13
Apr
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Deal Alert: Woot Offering MOTOACTV 8GB Watch With Heart Rate Monitor Chest Strap For $179.99

Posted by in Deals, MOTOACTV

If you're intrigued by the idea of wearable technology, but don't see the Pebble's appeal, or don't have the patience to wait for Google Glass or any of the other rumored wearable goodies coming from Apple, Samsung, or Google (depending on who you ask), Motorola's MOTOACTV, the fitness-tracking smartwatch, may be a good starting point.

The MOTOACTV, which debuted in 2011, is a smartwatch that positions itself as mainly a fitness tool, tracking your runs and slapping some maps and music on top of it for a nice experience. The device also syncs to your smartphone to notify you of calls, SMS messages, and calendar events.

21
Mar
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Google May Be Working On Another Wearable – Android Team Reportedly Developing Smartwatch

Posted by in Android OS, Google, News, Rumors
Last Updated: March 25th, 2013

There's no denying that wearable tech seems to be where it's at among industry analysts. Indeed, the concept of wearable devices separate from smartphones and tablets has piqued the interest of many would-be users. Pebble's smartwatch drew some pretty significant attention, and rumors of more advanced watches from both Samsung and Apple have fueled buzz for several weeks.

We've also, of course, heard rumblings about a Google smartwatch (remember that watch patent the PTO granted Google late last year?). The question remains whether Google would venture into a second wearable device (in addition to Glass), but – according to Financial Times – there's reason to believe that not only is the Google watch real, it's being developed by the search giant's "Android unit."

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Of course, this information comes from "a person briefed on the subject," and we all know how incredible Mr.

04
Mar
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Waterfield's Smart Case For The Nexus 10 Quick Review: It's Like Giving Your Tablet A Sixty-Dollar Hug

Posted by in Nexus 10, Other Reviews, Reviews

Since the Nexus 10 was released last October, I've been hunting for great accessories to go with it. There's no word on the official-looking dock we saw in Google's "Happy Holidays" video, nor has there been even a mumble about the flip cover we spotted when the Verge got an exclusive hands-on.

Personally, I'm fine without the flip cover, and I can do without the dock, but having owned Samsung's sleeve for the original Galaxy Tab 10.1, I wanted to find some sort of stylish carrier for my slick new 10" tablet. I soon arrived at SFBags.com, home of a great variety of cases, sleeves, and carriers for all sorts of devices, including the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10.

06
Jan
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[CES 2013] Dacor Cooks Up Android 4.0.3-Powered Wall Oven With 7" Display, Google Play, $7499 Price Tag

Posted by in Android OS, News

Back in 2011, Eric Schmidt (among others) predicted that Android would soon power home devices, including refrigerators and other appliances. Samsung fulfilled the refrigerator vision with the RF4289. We've questioned the wisdom of Android-powered appliances in the past, but today's pre-CES announcement from Dacor is definitely worth talking about. The California-based company, known for manufacturing quality home appliances, has just announced an Android-powered in-wall oven.

That's right – a (thirty inch) smart oven is on the way, and it's powered by a seven-inch device (called the Discovery IQ controller) with Android … ahem … baked in. And guess what – it runs the Play Store.

28
Sep
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[New App] Conjure Is Probably The Smartest Launcher Companion We've Seen For Android

Posted by in Applications, News

Looking to give users the "fastest, smartest launcher for Android," Jesse Andersen brought Conjure to the Play Store recently. The app, which is actually more of a launcher companion, can perform an incredible range of actions, from finding and launching apps to calling contacts, adjusting device settings (like volume, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.), and searching the web.

What's great about this app is not that it can do a lot, but that it actually adapts to your usage, storing a history of actions and listing content results by frequency of use. It can even recognize abbreviations for app names when searching.

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Those familiar with solutions like Launchy for Windows will feel right at home using Conjure.

16
Aug
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Google Flips The Switch On Smart App Updates In The Play Store [Video]

Posted by in News, Videos

There seems to be quite a lot of movement happening behind the scenes at the Play Store - yesterday we discovered that Google Play Store gift cards and wishlist are getting prepped for launch, and today Google seems to have enabled those smart app updates that we've been salivating about since Google I/O.

Normally, when an update to an application comes out, the Play Store downloads it in full, which with large apps and slow connections can get quite painful (think 50MB+ sizes). Smart app updates, announced at an I/O session in June, was the solution. When enabled, only the incremental difference (a.k.a.

21
Feb
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LG Optimus L3, L5, And L7 Android Phones Officially Announced: 3.2-4.3", Coming In The First Half Of The Year

Posted by in L3, L5, L7, LG, News

Yesterday on their Facebook page, LG Mobile teased that something was coming today, with a heavy emphasis on "L". As promised, they revealed just what the L is today via a press release, and it turns out to be 3 new Optimus smartphones: the L3, L5, and L7. While the press release is light on actual details (but heavy on marketing mumbo-jumbo), they do reveal that the L3 will have a 3.2" screen and launch in Europe in March with Gingerbread (Android 2.3). The L5 and L7 will be 4" and 4.3" respectively, and both will pack Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) and ship sometime in the first half of 2012.

02
Jun
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T-Mobile Formally Announces Budget Android Phones: Samsung Exhibit 4G For $79.99 and Samsung Gravity SMART For $69.99

Posted by in Exhibit 4G, News, Samsung, T-Mobile

As promised, T-Mobile has just announced its newest Android handsets: the Samsung Exhibit 4G and the Samsung Gravity SMART.

The two new Samsung devices will bolster T-Mobile's Android coffers by providing an affordable option for penny-pinching smartphone lovers.

The Samsung Exhibit 4G is the higher-end of the two devices, running Android 2.3 and featuring a speedy 1GHz processor, a 3 MP rear camera with flash and a camcorder, as well as a front-facing camera with video chat pre-installed and, of course, HSPA+ ("4G") connectivity. The device will also come preloaded with a bunch of games, including Bejeweled 2, Scrabble, and Doodle Jump.

13
Jan
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Viper SmartStart Allows You To Remotely Start Your Car, Arm Your Home Alarm, With Your Android Device

Posted by in Applications, Apps/Games

I'm not really sure how we missed this app when it was released way back in July, because it's damn cool. A company called Directed Electronics produces an automotive remote start kit that's called Viper SmartStart, and the kicker: it's controlled via smartphones. The app was available on iOS and BlackBerry for some time before being released for Android in July, and it's some pretty neat kit - check out the video (sorry, it won't embed because it's unlisted).

You can start your car from your house, then when you get inside your (now warm) car, you can arm the alarm on your house.

29
Nov
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WakeVoice: Make Your Alarm Intelligent And Enlightening

Posted by in Applications, News

Remember that scene in Iron Man where Tony Stark sleeps with the journalist (Christine Everhart), and then in the morning, Jarvis wakes her up by reading the current weather, surf conditions, and so on? Yeah, now your Android device can do that.

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I was looking for a picture that showed the UI on the glass, but this will do nicely.

The app is called WakeVoice, and it's a pretty excellent idea - to quote the developer:

... via speech synthesis (tts), your alarm clock will speak to you. It will announce customize message, weather forecast and latest news. Furthermore, due to the enability of voice recognition, you will be able to stop the alarm clock directly from your bed without touching your phone and only by your voice.