Google prepping an Androidbook, smartwatch, and ‘over-the-top’ TV box, but neither will appear at Google I/O

tagged Androidbooks, smartwatches

Earlier we told you what the specs are going to be for the updated Nexus 7 according to KGI securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Ironically, Kuo has a very good track record when it comes to predicting Apple products. Other than revealing the Nexus 7 specs he said that Google will be coming out with an Androidbook laptop, and “over-the-top” TV box, and a smartwatch, but unfortunately we won’t see them next week at Google I/O since they are only in the planning stages.

We have already heard rumors about an Androidbook and a smartwatch so this isn’t surprising, but it’s further confirmation. As far as a TV box, this is something I, and a lot of our readers, have been hoping for. Google TV has been a huge disappointment, and I am still trying to figure out why they bothered with the Nexus Q. A TV box is desperately needed, and I can only wish that it would debut next week at Google I/O, but it appears that won’t be the case.

source: AppleInsider

Samsung Galaxy S 4 Zoom confirmed to have 10X optical zoom, spotted in Bluetooth SIG

tagged Galaxy S 4 Zoom, Samsung

Earlier in the week the Samsung Galaxy S 4 Zoom was revealed to be a smartphone that will be all about the camera. The specs of the device will be more like the S 4 Mini, but the camera will be better than the Galaxy S 4 based on the fact that it will be 16-megapixels. What about optical zoom? That’s something we have all been dying for in a smartphone. Turns out the Galaxy S 4 Zoom will sport a 10x optical zoom according to Russian analyst Dmitry Ryabinin. It’s not up there with the 21x zoom that was in the Galaxy Camera, but this one is going to be an actual smartphone.

The S4 Zoom is rumored to be released in mid-June and further evidence supporting that is the fact that it appeared at Bluetooth SIG already. We could see an announcement in the next couple of weeks.

sources: [email protected] / Bluetooth.org
via: PhoneArena

MediaTek quad-core MT6589T benchmark yields positive results

tagged mediatek

MediaTek jumped into the quad-core game a couple of months ago with the announcement of the MT6589. MediaTek has always been known to be in lesser known brands in China, but the likes of Sony are realizing the potential that MediaTek offers. For instance, the turbo version of the MT6589 (MT6589T) was just benchmarked with some very positive results. Now you guys know I am not a fan of benchmarks because they don’t translate to everyday use, but they do give you a good idea for comparing one chip to another.

The latest AnTuTu result was 14,525, which isn’t Snapdragon 600 levels, but then again this is isn’t for high-end phones. It’s right on par with the Snapdragon S4 Pro, which makes this chip a worthy contender in the budget game.

source: GizChina

Updated Nexus 7 specs revealed by analyst

tagged Google, Nexus 7

We are expecting to see an updated Nexus 7 next week at Google I/O, and although we already had a pretty good idea of the specs, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed everything but the kitchen sink. Now before you start wondering if Ming-Chi Kuo is worthy, he ironically has a darn good track record when it comes to predicting Apple products. On the other hand, it’s not like he is revealing anything earth shattering.

As expected, the display is going to be 7-inches and have a resolution of 1900 x 1200, which is a very nice upgrade. We already knew that Qualcomm was the chosen one for the CPU, but which one? Sadly it looks like the Snapdragon S4 Pro instead of the Snapdragon 600. This is a little disappointing to me, but this is a price tablet and the S4 Pro is more than enough for the average consumer. Another interesting spec is that it will sport a 5MP rear-facing camera which was absent in the original Nexus 7. Lastly the battery is 4,000mAh, which is actually smaller than the original Nexus 7 (4,325mAh). I was never all that thrilled with the battery life on the Nexus 7, so this is a little concerning. Nothing was mentioned on a 3G or 4G version, but with the Snapdragon in place, I am hopeful they will offer an LTE version at some point.

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TalkAndroid Daily Dose for May 9, 2013

tagged Daily Doses

With hectic schedules, it can be hard to keep track of everything in your news feed. That’s why we created the TalkAndroid Daily Dose. This is where we recap the day’s hottest stories so you can get yourself up to speed in quick fashion. Happy reading!!

Apps

New Google Translate update allows users to take Phrasebook on the go and brings camera-to-translate function to 16 new languages

Flipboard updates app to enable user created magazines, interaction with desktop web version

Apex Launcher v2.0 available, new features for both free and pro versions, integrates Apex Notifier

ITV Player updated, now exclusive for Samsung users through August 31st

Carmageddon shows up in the Play Store with a free promo version for 24 hours

Carriers

AT&T launches a new bring-your-own-phone pre-paid service called AIO Wireless

Google

Portland tech startup Instrument teams up with Google to create Map Diving, a realistic skydiving simulator

» Read the rest

Recent Samsung patent filings reveal how flexible displays will work

tagged flexible displays, patents, Samsung

We were hopeful that we would see Samsung’s flexible display by the end of the year, but 2014 seems more likely. In the meantime, we can get a little taste of what is coming from a couple of patent filings. The first one is based on the overall design and interaction from the controller that detects how much the display is bent. The above image shows a controller that controls the image displayed based on bending information received by the sensor. The display can be bent concavely or convexly and the display will zoom in or zoom out accordingly. You can even roll the display. The touch screen is capacitive and includes a top film, a first layer, and second layer. The bottom includes the ”bending detection part”.

» Read the rest

Ouya gets $15 million in new funding and delays launch by 3 weeks

tagged Ouya

We have good news and bad news regarding the Ouya gaming console. The good is that they secured an additional $15 million in new funding to help meet increased demand. Now with the bad: Remember that June 4th launch that we reported about? Unfortunately that has been delayed, but thankfully not too much. They are now looking at launching June 25, which ironically is just after the E3 Gaming show. I guess there is one other piece of good news in that they were able to fix an issue they had with the controller’s buttons getting stuck under the faceplate. All units will have the updated controller.

At this point there doesn’t seem to be a delay for those that were Kickstarter backers, which should be fulfilled by the end of May. Full press release after the break.

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TalkAndroid Daily Dose for May 8, 2013

tagged Daily Doses

Reviews

Boulder Dash XL [Brain & Puzzle]

Apps

Rovio updates Bad Piggies with 15 new levels, 2 new items

WeatherBug gets a new update that brings redesigned user interface, hourly forecasts, and more

Google Earth for Android receives update, adds Street View

Google I/O Android app updated with new features for 2013

Carriers

AT&T adds more LTE markets, on pace to reach 250 million Americans by end of year

T-Mobile revenues dip, but customer base growing

Verizon offering “Red Hot Deal Days” until May 12 on select devices for Mother’s Day

Google Glass

Google Glass sensors revealed, expect a lot of augmented reality apps soon

Phones

AT&T offers the HTC First smartphone for under a buck

ImaGination Begins on May 30 at LG event

New color of the DROID RAZR M and DROID RAZR HD on the way to Verizon stores

Release dates for Galaxy Mega, Galaxy S 4 Mini, Galaxy S 4 Zoom, and Galaxy S 4 Activ Leaked

Sharp unveils AQUOS Phone Xx SoftBank 206SH with 5-inch 1080p CG-Silicon display and two-days of battery life

5-inch Sony Xperia A drops by the FCC with a removable battery

Vivo announces high-end, pricey phablet coming in late May

ROMs

Release candidates for CyanogenMod 10.1.0 start making their way to select devices

Updates

New build of Sense 5.1 surfaces for HTC Butterfly smartphone, tries to give a little taste of Android 4.2.2 in the process

Miscellaneous

Ouya console gets high ratings from iFixit, easily disassembled and repaired

Apple wants source code records in Samsung trial and looks in Google’s direction in the process

Samsung sitting on over $28 billion in cash at the end of March

Featured Android Game Review: Boulder Dash XL [Brain & Puzzle]

tagged Featured Android Apps, Featured Android Game Reviews

HeroCraft has done it again. Fans of the 80s classic Boulder Dash will want to take a look at this one because it not only has the original version, but a new updated version with better graphics and gameplay. Boulder Dash XL was co-developed with First Star Software and is the same exact game that’s available on both the Xbox 360 and PC. You can play either Rockford or Crystal as you dig through caves to collect diamonds within the time limit.

Boulder Dash XL gives you 100 caves to explore that delivers all kinds of obstacles and enemies such as falling boulders, trap doors, magic walls, Amoebas, Wild Walkers, Fuzzy Flies, Fuzzy Walkers, Radical Radiators, and so much more. You get a telescopic arm to move large boulders as well as dynamite for bigger jobs. Control options are a plenty. You can choose touch/swiping or an on screen D-pad. You can place the D-pad on the right or left side or you can split them.

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Google Glass sensors revealed, expect a lot of augmented reality apps soon

tagged Google Glass

Now that more and more people are getting their hands on the Google Glass Explorer Edition, the information is trickling in. The majority of specs were revealed a couple of weeks ago, but nothing was released regarding the sensors. Well developer Lance Nanek was able to find the complete list of sensors by pushing an Android app to the device using debug mode. For now the mirror API only allows for getting the location every 10 minutes, but at some point these other sensors will be enabled.

One of the powerful features that Glass offers is the ability to get notifications without having to look at your phone, but where the real stuff is involves other augmented reality apps. Playing games like Ingress, finding hotspots in the city, or getting navigation instructions all sound intriguing. Hit the break for the complete list and video from Lance showing that they actually work.

» Read the rest

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