adam never quite caught on the way Notion Ink had hoped; shipping delays, software issues, and poor build quality led the company to sell fewer units than anticipated. Two years and several versions of Android later, Notion Ink's ready to give it another go with the Adam 2.
Multiple Reports Now Indicate Babel Will Be Called Google Hangouts, May Be Unveiled At I/O
Readers, Babel no more. As first reported by a historically credible member of The Verge forums and confirmed today by a Tech Radar source, Google's unified
Readers, Babel no more. As first reported by a historically credible member of The Verge forums and confirmed today by a Tech Radar source, Google's unified messaging platform will be known as Hangouts when it's officially unveiled, and may launch as soon as Google I/O. Tech Radar's contact provided a screenshot that further lends credence to the new name: nestled among the emoticons and toolbar of the alleged interface, an expanded drop down menu includes particularly conspicuous options referencing "Hangouts," which is the closest thing to a dead giveaway that I can think of.
LG Optimus G Pro Available At AT&T Starting Today
The 5.5-inch, LTE-toting LG Optimus G Pro is now available for purchase at AT&T. Packing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM,
The 5.5-inch, LTE-toting LG Optimus G Pro is now available for purchase at AT&T. Packing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, a 1080p display, and a 3,140mAh battery, the G Pro's no slouch, and, as we found in our review of the Korean version, stands up well against competitors like the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.
Clutch Mobile Wallet Launches, Promises Passbook-Like Functionality For Android
Watch out, Google Wallet, there's a new player in town. Actually, Google Wallet hasn't really done all that well; it's still being blocked by big carriers,
Watch out, Google Wallet, there's a new player in town. Actually, Google Wallet hasn't really done all that well; it's still being blocked by big carriers, and NFC point of sale systems aren't exactly ubiquitous yet. For those reasons, stopgap apps like Clutch - an e-commerce app that allows you to pay with barcodes generated by your credit, debit, loyalty or gift cards - probably have a better chance than Wallet of moving us towards frictionless mobile payments.
Google Maps Navigation Goes Live In Greece
Directionally-challenged Greeks, Google has answered your prayers. The search giant continued its international rollout of Maps Navigation today, enabling
Directionally-challenged Greeks, Google has answered your prayers. The search giant continued its international rollout of Maps Navigation today, enabling turn-by-turn directions for Greece. That, coupled with Google's recent significant expansion of Navigation to 9 countries last month, brings the total number of supported territories to 53. Not too shabby.
Flipboard 2.0 Released, Brings Magazine Creation Tools, Web Interface, And Native Sharing Integration
To be perfectly honest, I'm not much of an e-mag guy. I tried Google Currents for a while, but never quite saw the utility of it, and so quickly transitioned
To be perfectly honest, I'm not much of an e-mag guy. I tried Google Currents for a while, but never quite saw the utility of it, and so quickly transitioned back to my beloved Feedly and Google Reader. That's not to say I haven't realized the limitations of RSS many times, though, especially as certain websites I follow look to integrate more multimedia into articles. (Having to use Chrome to listen to audio or video in a weird custom player is really frustrating.) And concededly, apps like Currents look a thousand times better than feeds, which are traditionally text-heavy.
T-Mobile Halts Optimus L9 Jelly Bean Update (Build P76920d)
Uh-oh. According to a support doc released yesterday, T-Mobile has paused the Optimus L9's update to Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean because of the new software's
Uh-oh. According to a support doc released yesterday, T-Mobile has paused the Optimus L9's update to Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean because of the new software's less-than-stellar stability. Several users have reported significant battery drain, difficulty receiving calls, and frequent app crashes. Accordingly, T-Mobile wants to "improve performance" before resuming the OTA upgrade.
Sprint And AT&T Galaxy S4 Updates Incoming, App And Kernel Enhancements In Tow
Another day, another OTA, this time for Sprint's and AT&T's variants of the Galaxy S4. The updates – which are labeled as builds MDL and I337UCUAMDL,
Another day, another OTA, this time for Sprint's and AT&T's variants of the Galaxy S4. The updates – which are labeled as builds MDL and I337UCUAMDL, respectively - are beginning to roll out to all Ma Bell and Now Network owners of the GS4, and looks to include a few app, feature, and kernel changes.