Samsung condensed a few of the camera modes into “Shot & More” with the Galaxy S 5. This makes it a lot easier as all you have to do is press the shutter button, and it will take a series of burst shots. Soon after, the device will tell you what editing modes are available based on what happened in the shot. You will have your choice of Best Shot, Best Face, Drama Shot, Eraser, and Panning Shot. All options were available last year as separate modes other than Panning Shot, which is brand new. The best part of all of this is that you can make as many edits as you want after the fact, which is something you couldn’t do on the Galaxy S 4.
In this video, I walk you through how to get into the “Shot & More” mode as well as how to make your edits and save your images. Check it out after the break, and be sure to hit up all our Galaxy S 5 guides.
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Samsung made some changes to the Camera app with the Galaxy S 5. It still offers a lot of different modes, but they simplified things and added the ability to further edit after the fact.
The Mode button is still the heart of everything, but you will find fewer choices. Drama Shot, Best Face, Best Shot, Eraser Mode, and Panning Shot (new) are now part of “Shot & More.” When using this mode, you will be able to choose which effect you want to apply to the photo, and you don’t have to do it right away. You will also find a “Download” option for installing more modes from Samsung Apps. This makes perfect sense since you don’t need to clutter your phone with modes that you don’t plan on ever using. Lastly, HDR mode adds real-time previews for both images and videos.
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While cloud storage providers continue to battle for market share and a profitable business model, some people are turning to personal cloud devices. These devices typically connect to a home network and function like cloud storage services via user provided hardware as opposed to a corporate server farm. At CES 2014 we saw a new entrant in this market, LyveHome, a from Seagate Technology spin-off Live Minds, Inc. being headed up by former Apple executive Tim Bucher. The LyveHome web site is now accepting pre-orders for the $300 device.
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The they will, they won’t saga of Amazon releasing a smartphone seems to be heading firmly in the “they will” direction, and we’re finally seeing leaks and rumors about the “killer features” that the company will be boasting to sell its new smartphone. Currently, Amazon is toying with the idea of adding customizations to the device, the device is said to have 3D effects among other hardware and software tweaks. According to “trusted sources” close to BGR though, those would be just a few selling points among an even larger selling point.
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Another day, another Google Glass security concern. As the new tech continues to make its way into the mainstream, these occurrences will become all the more common. Having something that sits on your face, sticking out like a sore thumb, with a camera on it, will make anyone a bit apprehensive. It’s something that Glass Explorers — pioneers on the wearable glasses front — continue to face. Well one glass explorer, who has already had her fair share of news coverage regarding Glass, has had another negative experience.
Cecilia Abadie, who won a case against a ticket for driving with Glass, was told by United Airlines flight attendants to take off her Google Glass. She posted this on her Google+ account:
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The Galaxy S 5 sure has a lot of features on it, but do consumers really care? Samsung seems to think so. In their latest commercial, they detail some of these features such as Selective Focus, enhancing photos before you take the shot, how S Health helps you with your overall fitness, and how you don’t have to worry about spilling a drink on it. Of course a Samsung commercial isn’t a Samsung commercial without a dig at Apple. The iPhone isn’t the focal point in this spot, but they do mention that the GS5 has double the megapixels. Hit the break for the 60 second spot.
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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!!
Guides
How to use S Health on the Galaxy S 5
Accessories
Here’s a good look at the OnePlus One StyleSwap replaceable back covers
Apps
IFTTT finally makes an Android version available
New image surfaces of revamped Dialer for Android
Hulu Plus adds remote control feature for gaming consoles
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Earlier today, Vic Gundotra left Google. Gundotra’s primary responsibility within the company was their (in)famous social network, Google+. Now that he’s leaving the company, many are wondering what’s going to happen to G+ in the coming months, and while no one has a crystal clear answer, sources are confirming that the social network is going to see some drastic changes and cutbacks.
The biggest change is that Google will stop considering G+ as a product, but instead as a platform. This means Google won’t be trying to compete with networks like Twitter, but will instead use the social network as a launching point for other products. A Google spokesperson denied those claims, but according to some other sources, Google is shuffling around teams away from Google+, so that denial may not hold much water.
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Have a PlayStation 4? PlayStation 3? Xbox One? Put down your controller right now and pick up your smartphone (as if you did not have it in your hand already). With the latest update to the Hulu Plus application, you can control the Hulu Plus gaming console apps from your handheld device.
To get started, all you need is for your account to be logged in on the gaming console and the mobile app. The app will then detect the gaming console and a Cast button will work with it the same way it would with Chromecast. Playing, pausing, and resuming on another device is all capable.
Hit the break for the introductory video and download links.
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Google is apparently testing a mobile UI redesign called LEGO, which is essentially a sandbox for mobile search. The UI looks a little different than it does now, but what really stands out is the new super smooth animations.
It’s possible to access the redesign here on mobile, but Google may or may not block it soon. Also, since this is an experiment there’s debug data in the image searches , and it’s suggested that you append “bacon” to your searches. It’s also a little buggy, so keep that in mind. Hit the break for a video showing the new UI!
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Perhaps riding the coattails of success they experienced with the LG G Pad 8.3, two new tablets from LG have surfaced at the FCC suggesting a public release is not too far off. The devices are listed with model numbers LG V700 and LG V400. The V700 is shown in the filings with a landscape orientation, suggesting it may be a larger tablet possibly in the 10-inch range. The V400 on the other hand is shown with a portrait orientation which would be more consistent with a 7- or 8-inch size tablet.
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Since users discovered earlier today that orders for Google Glass could be placed at the Glass store without an invite, similar to the one-day sale they had last week, folks have been scrambling to figure out whether this was an official move by Google to open sales up to the general public instead of a limited program for approved invitees. Google has now issued a statement indicating:
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