Hasta La Gadget!

There’s a collection of factory images prepared by Google just waiting for the final push to airwaves for Android 4.4 KitKat on the remaining Nexus smartphones out in the wild this week. Meanwhile the Nexus 4, the smaller of the two smartphones offered up by Google right this minute, is seeing its Android 4.4 KitKat […]

Google is not particularly great at keeping secrets. Its Nexus devices always leak and peeks at code are constantly revealing features before they’re announced. So, it’s no surprise that, exactly one month after we reported references to a Google Play Newsstand popping up, Mountain View is taking the wraps off the new content hub. Like its Apple counterpart, it will play home (get it?) to both newspaper and magazine subscriptions, and it’ll even pull in articles from sites and blogs you choose to follow (like this one, we hope). And, even though you’ll be able to have your New York Times subscription delivered through Newsstand, you’re not forced to use it. The stand alone Times app will continue to be available directly from your home screen.

Articles viewed through the new Newsstand app will be specifically formatted for your tablet or phone, complete with images, audio or video inline. And they’ll be available offline so you can can catch up on your news, even if you happen to be on one of the few flights left in the US without WiFi. And, if you come across something particularly interesting, but don’t have the time right now for a 4,000 word expose on how Facebook uses your personal data, you can mark it to read later.

Filed under: Internet, Software, Mobile, Google

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Source: Google Play Newsstand

It’s hardly show-stopping news out of Cupertino today, but gadget fiends hoping to wrap their holiday tech shopping without leaving home now have one more option in their tablet-friendly arsenal. It’s the Apple Store app for iPad, and it’s coming soon to a slate near you. The application, designed specifically to take advantage of the iPad’s added screen real estate, is a big step up from its iPhone equivalent. There’s a bounty of high-res product images with full pinch-to-zoom support, intuitive category links and detailed product info, including explanations for certain device add-ons, like increased storage or wireless connectivity. Curiously, this version lacks the in-store options available with the Apple Store app for iPhone, such as the EasyPay checkout feature that launched way back in 2011. Fire up your iPad and hit up the source link to check it out.

Filed under: Household, Tablets, Software, Apple

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: Apple (iTunes)

After jumping aboard the WebKit train and launching a dedicated browser for the iPad, Opera’s now turned its attention to Android tablets. With the release of Opera 18 for Android, the company is quick to note that it didn’t just update and scale up its smartphone browser: navigation and menu buttons have been strategically placed to where your fingers naturally rest and its improved Discover feature lets you swipe between newspaper and magazine content that has been matched to your interests and location. Like with all its browsers, Opera’s Android tablet app comes complete with data-saving capabilities. Off-Road mode is designed to help you stay online when you’re on a public Wi-Fi connection or trying to reduce your data usage, basically when connectivity is less than ideal. Underpinned by Google’s Chromium 31 framework, Opera’s big-tablet app is available on Play Store right now — check the source to grab it.

Filed under: Tablets, Software, Mobile

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Source: Opera for Android (Google Play), Opera Press

As part of its effort to better leverage KitKat, version 2.1 of Todoist now uses the power of Google Now for adding new tasks to those lists of reminders. The update allows users to speak “OK Google” followed by “note to…” and the item to be completed. For example, you’d speak “note to make dinner reservations” or some such. This voice command will then add the task to a to-do list automatically without the need to access the app or enter it in manually with the keypad. If you’re of the sort that likes motivation on your lockscreen, Todoist also plays nice with DashClock now — a third-party widget for that particular tract of screen real estate. Here, the tally of tasks (with no details) that are overdue, for the day or for the entire week are displayed without unlocking device. Now if we could only get the app to order cupcakes when all our work is done, we’d really be in business.

Filed under: Software

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Source: Google Play, Todoist Blog