If you thought Michael Jackson was the only musician to believe in the magical power of a glove, think again. Imogen Heap has “joined forces with the nerd underworld” to create a new high-tech glove called Mi.Mu that allows you to control sound with…
Google’s Project Ara is expected to make its way into the hands of consumers in January 2015, assuming that everything goes to plan. However what good is a modular smartphone if there aren’t any modules for it, right? Kind of like how BlackBerry hosted a developer marathon to try and get as many BlackBerry 10 apps ready in time for BlackBerry 10’s launch, Google is planning something similar with Project Ara by announcing a $100,000 grand prize.
This $100,000 grand prize will be given to the developer who comes up with the best module. This will be judged based on novelty, functionality, elegance, quality, impact, and commercialization potential. The module also needs to be one that could be used in everyday situations, so modules which are novel but have a very niche purpose probably won’t make the cut.
Google is hoping that with the $100,000 grand prize dangled in front of developers that it will spur them on to create some interesting modules that could be used in the Project Ara handset. However for those who don’t win, there will be two runner-up positions available and those two will be given all-expense paid trips for up to 3 people to the next Project Ara developer conference, as well as guaranteed hardware for their project.
So far we have to admit that we’re pretty excited at the idea of Project Ara and the potential it holds. After all with components that can be easily swapped out for something newer and better, the need to upgrade our entire phone on an annual basis is no longer necessary, not to mention we can finally customize our phones to our liking, not just in software, but hardware as well.
Google Offering $100,000 For Best Project Ara Module , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Cellphones, Google, project ara,
If you’re in the market for a handset that’s affordable, perhaps the upcoming LG L65 might be of interest to you. LG has yet to officially announce the handset and this is pretty much the first time we’ve heard of it, but thanks to a recent post by the ever-reliable @evleaks, a press rendering of the handset along with some of its possible hardware specs have been revealed.
In terms of design, the LG L65 looks pretty simple and straightforward, so if you were after something with no frills, this should be more than capable of getting the job done. As far as hardware specs are concerned, the initial specs revealed by @evleaks shows that the device isn’t exactly flagship quality.
According to his post, the LG L65 will feature a dual-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz, a 4.3-inch display, and a 5MP rear-facing camera. No mention about the phone’s display resolution but chances are it will not be of the Full HD quality. There was also no mention of when the LG L65 will be announced, how much it will cost, or which carrier it will be headed for, but based on its specs, we can only assume that it will not be breaking the bank anytime soon.
LG L65 Press Rendering And Specs Leaked , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Cellphones, Leaked, LG,
So apparently not only is Google working on a redesign for its app icons, but apparently they are also working on a redesign of the Google+ app for Android. This is thanks to a sighting by a Google+ user, Yoel Kaseb, who managed to get his hands on a handful of screenshots of the alleged redesign, although in the process it seems that he has managed to get himself locked out of the APK by Google, thus lending some credibility to his find.
Based on what we can see, it seems like Google has changed the color of the action bar, giving it a red finish, which is a nice contrast to Gmail’s blue action bar and the Calender app’s purple finish. This seems to be in line with Google’s design language so once again, it is possible that the screenshots we are seeing are the real deal. The screenshots also shows off a red overlay when accessing the menu by the side, which we guess is meant to prevent the main content from distracting from the side menu.
Posting a status has changed as well and a window will pop up as opposed to taking users to a separate page. We’re not sure how recent this Google+ app build is, or in what stage of its development that it is in at the moment, so there is a good chance that Google could be changing its design ahead of its release.
The redesign of the app also hints at the rumors we have been hearing about Project Hera, a project worked on by Google that is meant to unify Google’s products and services, both on the web and mobile, and that some of the Google Now cards will be color-coded by their action bars, like what we’re seeing in the screenshots. There’s no way of telling how real any of this is, but with Google I/O taking place in June, perhaps Google will reveal more details then.
Possible Redesigned Google+ App For Android Spotted , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Cellphones, Android, Apps, Google,
The Ouya Chupacabra update has arrived, and with it comes a variety of new features, including one that has been requested by many: audio passthrough for XBMC, bringing support for … Continue reading
We already know Apple is working on improving Siri, but gosh dangit, the folks in Cupertino just aren’t moving as fast as some would like. That’s why a quartet of freshmen at the University of Pennsylvania decided to try making Siri do more on their…
As we’re sure many Sony Xperia SP owners know by now, their handsets will not be upgraded to Android 4.4. Instead the best that Sony will do for them is update it to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, which we guess is still a pretty big leap considering that the phone launched with Android 4.1 when it was first released.
Now the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update has been pushed out back in February but in a recent update that Sony released to help squash some bugs, it seems to have created more problems for certain Sony Xperia SP owners instead, in the form of a flickering display which can prove to be pretty annoying and potentially battery-draining as well.
According to reports by Sony Xperia SP owners, it seems that post-update, they have begun to notice that their handset displays start to flicker which proves to be quite a distraction. So far there have been several methods attempted to fix this problem, such as checking if the screen protector is messing with the phone’s sensor, and some have even gone as far as flashing custom ROMs to see if maybe it could be an issue with the software (no luck).
One of the ways to go about getting rid of this is to revert back to older builds of Android. Sony has yet to comment on the issue but if you’re wondering how the flicker looks like, check it out in the video above for the details. So, any of our readers with Xperia SP handsets experiencing this flicker issue as well?
Sony Xperia SP Users Experiencing Screen Flickering After Recent Update , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Cellphones, Sony, xperia sp,
When it comes to performing search on the iPhone or iOS products, Google is usually set as the default search engine. We’re sure if Apple had their own search engine, they’d probably use it, but given that Google is one of the bigger names at the moment, it is understandable why they chose them over competitors like Yahoo.
Yahoo’s presence in iOS devices is pretty much limited to the native Weather and Stocks apps, but apparently Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer is working on two internal projects that will apparently attempt to convince Apple to make the default search Yahoo and not Google.
This is according to a report from Re/code who states that Mayer is preparing detailed presentations to Apple’s executives to show them what their new mobile search product could look like. We’re not sure what Yahoo could do to convince Apple to change the default search on Safari to Yahoo, but it has supposedly managed to attract the attention of Apple’s SVP of design, Jony Ive.
Like we said earlier, Yahoo’s presence on iOS is somewhat limited. This is compared to Google which is Safari’s default search, and Microsoft’s Bing search engine which is used to help power web searches used by Apple’s voice assistant feature, Siri. Re/code states that the deal between Apple and Yahoo has yet to be finalized.
In fact Apple has yet to be pitched on the idea, but it’s definitely something that Yahoo is working towards. In the meantime how do you guys feel about the idea? Would you like to see Yahoo become your iPhone’s default search?
Yahoo Wants To Become iOS’ Default Search , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Apple, Cellphones, Rumors, iOS, yahoo,
Say you’re out late and you’re in a sketchy neighborhood or somewhere you’re not familiar with, and you’re feeling a little paranoid. Instead of calling your parents, your best friend, or partner to have them keep you company on the phone, there’s now an app for that. It’s called Kitestring and basically what it does is that it lets the user set reminders in which if there is no response, Kitestring will attempt to contact your emergency numbers.
Users will have to key in numbers in which they want to be their emergency contact, like a parent or a friend, and every now and then, Kitestring will send you a text message asking if everything is alright. If the user does not respond within a certain amount of time, Kitestring will then attempt to contact the emergency numbers that you keyed in earlier.
Granted this won’t stop the bad people out there from attempting to mug, kidnap, or even rape you, but at the very least it will let your loved ones know that something could be wrong, as opposed to having to wait for hours or even days before they realize that something is amiss.
We should note that Kitestring isn’t the first of its kind as there are plenty of other apps out there designed for the safety of women in mind, but it definitely makes it onto the list, so if you’re planning a trip to a country you’re unfamiliar with, or planning on working late and want to let your loved ones know, perhaps this is an app worth checking out.
Kitestring App Aims To Help You Get Home Safe , original content from Ubergizmo, Filed in Cellphones, Apps,
Console gamers have a new game they can now purchase online, and it looks like a whole lot of fun. The new game is called Trials Fusion and is the latest game in the Trials franchise, which includes Trials Evolution and Trials HD.
The game is a motorcycle and ATV racing title that promises lots of competition and cutting edge graphics, along with social features. The game supports career and multiplayer modes, and has an in-game track editor that lets players share track designs. Players rack up XP points to move to the top of the leaderboards.
Trials Fusion is a physics-based game and it has a new FMX mode that has players trying to pull off tricks to score the most points. The game has 40 new levels, improved character customization options, and challenges for each track. The game is available on consoles now for $19.99(USD), and will be coming to PC on April 24.
[via MajorNelson]
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