09
May
1

[Update: Now In The Play Store] Hands-On: Focus@Will Launches Android App, But It's Pretty Much Just The Website On A Smaller Screen

Posted by in Applications, News

I may have just heard about focus- and relaxation-inducing music site Focus@Will, but that hasn't stopped me from already falling in love with it. For much of my stare-at-a-screen-all-day career, I've actually wanted a service like this, and even have a few stations on Pandora and Spotify that almost mimic the service. Now that I've found F@W, though, those stations are essentially defunct.

What is Focus@Will?

That's probably the biggest question on your mind right now. Here's a good definition, directly from the company's FAQ:

Focus@will is a new neuroscience based web tool that uses phase sequenced instrumental music to increase your attention span up to 400% when working, studying, writing and reading.

02
Apr
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[New App] Autodesk Introduces SketchBook Ink For Tablets, A Well-Built Line Drawing Tool With Huge Exports For $4.99

Posted by in Applications, News

Autodesk has a fantastic record of powerful, well-built apps. Continuing the pattern, the Pixlr Express makers today released SketchBook Ink, a (you guessed it) sketching and line work app specifically built for tablets 7" and above.

While SketchBook Ink is perhaps not up to handling a professional illustrator's full time workflow, it's a versatile tool with functionality that's suprisingly sophisticated for a mobile app. Ink's got a full screen workspace built on a "new resolution independent engine," with seven preset ink styles, a wonderful color picker (with RGB sliders, a color wheel, and a block for shade selection), layering options, and plenty of options to explore.

10
Jul
xda-logo-150x150

XDA Creates Original Development Forums For Many Devices, Attempts To Separate Wheat From Chaff

Posted by in News

If there is one major downside to the custom development community, it's that the sheer volume of minor variations in custom ROMs and largely-borrowed development makes it difficult, if not impossible to find real, quality development. XDA aims to change this by creating Original Development forums. These special forums will be reserved for projects that adhere to a set of rules, not the least of which is being largely original work.

Other criteria for the Original Development forums, from XDA:

  • Official releases of highly original and upstream custom ROMs (built from the ground up with significant original development within them
  • Official releases/development of such original ROMs, perhaps posted by the maintainer or their nominated person.

15
Aug
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Steve Kondik, Aka Cyanogen, Joins Samsung Mobile (And Their Babies Will Be Picture Perfect)

Posted by in News, Off-Topic

Steve Kondik, better known as Cyanogen, the father of CyanogenMod, has posted an interesting update to his professional life on his Facebook page. Steve, who has founded the largest family of custom Android ROMs on the planet, has just joined Samsung Mobile to presumably work on Android-related goodies for one of world's largest electronics manufacturers.

It's only fitting to see the two masters of their own domains join forces, so here's to hoping the fruits of their labor are going to be beautiful and exciting for us, Android users. I sincerely hope Samsung isn't going to remove Cyanogen out of CyanogenMod and will allow him to remain active in the project.