03.30.14

Android News: Wearables, Tegra, Obama Switch, New Devices, Desktops…

Posted in News Roundup at 3:08 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Wearables

• Android Stomps Into Wearables Field

• Sony, Samsung won’t use Android Wear in their watches

  Every mobile company is desperate to bring a ‘usable’ smartwatch to the market. While companies like Samsung did bring their smartwatches to the market, these devices are still half-baked products which ‘try’ to do a few things. These are no where close to the way smartphones have become a viable alternatives of PCs. These watches are nothing more than a side-kick or assistant to your smartphones. Then came Google, doing what it did with Honeycomb to address the immediate need of a tablet OS. Google announced Android Wear, an OS optimized for smart watches. One would expect that entire industry will embrace it, but that’s not what seem to be happening.

• Why I’m not impressed with Google’s Android Wear platform

• Android Wear — wearable devices built around relevance

  Google is able to offer something with Android Wear that no other player, big like Apple or small like Pebble, can offer. And that’s why it’ll win…

• Motorola smartwatch does Android Wear in the round

  Motorola Mobility announced a round-faced Moto 360 smartwatch, based on Google’s new Android Wear platform and due this summer.

• Everyone loves Motorola’s Moto 360 Android Wear watch

• Pocket’s prototype for Android Wear saves articles right from your wrist

  Googled unveiled Android Wear this week and encouraged developers to build apps purpose-built for the wrist. Pocket is among the first companies to rise to the challenge, showing off a prototype version of a software development kit for Android Wear today that will let you save links directly from your watch. The prototype allows developers to integrate Pocket into their own apps so that users can save items with a couple of taps. “Up until now, smartwatches have focused solely on delivering short notifications,” Pocket says. “What’s been missing is the ability to quickly act on that information by saving or sharing it.”

• Google reveals Android Wear operating system: Linux rules

  Android Wear is a version of Android which is optimized for wearable devices such as smartwatches. One of the core components of Android Wear will be Google Now. Just like Google Glass, users will be able to say “Ok Google” to activate the ‘HAL’ and ask questions. Since it will work with Google Now, it will have access to your travel and Amazon orders so you can check status of your flight or package. You will also be able to get generic answers like scores from ongoing machine. Anything that you use Google Now for will be able to use with Android Wearable.

• Android Wear: Google Gets Serious About Wearable Computing

  There is a lot going on on the wearable computing front, and Google is already a player in the race with its Google Glass efforts, but the company has also shared much news this week about Android Wear, a project that extends Android to wearables.

• Google debuts wearable Android

  Google debuted a Google Now-infused Android Wear platform for wearables based on a lightweight version of Android, which will first appear in an LG G Watch.

• Developers asking for Omate smartwatch source code, MediaTek stalling?

  One of the key strengths of the Linux kernel is that it is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GNU GPL), an open source license which gives everyone the right to use and even modify the Linux kernel, with the condition that the source code is made available for any publicly released versions.

SHIELD/Tegra

• Portal coming to NVidia Shield soon

• Tegra-powered Ouya and Mad Catz M.O.J.O. Micro-Consoles Team Up

  Mad Catz is teaming up with Ouya to bring it to their micro gaming console M.O.J.O. The Android powered game console that is powered by Tegra from Mad Catz will be available for $199 come this spring.

• NVidia Shield gets even better with new OTA in April

• Nvidia Shield’s next OTA update will bring GameStream enhancement, Gamepad Mapper updated and more

• What’s in the Box? Portal – Valve’s Popular PC Title – Coming to SHIELD

Obama

• President Obama to ditch BlackBerry, switch to Android

  US Presidents are not allowed to carry cellphones like Blackberry due to security issues. Obama somehow succeeded in keeping his beloved Blackberry. His Blackberry was heavily encrypted, with enhanced security and its usage was limited.

• No Android for Obama yet, sticking with BlackBerry

New Devices

• Yotaphone review

• Motorola prepping to release 6 inches phablet in Q3

  It was long back when reports surfaced about Motorola working on a 6.3 inches phablet. So if we have forgotten about the device, we cannot be blamed, since not much was known about the device that time. Only thing known was that a 6.3 inches device, dubbed Motorola XPlay will be rolled out by 2014. However, it seems that the device is being prepped up for release this year.

• Android-based touchscreen router does home automation

  The Soap project has already surpassed its $80,000 funding goals, and there are still some packages left at discounted prices until the campaign closes Mar. 23 at 10:34 AM EDT. The touchscreen-enabled Soap Touch costs $150, and will retail at $200 when it ships in November. There’s also a non-touchscreen Soap Essentials version, which will go for $80 when it ships in August, but no more discounted versions are available at the $60 funding price. The Soap Essentials is otherwise similar except that it offers less onboard storage.

Developing World

• After OLPC, does IT in education have a future?

  In 2013, however, the school took the bold step of going digital-only. All pupils — most of who are from the nearby townships — are now required to buy an Android tablet in order to study at Sunward.

• Haiti Makes Androids, Google Cuts Prices & More…

• Impoverished Haiti manufacturing its own Android tablet

  Better known for producing third-world poverty and political mayhem – as well as a world-class rum – the Western Hemisphere’s least developed country has made a surprising entry into the high-tech world with its own Android tablet.

Android-x86

• Android-x86 Just Might Make a Good Linux Desktop Alternative

• Microsoft should fear Android on the desktop

  Android seems to be everywhere these days and that includes the desktop. Yes, a version of Android is being developed as a desktop replacement for Windows. LinuxInsider examines Android-x86 RC 1 and finds that it’s coming along nicely. But can it really replace Windows? The skeptics will say no, but I think it can…eventually.

Huawei

• Huawei backtracks on dual-booting Windows Phone and Android plans

  The backtracking contradicts statements from Huawei’s chief marketing officer, Shao Yang, last week. Yang claimed the firm was following a “dual OS” strategy with Android and Windows Phone on a single handset. It’s not clear if such a handset was ever in development, or whether Yang simply misspoke. Huawei’s change of heart follows reports that Microsoft and Google have both scuppered Intel’s plan for dual-OS tablets and laptops running both Android and Windows Phone.

• Huawei kills plans to launch a dual-OS Windows Phone-Android smartphone

  In a statement to FierceWireless, a Huawei spokesperson said that “Huawei Consumer Business Group adopts an open approach towards mobile operating systems to provide a range of choices for consumers. However, most of our products are based on Android OS, [and] at this stage there are no plans to launch a dual-OS smartphone in the near future.”

Games/Sport

• Do we really need another Android gaming console?

• Google Announcing exciting new Additions to Play Games Services at GDC ’14

  One of the most venerable achievements of smartphones is making more than 75% smartphone users into gamers. Perhaps keeping this stat in mind, Google has decided to focus on Google Play in their announcements this year. First and foremost is their announcement of the cross platform support for Google Play games, followed by the introduction of tools that will allow users to gift in game items to friends. Rounding up is the integration of the Google Analytics available directly to the Ad Mob interface.

• Best Android Apps For Interval Training

Ballnux (Microsoft Patent Deals)

• Is the HTC One M8 too expensive?

• New HTC One: Larger screen, better software. Available today in the US

• New HTC One Google Play Edition available for sale

  The new HTC One which was announced yesterday is now available with stock Android from Google Play Store. These devices running stock Android are called Google Play Edition devices and they don’t come with the usual bloat-ware or custom UI pushed by the hardware companies.

• Is the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro tablet just too darned big?

• After AT&T, Qualcomm teases the all new HTC One

  The official unveiling of HTC’s “primary flagship for 2014” is still a few days away, but there is no dearth of leaked images about the all new HTC One (M8). After AT&T, Qualcomm is now promoting the HTC M8 smartphone via its official Twitter account as it will feature one of the company’s Snapdragon SoCs.

• LG announces G Watch powered by Android Wear

  Google shook the world today by announcing Android Wear, a version of Android to power wearable computers such as smartwatches. Google has showed that it has mastered the art of partnership; it has not only engaged developers but also made available hardware powered by Android Wear.

• Russian officials switch from iPads to Samsung over security concerns

• Russian government gives up using iPads

  The Russian government has moved from using iPads to Samsung tablets. However, this move is not linked to any sanctions against US-based Apple Inc., the Minister of Communications Nikolai Nikiforov stated on Wednesday.

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