Category: Tech

Google Introducing Helpouts: Help when you need over live video

What if feat serve for a computer fault, a tattling tube, or a prep job was as casual as clicking a fasten? What if you could interact via real-time recording to a penalization educator or a yoga pedagogue from the succour of your interior? What if you could get someone knowledgeable to get you “unstuck” when you real need it?

Today, google announcing Helpouts-a new way to get and render meliorate over elastic recording. Our end is hastate: supply group serve apiece else. google requirement to use the lav and efficiency of the web to enable everyone, no weigh where they are or what example it is, to easily infix with someone who can improve.

Provide mightiness be a excitable work to a difficulty you’re having correct now, suchlike how to fix your garage door, or how to shift a computer virus; or it power be content completing a cast, similar construction a coldcock. It might be learning a new accomplishment, equivalent how to mouth conversational Country or how to pulling cartoons; or it mightiness be systemic advice on how to ameliorate your suitableness or your composition (I could use this reactionary now).

With Helpouts, you can select who you get forbear from supported on their qualifications, their availability, their soprano, their ratings and reviews. You can join directly or assemblage in suggest. You can get forbear from individuals or from brands you already copulate and trait, equivalent Sephora, One Examination, Weight Watchers, Redbeacon (a Domestic Depot complement), and Rosetta Architect. Erstwhile you’re in a Helpout, you can do author than fair talk-you can distribute your computer door, collaboratively alter a informing, or record your Helpout. And if the experience doesn’t experience your expectations, google furnish a brimfull money posterior the root. google turn bittie and in a few categories. The determine of group sharing cater on Helpouts and the identify of amend visible present grow over time. Helpouts may not be fit for every happening, and it will tolerate dimension to get old to interactions via historical period video. google expectation that the efficiency, can and spheric hit of Helpouts gift create people’s lives easier in the elongate.

Nov 5, 2013
All you need to know about Nexus 5
After weeks of speculation, Google and LG have officially announced the Google LG Nexus 5.

LG-Google Nexus 5’s technical specifications –
4.95-inch 1920×1080 display (445 PPI) – Corning Gorilla Glass 3 – Android 4.4
KitKat – Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, 2.3GHz quad-core processor – Adreno 330,
450MHz GPU – 8 megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilisation – 1.3
megapixel front camera – 16GB or 32GB internal storage (actual formatted
capacity will be less) – 2GB RAM – 130 grams weight – 69.17×137.84×8.59 mm –
Dual-band WiFi (24G/5G), 3G/4G LTE – NFC (Android Beam) – Wireless charging –
2300 mAh battery – Standby time up to 300 hours – 16GB for Rs 28,999, 32GB for
Rs 32,999

Read more at: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/google-nexus-5-with-android-44-kitkat-launched-16gb-for-rs-28999-32gb-for-rs-32999/431647-11.html?utm_source=ref_article

Google Nexus 5 is the first to run Android 4.4, which brings a new dialer that automatically suggests people the most likely call while Caller ID by Google matches an incoming phone number to a business even if that number isn’t stored in the contact list. Users can send and receive text messages directly from Hangouts, and Hangouts for Android now supports location sharing.
The 5-inch display makes it suitable to fit in the palm of your hands, but while carrying it in my pocket while walking through San Francisco, it sort of felt like it was out of place — perhaps I’ve grown too accustomed to the fact that I’ve had 3- to 4-inch phones for the past few years. Although you can hold the device in one hand, it doesn’t immediately feel comfortable enough size to manage all your affairs as such. Trying to type out emails or using certain apps required the use of both hands.
Price tag of Rs. 28,999 for the 16GB variant ($349 in the US) and Rs. 32,999 for the 32GB variant ($399 in the US).

Google Nexus 5 technical specifications
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 with 2.26GHz Quad-Core Krait CPU
Operating System: Android 4.4, KitKat
Display: 4.95-inch full-ID IPS (1920 x 1080 pixels)
Network: CDMA/1xRTT/EVDO, GSM/GPRS/EDGE, WCDMA/HSPA+, LTE
Internal storage: 32GB / 16GB
RAM: 2GB
Camera: Rear 8.0-megapixel with OIS / Front 1.3-megapixel HD
Battery: 2,300mAh Li-Polymer (embedded)
Size: 137.84 x 69.17 x 8.59mm
Weight: 130g
Others: Wireless charging, NFC
- The soft touch backside gets fingerprint-tastic, and fast. I had to wipe it almost constantly for our hands on photos. For reference, I’m using the black device and don’t have particularly oily hands.
- With Android 4.4, Google Search is now automatically integrated into every single page of homescreen launcher, and can be triggered by voice through an “Okay, Google” hot keyword. Search is always just there. It’s quite nice.
- Google Now is now always the left-most screen on your homescreen, which is a smart move on Google’s part.
- It’s smooth. Really smooth. Every transition, every fade in – it’s like butter.
- The camera seems above average, but not mind blowing.
- Android 4.4 overhauls the dialer, with the main feature being a knowledge of nearby businesses. Just type a business name into the same field where you’d normally type the first few letters of your friends name, and it pulls up the details for nearby locations. In my early tests, this feature works very well. Typing “Starbucks” pulled up 8+ locations near me (hey, it’s San Francisco), broken down by their location, each offering their phone number at a click. It works in reverse, too; I had one of those Starbucks locations call me, and the phone identified the caller as such. Google says all this data is piped in from Google Maps
- In Google’s HDR+ mode (which takes photos in rapid succession and combines the best parts of each into one photo), the camera can be slow.
- While Android 4.4 is largely focused on optimizations that allows it to run on lower-end devices, there are a number of lil’ subtle changes that really spruce up the place. The top bar and bottom nav bar are both translucent now, allowing the homescreen background to go fullbleed across the screen . The widgets drawer has been moved out from the pop-up app drawer (which always seemed like a weird location), and back to being behind a long press on the home screen (like it was in Android of yesteryear).
Nov 2, 2013
Motorola Announces “Project Ara”.Pick your own Hardware now.

Motorola has declared a autonomous gaping instrumentation construction for smartphones titled “Project Ara.” The goal is to create a modular smartphone that would portion users to exchange instrumentation components at give. Motorola says it wants to “do for element what the Android platform has finished for software: create a spirited third-party developer ecosystem, lower the barriers to entry, process the rate of creativity, and substantially tighten utilisation timelines.”

Cast Ara consists of an “endoskeleton” soul and various element modules. Quasi to a screen computer slip, the endoskeleton would cater slots for opposite modules. According to Motorola, “a module can be anything, from a new usage processor to a new pass or keyboard, an actor bombardment, a pulse oximeter-or something not yet mentation of!” Pictures pretence a someone with spots for perpendicular inserts. Each interval has element contacts that infix the attach to the set of the phone.

Motorola is teaming up with Phonebloks, a companionship with a quasi idea, to accomplish this a reality. Motorola is letting enthusiasts clue up to be “Ara Observe.” Scouts are involved members of the accord who can afford feedback and get ideas virtually the design. The most acrobatic members faculty get aweigh devices when Contrive Ara launches, which Motorola says should be nigh a gathering from now.

When Google bought Motorola a period and a half ago, everyone wondered what the look colossus would do with a constituent visitant. It looks equivalent its big guidance has been revealed. If the purpose takes off, modular radiotelephone phones could difference the business. Motorola has a lot of win to do prototypal, though.

Oct 31, 2013
Google+ starts offering custom URLs to accounts

Google has announced custom URLs now rolling out to almost everyone. If you don’t see the option yet on your Google+ profile or Google+ Page, don’t worry: Google says it is expanding availability throughout the week.
For those who don’t know what custom URLs (also called vanity URLs) are, here’s quick example. Currently, my Google+ profile is located at https://plus.google.com/u/0/111529176503588224632/. If I were to get a custom URL, I could maybe changed it to plus.google.com/+<myownname> swapping out the string of numbers for something that is much easier to share.

If your profile meets the following criteria, you’ll now be able to claim a custom URL:
– Has a profile photo, and
– Has at least 10 followers, and
– Has an account that’s at least 30 days old
Meanwhile, any brand or business that has a linked website or is a verified local business can claim a custom URL for their Google+ page. Link and verification info is available in the Google+ Help Center: http://goo.gl/RMpxP.
Once you meet the eligibility criteria, just visit your profile or page to begin the claiming process. If you don’t see the option yet, don’t worry: we’re expanding availability throughout the week, and you’ll see the in-product notice as soon as your custom URL is ready.

Oct 30, 2013
Firefox 25.0 released
Mozilla has once again released a new version of Firefox a few hours early on its FTP servers. Firefox 25 is now available for download for Windows, Mac and Linux from that location, but will likely launch the latest public build of the web browser on Tuesday via the automatic update feature or on Firefox.com. The Android version of Firefox 25 will also likely become available on Google Play on Tuesday as well.

What’s New
- Get it Now
Oct 29, 2013
Nokia’s first Windows tablet Lumia 2520

Nokia has expanded its Lumia lineup by introducing a pair of new devices: a larger 6-inch smartphone and an entirely new product for the company, a Windows tablet. Both were revealed at the Finnish company’s Nokia World event in Abu Dhabi. Nokia also made several app announcements for its devices and the Windows Phone platform, the major one involving Instagram — the official word from Nokia is that the photo-sharing app will arrive on Windows-powered mobile devices in “the coming weeks.”
It’s packing LTE, and a 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 CPU inside, with a bright 10.1-inch 650nit screen made out of Gorilla Glass 2. Nokia showed off a video demonstrating its outdoor readability in sunny Abu Dhabi, bright enough to check out Flipboard on Windows RT. With 1920 x 1080 display viewing angles are great and the brightness is equally impressive. Color reproduction is incredibly accurate, and it’s clear Nokia has really aimed high with the display on its first tablet.It also packs the Storyteller app seen on the 1520, along with a 6.7MP rear camera featuring Zeiss optics and a 2MP front facing camera.

As with other Windows RT devices, Nokia’s tablet gets the entire Microsoft Office RT suite with Word, Excel, Powerpoint and now Outlook. You also get some Nokia exclusives, like Nokia Music and the Nokia HERE maps. The company is also offering its own Nokia Power Keyboard, a wraparound cover that functions as a keyboard and trackpad, and will give the tablet five extra hours of battery life.

While the Surface 2 has its own Touch and Type Covers, Nokia has opted for a Power Keyboard. It adds a Surface-like keyboard and trackpad, alongside two USB ports and a boost of five hours to the battery life. Nokia says the Lumia 2520 should get 11 hours by itself, so it’s possible this device will reach 16 hours in total with the cover attached.

LTE included, the Lumia 2520’s unsubsidized price is $499 in either a red/white glossy finish, or cyan and black matte paintjob when it ships in Q4. Also included are quick charging capabilities that let its 800mAh battery go from drained to 50 percent charge in just 40 minutes. The Nokia Power Keyboard accessory shown above costs an extra $149, and promises an extra five hours of battery life plus two extra USB ports. Check after the break for a full list of specs and a video demo, we’ll have hands-on impressions of the new slate from Nokia World in just a moment.

Oct 24, 2013
Firefox OS – LG Fireweb and Alcatel One Touch Fire Launched

Telefonica and Mozilla have just announced that LG Fireweb and Alcatel One Touch Fire powered by Firefox OS are now available for purchase in Brazil. Telefonica has also confirmed that more Firefox OS phones will be released soon in Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.
The LG Fireweb has been confirmed to arrive with a

– 4-inch capacitive touchscreen display

– 5-megapixel rear-facing camera

– Firefox OS (1.1).

According to Mozilla, the smartphone features Facebook integration, and comes pre-loaded with games and apps such as Cut the Rope, Twitter, HERE Maps with offline capabilities, Firefox Web browser and Firefox Marketplace.

“We intend to offer a totally new experience to the customer at affordable prices and where the features and the evolution of the system will be defined by the immense Firefox OS developer community and not for any particular company,” said President of Telefónica Vivo, Antonio Carlos Valente, Firefox OS.

Additional apps can be downloaded via Firefox Marketplace, including Badoo, Box, Poppit, KAYAK, SoundCloud, The Weather Channel, TimeOut, TMZ and Tuenti.
With the latest Firefox OS (1.1), users will be offered many performance improvements, as well as new features such as MMS messaging. Those who already own a Firefox OS-based smartphone will be able to upgrade to this version very soon.
“We built Firefox OS as part of Mozilla’s mission to put the power of the Web in people’s hands and offer the best Web experience possible. We’re happy to see Firefox OS gain momentum with partners launching new devices in new markets and developers around the world being inspired to innovate.

Try Firefox OS in your browser right now !

“Our partnership with Telefónica Vivo demonstrates the rich, new experiences offered on Firefox OS by combining the best global and local content with LG’s elegant new device experience,” concluded Jay Sullivan, COO of Mozilla.

Oct 24, 2013
How to Install Ubuntu Touch 13.10 on Your Phone/Tablet

Ubuntu Touch 13.10 is a new operating system from Canonical aimed at phones, but it’s not as easy installing it on your phone as it is on the desktop.
Canonical provides all the necessary tools for the installation of Ubuntu Touch 13.10. This is very good news because installing the operating system manually can be a hassle.
First of all, the operating system can’t be used on just any phone/phablet. For development reasons, Canonical limited its use to Nexus devices:

Galaxy Nexus – maguro (GSM/HSPA+ Variant)
Nexus 4 – mako
Nexus 7 – grouper
Nexus 10 – manta
List of other unofficially supported devices

To install the tools you will need to enter a few easy commands in a terminal:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:phablet-team/tools sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install phablet-tools android-tools-adb android-tools-fastboot
Users also have to make sure that their phone is set up for development use. Go to Settings / About Phone and tap the Build number 7 times. A short message will let you know if you’ve taken the right steps.

From the new menu that has been unlocked through the previous method, Developer options, you have to enable USB debugging. When the option is ticked on the phone, a message that informs the user about a paring will appear. Accept, and now you’re almost ready.
The last step before starting the installation is to back up your Android. The same adb tools are used. Just open a terminal and enter the following command:
adb backup -apk -shared –all
If you’re going to reinstall Android, open a terminal and run this command:
adb restore backup.ab
The final command should take care of everything and you should run it with sudo, just to make sure. Open a terminal and enter this command:
phablet-flash ubuntu-system --no-backup
The process should run without any problems and the device will eventually boot into Ubuntu Touch. Do not stop the terminal and do not interrupt the process.
These are the simple steps you have to follow, and they should work on the supported devices without any problems.

Oct 21, 2013
Samsung announces Galaxy Round with flexible, curved display
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd on Wednesday launched the world’s first smartphone with a curved display, a variant of the Galaxy Note which moves the Asian giant a step closer to achieving wearable devices with flexible – even unbreakable – screens.

We have seen smartphones in the past with convex curved glass panels, including the Galaxy Nexus, but this new display from Samsung is actually a flexible OLED model. LG is also working on a flexible OLED panel.

Looking at the specifications of the new Galaxy Round, we see it looks to be comparable to the new Note 3 with:
- 5.7 inch full HD Super AMOLED display
- 3GB RAM
- quad-core 2.3 GHz processor
- 13 megapixel camera
- 32GB internal storage
- S Pen functionality
The Galaxy Round is a few grams lighter, likely due to the 2,800 mAh battery rather than the 3,200 mAh one found in the Note 3.

Sony’s 3D viewer is up for pre-orderThe “gravity effect,” promises to expand the role of gestures by rocking the device with a finger to see a music-focused interface that highlights your tunes.

Samsung is taking the physical design of the Galaxy Round and adding software enhancements that include the ability to view information by tilting/rocking the device. You can even control music by pressing down on one side while it rests on a table. The rocking motion plays previous or next tracks.

First Look at Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch

Like many features of Samsung phones, these may be considered gimmicky. Then again, there is a wide range of user experiences and Samsung has been quite successful at targeting a broad market of Android users.

The Galaxy Round will initially be available in Luxury Brown in Korea with more colors and availability soon.
Oct 9, 2013
Valve Announce SteamOS powered by Linux

Valve has lifted the lid on the first of it’s three announcements and it’s a corker: say hello to SteamOS…

Yep, you read that right: Valve are to release their own Linux-powered operating system.

The OS “combines the rock-solid architecture of Linux with a gaming experience built for the big screen,” according to the announcement. In-house streaming to a TV, similar to what’s used in Nvidia’s Shield, is a feature of the OS.

Why an operating system? “As we’ve been working on bringing Steam to the living room, we’ve come to the conclusion that the environment best suited to delivering value to customers is an operating system built around Steam itself,” the company’s announcement reads. Valve says that by working at the operating system level, they’ve managed to improve graphics performance, and can also improve audio and reduce controller latency.

Valve are pitching SteamOS as being the heart of their plans for living room (read: Steambox console) gaming, saying:

SteamOS combines the rock-solid architecture of Linux with a gaming experience built for the big screen.”

Valve also emphasises SteamOS’s openness—it’s not the closed system you find on consoles. Users can “can alter or replace any part of the software or hardware they want,” and hardware manufacturers are free to “iterate in the living room at a much faster pace.”

Steam is not a one-way content broadcast channel, it’s a collaborative many-to-many entertainment platform, in which each participant is a multiplier of the experience for everyone else. With SteamOS, “openness” means that the hardware industry can iterate in the living room at a much faster pace than they’ve been able to. Content creators can connect directly to their customers. Users can alter or replace any part of the software or hardware they want. Gamers are empowered to join in the creation of the games they love. SteamOS will continue to evolve, but will remain an environment designed to foster these kinds of innovation.

Steam OS will be available for anyone to download and install on their computers for free, as well as ‘freely licensable’ for manufacturers to install on PCs.

Official Mini-site : http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamOS/

Sep 23, 2013