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How An LA Times Reporter Got An Algorithm To Write Articles For Him

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 18:39:00 +0000

Whenever there is an earthquake in southern California, a system called Quakebot analyzes notifications from the US Geological Survey and automatically creates a blog post for the Los Angeles Times. We first noticed this in a post titled "Earthquake aftershock: 2.7 quake strikes near Westwood" in the LA Times today via Gizmodo's Adam Clark Estes.
At the bottom of the post it reads, "This information comes from the USGS Earthquake Notification Service and this post was created by an algorithm written by the author."
That author is Ken Schwencke, a journalist and web developer who lives in Los Angeles.
Schwencke created the Quakebot system about three years ago, but it has been functional for about two, Schwencke tells Business Insider.
Quakebot is an automated system that lives on the Los Angeles Times's servers. The system receives emails from the US Geological Survey, runs through a checklist of where it is, and then determines if it's newsworthy based on the magnitude.
It then parses out content from the email and inputs it into the LA Times's content management service. The post is structured on a formula based on previous posts.
"It saves everyone the initial rush to write something," Schwencke says.
If there's a 6.0 quake in Los Angeles, Quakebot automatically set a post live. But if it's anything smaller than 6.0, Schwencke says, the blog post goes to the copy edit desk, and then the editors can decide whether or not to post it.
Other than earthquakes, the LA Times uses roboposting for The Homicide Report, which tracks every homicide victim in LA County, and Mapping L.A.

Samsung Galaxy S5 apps leaked: S Note, WatchON, Gear Manager, and more [APK]

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 18:30:00 +0000

There’s less than a month before the Galaxy S5 launches worldwide in more than 150 markets, and as tradition would dictate, some of the apps from the upcoming flagship have been leaked online. An XDA forum member has leaked the APK files for numerous Samsung apps from the S5, with the full list including S Note, WatchON, Gear Manager, Gear Fit Manager, Calculator, S Health, and S Translator. As we exclusively reported before the S5 was announced, all of these apps sport revamped interfaces with a flatter and cleaner look, and you should be able to use them on existing devices like the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3, though you’ll likely need to be using Android 4.4.2 KitKat for these apps to work.

Users on XDA report that S Health isn’t working, but the rest of the apps should work pretty well. All of them can be installed as normal APK files, though you might need to uninstall/freeze previous versions of some apps in order to get them to install successfully (which, if you hadn’t already guessed, require root access.) Oh, and naturally, the Gear Fit Manager app won’t be too useful unless you somehow have a Gear Fit in your possession, though you can still give it a visual walkthrough if you so desire.

Head over to this link to download the APK files for the aforementioned apps.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Zoom specs leaked, will have a 19-megapixel camera

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 18:24:00 +0000

We exclusively confirmed earlier this year that Samsung was working on the Galaxy S5 Zoom (SM-C115), and now, the specs of the company’s second-generation phone-cum-camera device have been revealed through benchmark site GFXBench. The Galaxy S5 Zoom will sport a 19-megapixel main camera according to the benchmark, a noticeable upgrade over the 16MP sensor on the Galaxy S4 zoom, though the benchmark doesn’t mention its optical zoom capability (the S4 zoom had 10x optical zoom). There will also be a front camera, though this will be a standard 2-megapixel sensor.

The Galaxy S5 zoom will have a 4.8-inch 720p display (Super AMOLED), and is powered by Samsung’s new hexa-core Exynos chipset that debuted on the Galaxy Note 3 Neo – the benchmark lists a clock speed of 1.3GHz, though this is likely the frequency four low-power Cortex-A7 cores and not the two high-performance Cortex-A15 cores, which should be clocked at 1.7GHz unless Samsung has decided to lower the clock speed for some reason. Other specs include 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and NFC connectivity, and Android 4.4.2 on the software side of things.

The Galaxy S4 zoom wasn’t a very impressive device in terms of its hardware specs, but it looks like Samsung has addressed that with the S5 zoom, in addition to increasing the megapixel count on the camera (hopefully, image quality has been improved as well) – the display has a higher resolution, there’s more on-board storage, and it’s using one of Samsung’s latest processors. The Galaxy S5 zoom is expected to be unveiled sometime in May, and we’ll be sure to let you know about any other details that might surface in the days to come.

The best task manager for Android apps

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 17:31:00 +0000

Task managers used to be a really big deal. Back in the days of FroYo and Gingerbread there weren’t a lot of ways to deal with applications and if you opened one, it remained open to sap what precious RAM was available on phones back then. Since Ice Cream Sandwich and the inclusion of the stock Android task manager, the task manager apps ecosystem has kinda fallen into the background. That said, there are still a lot of people who prefer using third party task managers so we’ve put together a list of the task manager for Android apps.

Android Task Manager Pro

[Price: $4.70]
First on our list is also one of the most expensive on our list with Android Task Manager Pro. To its credit it does have a lot of features including a real-time process list, application management, backup capabilities including external APK file installation, CPU usage monitoring, and a lot more. It’s a solid option that does things other than task management which is always a plus. If you don’t mind the higher than average price tag, this is a pretty decent app.

Advanced Task Killer – ReChild

[Price: Free]
ReChild really hit a home run with their Advanced Task Killer. It’s garnered over 50 million downloads and was one of the top apps back in the day when task killers were actually necessary. They’ve continued to update the app to this day and it’s still quite useful if you need a task manager. It does the standard task management things and also has extra stuff like an ignore list for apps you never want to kill and various levels of task killing. It’s free and it’s a solid option that’s helped millions of people already.

Advanced Task Manager – INFOLIFE LLC

[Price: Free]
As is the case with task managers, this app has a very similar name to the last one. It’s called Advanced Task Manager and like the last Advanced Task Manager, this one also manages tasks. The feature set is a little more simplistic but it should be good for people who want something a little lighter. It kills tasks and manages appslike you’d expect. There are also some unique features like killing GPS. It does what you need it to do in a simple manner and it’s also free. Free is always good.

ES Task Manager

[Price: Free]
If you’re a fan of ES File Explorer and you want a task manager, you can get one from the same people. It’s one of the better designed apps on the list and matches the aesthetic of ES File Explorer so people who enjoyed the file manager will probably enjoy the look of the task manager. Unlike many of these, the feature list is ridiculously long and includes all the standard features of a taskmanagement app along with pretty much everything in ES File Explorer because it’s integrated into that as well. It’s a solid app, it’s free, and definitely worth looking into.

GO Cleaner & Task Manager

[Price: Free]
Much like ES File Manager having its own task manager, so too does GO Launcher. With GO Cleaner & Task Manager you can get an app from a trusted developer so you know for sure that it’s competently done. Like the launcher, the task manager is very popular, sporting a reported 40 million downloads to date. It features a slick interface, all the standard features, and a myriad of features that also help clean your phone up. This includes getting rid of folders that uninstalled apps left behind, clearing your cache, deleting browsing data, and others. It’s great for people who want a task manager that also does something else that’s useful and it’s free to boot!

SystemPanelLite Task Manager

[Price: Free / $2.99]
SystemPanelLite is one of the better looking apps on this list. It features a colorful design that outputs a lot of information in a small space. Using this you can do all the standard stuff like kill apps and manage tasks but you can also do things like view a variety of system stats. If you get the full version, it comes with more app management features and long-term app resource monitoring to see what is using up the most battery and RAM.

Task Manager – coocle dev

[Price: Free]
Task Manager by coocle dev is a very simple app that is for those who just want something easy. It has a standard set of features and a usable –if somewhat outdated– interface. There isn’t much to say about it other than it works. It kills tasks and has a small set of features to help you manage them. It’s very straightforward so there are no surprises with this one.

Task Manager – Balu

[Price: Free]
As we mentioned earlier, a lot of apps in this category have similar names. With that in mind, here is the second app on the list called Task Manager and this one is done by Balu. Much like the last one, this Task Manager omits the bells and whistles in favor of a streamlined experience. It kills tasks with a few extra features like set a time every day when the app clears out the processes and the cache along with some others. It’s highly rated so people that have tried it have liked it so far. It’s definitely worth a look if you need something simple.

Task Manager Pro

[Price: Free]
Task Manager Pro is another highly rated app but it is also fairly new so take that into consideration. It follows many of the guidelines set forth by Android so you have tabs and a slide out left side menu which is always preferable. It kills tasks, auto-kills tasks, and a small set of system tools like battery monitoring, SD card anaylzer, and system and hardware details. It’s free which means it can’t hurt to at least try it out.

Watchdog Task Manager

[Price: $3.49]
Watchdog is the last item on our list and it boasts a unique offering. It doesn’t just kill your tasks all at once which actually goes against how Android works (it is a multitasking OS, after all). Instead what it does is monitor your opened apps and when one goes out of control, it sends you a notification so you can kill just that one app. That means this isn’t a task killer in the traditional sense like the ones above, but rather an app that keeps on eye on things for you and only prompts you to kill apps when they’re taking up too many resources. If you get the paid version, you also get a blacklist feature. The blacklist feature allows you to assign a CPU threshold to consistently misbehaving apps so they stop taking up so much of your CPU when you’re not using it. This is a phenomenal app and does a lot to augment the Android experience rather than kill it.

Stock Android Task Killer (Recent Apps)

[Price: Free]
Since Android 4.0, Android has had a built in task manager. Also known as Recent Apps, it allows you to view all apps that are open and close the ones you don’t need anymore. This has been proven a safe and effective way to end tasks without using a task killer as it doesn’t cause force closes or other potential issues that task managers can cause. It should also be noted that OEMs like HTC, Samsung, etc have added to this feature in their respective OEM skins with a native task manager –the Samsung Touchwiz task manager is shown below– which makes downloading more apps a little redundant. Of course, third party is still a reasonable way to go if you so choose, but if your phone is rocking anything from 4.0 or higher, you already have one of these task managers built in, albeit a rudimentary one.

Wrap up

While there are a lot of great apps on this list, we still find ourselves recommending the stock Android task killer if you have access to it. It’s faster, built right into the OS, and does enough to keep things manageable without being overly complicated. If that just isn’t enough, all of these apps are viable options as there really is not single best one. It’s simply a matter of finding the one that works best for you. If we happened to miss an awesome task killer or task management app, feel free to tell us about it in the comments!

Vodafone to hold exclusive rights to the Copper Gold Galaxy S5 in the UK

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 17:08:00 +0000

The Samsung Galaxy S5 will be available in a variety of colours when it finally goes on sale, but if you’re looking to get your hands on the new Copper Gold variety in the UK, then you’re choice of carriers is now limited to just one.

In an official blog post, Vodafone UK has announced that the gold colour option for the Galaxy S5 will be made available exclusively to its customers. Vodafone hasn’t specified how long it will retain these exclusive rights in the UK, but judging from the blog post it could be for some time. This means that customers on other networks will have to make do with the Shimmer White, Electric Blue, and Charcoal Black varieties.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 16:43:00 +0000

Alongside the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 was also launched the Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014), featuring the same faux leather back as the flagship phablet. Following that, Samsung introduced a new PRO line of tablets, in an effort to update its tablet offerings in various sizes, which also saw the introduction of the Tab Pro 10.1, despite there already being a pretty high-end 10-inch tablet around. So, is the Tab Pro 10.1 just a Note 10.1 (2014) without the S-Pen? We find, in our in-depth Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 review!

At a Glance

Pros

High-resolution display
Great performance
Expandable storage
Impressive battery life

Cons

Magazine UX and TouchWiz somewhat disappointing
High price point

Design

From you first glance, you might feel like you know exactly what to expect from the Tab Pro 10.1. The design elements that was first introduced with the Galaxy Note 3 and the Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014), is what you get with every tablet in the PRO lineup, with the faux leather back cover that rounds out what is otherwise standard Samsung fare.

You get the usual trio of buttons at the front, with the physical home button and a couple of capacitive keys, with the noticeable difference being the replacement of the menu button with one to access Recent Apps. You’ll find the power button and volume rocker at the top when in landscape orientation, with a microSD card slot on the left, and the dual speakers to the sides.

With its thin profile, light weight, and flat sides, it is somewhat easy to get a grip on the device, but ultimately, handling the tablet is definitely more of a chore than a breeze. Typing especially isn’t the easiest experience, but things do get more comfortable over time.

Display

One area where Samsung didn’t want to compromise in with its latest crop of high-end tablets is with regards to screen resolution, with all the PRO tablets featuring a high resolution of 2560 x 1600. Granted, this isn’t particularly groundbreaking when it comes to 10-inch tablets with the Nexus 10 boasting the same resolution, but it works just as well, if not better, on the Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1.

Sharpest Displays | Create infographics

A pixel density of 299 ppi provides good sharpness for all the text you may want to read, and colors shine through, as in the norm with the high quality displays from Samsung. While for various reasons we do prefer the sub 10-inch form factor for tablets, the Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 provides a great experience, and proves why there is still a lot of merit in the larger tablet size.

Performance

The trend of no compromises continues with regards to the performance as well, with non-LTE version we’re working with here featuring the powerful Samsung Exynos 5 Octa processor with a 1.9 GHz and 1.3 GHz quad-core combo, coupled with the Mali T628 GPU.

Today's top performers | Create infographics

As expected, the processing package gets the job done, even with the very demanding TouchWiz UI. That being said, you do face occasional instances of stutter here and there, but that is more an issue of the feature-heavy user interface, as opposed to being a fault with the processor.

That being said, the general performance and multi-tasking capabilities of this tablet don’t come into question, as you can get whatever you need done, even if you have to wrestle with the software to get there.

Hardware

This isn’t a comparison with the Galaxy Note 10.1, but it has to be said that without the S-Pen and its added functionality, the Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 is made of pretty standard tablet fare, of course, along with everything Samsung could throw into it.

You get the usual 16 GB or 32 GB in-built storage options, with the welcome option of expansion with the presence of microSD card slot. If mobile connectivity is something you need, an LTE variant of the tablet is also available, sporting a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, but apart from that, you get every other connectivity option with the Tab Pro 10.1. Extra Samsung connectivity also makes a return in the form of WatchON, a robust controller system that allows you to manipulate things like televisions, consolidating your tablet and TV viewing experience.

Dual speakers are always a welcome sight, and in this case, they certainly get the job done. Allowing for very loud volumes, you can easily share your media with anyone around to watch or listen.

No concessions have been made when it comes to the battery of the Tab Pro 10.1, with the tablet sporting a huge 8,220 mAh unit that should keep you going for days. You’ll get at least a full day out of the battery even with heavy usage, and with average use, you may be able to push the battery life to at least a couple of days.

Camera

Tablets with rear cameras is a given nowadays, even if they are considered rather secondary, but that doesn’t stop Samsung from putting its best forward.

What you get with the Tab Pro 10.1 is an 8 MP rear shooter, that is backed by an app that is packed with an impressive set of features, with quite a few modes available with the Galaxy S and Note series of smartphones making an appearance.

Nevertheless, it’s hardly a primary camera, mostly because you probably won’t want to take pictures with a tablet out in public, but if you do need to in a pinch, the camera will certainly do a satisfactory job.

Software

If you’ve followed the reviews of the other Pro tablets from Samsung, you would know by now that while the enhanced version of TouchWiz does bring some new features to the table, it’s essentially still TouchWiz, which is perhaps the biggest disappointment for anyone looking for a major overhaul.

The often bloated and otherwise pretty cluttered motif of Samsung’s UI gets the exciting new addition of the Magazine UX, which unfortunately does face some issues. Used primarily as a front end to Flipboard, the second screens don’t provide much more than just glimpses into news sources, and even when you actually want to dive in, it take you through layers of the app before you reach your destination. Along with the hangups that you might run into while trying to customize your experience, the Magazine UX falls short of providing what could have been an amazing user experience.

Outside of the Magazine UX, you still get the same multi-tasking capabilities with features such as MultiWindow, which works as expected, and is very useful on a tablet with this size. If you’re used to a more stock-like experience, the inclusion of a Recent Apps capacitive button brings a more familiar form to multi-tasking to the fray.

At the end of the day, even with all the small aesthetic changes and the introduction of the Magazine UX, it’s difficult to shake the feeling that you’re still using TouchWiz, and that means that it comes with the same fundamental problem. While the feature-packed software has a lot to offer, it isn’t quite perfect at doing any single one of those things.

Specifications

Display	10.1-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) Super clear LCD
Processor	WiFi and 3G: Exynos 5 Octa (1.9 GHz QuadCore ＋ 1.3 GHz Quadcore LTE : Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 2.3GHz Quad
RAM	2 GB
Storage	16/32 GB, expandable
Battery	8,220 mAh
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac MIMO (2.4 & 5 GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, AllShareCast, BT4.0, USB3.0, GPS + GLONASS
Cameras	8 Megapixel, Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash 2MP front camera
Software	Android 4.4 Kitkat
Dimensions	243.1 X 171.4 X 7.3mm, 469g (WiFi version), 477g (LTE version)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 16:40:00 +0000

At a Glance

Pros

High-resolution display
Great performance
Expandable storage
Impressive battery life

Cons

Magazine UX and TouchWiz somewhat disappointing
High price point

Design

Display

Sharpest Displays | Create infographics

Performance

Today's top performers | Create infographics

Hardware

Dual speakers are always a welcome sight, and in this case, they certainly get the job done. Allowing for very loud volumes, you can easily share your media with anyone around to watch or listen.

Camera

Tablets with rear cameras is a given nowadays, even if they are considered rather secondary, but that doesn’t stop Samsung from putting its best forward.

Software

Specifications

Display	10.1-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) Super clear LCD
Processor	WiFi and 3G: Exynos 5 Octa (1.9 GHz QuadCore ＋ 1.3 GHz Quadcore LTE : Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 2.3GHz Quad
RAM	2 GB
Storage	16/32 GB, expandable
Battery	8,220 mAh
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac MIMO (2.4 & 5 GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, AllShareCast, BT4.0, USB3.0, GPS + GLONASS
Cameras	8 Megapixel, Auto Focus Camera with LED Flash 2MP front camera
Software	Android 4.4 Kitkat
Dimensions	243.1 X 171.4 X 7.3mm, 469g (WiFi version), 477g (LTE version)

5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week – Google Play Weekly

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 16:23:00 +0000

It’s been a surprisingly busy week in the world of Google Play this week. Let’s start with some good news as Google has dramatically lowered the price of Google Drive cloud storage. It turns out Rovio is at it again with a new Angry Birds RPG. QuizUp is a game that is almost amazing and was released last week. Dong Nguyen has three games on the horizon and is contemplating bringing Flappy Bird back. Lastly, Google may be in some legal trouble because a North California mom is suing for in-app purchase problems. Now on to five more Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week!

Minuum Keyboard

[Price: $3.99]
First up this week is the Minuum Keyboard. It has officially left beta with the release of version 2.0. For those who may not remember or don’t know, Minuum is a unique spin on a keyboard where you can type a little more sloppy and the app knows what you meant to type. The 2.0 update comes with bug fixes, visual improvements, reduced lag, and more.

Talon for Twitter

[Price: $1.99]
Talon for Twitter has consequently also been updated to version 2.0 and with that has come a lot of new features and improvements. Among them are a boat load of bug fixes and performance improvements, better stability, more tweeks for Tweetmarker, a new widget, visual improvements and fixes, and more. It hasn’t hit its Twitter token limit yet and it’s a great 3rd party Twitter app if you’re looking for one.

Banter

[Price: Free]
Banter is a new social network that is kind of a mix between IRC and AOL Instant Messenger. It’s a completely anonymous social network where you chit chat with people who have similar interests as you. Their app for Android is now available and aside from a few early day jitters it appears to be somewhat solid. People are reporting that battery drains quickly and there are a few features missing, but it is usable if you want to try out something old wrapped in a new skin.

Deadlings

[Price: Free]
Deadlings is a new side scrolling platformer available for Android and it’s actually pretty unique. It boasts a looser and fun style of game play and provides a goofy atmosphere that isn’t meant to be taken too seriously. There are over 100 levels, four different zombies to play, and one touch controls. It’s fun and it’s free with in app purchases so it can’t hurt to check it out. Just don’t hand it off to a kid for half an hour.

Threes!

[Price: $1.99 (on sale)]
Threes is a new game for Android that copies the concept of a popular iOS app called Fives. In this game you’re given a grid with a few tiles filled in with the number 3. Your job is to push the 3s into one another to create 6s. Then you push the 6s together to make 12s. This continues until you can no longer make any moves and the game ends. It’s an addictive little puzzle game that an increasingly number of people seem to be enjoying. For a limited time you can get it for 33.3% off which puts it at $1.99.

Meet how the new Samsung Galaxy S5 measures against the competition

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 20:25:00 +0000

The Samsung Galaxy S5 certainly looks like a great piece of hardware, but despite the fanfare of a new launch, we must not forget that other manufacturers already have some pretty great handsets on the market. Let’s take a look at just how well the Galaxy S5 compares with other flagship smartphones.

Nuts and Bolts

First, let’s deal with the major pieces of kit, the display and the processor that powers everything you’ll be doing on your new smartphone.

	Display	CPU	RAM
Samsung Galaxy S5	5.1 inch Super AMOLED, FullHD (1920x1080), 432ppi	2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800	2GB
HTC One	4.7 inch IPS LCD, FullHD (1920x1080), 469ppi	1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600	2GB
iPhone 5S	4.0 inch IPS LCD, Retina (1136x640), 326ppi	1.3GHz dual-core Apple A7	1GB
LG G2	5.2 inch IPS LCD, FullHD (1920x1080), 424ppi	2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800	2GB
Nexus 5	4.95 inch IPS LCD, FullHD (1920x1080), 445ppi	2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800	2GB
Moto X	4.7 inch AMOLED, HD (1280x720), 312ppi	1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Pro	2GB
Samsung Galaxy S4	5.0 inch Super AMOLED, FullHD (1920x1080), 441ppi	1.9GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600	2GB
Sony Xperia Z1	5.0 inch TFT, FullHD (1920x1080), 441ppi	2.2Ghz quad-core Snapdragon 800	2GB
Sony Xperia Z2	5.2 inch IPS LCD, FullHD (1920x1080), 424ppi	2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801	3GB

Display

Whilst many may have been anticipating the arrival of QHD displays and a big bump in resolution, the Samsung Galaxy S5 offers up the same FullHD display resolution that handsets have been using for the past year. The Galaxy S5 is one of the larger handsets on the market, at 5.1 inches, which means that the same 1920×1080 pixels aren’t going to go quite as far as the slightly smaller 5 inch Galaxy S4 or the 4.7 inch HTC One, but you probably won’t be able to notice. The display’s pixels per inch sit right in the middle of the field, so your choice of display will probably boil down to your preferences for AMOLED or LCD.

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs iPhone 5S - Quick Look [4:38]

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Galaxy Note 3 - Quick Look [5:00]

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Galaxy S4 - Quick Look [3:46]

SoC

Under the hood, the Samsung Galaxy S5 will feature a quad-core 2.5Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC, ever so slightly one-upping the previous generation of handsets which made use of the popular Snapdragon 800 clocked around 2.3GHz. Apart from the clock speed increase, the hardware looks surprisingly similar to existing top-tier smartphones, Samsung also hasn’t seen the same need as Sony to up the RAM count to above 2GB. This also means that Samsung is still using the same Adreno 330 GPU seen in other handsets.

Performance wise, we’re looking at an ever so slight improvement over existing top of the line handsets, like the G2 and Nexus 5, and an even larger performance boost over last generation’s Galaxy S4. There’s no move to 64-bit processing here, Apple’s currently the only company offering up a 64-bit chip, but there’s no need to make the jump yet anyway. Overall, Samsung’s latest hardware effort really just plays catch up to other premium Android smartphones.

Consumer features

	Storage Options	Camera	Battery	Waterproof?	Fingerprint Scanner?
Samsung Galaxy S5	16/32GB + MicroSD	16 Megapixels rear, 2.1MP front	2800 mAh	Yes	Yes
HTC One	32/64GB	4 Ultrapixels, 2.1 MP front	2300 mAh	No	No
iPhone 5S	16/32/64GB	8 Megapixels rear, 1.2 MP front	1560 mAh	No	Yes
LG G2	32/64GB	13 Megapixels back, 2.1 MP front	3000 mAh	No	No
Nexus 5	32/64GB	8 Megapixels back, 1.3 MP front	2300 mAh	No	No
Moto X	32/64GB	10 Megapixels rear, 2 MP front	2200 mAh	No	No
Samsung Galaxy S4	16/32/64GB + MicroSD	13 Megapixels rear, 3MP front	2600 mAh	No	No
Sony Xperia Z1	16GB + MicroSD	20.7 Megapixels rear, 2MP front	3000 mAh	Yes	No
Sony Xperia Z2	16GB + MicroSD	20.7 Megapixels rear, 2MP front	3200 mAh	Yes	No

Although the Galaxy S5 packs some high-end performance hardware, practical features are equally important when considering a phone purchase. Samsung has taken note of Sony’s success and has decided to leap straight in with waterproofing on its main flagship model, rather than releasing another spin off product like the Galaxy S4 Active. The fingerprint scanner also makes its first appearance on Android with the Galaxy S5, bringing Samsung up to date with Apple. But perhaps everyone won’t make use of these options, let’s compare some more critical features.

Samsung Galaxy S5 – waterproof and dust resistant. The USB connector is protected by a small flap.

Storage

Storage options are very much in keeping with existing handsets on the market, although the Galaxy S5 will only come in 16GB and 32GB variations. Most other handsets can be found in 64GB versions in some regions. However, Samsung continues to set itself apart from the crowd by offering extra storage courtesy of a MicroSD card slot, which is sure to appease those who require lots of storage space for music and video.

Camera

Samsung has again upped its game in the camera department, squeezing in 3 more Megapixels than the Galaxy S4. Only Sony has managed to fit in more than Samsung’s 16 Megapixels into a smartphone image sensor. Speaking of Sony, 4K video capture is a big new feature for both of the company’s new flagship devices, with the Xperia Z2 and Galaxy S5 both managing to capture 4K video at 30fps, although Samsung’s efforts are limited to just 5 minutes of recording.

Of course it’s not just Megapixels that count towards image quality. Image sensors, like Sony’s Exmor, are equally as important. Samsung’s new smartphone camera showcases the company’s new ISOCELL technology, which should result in clearer, more colourful images than ever before. If you’d like a breakdown of ISOCELL, how it works, and what improvements it brings to traditional BSI sensors, check out this detailed post.

Battery

Finally, a good battery is essential when we’re dealing with large display devices. The Galaxy S5 is pretty much at the top of this category too, albeit just beaten out by Sony’s new flagship Xperia Z2. Samsung also continues to be one of the few manufacturers to offer a replaceable battery with its smartphones, something that’s definitely worth considering if you’re planning to keep your handset for a long time.

Overall, the Galaxy S5 sits exactly where you’d expect it to, right at the top of almost every hardware category, but perhaps it’s not as far ahead of the pack as many may have expected. Although the device won’t be the first to ship with a QHD display, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is a stellar smartphone for those looking to get their hands on the latest and greatest pieces of mobile hardware.

Samsung's new Galaxy Gear 2 might run Tizen instead of Android

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 19:19:00 +0000

Sure, the Tizen Association just welcomed new members, but the mobile platform is still having a tough start overall -- a Japanese carrier even canceled a Tizen smartphone release in January. So, Samsung (the platform's biggest backer) is reportedly taking matters into its own hands and loading Tizen on one of its upcoming devices: Galaxy Gear 2.0. According to USA Today's sources, the South Korean company is slated to launch an updated smartwatch running the HTML 5-based Tizen OS at the Mobile World Congress a few days from now.

Samsung is reportedly dropping Android in favor of the fledgling platform due to a number of reasons, including its hopes to gain greater control (and revenue) from associated software and services. Also, the company's apparently concerned that the Android flavor Google's developing for wearables may not be as open as the other versions. Whatever Samsung's reasons are, we just hope the new Gear has a longer list of compatible devices than its predecessor does.

Samsung Galaxy S5 - We Got the Official Wrap Up on All that You Can Expect

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 18:13:00 +0000

Mobile World Congress is quickly approaching, and it’s a pretty safe bet that we’ll be seeing the Samsung Galaxy S5 come February 24th. While Samsung has yet to officially confirm that the handset will be shown off at their MWC press conference, their current teasers make it pretty obvious.

Okay, but what exactly can we expect from the Galaxy S5 when it arrives? Sometimes we have such solid, unified rumors that it’s easy to say for sure “this is exactly what the next flagship will offer” . Unfortunately, this isn’t one of those times.

There are a ton of rumors regarding the GS5, and it’s hard to say what the rumor mill got right, and what is flat wrong. Nonetheless, we can at least take a look at some of the most prevalent rumors and reports to come up with at least a rough picture of what the next Galaxy S flagship will offer.

Design

More than one executive has made it clear that the GS5 will be a fairly different animal from the Galaxy S4. In fact, Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of Samsung’s mobile business, recently mentioned that the “display and the feel of the cover” would be the most noticeable changes.

Samsung Galaxy S5 will reportedly come in two variants

So what exactly does that mean? Turning to the rumor mill, we’ve heard that the Samsung Galaxy S5 will reportedly come in (at least) two variants, one with a plastic casing, and the other with at least a partially metallic design.

The former of these models is said to be a base version with slightly lesser specs, and will likely at least somewhat follow the design language introduced with the Galaxy Note 3. If the metal version does in fact exist, it is expected to have more premium specs and may or may not debut under the Galaxy F name.

As for the front of the device? Rumors suggest that the device may have a 2K display, though it is probable that the handset will still rock physical buttons and a design that is pretty close to what we’ve seen from Samsung in the past.

Galaxy S5 Concept

Hardware

Over the last few months, we’ve heard varying reports about what kind of hardware the Galaxy S5 will pack. At one point, it was believed we’d see an iris scanner, now this is looking unlikely.

Based on the most recent (and likely most accurate) ‘leaks’, the GS5 is expected to debut with a 5.24-inch 2560×1440 AMOLED display with 560ppi. It is important to note, however, that a New York Times report claims that the handset will actually have a 1080p display, and not a so-called 2k screen. So which rumor is right? Perhaps both. If Samsung really is preparing two versions of the handset, it is possible that the base model will have a 1080p display and the premium model will instead opt for a 2560×1440 resolution.

Aside from the display, the Galaxy S5 is rumored to come in both a Snapdragon 800 (or maybe 805) and an Exynos variant. Other specs include 3GB RAM, 32/64GB storage, 16MP rear cam, a 3.2MP front cam and a 3200 mAh battery. It’s unknown whether the above-mentioned specs will be roughly the same for both the metal and plastic variants or not.

The new fingerprint scanner will be integrated into the physical home button.

Another new hardware element for the GS5 could be a fingerprint scanner, as several reports have mentioned in the past. Originally we heard that the scanner might somehow be integrated into the display, but a new report from SamMobile tells a different story.

The new fingerprint scanner is now believed to be integrated into the physical home button. Activating the reader will require you to keep your finger flat while swiping across the home button. Reportedly the reader will be able to recognize/store up to 8 different fingerprints.

Software

Late last month a report surfaced claiming that Samsung and Google had reached a new agreement that would cause several changes take place in the world of Android. Reportedly, one of these changes would be that Samsung would scale back some of its own ecosystem efforts in order to better represent Google’s vision for Android.

We might see less focus on some Samsung features like the Hub this time around

We don’t know how much this agreement (if it is true) will influence the Galaxy S5’s software, but we do know that leaked GS5 app screenshots have shown off a look that is flatter, more vibrant and has a KitKat-esque design to it.

Some of the leaked images include a redesigned S-Voice app, a new Life logging app and a redesignedS-Health app.

Bottom-line, while Samsung will certainly bring plenty of new software features to the table with the GS5, we might see less focus on some Samsung features like the Hub this time around, and more of a push towards Google services and UI design language.

Camera

Although the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Note 3 both have rather impressive cameras, expect the Galaxy S5 to be a pretty big leap forward, at least if all the rumors prove correct.

The Galaxy S5 is expected to feature a 16MP sensor on the back and may even feature ISOCELL technology. For those that don’t know what this is, basically this new technology promises increased light sensitivity and higher color fidelity, even in poor lighting conditions.

We also imagine that the Galaxy S5 will include software improvements to better take advantage of the 16MP shooter. Very little information has been leaked about the new software, but we expect that its UI will at least be redesigned to fall in line with the other updated GS5 apps.

Galaxy Gear 2 support

Despite the fact that the Galaxy Gear hasn’t been on the market very long, we’ve heard several rumorsthat indicate the Galaxy S5 will launch alongside a next-gen Galaxy Gear. Whether this is a full-blow successor or just a revised variant remains unclear. If a new version of the Galaxy Gear is on its way, we can expect some form of integration with the Galaxy S5.

Whether this is a full-blow successor or just a revised variant remains unclear.

So why would Samsung release the Galaxy Gear 2 so quickly after the original? Since the first-gen hardware received mixed reviews, it’s possible that the company wants to quickly address their mistakes in order to make a bigger dent in the wearable market.

Keep in mind that we don’t know with any certainty whether or not the Galaxy Gear 2 is really on its way in time for MWC.

Pricing and Availability

It’s obviously too early to say exactly when the Galaxy S5 will hit store shelves, where or how much it will cost. That said, we can look back at Samsung’s history to get a better idea on pricing.

Considering the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4 were both $199.99 with two year contract and around $550-600 outright, it’s likely that at least one of the Galaxy S5 models will follow suit. Several rumors have suggested that the premium Galaxy S5 will cost more than past generation Galaxy S handsets, however. How much more is anyone’s guess.

As for availability? Lee Young Hee was quoted not too long ago stating that the Galaxy S5 release date will fall somewhere in March or April. Considering the GS5 will be unveiled at the tail end of February, we imagine early-to-mid March seems likely, but that’s just speculation on our part.

We aren’t so sure on what countries will get the handset when, but we do know that the Galaxy S4 launched with on 327 carriers in 155 countries, so we imagine a similar (or even larger) rollout will occur for the GS5.

Wrap up

Although the Galaxy S4 was a solid handset, there were many folks that felt it was too similar to the Galaxy S3 in terms of design and overall device size (even if the display was larger). We might not know all the specifics about the GS5, but we are fairly confident, based on both rumors and Samsung exec remarks, that the Korean giant is intent on delivering an experience that will truly stand out and take the Galaxy S brand to whole new heights.

What do you think of the Galaxy S5, based on the current rumors? What killer features do you hope to see offered with the next-gen Samsung flagship? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Visa and MasterCard using KitKat feature to push mobile payments

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 18:10:00 +0000

Visa and MasterCard will soon make mobile payments easier, and finally accessible, for some Android users thanks to a feature built into KitKat.

The feature, called Host Card Emulation (HCE) stores credit card information securely in the cloud. That way any app can turn into a mobile wallet app. This is huge for those who want to use their phones to make purchases using NFC, but who don’t have a device or carrier that supports Google Wallet or ISIS.

The current method for mobile payments via NFC involves storing card data in a “secure element” on the phone that only certain apps can access. The catch with this secure element is that it’s often controlled by carriers. That’s what Google Wallet only works on Sprint in the U.S., because Sprint lets the app access the secure element, while other carriers block it on their phones.

HCE lets Visa, MasterCard, Google, and anyone else who wants to get involved, bypass the carriers and enable NFC payments.

Visa seems ready to offer the new feature to developers today, though MasterCard only promises to have its tools ready by July. Hopefully that means we’ll see an update to Google Wallet that supports HCE soon. Banks could also get involved, offering their own mobile payment apps that take advantage of HCE and one-tap payments via NFC.

Like all mobile payment solutions, HCE sounds fantastic, and like it could finally lead to something big. But retailers and other businesses still have to get on board to support mobile payments. Who knows, maybe this time we’ll finally get somewhere. We’ve been down this road before, and let down before, but maybe this time is different.

It has to be different, right? Can this finally be the mobile payments solution that lets us leave our wallets at home when we go to the store without worrying about how we might pay for our groceries?

The Ukrainian immigrant on foodstamps and the Facebook reject: The rise of the WhatsApp duo and how they sold their messaging service for $19 BILLION

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 18:04:00 +0000

The creators of instant messaging service WhatsApp can now comfortably call themselves billionaires after signing a $19 billion deal with Facebook.

But the duo's road to becoming billionaires several times over has been filled with humble beginnings and setbacks

Koum, 37, who co-founded the app with Brian Acton in 2009 co-founded WhatsApp in 2009, and five years later, is now estimated to now be worth about $6.8 billion. But at one point he was a teenage immigrant who lived on food stamps.

The 'long time'-friend of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was just 16 when he moved to the U.S. from Ukraine.

Scroll down for video

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$19 billion richer this morning: Brian Acton (left) and Jan Koum at Whatsapp's family headquarters in Mountain View California last May

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Rags to riches: WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum, 37, has become a billionaire after selling his chat-app to Facebook, where he will now become a member of the board

He was raised in a rural community, in a house with no hot water or electricity, and when the family moved overseas, his mother packed their suitcases with school supplies to save money.

As a young immigrant, Koum and his mother had to rely on food stamps, and in a poignant tribute to his humble past, he chose to sign the deal with Facebook at the same welfare office in Mountain View where he used to queue to get food stamps.

The offices for WhatsApp, an instant messaging service with 450million active users which Koum created with Brian Acton in 2009, are located only a few blocks from the welfare office.

On Wednesday, Acton and Koum stood outside the welfare building as they signed the deal with Facebook, only this time Koum was able to drive there in his Porsche.

His humble beginnings appear to have instilled in him a strong work ethic and dislike for egotism - WhatsApp may be a global phenomenon but it has no sign at its office.

'I can’t see a reason for there being a sign. It’s an ego boost,' he told Forbes. 'We all know where we work.'

Koum and Acton developed WhatsApp in coffee shops and at their homes. It took just a few years for the app to be worth billions of dollars. Facebook has paid $12 billion in stock and $4 billion in cash for WhatsApp, and the founders and employees will be granted $3 billion in restricted stock that will vest over four years after the $19 billion deal closes.

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Humble beginnings: Jan Koum signed the $19billion deal at the welfare office where he used to collect food stamps, located just a few blocks from WhatsApp's officers in Mountain View, California

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Deal: Koum returned to this Mountain View welfare offices to sign the Facebook deal

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Boom: The free instant messaging service created in 2009 has grown faster than Facebook in its five years, and now has more than 450million monthly users around the world

CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the acquisition on his Facebook page, acknowledging his long-standing friendship with Koum in particular. 'I've known Jan for a long time, and I know that we both share the vision of making the world more open and connected.

'I'm particularly happy that Jan has agreed to join the Facebook board and partner with me to shape Facebook's future as well as WhatsApp's.'

Less is known about Acton's background, although his CV ticks a lot of boxes for a typical employee in the tech industry - Stanford University, Apple and Yahoo!

But surprisingly Acton was actually turned down for a job with Facebook, the very company that has signed the deal with Whatsapp, in 2009.

In a tweet on his Twitter account at the time, he had posted: 'Facebook turned me down. It was a great opportunity to connect with some fantastic people. Looking forward to life's next adventure.'

Twitter also appears to have turned Acton down for a job in the same year.

Koum has promised that despite the billion-dollar deal, the app will continue to function in the same way.

In an official statement posted on his own blog, Koum says: 'Almost five years ago we started WhatsApp with a simple mission: building a cool product used globally by everybody.

'Nothing else mattered to us.

'Today we are announcing a partnership with Facebook that will allow us to continue on that simple mission.

'Doing this will give WhatsApp the flexibility to grow and expand, while giving me, Brian, and the rest of our team more time to focus on building a communications service that’s as fast, affordable and personal as possible.

'Here’s what will change for you, our users: nothing.'

Facebook Acquires WhatsApp for a Modest $16 billion (Asians sure know how to code msg apps well!)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 23:51:00 +0000

Facebook will acquire messaging company WhatsApp for $16 billion, Mark Zuckerberg’s company revealed today in a regulatory filing.

As part of the deal, WhatsApp’s shareholders will receive $4 billion in cash and $12 billion in Facebook stock, while employees and founders of the popular messaging service will receive $3 billion in restricted stock units that will vest over four years. According to Facebook, Whatsapp will continue to operate independently and keep its brand. WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum will become a member of Facebook’s board of directors.

In the official announcement, Facebook says that over 450 million people use WhatsApp at least once a month, and of these people, 70 percent use it every day. The number of messages exchanged on the platform is approaching the entire global SMS volume, which is telling for the magnitude of WhatsApp’s reach and influence. And the service doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, with one million users currently joining every day.

“WhatsApp is on a path to connect 1 billion people. The services that reach that milestone are all incredibly valuable,” said Mark Zuckerberg on the deal. Facebook itself can boast the same number of users.

Facebook wants WhatsApp to “set its own direction and focus on growth while also benefiting from Facebook’s expertise, resources and scale”, meaning that the brand will continue to exist more or less unchanged. Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp will co-exist.

The deal comes just days after another messaging service was acquired – Viber was bought by Rakutenfor a comparatively modest $900 million.

If the deal falls through due to a failure to obtain regulatory approval, Facebook will pay WhatsApp a fee of $2 billion in cash and stock. Stay tuned for more.

The iPhone 6 Is Going To Have A Bigger, Higher-Resolution Scratch-Proof Screen, And It's Going To Be Lighter

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 18:28:00 +0000

Federico Ciccarese

Mock up designs for what the iPhone 6 could look like from a designer.

Here's the latest gossip on the iPhone 6. Apple will release two new phones, one with a 4.7-inch screen, and one with a 5.5-inch screen in September, says Angela Meng at the South China Morning Post, citing "industry insiders" who have seen prototypes of the new phones.
The new iPhones will be made out of Sapphire crystal, which is a scratch resistant material that's almost as strong as diamond.
There's another report from Japan on the iPhone 6 that says it's going to have a better FaceTime camera. It also says that despite the bigger screen, the new phone will be lighter than the 4-inch iPhone 5S.
Most of this is either common sense, or a reiteration of what we've been hearing for a while now.
It's worth noting, however, because the more reports pile up about Apple doing two big iPhones, the more likely it becomes.
Apple is the only phone maker with a 4-inch screen size on its main phone. Samsung, HTC, Nokia, and just about everyone else are in the 5-inch range.
Samsung has seen some success with its Note line, which is a 6-inch phone.
Multiple analysts say those giant phones are popular in Asia, and if Apple wants to grab market share in Asia, it needs a "phablet" (phone that's almost as big as a tablet).
It's looking like analysts (and many consumers!) are getting their wish.

Apple Is Ready To Launch A Brand New Version Of iOS That Will Be Like Windows 8

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 18:24:00 +0000

JP Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz has a weird report on the future of Apple this morning.
In his report, he acknowledges that Apple's growth has hit a wall. Revenue was up 6% in the holiday quarter. If Apple hits the high end of its revenue guidance for this quarter, then sales will be up 1% on an annual basis.
Moskowitz blames the slow down on the iPhone and the iPad. The market for the iPhone is getting saturated, and the "iPad has not stepped up to become the next growth chariot."
Even if Apple releases a bigger iPhone as is expected, Moskowitz says it won't move the needle much. People that want big smartphones bought Samsung phones. A bigger iPhone might be a hit with iPhone users, but a bigger screen alone isn't enough to inject growth back into the iPhone line.
So, Apple needs something to get itself cranking once again.
What could it be? An iWatch? An Apple TV?
Moskowitz doesn't mention either of those. Instead, he comes up with something totally different: iAnywhere.

What is iAnywhere? It's a converged operating system, much like Microsoft tried to make a converged operating system with Windows 8. Windows 8 is has a touch based tile system, and a traditional desktop environment under it. Moskowitz vision isn't quite the same, but it's similar.
"While not a new idea, our global tech research team believes Apple could be on the cusp of introducing a new category with 'iAnywhere,' a converged Mac OS - iOS operating system that allows an iPhone or iPad to dock into a specially configured display to run as a computer," says Moskowitz, adding, "We expect Apple to maintain a separate Mac OS for traditional Macs."
How would iAnywhere generate growth for Apple? It's somewhat unclear. Here's Moskowitz's explanation: "In our view, iAnywhere could be the stepping stone to a broader peripherals and services-led sale, partially reducing Apple’s dependence on device-led product cycles."
So. What do we make of this? Frankly, it seems unlikely.
We expect iOS to evolve to fit new product categories like iWatches and Apple TVs. We don't expect it to evolve to work as as desktop computer.
Apple SVP of Marketing Phil Schiller recently talked about the idea of converging mobile and desktop devices. Here's what he said, "It’s not an either/or. It’s a world where you’re going to have a phone, a tablet, a computer, you don’t have to choose. And so what’s more important is how you seamlessly move between them all… It’s not like this is a laptop person and that’s a tablet person. It doesn’t have to be that way."
At the same time, Craig Federighi, who leads Mac (OS X) and iPhone/iPad (iOS) software engineering said, "The reason OS X has a different interface than iOS isn’t because one came after the other or because this one’s old and this one’s new," it's because the Mac "has been honed over 30 years" to work for keyboards and mice, while the iPhone has been honed for five years to work for touch.
And last fall, Apple CEO Tim Cook said, "Our competition is confused. They're turning tablets into PCs and PCs into tablets. Who knows what they're going to do next?"
It's possible these are giant headfakes, or highly nuanced answers. It's possible that in the fall Apple rolls out some sort of converge operating system. There have been reports of Apple releasing a 12-inch iPad. There have also been reports of Apple releasing a new laptop that redefines laptop computing. So, it's not inconceivable it's thinking about something.
However, these are fairly strong responses from Apple's top executives. They don't seem to be all that interested in doing a converged operating system. Apple seems to be most interested in creating great, purpose-built experiences.
As Cook once said, "you can converge a toaster and a refrigerator," but it won't please anyone. Odds are very much against Apple releasing its own toaster-fridge OS called iAnywhere.

Meet Keymonk Keyboard: Thee Top KB for Android Users Today!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 18:19:00 +0000

Often on our YouTube channel we get questions about the little flashes of apps or aspects of our Android builds that you want to know more about. Most recently, many comments asked what keyboard I was using on my Nexus 5. Well, as a way of answering that question, we’re bringing back an old segment just for you. This is How I Android, with the Keymonk Keyboard.

When you first go to the Keymonk Keyboard listing on the Google Play Store, one thing that you will probably first notice is the date listed underneath the pictures. Your eyes do not deceive you – the last time that this keyboard was updated was basically two Christmases ago. Back in 2012 when I used to rock an HTC Incredible, this keyboard made a bit of a splash with its unique approach of two finger swiping and I was an early adopter. Despite being almost 14 months without updates, I have kept up the habit of putting Keymonk on all of my daily drivers. Why? Not only is it the keyboard I’m so used to now, the developer kept the design so simple on this keyboard that it fits perfectly no matter what phone I put it in.

General Features

The Keymonk Keyboard takes on the same kind of setup that many keyboards have – you install the app and then activate and select it within the Language and Input settings. After that, you are given a few quick looks at the different functions. This is a gesture heavy keyboard, in that swiping is basically its main forte. For example, you can swipe from the period key on the keyboard in order to quickly add the most used punctuation marks.

Another swipe you can take advantage of is coming from the symbols toggle and finding whatever symbol you want to insert into your text. When you release your finger, the keyboard will revert back to the original QWERTY layout.

The one that I love the most, however, is definitely the ability to erase whole words by swiping from the delete key to the left. This is very useful especially when you just completely botch an entire word and it almost becomes like a reflex when you get used to it. Whenever I use any other keyboards I tend to try deleting whole words in this fashion and when it doesn’t work I get a little bummed out. It’s just one of those features that I got so used to.

In the settings, you are able to tweak the input a little bit but things are kept pretty simple. Even changing the color scheme of the keyboard only allows you four different colors. As always, I go for the dark theme and it happens to be the default.

And that about does it for the extras in Keymonk – really, it’s a keyboard that fulfills my general requirement of simplistic elegance. Not only is it quite unassuming, there aren’t too many extra bells and whistles because it focuses on working as well as it should.

No updates?

That’s probably what I love most about Keymonk – the fact that it was made so well from the get-go already that it didn’t need to really evolve. I type faster on it than any other keyboard, hands down, and there are no real holes in the design aside from one small gripe – when you are typing in certain apps (mostly Google Voice for me) the right bar of the predictive text line can be completely white, for no apparent reason. It does not take away from the experience one bit and is really just a small cosmetic issue.

Typing

I’m going to put this out there right now – when you get the hang of swiping with two fingers, it’s hard to go back to touch typing. Sure, you can touch type by tapping all of the different letters for your word or you can even swipe with one hand when you need to keep one hand free, but when you are able to speedily combo together swipes and touches in order to quickly create a sentence very rapidly, it’s an absolute breeze that I have yet to experience with any other app.

Essentially what you will be doing is starting your word with the appropriate letter and tracing a path using your thumbs in unison. For the most part you will probably be spelling out your word in their respective sides of the QWERTY layout, so your left thumb will take care of the left side and the right thumb will take care of the right side. As you start to get into the fluid mindset of automatically finding your respective letters for your words, it really starts to open up. Auto spacing allows you to almost never have to press the spacebar and the quick gestures for symbols also add to your overall speed. If you mess up a word, the predictive text line right above the keys give you the next best matches, with very consistent results.

Comparing to other keyboards

There’s really only one other keyboard that I use with the same frequency as Keymonk – the official Google Android Keyboard. It has really come a long way and for one finger swiping it is as reliable as it has ever been. Having the word appear above your thumb as you trace your path is a nice aesthetic touch, and when I first use a phone with the Google Keyboard as the default, it’s usually a good time. But like I said before, two finger swiping just feels like a breeze and is hard not to prefer.

Swiftkey, on the other hand, is probably the most popular quick typing keyboard in the ecosystem right now. I will admit that I don’t use it on the daily, but in the short time that I’ve played with it, the predictive text does work really well once it learns your general speech patterns. It takes on the typical touch typing and one finger swiping approaches, but when the predictive text is getting your entire phrase right, I would argue that it is just as fast as Keymonk, but not faster.

And finally, a few of you talked about Fleksy after seeing the video edition of this How I Android. Yes, it does take on a lot of the swiping gestures that I pine over, like the swipe left to delete whole words, but it is squarely a touch typing keyboard. And I just can’t do tap typing anymore.

Conclusion

Keymonk, aside from just being my keyboard of choice, is an example of an app that basically got it right the first time. I hope that it never gets buried under the evolving Android ecosystem, but until that happens I am happy to use it on any phone past or present because it just works that well. With only one design hole after nearly 14 months without updates, Keymonk is one of my favorite examples of how app development can be kept simple – simply because it will help it stand the test of time. For this new edition of How I Android, I’m happy to show you the keyboard that has become a first install on pretty much any daily driver I use.

What do you think about Keymonk Keyboard? What keyboard do you use? Let us know!

Snapdragon Glance Beta – a dynamic lockscreen that helps boost battery life

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 18:17:00 +0000

We’d all love our smartphone’s to be a little more smart, the new EverythingMe launcher is an excellent example of how this should be done. In an attempt to go one better, Qualcomm has release its Snapdragon Glance application, which combines smart learning with battery improvements. The app has just gone into its beta phase, which has appeared on the Google Play Store. Snapdragon Glance plugs in to Qualcomm’s Battery Guru app that was released last year, which attempts to improve your battery life by learning from your smartphone habits.

Snapdragon Glance is an intelligent lockscreen application which offers up a range of options and notifications based on how you typically use your handset. This is where the Battery Guru app requirement comes in, as Glance uses the Guru app to determine which apps you like to use the most, and which are your most popular contacts.

Once installed, Snapdragon Glance launches each time you turn your screen on. From here you can use Glance or select the Home or Back buttons to access your regular home screen. Glance then displays a list of upcoming appointments, apps that you may be interested in using, frequently used contacts, as well as the weather. There are also some options for customization, but the look and feel of the app isn’t very flexible.

But hold your horses, there’s a catch. Both of the apps will only work on devices that are powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon processors and will require Android version 4.3 or higher.

Glance is still in beta, so the app’s functionality and looks might change a tad before the final release. You can grab Glance for free from the Google Play Store, along with the accompanying Battery Guruapplication.

Deals from

Google Hangouts adding SMS integration, one-tap location sharing, and GIFs starting today

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 01:52:00 +0000

SMS integration is finally coming to Google Hangouts. The company announced the new feature, describing it as one of the most popular requests from users, today during an event in San Francisco. An update to Hangouts to be released today will add support for texting. "You can have one place to manage all of your communication," said Google's Vic Gundotra on stage. The same update will also introduce a one-tap location-sharing feature. “How many times have you been in a conversation with a friend, and the question has come up, ‘Where are you?’” Gundotra said. “There’s simply a button at the bottom, a place button. You click it, and we will get your location from Google Maps and inject it with a single click.”

Hangouts is also adding support for animated GIFs. "In our testing, honestly even I was surprised by how amazing this feature is to express creativity," Gundotra said. Video calls are also getting some improvements. First, video chats will now be in high definition by default, and full-screen calls will be offered on all devices that support Hangouts. To make that experience look better than ever, Google says its Hangouts software will work to fix and enhance webcam lighting on the fly.

SOURCEGOOGLE (YOUTUBE)
RELATED ITEMSTEXTING SMS ANIMATED GIFS VIDEO CHAT LOCATION SHARING GOOGLE HANGOUTS GOOGLE

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Hello SMS is the Best Straightforward, simple SMS App Today!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 01:49:00 +0000

Ever since Google clunkily integrated SMS into Hangouts and killed off the standard SMS app, I’ve been on the hunt for a better text-messaging app. I’ve tried Textra, Sliding Messaging, and even newcomers such as Evolve SMS, but they’ve all let me down in one way or another. Fortunately, I’ve found Hello SMS, a straightforward, simple SMS app that’s good-looking and easy to use. It fully replaces the built-in messaging app on your Android phone and feels like something Google itself could have built.

Hello SMS features a tabbed interface for your conversations (with most recent conversations at the top), trendy circular avatars, a clean design, and a pleasingly light color palette. It has built-in emoji support and timestamps, easy group messaging, and a simple image picker that makes sending pictures a breeze. You can quickly reply to a message right from a notification, call the sender with one tap, or simply mark it as read. If you’re looking to ease the pain of sending messages on your Android phone, download Hello SMS now.

Download it for free for Android.

Flappy Bird dev makes $50,000/day from the collective frustration of 50 million people

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:28:00 +0000

Let the games begin! Sorry, not those games, I am talking about the free to play indie smash hit, Flappy Bird, that is reportedly pulling in over $50,000 per day from in-app advertisements. Game developer Dong Nguyen of .GEARS Studios says that he chose the ad-supported, free to play app style because that is what is popular in Japan right now.

The success of Flappy Bird is a ray of hope for other individual and low budget game developers, as Nguyen built the game in his free time in the evenings. He says he was never looking to become famous or popular, even posting a request on Twitter to kindly be left alone. One quick glance proves that he designed Flappy Bird drawing inspiration from one of his favorite games series growing up, Super Mario. The nostalgia factor is not lost on users, although a significant number of game reviews in the Play Store are very frustrated by the main character’s lips – vehemently pointing out that birds don’t have lips, and that they are large enough to act as airbags in the event of a collision with, say, a large green pipe.

The overwhelming response to this game is that it is frustratingly difficult – drive over your phone with a tank, then throw it into a volcano frustratingly difficult – yet somehow extremely addictive. Not that the actual controls are difficult; simply click to fly up and release to drop back down, with the difficulty in avoiding crashing into obstacles. I read through a bunch of reviews and the number one word used was ‘though.’ Many of the over 208,000 5 star reviews read something like “It ruined my life because I couldn’t put it down, couldn’t beat my previous/friend’s high score… but it’s a good game though.”

Check it out for yourself – download Flappy Bird from the Google Play Store.

Are you one of the 50 million people that have lost themselves to this addictive game? The real question – what is your high score?

Alleged specs of Galaxy Tab 4 leak out ....

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:14:00 +0000

Specifications of supposed Galaxy Tab 4 tablets have leaked out. The report claims Samsung is working on three Galaxy Tab 4 devices and could unveil at the MWC later this month.

The first rumoured tablet is Galaxy Tab 4 8.0, which will either come in Wi-Fi-only, 3G and LTE variants. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 8.0 will feature an 8-inch LCD display (1280×800) along with quad-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB or 1.5GB (LTE only) of RAM, 3 megapixel and 1.3 megapixel cameras, 16GB of internal storage, microSD slot supporting up to 64GB and a 6800mAh battery.

Next up is the Galaxy Tab 4 7.0 that will come in Wi-Fi and 3G variants. The 7-inch tablet will be very similar the 8-inch sibling but will sport a smaller 8GB internal storage and 4450mAh battery.

The Galaxy Tab 4 10.1 is also rumoured to have Wi-Fi, 3G and LTE variants. Along with a large screen size, the tablet will be powered by the same 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB RAM, 16GB internal memory with microSD slot and higher resolution cameras (8 megapixel and 3 megapixel).

All the tablets will run Android 4.4 KitKat.

Samsung considering a three-sided display for Galaxy Note 4, foldable screen for Note 5

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 23:22:00 +0000

It looks like Samsung is getting set to launch a mobile with a “bent” display later this year, with the most likely candidate being the Galaxy Note 4. The device will likely utilise the YOUM three-sided display technology that Samsung demoed last year. This isn’t the first time we’re hearing about a three-sided screen for the Galaxy Note 4, asrumors last month suggested the same thing.

Analysts claim that Samsung will initially look to manufacture around a million units of the device with the three-sided display, and that it would be targeted at a niche audience. Samsung’s first mobile to utilise a curved screen, the Galaxy Round, wasn’t well received, so it makes sense for the South Korean manufacturer to test the waters again instead of doing an all-out launch.

Samsung is said to be investing around $1.9 billion this year in flexible OLEDs, which is a significant investment. At its Analyst Day last year, Samsung executives revealed that the manufacturer would launch a device with a bendable screen this year, with a truly foldable device set to make its debut sometime in 2015. A major roadblock in designing a foldable device is in creating the battery. A source confirmed the same by saying, “Samsung’s battery segment is still way behind compared to its progress in display technology.” However, it looks like the manufacturer is set to rectify this by investing heavily in battery technology this year.

Source

Galaxy S5 might feature a bezel-free screen, embedded fingerprint scanner

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 23:20:00 +0000

The Galaxy S5 rumors are coming in thick and fast now. Last week, it was revealed that Samsung is working on a new fingerprint scanner technology that would make its way onto the Galaxy S5. Today’s rumor corroborates that claim, while further stating that the S5 would come without a home button altogether, and instead feature an embedded fingerprint scanner in its place. An anonymous industry source said that the sensor would allegedly be located on the lower left and right hand corners of the screen, and went on to add that in the coming months, the finger-scanning technology can be utilised anywhere on the screen. “Scanning fingerprints on the entire screen, which was much talked about recently, will be available in the latter half of this year as there are still technological hurdles to overcome.”

Furthermore, the source revealed that Samsung is considering offering a bezel-free screen with the Galaxy S5. In addition to the zero bezel size, the screen would be slimmer as Samsung is working on a screen technology that eliminates two layers. Currently, a screen has four layers, two of which feature ITO (indium tin oxide) films. The new screen would come without these layers. Such a panel would allow for better viewing angles, along with better energy efficiency and increased sensitivity. More sensitivity would allow users to interact with the screen with gloves on. It is not yet clear as to whether any of these technologies would find their way onto the Galaxy S5, but at least we don’t have to wait for long to find out. The South Korean manufacturer is set to unveil the device in two weeks’ time at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and we will be there to bring you all the latest news from the world of Samsung.

Samsung’s Unpacked 5 teaser hints at new interface for the Galaxy S5

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 23:14:00 +0000

Samsung’s official Twitter account has just posted a teaser for the company’s Unpacked 5 event, where the Galaxy S5 is expected to be announced, and the accompanying image might have given away the fact that the S5 will sport a considerably different interface. The image talks of various things, such as Speed (a hint at the new Exynos processor inside the device), Privacy, Outdoor (could the S5 be ruggedized?), Fun, Social, and Fitness, and the way the icons in the image are designed are a good indication of the expected redesign that Samsung’s software is expected to get with the coming of the Galaxy S5 (the icon for S Health, for example, isn’t the same as the one seen on Samsung devices today.)

The Galaxy S5 is expected to sport a 5.25-inch display of 2K resolution, an Exynos 6 octa-core / quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor, 3GB of RAM, 16-megapixel rear camera, 3.2-megapixel front-facing camera, 32/64 GB of storage and a microSD slot, a 3,200 mAh battery, and Android 4.4 KitKat with a refined user interface. It will come in both a metallic and plastic variant, most likely with a fingerprint scanner on-board, and launch in markets sometime in March.

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