Tag Archives: Android

Applications

8 Best Home Cleaning Apps for Android & iOS Everyone Must Try

What’s one way to make your home more pleasant while reducing the stress and headache of getting it done? Why not try one of the cleaning apps from this round-up The Cleaning Services Group developed to help singles, families and friends make an unpleasant task more manageable?!

Keeping your home clean makes a difference with everything from comfort and organization through to health and safety. 2020 has been defined as a year where we look at our environments very differently with an unprecedented global public health crisis leading many people to spend weeks and even months in lockdown inside their homes. Keeping our homes clean is more important than ever before yet it’s possibly even harder than in pre-coronavirus times.

Taking steps to prioritize, simplify and even enjoy cleaning is possible with the apps in this round-up. Still not sure? Well, ESparkBiz says there are many positive impacts to introducing cleaning apps into your routine. They said, “There is no doubt about the concept of on-demand house cleaning app[s] which has changed the whole perspective of digital innovation, by providing the users with a solution to the most common problem of their lives.” With proof of concept, it’s time to check out the full list of apps selected for their:

  • Ease-of-use
  • Overall ratings
  • User friendliness
  • Opt-in for extra users
  • Customizability

Spick & Span: The Ultimate Cleaning App Shortlist

 

1.   OurHome

This app is a gamified task system that will get every family involved in the chores. An organized interface means you can individually allocate responsibilities as well as assign To Do’s for today or tomorrow. It’s not just cleaning either — this is a comprehensive points system that covers everything you need to get done including exercise prioritization, taking the dog for a walk, and sorting the laundry.

Available for Android and Apple users.

2.   Done

Take your life beyond cleaning with this simple habit tracker that will improve more than just your dusty shelves! This colourful system creates tracking building blocks based on a motivational system that encourages progress and healthy routines all while letting you know when you’ve hit a streak and built a success chain.

Available for Apple users.

3.   Homey

Built upon principles of accountability and positive achievement with goals, this app is a great incentivizer for teaching kids about accountability. It’s also a great starting point for helping kids learn about money in the framework of motivation to meet targets like making their bed as well as understanding allowances.

Available for Android and Apple users.

4.   Unfilth Your Habitat

Make your cleaning about incremental completion so you can just get on with chores bit by bit rather than slog out marathon cleaning sessions. This app is definitely for users with a sense of humour who appreciate foul-mouthed prompts with a side of cleaning challenges to motivate you to get both gunk and germs gone!

Available for Android and Apple users.

5.   Tody

To help users keep up with home cleaning, this app works as a smart assistant so every resident can live comfortably without ever feeling guilty about getting behind on vacuuming, mopping and everything in between. Rather than battle overwhelm, Tody can be tailored to the user, is adaptable to your house size and uses a rating indicator system to track when you need to clean.

Available for Android and Apple users.

6.   Labour of Love

Couples and families are rewarded for getting through their chores and keeping their spaces pleasant in a collaborative way that uses appreciation to positively reinforce progress. The idea is to ‘marry’ users so that everyone feels valued for the tasks that are assigned to them as well as allowing them to log the errands they already complete in the day-to-day.

Available for Apple users.

7.   HomeRoutines

Reduce the monotony of repetitive tasks with this app that’s all about celebrating the

routine of mundane jobs with gold stars. As the name says, users can divide chores

between residents with frequency and time-related reminders serving as a catch-all

for a huge range of domestic life administration such as school drop-off, grocery

shopping and paying bills.

Available for Apple users.

8.   Clean My House

This intuitive app is built around supportive schedules you can custom-build for your family life including cleaning, errands and all of your important tasks. The personalization encourages all family members to get involved while reminders ensure nothing is missed and you can plan out an entire week without ever running out of milk, forgetting to pay a bill, or missing laundry day!

Available for Android users.

 

Read on for the full infographic that shares more details about each of the apps so you can make your life easier and mitigate any cranky moods around cleaning in your household all while making your surroundings more hygienic and pleasant whether you’re studying, learning or relaxing.

 

Home Cleaning Apps to Try in 2020 (Infographic)
Mobile

Why Your Website Should Be Mobile Friendly

Have you ever visited a website while logged onto a desktop or laptop computer, only to visit the same website on a mobile device and find the experience clearly displeasing? That, of course, is an example of how to quickly turn off a customer (or potential customer): by denying them the ability to get the information they need in what is more and more the way of viewing the internet and interacting for the things we want.  In fact, more and more people are turning off their computers entirely and instead moving to a mobile-only experience.

And making sure the mobile experience is optimized affects you in a more practical way, too: You’ll get dinged by Google if your site doesn’t work well on smart phones and tablets. But luckily, diving in and re-adjusting the experience isn’t that hard and there are some good practices to put into place. This graphic reviews them.

Mobile, software

5 Best Ways To Fix Battery Drain on Android

The battery draining issue is one common problem that every user faces no matter if you are using a laptop, smartphone or any other device. While the device battery performance is significantly improved when it comes to today’s smartphone devices still they are not immune from draining issue completely. Here, we have discussed top 5 fixes to deal with fast battery draining issue on your Android device.

Restart Your Device 

Try this simple yet one of the most effective steps to instantly fix the battery draining issue on your device. Here, rebooting your device will help you close all unnecessary background apps & services that are causing the battery drain. Further, it will also help you fix other issues to boost your device performance.

Use Built-In Battery Optimization Feature

Knowing the fact that you may perform numerous tasks simultaneously on your Android device that may affect your battery life, your device manufacturer has offered a built-in battery optimization feature. Using this feature, you can manage and optimize your battery usage by individual or all apps in one go. This effective feature helps you manage battery usage in an optimized manner by different apps by reducing their consumption. To access this feature on your device, go to Settings > Battery and here click on menu (three vertical dots) in the upper right corner.

Now select “Battery Optimization” option. It will open a new window, here select “All Apps” option from drop-down menu. It will help you optimize battery usage by different apps instantly. To manage battery usage by individual apps, you can sift through different apps under “App usage since full charge” option. Here, you can look for those apps that are consuming a lot of device battery and optimize them instantly. In addition to built-in battery optimization feature, you can also use best Android cleaner & optimization apps to boost your device and battery performance.

Force Problematic Apps to Stop

This is more intense step, but it can help you fix apps that are causing problem on your device. You can use this feature to block usage of any app temporarily. Here, swiping apps closed doesn’t save battery as they may run in the background continuously. To completely turn off any problem app, including its background services, you can consider using force stop option. It will work like a “hard reboot” for an app. To force stop any app on your device simply go to your device’s Settings App and select Apps & Notifications > App Info option. Here, you will find all apps on your device simply select the app that you want to force stop and press “Force Stop” button.

It will instantly stop that app from consuming any device resources. To start this stopped app, open it as usual. If the issue persists, you can uninstall and reinstall the app again. Remember, force stop option isn’t available for all apps and stopping essential apps or services could affect your device performance negatively. Or your device won’t work correctly.

Uninstall Problem App

This is another extreme step, but it will help you fix the battery draining problem effectively. When you have certain app/s on your device that is consuming lot of device resources including battery then you can consider it uninstalling & reinstalling it to fix the problem. To identify that app, you need to keep tab on app usage in real-time and battery draining percentage simultaneously. Once you identified the battery-hungry app/s, you can consider uninstalling them. To uninstall any app on your device, go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > App Info. Here, scroll down to find that app, select it and press on Uninstall button. Later, you can reinstall these apps from the Google Play Store. Remember, you may not uninstall pre-install apps. In that case, you can Disable them.

Update Software

If you are running your device on old software then there are high chances that it is the possible reason behind battery draining issue. Here, with each software update you not only get bug fixes, security patches and other security features but it also helps you improve your device’s overall performance. To update your device, you can install all the updates that your manufacturer sends you at regular intervals or you can do it manually. To update software manually, go to Settings > System > Software Update. Here, it will look for all available updates and help you install them.

While there is a long list of tips & tricks to help you improve your device battery performance here we have discussed 5 effective steps to do so. If you know more such fixes, then feel free to comment below.

Metadata: The battery draining issue is a common problem with any smartphone device including Android. Here, we have discussed ways to deal with this problem in an effective way to boost your device performance.

Applications

8 Great Home Improvement Apps to Help You Do it Yourself

Taking on a home improvement project whatever the size is exciting but it can also be daunting, require research and/or hard work to get it completed. Sometimes depending on the size of the work, you might have to engage the services of contractors so it’s more work to source reliable people for that. Research is where everything starts when it comes to the project so that’s your first step. The guys at Senator Windows have put together this infographic which outlines some useful apps that you can download to your phone or tablet which might help you along the way of your home improvement project. Check it out below!

 

Applications

The Impact of IoT on Mobile App Development

The Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming ever more prevalent in day-to-day life, with countless new devices being interconnected every day. IoT is set to influence the manufacturing of hardware and software heavily, with mobile app developers among those who will probably need to amend existing practices to account for the growth of IoT.

This infographic from ERS IT Solutions predicts some of the ways in which IoT is likely to influence the development of mobile apps. We will probably see a lot more apps copying the premise of Hive, which allows users to control their home heating from their smartphone. Indeed, many new apps will be created with universal connectivity and adaptability at their core. Apps which cannot connect to smart objects could become obsolete.

Companies could soon seek specialist IoT app developers in favour of those who are adept across numerous platforms, so app developers could be left with little choice but to adapt and hone their skill sets. See what other ways IoT looks set to impact on app development in the infographic below.

Applications

11 Best Meal Planning and Nutrition Apps

 

We all go through periods of eating healthily but it’s so easy to fall into familiar traps. After a long day, the last thing you want to be doing is slaving over the stove or spending time thinking about what you’re going to cook for dinner. You will often just decide to grab something quick or get takeaway for convenience.

The aim of this infographic from Lakeshore Convention Centre is to make healthy eating a little bit easier with the use of apps. The apps plan meals for you, give advice on nutrition, and count calories throughout the day.

There is a great selection of apps available so it might be worth your while to download a few of them to see if they help you out. Most of them are free so you have nothing to lose (except the pounds!) Find out more about the apps in the infographic below.

 

Mobile, Phones

Oppo F3 Review: Affordable Android With Good Performance

 

In just a few years’ time, Oppo has made a significant place for its smartphones in the Indian Market. Soon after the successful launch of its smartphones, Oppo doesn’t need an introduction anymore. After the grand success of F1 plus model, Oppo came back with its most successful model F3 Plus. And now, Oppo F3 has been launched in Indian market. F3 Plus came with a whole lot of features in March with a price tag of approx. 30k and Oppo F3 dual camera Selfie phone is just a smaller sibling to Oppo F3 Plus.

This amazing little brother of F3 Plus comes with a price tag of $307 (19,990 INR) and is up for Pre-Order exclusively on Flipkart. Oppo F3 comes with an extraordinary variety of features and hardware in such an affordable price range.

Key Specifications of Oppo F3:

  • 50-Inch Display.
  • 5 GHz Mediatek MT6750T Octa-Core Processor.
  • 16 Megapixel Front Camera.
  • Resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels.
  • 4 GB Ram.
  • Android 6.0.
  • 64 GB Storage.
  • 13 Megapixel Rear Camera
  • Battery Capacity of 3200 mAh.
  • Dual Sim 4G

Display

Oppo F3 has a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protected display and the 2.5D curves on the edges give this smartphone an amazing look with a premium feel. It has a 5.5 inch Full HD Display which seems to be a good move by Oppo for competing with the smartphones in same price category.

Chipset and Storage

Oppo F3 is loaded with a 1.5 GHz Octa-core processor with MediaTek MT6750T Chipset. It is a power pack performer which uses a very little power from battery making the battery life longer. Oppo F3 can handle graphic-heavy games very easily with the help of its 4GB RAM. It consists 64 GB hard disk and an expandable storage up to 128GB with the help of microSD card slot.

One thing which makes OppoF3 a step ahead is that it consists a Dual sim slot with space for two nano sims and a micro sd card slot separately for expanding the memory. Most smartphones use the second sim slot to expand memory whereas, OppoF3 has three slots in total and all three can be used simultaneously.

Design

Oppo F3 features a beautifully crafted design with a mix of plastic, glass, and metal. The 2.5D curved glass in front edges gives this smartphone a premium look with the metal back plate gives a cool feel when touched. Plastic is only limited to the frames covering buttons at the top and bottom panels on the back. It is also loaded with a fingerprint scanner. Overall, OppoF3 is a smartphone which looks classy and premium when held and makes the user feel cool about it.

Operating System

While Nougat is in the mainstream, Oppo F3 works on an Android 6.0 Marshmellow operating system, which is pretty odd. Users should expect an update from Oppo pretty soon. This handset is loaded with color OS 3.0 and some pretty cool apps and customization.

Camera

The USP of Oppo Selfie phone has always been its Camera. Oppo F3 has slight changes in camera settings compared to the other models. It consists two cameras in front which is,       16MP + 8MP with a 120-degree wide angle and a whopping 13 MP at the back. Selfie lovers are going to love the front camera of OppoF3 because of its greater results, Sharp and close to real pictures and lots of different modes like Group Selfie mode when the user wants to click a picture with many people, lapse, beauty and panorama modes.

Verdict

With an incredible battery life, provided by sealed in 3200 mAh battery, dual front cameras, gorgeous display and Power packed performance, Oppo F3 is undoubtedly one of the best selfie smartphones in town and every selfie lover should buy this gadget. It is available on Flipkart exclusively and the users who want to own it must Pre-Book it now.

 

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Author Bio: Pankaj Jangir is a Website Designer and Developer. He makes websites from where users can download their own videos and photos from social media.

Applications

Native Vs Hybrid – Demystifying the Technology Dilemma

 

All businesses face a common dilemma while deciding on mobile app development: should they choose native apps or hybrid apps. If you too are undecided about your choice, here are tips to help you decide what suits your needs best- Native Mobile Application Development or Hybrid App development.  First, you need to understand the difference between the two types of apps, unravel the mystery that surrounds these two names.

The two principle technologies used for app development are the Android and the iOS. Both these systems work with the latest hand held devices that now dominate this world. The app you develop needs to work across all platforms to meet this shift in focus. Multi-platform apps development is challenging, and at the same time it brings opportunities to develop more and more creative and impressive products.

A native app is defined as smart phone or tablet application that is developed for specific and fixed operating systems.  Such native apps have numerous advantages. They are fast and refined apps that promise great performance.  This makes these apps very suited to permanent or long term functions such as games. Users find these native apps familiar and easy to use as they are accustomed to navigate similar apps. The ability these apps have of working along with other functionalities of on the device is an added advantage. These apps are readily accessible to a target audience. What is even more interesting and advantageous is that these apps do not depend on the internet to be accessed.

On the other hand, hybrid apps are those that built on the native apps or depend on them. They are not device specific and can be distributed across platforms very fast without the need to develop them separately for the two OS. These apps are developed using cross compatible technology and ride piggy back on native apps. This makes developing such apps fast and easy. However, you will need a developer familiar with web programming to develop a hybrid app.  The cost of developing hybrid apps is considerably lower since they are not built from scratch. It also requires a single language for coding it.

Now take a look at the limitations of native and hybrid apps. As far as native apps are concerned, the limitations include high cost and the need of various expert developers with specific skills to complete the task. As for hybrid apps, they cannot provide the ease of handling and familiarity that native apps provide users. This drawback impacts the number of users interested in using them. Hybrid apps lack some of the features available exclusively to native apps. Hybrids as fall short in efficiency and they have higher chance of rejection at app stores in case of mistakes.

Select native or hybrid apps depending on your requirements and future plans for your app. Native mobile application development is appropriate for future functionalities; hybrid for more basic apps.

 

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Author Bio: EliteMobApp.com is a USA based leading mobile app development company offering native and hybrid mobile applications at affordable rates.

 

Applications, Mobile

Mobile App Development Future with HTML5

 

In the past few years, the use of mobile devices increased drastically. The usage of smartphones and tablets became a trend among the worldwide users. According to the survey of a reputed marketing company, there are over 2 billion smart device users in the world. This increase is nearly 13% more than the last year. This is a clear indication that we are moving toward the increasingly mobile future without any doubt. With the immersive use of mobile devices, the need of seamlessly coded mobile applications also increased. And HTML5 is the best way to create mobile applications in the current technology world.

The HTML5 gives the app developers ability to work in a single code base to deploy the mobile application across different platforms like Android, Windows, iOS, Blackberry, OSX, and the web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer.

I have seen many developers getting frustrated while creating interactive content for the desktop and mobile devices. To satisfy the high industry demands, the shifting towards the use of HTML5 has become more essential than before. The future of mobile app development may well be in the hands of HTML5 with the consideration of the needed penetrating applications.

Why the need for a mobile app development?

By 2019, it is expected to reach the number of over 5 billion users of mobile devices which are currently of 4.61 billion. And since 2012 passed, the number of mobile devices is nearly matching with the number of users in the world. It means that it will be difficult to find an individual who is not using a mobile device and so, the need of mobile app development increased a lot.

This scenario makes more necessary for the mobile application developers to deliver more complex applications which work on different types of devices faster and better.

The use of mobile devices across the business enterprises opens the way for the app developers to create apps which work on desktop as well as on mobile devices.

These reasons and the features the HTML5 have, the use of it for the mobile app development is becoming high in popularity.

How HTML5 is beneficial?

Why only HTML or why HTML5 is preferable than other coding techniques? This question comes in the mind of a lot of people. The main reason of using HTML5 is, it is specifically designed to work across multiple and major platforms including mobile Operating Systems and web browsers. The mobile user can install the web application as an icon on any device screen if it is made using HTML5. This means if you are searching on the web through a mobile device and you find something that you want to store on the home screen of your device, then you can create an app icon which directs that web page.

html5-171876_640

Why application developers love HTML5?

As a survey made on over 3000 developers across ASIA, UK, and the USA, it is seen that more than 60% of developers are using HTML5 now for developing apps. And almost over 150 Fortune 500 companies has accepted HTML5. Comparing to other coding technologies to build the web or native apps, the HTML5 has a growth rate of 20% which is strongest among all.

HTML5 is loved across the worldwide developers due to its familiarity. It saves project development work and also decreases the overall cost of the app deployment.

Another strong reason is that the HTML5 has open standard support. It enables the application developers to design according to the need of the mobile devices, different platforms, operating systems, and form factors of the application. HTML5 allows them to deliver potentially rich content which does not rely on the Operating System or the device type. This makes it more loveable than native. Even the JavaScript programmers are shifting towards HTML5 these days.

Future of mobile app development with HTML5

Though it does not rely on the device type or OS, the HTML5 still be known as a desktop language in the future world of the mobile devices. For the mobile app developers, it is needed to run where the football is going, not where it has already been. HTML5 need to be more associated with the device hardware to make a true competition with the native application development.

But, as the business administrators, as well as normal users, are shifting towards the web browsers Mozilla and Google Chrome from the Internet Explorer which both have a full HTML5 support and the future is with the growth of Windows 10 usage and acceptance, the power of HTML5 is surely will be in full use for the business enterprises and other regular mobile device users.

 

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Author Bio: Mandip is a graduate in Information and Technology. He is a passionate blogger, SEO Specialist, and a Software Developer. He loves to write on technology, SEO, Internet Tips and Tricks. Currently he blogs at Best On Internet. You can also get in touch with him on Google Plus, Facebook and Twitter.

Applications, software

Best DIY Tools For Creating Apps

 

Creating a mobile app has never been easier. You don’t have to wait for months and spend a ton of cash on developers to have your app made just the way you wanted. This is especially important for those on a tight budget, as developers often charge by the hour and costs can pile up faster than you’d imagine. Fortunately, nowadays you can make a professional-looking app without actually having any coding experience yourself, thanks to various mobile app makers available online.

Now, you might be wondering what exactly are mobile app makers? To put it simply, they represent online platforms who offer development services for making mobile apps. What makes them special is the fact that they are designed to be used by individuals who have absolutely no prior coding experience. They are packed full with all the standard features a mobile app might need, such as:

  • Location-based services
  • Social network services
  • Push notifications
  • Specific seller-oriented features
  • Multiple paying options
  • Diverse templates
  • Rich customization options

What sets mobile app makers apart from the traditional app development practices is the cost efficiency. Most start-ups find it difficult to invest hundreds and even thousands of dollars into app development. This may even deter some entrepreneurs from making the experience mobile in the first place, which may save some money in the beginning, but ultimately, limit the business in the long run. This is why mobile app makers are an excellent choice for those on a tight budget. Although they could never replace seasoned developers, I tried to pick out the top six mobile app makers available at the time of writing this article.

1.      AppInstitute

AppInstitute has won quite a few startup awards and is currently the main mobile app maker in the United Kingdom. It’s the number one choice for local businesses due to its excellent e-commerce features, coupled with customizable menus, catalogs and an easy to use content manager. It also has rich booking options, which aren’t restricted only on managing appointments, but also provides the user with video events and other engaging content. The price varies depending on whether you’re looking for a monthly or a yearly subscription, with the starting package costing $8.00 per month, or $6.00 when billed annually.

appinstitute

2.      Como DIY

This app maker boosts its success with over 1 million apps powered by its platform and clients such as Coca-Cola, Burger King, and even BMW. Flashy names aside, this company provides a long list of features, including appointment scheduling, e-commerce integration, event planning and management, user reviews and even a loyalty card feature. That’s why Como is the preferred app maker of choice for restaurants, galleries, and other event-oriented establishments. There are seven available templates which can further be combined with six navigation styles. Payment plans only include a monthly, yearly or a bi-yearly subscriptions which cost $57, $48 and $41 respectfully.

como-diy

3.      GoodBarber

GoodBarber is a platform which offers the most advanced app making features available for both Android and IOS. Users can control every single detail of their app and for those who don’t, there are numerous templates available coupled with over 350 gorgeous icons and little over 600 different Google Fonts. What makes it unique is the instant visual feedback users experience when adjusting the parameters. Although it does not have an integrated online store, users do have the option of adding Shopify, Amazon or Etsy. The pricing starts at $16 for the standard package, $32 for the full and $48 for the advanced plan.

goodbarber

4.      ShoutEm

This app maker presents itself as a very refined and elegant product. It features a complete content managing system, resourceful tools for engagement and different monetization options. What makes ShoutEm great is the seamless integration with the existing sources such as Foursquare, WordPress, social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter and even Soundcloud. It also supports mobile advertising, which allows the user to regain some of the finances spent on ShoutEm. It’s not the cheapest provider available, with the price starting at $19.90 a month for the Basic plan. If you wish to publish directly to the Android or Apple stores, then you need to get the Advanced, $49.00 per month plan.

shoutem

5.      AppMachine

This easy-to-use platform aims to automate the building process by importing everything the app might use from sites such as Facebook and Twitter and even your RSS feeds. The creators had the idea to use the various aspects of the platform as it were made of Lego bricks, which directly translates into the app making experience. Using the drag-and-drop interface, users move and organize the features as building blocks. These include anything ranging from pictures, videos to online stores and links to social networks. Users have a complete control of the layout with customizable icons, colors, fonts and navigation paths. Currently, they are offering a $49 Plus and a $69 Pro plan. Fortunately, there are two bundles available, one at $99 per month and the other at $300.

appmachine

6.      Appery.io

The last contender on our list is Appery.io, a leading cloud-based platform for the fast development of mobile apps. The fact that it’s cloud-based means that nothing needs to be downloaded or installed in order to make the app. Not only that but most app makers which are focused only on iOS and Android devices, Appery.io users can also make apps for Windows Phones. Its drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to use even for the most inexperienced users. That said, Appery.io boasts a massive catalog of plugins available for both the inexperienced and advances users and it supports creating custom plugins and sharing them with the community. You can use the platform for free or pay $180 for the premium service.

appery

In Conclusion

As you can see, making a mobile app without any programming experience is possible. The platforms are all graphic in design, some using the drag-and-drop interface while the others use simple check-box type, on-off switches. Most of them are pretty straight-forward to use and if you have any issues, the app makers offer video and graphic tutorials and excellent customer support. You don’t need to worry about hiring expensive programmers in order to have a professional-looking app that reflects your business.

 

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john

By John Stone

Author bio: John Stone is a business consultant and web entrepreneur.  Through years of experience, he became a devout believer in the notion that form should always follow function and that developing the ability to think outside of the box is a prerequisite of being a successful entrepreneur. He currently advises companies about Web Design in Sydney. You can get in touch with him on Twitter.

 

General

How to Upgrade Your Smartphone Camera Using Apps

2 Comments

 

Nearly all of us take photos using our phone’s camera; those who don’t are likely pro photographers with separate professional DSLR cameras and some very bulky lenses. For the rest of us, taking a good picture depends on two factors: the quality of our phone and the right apps to fill in the blanks.

Buying a good phone isn’t the harder of the two things to figure out; most of the more expensive phones come with the better cameras. Assuming you’re at the second step, you’d probably like to know which apps to use so you can take awesome photos for your Instagram account or to keep to yourself.

Look no further; here are some great apps to make your photo dreams come true.

Android Users

taking-a-picture

Camera Zoom FX

Of all the photo apps available for Android, few come with higher recommendations from professionals and everyday users alike than Camera Zoom FX. With a host of features and a friendly interface, this app helps avoid common pitfalls that default apps frequently leave our cameras suffering with, including:

  • Reducing blur with image stabilization
  • Maximizing resolution with your phone’s megapixel count
  • Dozens of filters and frames for altering a photo’s mood

Moreover, Camera Zoom FX also hosts one of the simpler control schemes, complete with voice activation and full manual DSLR options to make your camera work overtime. The professional version only costs a few dollars, and it’s sure to be a purchase worth your while. In 2014, it was Lifehacker’s choice and remains the favorite of millions to date.

Open Camera

As a huge fan of open source software, I can’t recommend Open Camera enough because it truly has the best interests of its users in mind. With full support for Android’s Camera2 API, it hosts a variety of features that seem to be growing with every passing day. Its open source nature means that the only limits the app has are the ones you impose on it.

Like Camera Zoom FX, Open Camera allows you to adjust ISO, exposure time, and focus distance manually. It also allows for GPS tagging when you take a shot and comes with a considerably better price tag: free! The downside may be that it seems to have fewer effects, but as an open source app, that’s always something that can be added down the road.

PicSay Pro

Sometimes taking the picture isn’t enough. Having a good photo editing app can complete your photographic masterpiece, and you won’t find one much better than PicSay Pro on Android.

With most of the features that a desktop photo editor has, PicSay Pro allows you to fix issues with red eye, sharpen blurry shots, and apply numerous effects and edits to spice up otherwise dull images. The free version has quite a few options as well, but with the pro version you get a much more complete package.

iOS Users

take-photos-with-iphone

Camera+

Not only is Camera+ an old staple, it also continues to dominate much of the iPhone photo world because it really does work that well. Thanks to Camera+’s manual option, you’ll have considerably more control over how your photos turn out. Even if things don’t look so great at first, the post photo touchup tools are enough to bring any picture you take back to life.

For Apple Watch users, there’s also support for controlling your camera from a distance.

Manual

Users seeking a cleaner, yet more technical, camera app might consider using Manual, as it not only allows you to take total control of your shots, but it also allows you to look at past photos to see the settings you were using at the time. This can be especially useful as you learn to make your phone’s options work for you.

Notably, Manual remains one of the easier to use apps despite having unique technical options.

Snapseed

While it might seem a tad ironic that one of Apple’s best photo editing apps is published by Google, it doesn’t make Snapseed any less powerful. Snapseed is one of iOS’s most popular apps for good reason: It’s easy to use for beginners, yet has features that can be fully put to work by more professional photographers.

Its filters focus on classic, tasteful touchups rather than cheesy effects. As with any editor, it has all you’ll need to fix up color distortion, sharpness and the dreaded red eye.

Best of Both Worlds

Just because Android and iOS run on separate platforms doesn’t mean there aren’t apps that work for both. For those with more than one type of device, it’s nice to be able to transition using the same app on both platforms.

Instagram

Despite being predominantly a social media platform, Instagram has really made strides since its inception in 2010, both as a powerful source of influence in the fashion world and as a genuinely decent camera app.

While Instagram may not be quite as potent as some of the more focal camera apps, it still offers enough filters and effects to liven up your photos. More importantly, Instagram also makes the transition to sharing your works of art with the world that much quicker. If you haven’t tried using Instagram for photos, it’s worth a shot.

ProShot

As versatility goes, ProShot has quite a bit to offer. Not only is it available for iOS and Android, but it also works for Windows devices as well. Like the other services above, it has all the manual options available (ISO, etc.) but also an in-between setting for convenience and less advanced users, which they call “semi-manual.”

While not specifically for photography, I’m a big fan of ProShot’s video options, which support up to 4K quality and even have options for dealing with audio problems.

Adobe Lightroom Mobile

It should come as no surprise that Adobe continues to be one of the best photo editing apps out there. With loads of professional options, Lightroom is especially unique because it works together with Lightroom CC, another excellent tool to use if you bounce between your camera and your PC.

But don’t let the integration keep you from thinking the app itself isn’t feature rich; most of what you’ll find in Lightroom CC is in the mobile version, from gradient alterations to dehazing. The only real disadvantage is the cost, as Adobe runs this app on a subscription.

Final Thoughts

There are many ways to improve your phone’s camera. Camera apps and photo editing apps are a great way to do it on the cheap, particularly if you’re not interested in buying a third-party lens.

Just don’t forget to protect your device. Particularly if you’re using your phone in an urban setting with tons of free WiFi, you should also consider a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to keep your photos secure. Public WiFi is practically a nesting grounds for hackers waiting to steal valuable data, and your photos could be a prime target. Using a VPN ensures you won’t lose out on hard work by encrypting your internet connection and keeping criminals out.

Have thoughts about mobile photography? Tell us how you take great photos on your phone in the comments section.

 

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Author Bio: Cierra enjoys taking photos on her phone daily. Between playing with filters and settings, she also writes about internet security and how best to take care of your devices and accounts in an increasingly mobile world.

Applications

10 Disaster Apps That Could Save Your Life

 

As a society, we are becoming more and more dependent on our smartphones with each passing day. With millions of apps being created and downloaded every year, our app expectations have also increased.

Whether it’s a social media app or messaging app, these apps allow us to contact our friends and family more rapidly than ever before. Although most apps we download are for work or for fun, lifesaving apps are becoming progressively more popular.

With the vast amount of calamities that take place worldwide, from mass shootings to natural disasters, it’s important that fast and effective methods of communication technologies are developed. Luckily, in 2016, app developers are creating specialised apps to meet our needs.

Communication apps have improved both our personal and family safety. These inspired apps help us in the event of an emergency. Some can even track natural disasters before they occur. For example, ‘’Disaster Alert’’ – which was designed by the Pacific Disaster Centre – gives mobile access to multi-hazard monitoring of (and early warning for) active hazards worldwide.

‘’Life360’’ allows you and your chosen contacts to create a private network. In the event of an emergency, one tap of a button will notify your friends/family of your current location and inform them if you are safe. For all the details, let’s check out this infographic from Nature’s Water which outlines 10 of the top disaster apps. Let’s take a look!

 

Applications, Wearables

Top Wearable Android Watches of 2016

 

As like with the smartwatches, the software experience is nearly identical from one Android Wear to another. So, I turned to the most subjective features which make a top wearable Android watch to stand out from the rest. Though all of the Android wearable watches do the same thing basically for most of the times and with equal quality, they need to be ranked, weighed, and presented for your approval and support. Read ahead to check the Top Wearable Android Watches of 2016 and choose the most suitable for you.

1)    Moto 360 (2nd Gen) from Motorola

moto360

After its first launch, the original Moto 360 was the top rated Android Wear watch around for some time. And in my research, it is also placed at the top place. Going to the latest version (2nd generation), the Moto 360 has a Snapdragon 400 processor, a bigger battery than the original one and comes in different sizes to fit on the wrists of more people’s wrists.

It has the refreshed processing package, a customizable design and added lugs. Basic price starts at $299.99 and as you go with an increase in customization, the price also increases.

Specifications:

46-mm variant:

  • 512Mb RAM
  • 4GB Storage
  • 400mAh battery
  • 56-inch IPS LCD display with 263ppi
  • 2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor

47-mm variant:

  • 512Mb RAM
  • 4GB Storage
  • 300mAh battery
  • 37-inch IPS LCD display with 233ppi
  • 2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor

2)    Huawei Watch

huawei-watch

In 2015, the Huawei watch was introduced and it did many things right on the first try. It is one of the most attractive Android wear watches in the market with easily replaceable straps and a battery with the long life cycle.

It has a price range from $349 to $799 depending on the variety of styles and colors. It is the nearest arrival of the Moto 360 Android wear watch.

Specifications:

  • 512MB RAM
  • 4GB Storage
  • 300mAh battery
  • 4-inch AMOLED displays with 286ppi
  • 2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor

3)    LG Watch Urbane

LG-Urban

The LG Urbane is a more female-friendly watch than men. Its high-end styling is a bit dressier than sporty. Any variant you choose either gold or silver, the fully round bezel is surely eye and light catching.

Currently, you can get it for just around $250 on Amazon and eBay. If you want a luxury style, then you can go for the 23k gold version worth $1200 which is called Watch Urbane Luxe.

Specifications:

  • 512MB RAM
  • 4GB Storage
  • 410mAh battery
  • 3-inch P-OLED displays with 245ppi
  • 2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor

4)    ASUS ZenWatch 2

asus-zenwatch

After the original ASUS ZenWatch being the best Android wear watch for some time in the market, the company has brought the latest model with a little different philosophy. From going out of tradition, the latest ASUS ZenWatch 2 comes in a square display. It is a little powerhouse on your wrist.

For the basic model of ASUS ZenWatch 2, you need to spend only $129.99 on Amazon. You can choose from a 1.45-inch model or a larger 1.63-inch model whichever suits your wrists.

Specifications:

WI502Q (18mm) model:

  • 512MB RAM
  • 4GB Storage
  • 300mAh battery
  • 45-inch AMOLED display with 273ppi
  • 2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor

WI501Q (22mm) model:

  • 512MB RAM
  • 4GB Storage
  • 400mAh battery
  • 63-inch AMOLED display with 278ppi
  • 2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor

5)    TAG Heuer Connected – Luxury Watch

img_attuned_to_your_touch

TAG Heuer Connected has changed the market of the Android Wear Watches. The Connected model from Tag Heuer is inspired from the company’s Carrera watch. It comes in seven different color options and made with a grade 2 titanium.

If you are a fan of luxury watches, then most probably you will love this watch. You can purchase the Tag Heuer Connected for $1500 from the company’s website. After wearing it for two years, you can get the more traditional TAG Heuer Carrera watch by paying additional $1500 only. It is enough to give you a long lasting alternative.

Specifications:

  • 1GB RAM
  • 4GB Storage
  • 410mAh battery
  • 5-inch transflective LTPS LCD display with 240ppi
  • 6GHz dual-core 1.5-inch transflective LTPS LCD display

Conclusion

Choosing the best Android Wear watch from the above list is really a difficult task. It is really hard to keep track about the best because all of them are doing pretty well in their areas. The most accountable preference could be the size and the price of a particular watch for you. I have rounded up with the top wearable Android watches, now it depends on you to choose the right from this filtered list according to your budget and needs. Good Luck!

 

______________________

Author’s Bio: Mandip is a graduate in Information and Technology. He is a passionate blogger, SEO Specialist, and a Software Developer. He loves to write on technology, SEO, Internet Tips and Tricks. Currently he blogs at Best On Internet.

Applications, Mobile

The Ultimate App Guide For Carpenters And Handymen

 

In 2016, there is an app for everything. Increasingly, apps are becoming more important in industry, in particular the construction industry. There are so many to choose from. Having a full range of tools is key for all carpenters. Luckily as technology expands, there are more and more ways that apps can help you with your job. In fact, IOS and Google Play app downloads topped over 260 billion over the past year. With your smartphone or tablet, carpenters now have a huge range of tools ready for you to use at the tap of your finger. As a result of the massive increases in app developments, consumer reviews are crucial – how else will we know which apps work and which don’t? The below infographic from Jarrimber shows us all the best apps that are available to carpenters that we should be downloading right now.

Have you tried any of these apps? Let us know below!

The-Ultimate-App-Guide-for-Carpenters-Infographic

General, Mobile, Phones

The Future is Now – Phone Tracking Technology

 

A couple years back, the best way to track a mobile device was through the usage of phone towers. Truly, phone companies can without much of a stretch find the area of a phone device by decoding information longs got after the target make calls. Beside this, the organizations can likewise track the area of a phone when the cell phone remains on and continues sending radio signs. In any case, when the phone device is off, it is near difficult tracking it.

Cell phone tracking has turned into an ordinary event. In any case, everybody who uses a mobile phone is being or can be tracked. Numerous late studies uncover disturbing proposals about how mobile phone behavior is being used, not to just track individuals but rather keep an eye on regular life.

We all actually need the most recent technology in telephones. Cell phones, every Android phone including the iPhone, incorporate incalculable measures of applications and uses, from playing music, watching movies, taking photos, playing games and more. However when you buy a cell phone, you are outfitting yourself with presumably one of the most complex tracking devices around.

Today, phone tracker software is no more a thing that amazes individuals. Everybody, in this very moment, knows about the way that cell phones can be tracked. To let you know reality, whether you like it or aversion it, everybody who possesses a cell phone is being spied and tracked. As per various studies directed recently, more individuals tend to keep an eye on somebody. As such, they attempt to track their area notwithstanding their online exercises without their authorization.

Regardless of what mobile device you claim, it is fit for sending and accepting radio signs at whatever point you make calls, send text messages or surf the web. Presently, envision that your phone is armed with a satellite GPS tracking device too. Practically all most recent phone devices accompany GPS phone tracking component. Every day, many people get caught on account of the GPS in their devices.

Another disturbing truth is that, researchers have contrived an approach to track human behavior in points of interest, in a trial crossing maybe over two years. The researchers claim to foresee future conduct of individuals through cell phones. Clearly, mobile devices organizations are presently foreseeing if a client is going to change to another service supplier through this innovation.

The researchers were not just ready to distinguish general changes in the changes of individuals, there were additionally fit for deciding data as to the wellbeing of the mobile device client before he could even thought about it himself. This gives us a thought of what the eventual future of phone tracking will resemble. And this will happen with the assistance of the helpful device you can put in your pocket and convey wherever you need to. Give us a chance to figure out what specialists need to say in regards to it.

As indicated by specialists, as innovation gains progress, cell phone tracking innovation with likewise keep on creating. This innovation is helping us from multiple points of view:

  • It is offering folks some assistance with keeping tabs on their insidious children;
  • It is tracking so as to offer cops some assistance with catching criminals by tracking their mobile devices;
  • It is offering husbands or wives some assistance on finding out if they are cheating;
  • It is helping insight organizations in tracking terrorist and so on.

Along these lines, with the help of this innovation, it is trusted that we will have the capacity to cope with the bad guys in a better way.

 

tablets

ASUS Intros ZenPad S 8.0 Android Lollipop Tablet Series

Asus-ZenPad_S-8.0-Android-tablet

Computex 2015 — ASUS has officially rolled out a new line of super stylish Lollipop tablets, also known as the ZenPad series. The slates on stake which are said to replace the previous range of MemoPad variants include the ASUS ZenPad 8.0 (Z380C) and ZenPad S 8.0 (Z580CA) models, both of which to be available in 7-inch, 8-inch and 10.1-inch versions and are aimed at the low-end and the premium tablet market.

The first out of the two is the Asus ZenPad S 8.0 slab, a premium product for the high-end user with a sharp 2,048 x 1,536 (324 ppi) IPS display, as well as Intel’s 64-bit Atom Z3580 chip processor, 4GB of RAM and your choice of either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage.

Measuring in at only 6.6mm thin, the ZenPad S 8.0 tablet runs on an Android Lollipop 5.0 OS and is coming with an 8MP rear-facing camera, a 5MP front-facing camera, one USB Type C connector on the side and a 15.2Wh battery, capable of up to 12 hours of continuous work.

Asus-ZenPad-8-Android-tablet

The second model, the ASUS ZenPad 8.0 Z380C, which provides a good entry-level consumer-business experience tablet with an Atom X3 (SoFIA) quad-core processor and Mali 450MP4 GPU is offering either 1 or 2 gigabytes of RAM under the hood, as well as your choice of either 8 or 16 gigabytes of internal storage. In addition to the standard 1280×800 pixel display on top, you’re getting a 5MP rear camera behind, together with an Android Lollipop 5 OS and an optional Audio Cover cradle for adding 5.1 surround sound for your tablet. Connectivity options include WiFi, Bluetooth, and the optional dual 4G LTE network support.

Pricing and availability still remain undisclosed at the moment.

software, tablets

Microsoft Apps to Come Preloaded On LG, Sony, Other Android Tablets

microsoft-powerpoint-in-android-tablet

Microsoft is one of these tech-oriented giant companies that seem to know a thing or two about software distribution across the pond. But what about apps? Glad you asked, because there’s something going on around the business of this corp these days – strategic wise, of course. Based on the details shared, the Windows maker announced that it has officially partnered with more than 20 Android tablet makers, among them are also big leaders like LG and Sony, to bundle its apps on future tablet versions or updates. Some of the apps which are due to come pre-loaded inside include the popular video messaging app Skype, as well as Bing, OneDrive, OneNote, Outlook Word, Excel, and a variety some others. A sort of an Office Suite, if you will. The purpose of this move is likely to create a cross-platform functionality for its apps. Whether this is an indication that Microsoft is giving up on its own platform or not, I have no idea, but time will surely tell.

[Microsoft Blog]

Mobile

Blackphone Will Keep Your Mobile Communication Secured

blackphone

If privacy is important to you, and I’m sure it does, the Blackphone is most probably what you’re after in a mobile device. The phone, which operates under a customized Android platform, dubbed PrivatOS, is featuring industrial grade encryption technology that makes encrypted communication via IMs, voice, video, and chat, as easy as sending a regular text message.

The 4.7-inch smartphone that was initially designed by security guru Phil Zimmermann, includes a 2GHz quad-core processor under the lid, paired with 1GB of RAM, a novel array of very smart sensors in combination with GPS support, as well as various privacy tools pre-installed.

The Blackphone protects your communications at the top security level but how exactly does it do that? And how does it work in comparison to some other smartphones?

Check out this interesting and enlightening infographic by studyweb

Blackphone-the-future-of-secure-smartphones

tablets

Lenovo Introduces Tab 2 A10, A8 Budget Friendly Android Tablets

Lenovo-tab-2-a10-android-tablet

At World Mobile Congress 2015, Lenovo has unveiled a new line of friendly low-budget tablets, dubbed the A10 and the A8 , with both names to indicate sizes. The two slates which will set you back for sub $200 sport an upgrade over previous models in that they both include a MediaTek 64-bit Quad-core processor, as well as Dolby Atmos sound technology and multi-speaker soundbar on for maximum audio experience.

As expected, Lenovo’s Tab 2 A10 tablet is the biggest model that the company offers in this series, measuring only 8.9mm thin and about 509 grams in weight, while featuring a 10.1-inch Full HD IPS display on the top. Out of the box, the A10 is planned to run on Android 4.4.4 KitKat OS but the company promises it will be updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop some time later. Other than that, it ships with a dual-band WiFi, along with up to ten hours of 7,200 mAh battery, and a 8-megapixel camera shooter on the back.

Technical specs:

  • 10.1-inch Full HD IPS LCD display (1920×1200 resolution).
  • Wifi: 1.5GHz quad core 64-bit MediaTek MT8165 processor
  • LTE: 1.5GHz quad core 64-bit MediaTek MT8732 processor
  • 16GB of internal storage, MicroSD  (expandable up to 32GB).
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 8MP rear-facing camera, 5MP front-facing camera
  • OS: Android 4.4 KitKat
  • Sound: Dolby ATMOS 3D Surrond Sound
  • Size: 171 x 247 x 8.9mm, 509g

lenovo-tab-2-a8-tablet

The Tab 2 A8 tablet which packs an 8-inch HD IPS display, is basically designed identically like the bigger a10, with just a few discrepancies like a smaller amount of real estate on the screen and lower resolution, as well as a smaller battery packinside, a 5-megapixel rear camera, and a dual SIM card slot expansion for those who’ll buy the international version. Besides that, they are pretty much the same.

The Tab 2 A10 and Tab 2 A8  will hit the market this coming April for $199 and $129, respectively, while the A10 model is said to be available in Pearl White and Midnight Blue and the A8 flavor should be out to the market in colors such as Pearl White, Ebony, Midnight Blue and Neon Pink.

Technical specs:

  • 8-inch Full HD IPS LCD display (1280×800 resolution).
  • Wifi: 1.3GHz quad core MediaTek MT8161 processor
  • LTE: 1.3GHz quad core MediaTek MT8735 processor
  • 8GB/16GB of internal storage, MicroSD  (expandable up to 32GB).
  • 1GB of RAM
  • 5MP rear-facing camera, 2MP front-facing camera
  • OS: Android 5.0 Lollipop
  • Sound: Dolby ATMOS Surrond Sound
tablets

Sony’s Next-Gen Xperia Z4 Tablet Unveiled (Update: Now Official)

Sony-Xperia-Z4-tablet

What’s that, Sony‘s brand new Xperia Z4 tablet leaked? Yeah, that definitely looks like it. Oops! It’s not that the company was intentionally leaking the next-generation of its high-end Android tablet a few days ahead of MWC 2015, that’s not the case this time, but the new one looks impressive and immediately more professional than the Xperia Z3 Compact, right?

While the image has already been pulled by Sony from Xperia Lounge, it does hint at the impending launch of the tablet, on March 3rd, and that it is likely to include a high-res 2K resolution display, as well as the “latest ultra fast processor” inside – whatever that means. Additionally, Sony describes the slim-looking tablet, which is expected to run under Android 5.0 Lollipop OS, as a lightweight premium device that features an “industry-leading battery performance.” Uh Oh, that sounds REALLY cool.

Unfortunately that’s all we can share about it for now, as they’ve yet to announce size, specifications, pricing, availability or anything else important to know, but we’ll be sure to bring you the updates very soon.

sony-xperia-z4-tablet-black

Update: At MWC 2015 in Barcelona, Sony has officially introduced its latest and greatest flagship tablet device, the Xperia Z4. The 6.1mm super-slim slate is housing a beautiful 10.1-inch 2K resolution display, tucked with a Snapdragon 810 processor under the hood as well as your choice of either Wi-Fi or LTE variants, packing at least 32GB of integrated memory. Out of the box, the Xperia Z4 slab is likely to run the latest edition of Android Lollipop operating system, and there’s an optional keyboard dock that literally turns the tablet into an hybrid laptop/tablet machine. There’s still no word on pricing, but the two will launch globally starting June 2015.  

 

[Xperia Blog]

tablets

Dell Launches Two New Venue Tablets, The Venue 10 and Venue 10 Pro

Dell-venue-10-tablet

We know you haven’t quite recovered from Dell’s super slim Venue 8 7000 tablet introduction which took place at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, but nonetheless, we’re still very excited to break the news that the electronic giant is about to add two 10-inch Android/Windows tablets to its burgeoning Venue lineup.

The two expected slates, the Venue 10, which packs an Android Lollipop platform under the hood, and the Venue 10 Pro, which runs the Windows 8 version, are said to include a pressure-sensitive Wacom pen performance technology, as well as configurable screens and a plastic chassis covering the top (either in blue or black flavors). There’s also a keyboard dock, which connects underneath in the portrait orientation, with both models to house a quad-core Intel Atom processor onboard, along with a SIM card slot for optional LTE network, full-sized/micro-USB ports, a microSD card reader, 10 hours battery, and activity alert light signal, designed for teachers to know when the kids are using the internet.

 

Dell-venue-10-pro-tablet-2

In terms of pricing and availability, the new Venue tablets will come with a $299 price tag each, while adding the keypad dock will result in an extra $50 ($349), and the stylus touchscreen pen isn’t for free either. But it still seems like a very good price after all.

The tablets will ship early next month.

Accessories, Mobile

Video: Unboxing 1.54-inch ZGPAX S28 Mobile Bluetooth Smartwatch

ZGPAX-S28-Mobile-Smartwatch

The ZGPAX S28 Bluetooth Smart Watch Phone has just arrived to my door a few days ago with a package that includes a 450mAh battery, good for up to 3 days of continuous work, as well as a beautiful 1.54-inch 240×240 pixels capacitive touch screen on top. The watch is powered by an MTK6260 processor under the lid and will be easily syncing with your handhelds, sending ’em push notifications,  or incoming phone calls and messages (as long as you have an Android device). The watch also includes an FM stereo support, along with an MP3 player, Voice recorder, Pedometer, Sleep Monitor, Looking Phone features, Anti lost, Sedentary reminder, SMS, MMS and group messages, Calculator, Email, schedule, memos and so much more. The S28 can also be used as a standalone mobile device, both for dialing and answering without the need of a smartphone sitting close. The watch is now available on the web for $75 MSRP.

Hit the play and check out the video

[youtube id=”nduIRhNAhOQ”]

Applications, General

6 Great Apps for Avid Coffee Lovers [Infographic]

Coffee is something that most of us count on as our daily fix or pick-me-up. In fact, Americans consume 400 million cups of coffee per day, that’s equivalent to 146 billion cups of coffee per year! It’s no surprise then that a range of apps have been built around this much loved beverage.

This cool infographic provides a round-up of some of the best apps for coffee lovers at the moment. Whether you’re a coffee amateur or a coffee connoisseur, we’ve got for you a digital solution in the palms of your hand . Below, you’ll find a list of apps that will help you out either when you’re interested in finding out about an app that can help you discover your nearest independent coffee house or learn about an app that allows you to record all your co-workers coffee preferences to make ordering coffee a stress-free affair. If you enjoy making coffee at home, that’s not a problem at all, there’s also an app that provides you with a whole host of amazing coffee recipes.

Go check ’em out and cheers!

Apps-for-coffee-lovers

 

Infographic is courtesy of Espresso works

General

Nokia Returns With The $250 N1 Android Tablet

nokia-n1-android-tablet

It’s been a while since Nokia has officially released a brand new Android/Windows tablet to the wild, so it is nice to see them adding one more. The Finnish company which was acquired by Microsoft a little under a year ago for $7.2 billion, is finally back on track with the addition of a 7.9-inch slate. So, what this is all about? We’re looking at a 6.9mm thick device, dubbed the Nokia N1, that features 2GB of RAM inside as well as WiFi connectivity and 32GB of internal storage.

While this N1 tablet looks a lot like Apple’s iPad mini 3, it is actually thinner and lighter than pictures would suggest. Nokia outfits the new slab with a nice HD display that measures 7.9 inches diagonally and features a resolution of 2048-by-1536 pixels on top (same as Apple’s 3rd-gen iPad mini model). The front-facing camera offers 5-megapixel resolution alongside an 8-megapixel shooter on the rear. In terms of speed and performance the N1 will arrive to the market with a 64-bit 2.4GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3580 processor on board, together with a duo set of speakers, and your choice of either “Natural Aluminum” or “Lava Grey” colors.

The tablet runs on Android 5.0 (which has just been confirmed to be called Lollipop) but there is a software layer that Nokia has added on top of its existing proprietary platform, called the Z launcher. Furthermore, the tablet is said to be one of the first devices in the world to feature the reversible type-C faster USB connector. Unfortunately, it is likely to be the only single USB port.

The N1 is due to launch in China for $249 sometime before the Chinese New Year which takes place on February 19, 2015, with a release in Russia and a few European countries to follow shortly after.

Hit the Play to watch the video

[youtube id=”IwJmthxJV5Q”]

Mobile, Operating Systems

Android 5.0 Lollipop Update Now Available for Nexus Devices

android-5-lollipop

It’s Android Lollipop day, as Google has announced it will officially start rolling out OTA updates for its latest and greatest Android 5.0 OS to several Nexus devices, including the Nexus 5 and the Nexus 10, which will go straight from KitKat to Lollipop, Nexus 7s, plus the Nexus 6 and 9 which are both currently getting “minor” bugfix updates. It appears that Samsung and Sony users will have to wait a bit longer for this update as well as Nexus 4 and 3G/LTE versions of the Nexus 7 devices.

According to a recent post on the Google Product Forums the details of the new update are as follow:

The over-the-air update for Lollipop is now starting! The update is starting for these devices:

Nexus 6: Minor update to address bugs
Nexus 9: Minor update to address bugs
Nexus 5: Update from KitKat to Lollipop
Nexus 7 WiFi (2012 & 2013): Update from KitKat to Lollipop
Nexus 10: Update from KitKat to Lollipop
It will also be put up on Android Open Source Project (AOSP).

Note: The OTA update for 3G/LTE versions of the Nexus 7 2012 and 2013 have not yet started, nor have they started for the Nexus 4!

The files are available for download now from Google’s developer site.

Update: Motorola has also announced an official OTA release of the latest Android Lollipop update for its second-gen Moto G and Moto X mobile devices. The mobile company has posted on its website the following:

We’ve started to roll out Lollipop in phases just a week after the public release of the software to the following devices in the US -Moto X (2nd Gen.) Pure Edition, Moto G (2nd Gen.) US GSM, and Moto G (2nd Gen.) Global GSM retail versions sold in the US.

tablets

Google Introduces The 8.9-Inch Nexus 9 Android Lollipop Tablet

Google-Nexus-9-Android-Lollipop-tablet

We knew it was coming and now Google has finally shared details with its upcoming tablet, the Nexus 9. Slated to arrive in stores on November 3 (with pre-orders to start on October 17), the 8.9-inch 2048 x 1440 super HD slab, which was built in partnership with HTC, features a relatively small and portable device, made of a brushed aluminum all-metal body. The slate, which is set to cost about $399 for the 16GB packing version and $479 for the 32GB model is said to arrive with 2GB of RAM, as well as an Nvidia Tegra K1 chip, and a 8-megapixel rear camera shooter plus a 1.6-megapixel camera up front. The Nexus 9 will also include an optional 32GB 4G LTE variant, which will brandish a price point of $599 when it’s officially released.

The Nexus 9 is powered by Google’s latest edition of Android, also know as the Android Lollipop version 5. In addition to that, the Mountain View-based internet giant will also be offering a nice keyboard folio that magnetically attaches to the back of the tablet, and can easily fold into two different angles. The Nexus 9 will have a black, white or gold choice of colors.

[youtube id=”yYHY3MFiq1o”]

[Google]

tablets

Dell To Unveil World Thinnest Tablet

dell-venue-8-7000-series_tablet

Dell, one of the well-known manufacturer of electronic and tech devices, announced a brand new 8.4-inch tablet at the Intel Developer Forum today in San Francisco, California. Inspired by the iPad success, tablet makers have been battling to produce thinner devices. Dell is obviously one of the leading candidates for the highly prestigious accolade, and with its recent revelation, the Venue 8 7000, the company is aiming to set the new standards.

At only 6mm thick, the new slab, which will run on an Intel Atom Z3500 Moorefield chip, is supposed to be the world’s thinnest tablet ever made. So thin, that when you hold it to the light, you are able to see your hand through it (just kidding). As said, It sports an 8.4-inch 2560 x 1600 pixel edge-to-edge OLED display on top of the surface, tucked with 16GB of internal storage, plus an 8 megapixel camera on the back with a 2 megapixel front shooter. Dell is also setting the line with Intel’s latest technology, known as the RealSense 3D platform. It basically capable of turning any map into an in-depth 3D look in a snap.

More over, the rectangular 7000 model is also expected to pack  2 or 3GB of RAM, as well as WiFi, Bluetooth and 4G LTE type, plus micro-USB 2.0 ports, and an Android KitKat for the operating system.

If you want to hold out for the Venue 8 7000 it should be available by the 2014 holiday season, with prices yet to be announced.

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Video courtesy of mobilegeeks.de

IFA, tablets

Acer Announces Three New Tablets Including The Iconia One 8, Iconia Tab 10 and $150 Iconia W8

1 Comment

acer-iconia-tab-10_tablet

Over in Berlin at IFA 2014 Acer has just announced three new tablets in its Iconia lineup. The first two are the company’s latest entry into the Android-powered slate arena, with the Iconia One Tab 8 which packs an 8-inch, 1,280 x 800 IPS display on top, along with a quad-core Intel Atom Z3735G processor under the hood.  The 8.5mm slate runs Android 4.4 KitKat which is designed by Google and it is Google’s latest Android system. The specifications of the One Tab 8 also indicate that you are getting a pair of decent camera sensors on the front and the back, as well as microSD slot expansion to store all your valuable media including pictures, video, and music. Acer is said to start selling this tablet across Europe next month for only $149.

The Iconia Tab 10 is the second model in Acer’s inexpensive Android series. It boasts a 10.1-inch 1,920 x 1,080 IPS display up front with a scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 3 cover atop. Furthermore, the pack includes a quad-core MediaTek processor chip inside, tucked with a built-in micro-HDMI port along with a Dolby Digital Plus sound system and  an Android 4.4 KitKat for the OS. The Tab 10 will be available sometime this month in black or white colors, priced at only $199.

Acer-iconia-tab-8-w_tablet

Finally, Acer has also announced it will soon release the Iconia Tab 8 W, which is an 8-inch 1,280 x 800 pixels tablet, capable of running a Windows 8.1 operating system. Believe it or not, it is a similar product to the One Tab 8 device, only with a slightly different type of experience if you come to compare it with the Android usability and the applications it offers. It will be launched next month in Europe as well for €150, with a US release sometime in November for $150.

Click on the Play to see the videos

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[youtube id=”z2Wb3HcSFpk”]

IFA, tablets

Sony Announces Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact With 8-Inch Display

1 Comment

Well, well, well, what do we have here? Looks like a new mid-range tablet joiner, courtesy of the talented Sony engineering team. The slate, which goes under the “Xperia Z3 compact” moniker, is Sony’s latest and greatest device, featuring  a slim 6.4-mm(!) profile and chassis design, as well as 3GB of RAM, along with a powerful 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor plus a 1080p TILUMINOS screen display on top. The 8-inch tablet  is waterproof and well protected (IP65/68) and has an 8.1-megapixel rear camera and a 2.2-megapixel shooter up front. For battery life, it will offer up to 13 hours of video playback, as well as LTE network, and a new PlayStation 4 Remote capabilities, allowing you to play your latest games away from the tele. It will run under the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system right out of the box and you’ll be able to nab one sometime in the Fall. Prices are yet to be released.

[Sony Mobile]

IFA, tablets

Asus To Launch a Sharper and More Powerful MeMo Pad 7 Tablet

Asus-Memo-Pad-7-Android-4-4-2014

IFA in Berlin is just around the corner and Taiwanese electronic giant, Asus is already gunning for everyone else with a new iteration of the popular Memo Pad 7. First and foremost, I have to admit that I personally own this one particular device myself, and truly love it. However, while the former model was featuring less pixels at 1280 x 800 screen and a relatively sluggish ARM Cortex-A7 processor under the lid, the latter excels in all relevant hardware specifications, from the new 1.83GHz quad-core Z3560 Intel Atom chip onboard to the super stunning 7-inch display with 1,920 x 1,200 pixel resolution and 323 ppi.

The new Memo Pad 7 measures in at just 8.3 millimeters and weighing only 269 grams. The Android 4.4  KitKat tablet, which comes loaded with the ZenUI interface and is known as model number ME572C/CL, said to be equipped with 2GB of RAM, your choice of  16GB or 32GB of internal storage, optional 4G LTE wireless connectivity, and a MicroSD card adapter for extra memory if needed. In addition the upcoming slate, which is expected to go on sale “in the next few weeks” in the UK, and will cost around £179 (around $260) for the 16GB version, also features a 5MP rear camera, a 2MP front-facing camera and SonicMaster-enhanced stereo speakers.

Design wise, If you are interested in looking at this part, the tablet feels well-designed and very expensive, if you will. You get this delicate and trendy purse-like shape all over the place, with some stylish fancy colors (such as champagne gold, black, or burgundy) coating on the back of the tile.

The Asus Memo Pad 7 is a neat mini tablet that attempts to compete with the iPad Mini and the Google Nexus 7, but at a much lower price. If it can do that, it should succeed because the need for a good budget tablet will be there.

Hit the play button to watch the video

[youtube id=”dIudY1Kke1E”]

tablets

LEAKED: NVIDIA’s Next-Gen Gaming Shield Tablet (Update: Now Official)

Nvidia-Shiels-Tablet-gamepad

Gaming company Nvidia has already been rumored to be developing a new gaming focused slate that could be running a Quad-core Tegra K1 processor inside as well as 2GB of RAM and a 7.9-inch screen display. While still unofficial, a leak courtesy of @evleaks seems to confirm the word on the street. So far, Nvidia was offering the Tegra Note 7 tablet as a way to highlight its Tegra 4 processor (which hasn’t been a huge success, btw) but now the company is looking to expand with more richer gaming experience and improved entertainment value of game (thanks to the  Unreal Engine 4 capabilities).

A quick look at the picture above suggests that Nvidia’s next-gen Shield successor will probably be available in a gunmetal grey color, covering a front-facing VGA camera as well as a nice pair of stereo speakers along the top and bottom of its panel. The new device, which will run under an Android platform, is expected to launch before the end of the year.

Nvidia-shield-tablet

Update1: Nvidia’s shield tablet is going up for sale in the US and Canada on July 29th, and in Europe on August 14th, with prices starting at $299 for the basic 16GB wifi-only model, and up to $399 for the 32GB device, including LTE 4G support. The gamepad accessory is another $59.

Update2: Now with an official video: and full specs:

Full specs:

  • 8-inch “Full HD” 1920 x 1200 IPS LCD screen
  • NVIDIA Tegra K1 SoC
  • 5MP front-and-rear facing cameras
  • Front-facing stereo speakers
  • Black and Steel Gray colors
  • Directstylus 2
  • 16/32GB of internal storage, expandable up to 128GB via microSD
  • WiFI a/b/g/n, Optional LTE
  • 19.75 Watt Lithium Ion battery

[youtube id=”VohrddwVQqg”]

tablets

LEAKED: HTC’s Next-Gen 8.9-Inch Nexus ‘Volantis’ Tablet

HTC-Volantis-tablet

The Nexus 7 tablet is one of the best 7-inch slabs around. It is powered by Google Android OS and has a lot of great features at the price of $199. However, many reports have indicated an 8-inch version of the tablet will launch later this year. While there was no tangible evidence other than the rumors themselves, a new report from Android Police confirms the product might actually be real.

htc-volantis-nexus

The report suggests an 8.9-inch HTC Nexus tablet, powered by a 2048×1440 screen, as well as a Tegra K1 processor, running under a zero-gap aluminum frame. The tablet which goes by the name Volantis is packed with a pair of cameras (3MP front, 8MP rear) that take pictures and videos  just like real life forms. In addition it offers a choice of 16GB/32GB storage, along with 2GB of RAM, a bunch of high-quality stereo speakers, WiFi, Black/White casing, and an optional LTE connectivity aboard.

The tablet will launch later this year starting at $399  for the 16GB flavor.

 

[Android Police]

tablets

Dell Outs Two Android Venue Tablets, Starting at $160

dell-venue-7_8-android-tablets

Dell is refreshing its Android tablet lineup with two new budget offerings: Dell Venue 7 and Venue 8. The two slates which are considered as updated versions of the existing Venue series, will be powered by a more powerful processor under the hood and should be featuring Android 4.4 KitKat OS.

As you can guess, Dell’s Venue 7 is the 7-inch tinier model in the series, with 1280 x 800 pixels resolution that yields good color contrast, great for video, gaming, electronic books and browsing. It comes with 16GB of internal storage, as well as microSD card expansion (up to 64GB), 1GB of RAM, and pair of cameras, with the primary one at 5 megapixels and the front-facing VGA snapper at 1 megapixels overall.  The commodity processor used in this model is a dual-core Intel Atom (Z3460) ‘Merrifield’ processor clocked at 1.6GHz, and the cost of the slab is ridiculously low – only $159.99 and not a single dime more. It weighs only 290 gm, and comes in swish black or red colors.

The Venue 8, is an obvious upgrade choice with 8-inch IPS display and a full-HD (1920×1200 pixels) resolution on top. It has the same set of cameras, only with a slightly bigger 2 megapixels shooter on the front. There’s a faster Intel Atom Z3480 processor inside, and the battery is of 4550mAh. It will go live online starting July 1 at $199.99 and the same variety of colors.

tablets

Xiaomi Announces Its First Ever 7.9-inch Mi Pad Tablet Device

Xiaomi-MiPad-android-tablet

Xiaomi, a company that I think is doing a lot of great things in the mobile phone market these days, has officially launched the Mi Pad, Its first foray into the wild world of mid-range Android tablet devices. It’s clear the Chinese electronics company wants to take some of the tablet profits away from giants like Apple and Samsung but will it translate to success on the field? Well, judging by design and specs it’s definitely a chance worth taking.

The tablet itself, which looks exactly like a colorful outline of the popular iPad Mini, packs a 7.9-inch 2048 x 1536 high-def screen (326 ppi), courtesy of Sharp, along with 2GB of RAM, a WiFi-only internet connectivity, your choice of 16 or 64GB of built in storage, as well as a microSD slot, supporting up to 128GB of extra portable storage.

Xiaomi’s Mi Pad tablet runs a new version of its own MIUI, based on Android 4.4.2 KitKat. It is also one thin and light product, measuring in only 7.5mm thick and weighing 360 grams. The battery of the Mi Pad is 6,700mAh and the company promises to deliver 11 hours of video playback and 86 hours of quality audio.

Some other parts of the upcoming slab include Nvidia’s next gen Tegra K1 SOC, featuring a 2.2GHz 4 plus 1 core CPU and a 192 core Kepler GPU. For imaging, there is an 8-megapixel rear camera with flash and f2.0 aperture and a 5-megapixel front-facing variant for those free video chat calls.

As far as retail pricing goes, the Mi Pad tablet will start at $240 for the 16GB version, and up to $270 for the 64GB flavor.

While the actual release date is still under wraps, the launch is expected in a few months period (perhaps in time for the holiday season). Meanwhile, we hear that the slate will go on a beta test program in China sometime in June.

 

Xiaomi MiPad specs

  •  2.2 GHz NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor with 192-core Kepler GPU
  • 7.9-inch (2048 × 1536 pixels) display at 326 ppi with Corning Gorilla Glass 3
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 16GB or 64GB of internal storage
  • 6700 mAh battery
  • Android-KitKat MiUI ROM
  • 8MP rear camera with Sony BSI stacked sensor, 1080p video recording, f/2.0 aperture
  • 5MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture
  • WiFi 802.11/b/g/n/ac Dual Band

 

[youtube id=”lVp34KQbAqk”]

tablets

LG Announces a Trio of G Pad Android Tablets

LG_G_Pad_tablet_series

Today LG announced a trio of Android tablets powered by Android version 4.4 (KitKat), and soon to be available in various sizes ranging from seven to 10.1 inches (with LG admitting that “not one size fits all”). The new lineup will be categorized under the company’s G Pad series which already includes the 8.3-inch tablet iteration – whether with the Google Play addition or without it.  The names are obviously going to suggest the tablet size in this case, and the package to be wrapped up with some basic LG software such as QPair 2.0 (direct calls and notifications from a paired smartphone) and the new Knock Code wake-up security platform. No word on pricing or availability but expect these to become official during the MedPl 2014 trade show which takes place this week in Monaco.

tablets

Next Generation Samsung Galaxy Tab Slates To Have Super AMOLED Screen Displays

samsung-galaxy-tab-s-android-tablet

By now you may be starting to think that you’ve seen it all this year, then BAM! Another variant in Samsung’s portable collection. The source of information this time is from SamMobile who claims to have obtained exclusive footage of Sammy’s next-gen series, also known as the Galaxy Tab S. And while the overall design may be somewhat somber, the line of specs is simply phenomenal.

Even though the possible release is still unconfirmed, the latest report indicates there are two versions of the Tab S tablet iteration: the 8.4-inch and the 10.5-inch, both equipped with a Super AMOLED display.

Unfortunately for us, most details are scarce at the moment, and we know only that the 10.5-incher packs a 1.9GHz Exynos 5 Octa processor under the lid, as well as Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0,  dual cameras, 8MP for the rear-facing one and 2.1MP for its front-facing counterpart, Android 4.4 KitKat OS, and a great large display on top with a massive resolution of 2560×1600 pixels.

Pricing and availability information has yet to be disclosed, though we might learn more very soon.

General, tablets

Acer Debuts New Line Of 7-inch Iconia Tab Android Tablets

acer-iconia-one-7-android-tablet

The mid-range tablet market is heavily crowded with great devices. Acer today launched another addition to their Iconia Tab family of 7-inch tablets. The following, which will go under the Iconia One 7 and Iconia Tab 7 monikers, are said to replace some of the company’s previous market generations (the  B1-720 and the Iconia Tab 7 1st gen).

The Iconia One 7

A new 7-incher with a nice bump in the screen resolution (1,280 x 800), featuring a faster Intel Atom Z2560 processor, 8GB of storage (16GB version will be optional as well), and Android 4.2 Jelly bean for the OS (KitKat upgrade to be available sometime in the future). Acer says the battery life in this slab will last up to seven hours of use time, and that pricing will likely begin at $130 when Canada/U.S. sales commence somewhere around May.

Acer-Iconia-Tab-7-Android-Tablet-2014

Acer Iconia Tab 7

The company has also announced a new iteration of the Iconia Tab 7, with a 1,280 x 800 screen resolution as well as a quad-core MediaTek chip, set to push  this Android KitKat 4.4 device even further ahead in the tablet competition. Furthermore the slate will offer 3G HSPA+ networks, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, built-in GPS and your choice of Black or White hues with either 8GB and 16GB internal storage, starting at $205 for basic configurations.

tablets

Lenovo Introduces Four Entry-Level Android Tablets

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lenovo-tab-a8-50-android-slate

It’s been a while since we last posted about a new budget-friendly device. Surely, we should have seen more of these available in the market, but not at the expense of quality and size, right? Well, depends on who you are asking I suppose. However, with that in mind the big news of today comes courtesy of Lenovo, where they have just revealed their latest collection of entry-level slabs. The new line, which is comprised of four different Tabs, the A7-30, A7-50, A8 and A10, comes equipped with a quad-core MediaTek processor under the hood, as well as Dolby-powered dual-front speakers and a version of Android OS that is yet to be disclosed.

The first model, which happens to be the smaller and weaker of the four, is the Tab A7-30. It has a 7-inch 1024×600 resolution display along with a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processor,  a 3500mAh battery, and a suite of low-resolution cameras (2MP on the back plus a VGS up front), with an optional cellular support.

Lenovo’s A7-50 really isn’t much of a difference except the slightly better 7-inch “HD” display which boasts 1280×720 screen resolution. Other than that it packs the same batch of cameras, an optional SIM card tray and an 8GB storage for all your media source files, including video, photos and audio.

The Lenovo A8-50, which you can see in the picture above, is said to be coming with a larger 8-inch HD display on board, coupled with 1280×800 pixel resolution  along with a 5MP rear camera plus a 2MP camera on the front.

The last tablet in this series is the Tab A10, which runs a 10.1-inch wide HD screen at 1280×800 resolution. There’s also a larger 6340 mAh battery inside and the mix of cameras offers 2MP front-facing camera and a 5MP shooter on the back. It will be available worldwide from Q2 2014 for £169.99, while the other three will cost £99, and £139 respectively.

tablets

HP Unveils ProPad 600 And ElitePad 1000 Windows Business Line Of Tablets

hp-elitepad-1000

A new lineup of Windows tablets shine at Mobile World Congress 2014 — HP intros two of them for the business end users who are using Microsoft technology, the ProPad 600 and the ElitePad 1000. Both units are equipped with Intel’s latest Atom Bay Trail quad-core processors under the lid, 10.1-inch displays with 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution and a thin environmentally friendly cover of Corning Gorilla Glass atop. The two also offer a choice of Windows 8.1 or Windows 8.1 Pro operating systems.

The HP ProPad 600, which is the cheapest of the two, will boast a WiFi-only platform, paired with a microSD card slot, micro HDMI output, dual 8MP and 2MP cameras, 2GB or 4GB of RAM configurations, Bluetooth 4.0, and pressure sensitive stylus for detailed drawing and easier navigation. The ProPad will be available in April with prices to be determined.

hp-propad600-windows-tablet

The ElitePad 1000 model, on the other hand, will be available in March with a starting price of $739. It packs pretty much the same specs as above but slightly better, with both  802.11 a/b/g/n wifi connectivity and 4G LTE radio support, as well as your choice of 32GB or 64GB of internal storage capacities, a much stringer 64-bit processor and the same sharp 1,920 x 1,200 screen on top.   Of course, you will also have all the ports necessary for a daily work included inside, such as USB 3.0, microSD card slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack and an HDMI out for video streaming on your TV screen.

Update: HP has also unveiled an 8-inch Android tablet which is expected to sell for $170. The new device which falls under the obvious name of HP 8, is packing a mediocre 1,024 x 768 screen, along with, a quad-core ARM chip, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a 3,800mAh battery pack and an Android 4.2.2 pre-loaded for the OS.

Mobile, tablets

Huawei Announces 7-Inch MediaPad X1 Android Tablet: Lightest in the World!

1 Comment

Huawei-MediaPad-X1-tablet

Huwei introduces a new 7-inch Phablet, Android tablet with a mobile phone function, which also happens to be the lightest in the category weighing in at just 239g and only 7.18mm-thick. As much as we would welcome any change or innovation in the global mobile market, a 7-inch tablet will always look preposterous as a “hold up to your ear” smartphone, right? While you could always use it as a tool in getting connected via mobile, the tablet part seems to be the main purpose most of the time.

But will the new slab be a player in an increasingly crowded market? Well, it’s definitely possible due to the increasing size of the manufacturing company and the top-notch quality of the internal specs. The name, if you were wondering, is the Huawei MediaPad X1 and it is likely to contain some of the greatest specs available in the market today, including a high-res 1,920 x 1,200 LTPS display (323 ppi) on top, alongside a 1.6GHz quad-core Cortex-A9 processor, 2GB of RAM and a Mali-450 MP4 GPU.

The MediaPad X1, which has an rigid aluminum frame, will also include a 5,000mAh battery pack, claims to provide up to 5 full days of work, as well as 802.11n WiFi connectivity, a HUGE breed of 5-megapixel f/2.2 front-facing camera plus a 13-megapixel f/2.4 shooter placed on the back. In addition, it will sport both 4G LTE network capabilities, WCDMA technology configuration and 3G connection wherever you go. There is also a healthy 16GB of built-in storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card slot.

The X1 which runs on Android Jelly Bean OS  will be available in various countries around the globe such as China, Russia, Western Europe, the Middle East, Japan and Latin America from March 2014  for an unknown price.

Update: Huawei will also release a basic 7-inch tablet under the M1 moniker and with some entry-level specs, including a 7-inch 1,280×800 pixel HD IPS display, a rear-facing a 5-megapixel camera plus a 1-megapixel shooter on the front. Storage wise, you get the choice to choose between 8GB or 16GB capacities and up to 32GB expandable memory via microSD card slot. The M1 will be available in May for 299 Euros.

[youtube id=”yo171G-2kAg”]

tablets

8-inch Archos Helium 4G Tablet Breaks Cover

Archos-Helium-4G-Tablet

Archos has just taken the wraps off of the 80 Helium 4G tablet, an 8-inch follow-up to the well-reviewed French line of gadgets. And while, admittedly, this isn’t exactly an official announcement, the company decided to unveil the slate moments ahead of MWC 2014 where the tablet is expected to be seen for the very first time. The basic 80 Helium 4G offer is said to be featuring an 8-inch 1024 x 768 IPS screen, paired with a 1.2GHz Cortex-A7 quad-core processor, and an Android 4.3 Jelly Bean for the operating system. It will also include a 4G/LTE network support, with 1GB of RAM, a 5MP rear-facing camera capable of 1080p Full HD video capture, plus a standard 2MP front-facing shooter sitting up front. Moreover, the Helium, which is going to be priced at roughly $250, is cramming inside Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi and GPS for use with Google Maps and Navigation. We should get more details at MWC 2014.

tablets

Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet Specs Leaked (Now Official)

Sony-Xperia-Tablet

Another day, another @evleaks leak. This time it’s a new successor to the beautiful Sony Xperia z1 tablet, which happens to be registered under the name of Xperia Z2 (is anyone surprised?). If rumors are proven correct, the next Xperia iteration is likely to pack a SnapDragon 800 2.3GHz x4 processor under the hood, alongside a 10.1-inch 1920×1200 Full-HD Triluminos Display, with a system memory of 3GB RAM, and an internal storage capacity starting at 16GB and doubling at each step. The storage is obviously expandable via microSD slot expansion, and  the camera features are top of the line as well. Apart from 8MP rear camera, the device also holds a 2MP secondary camera for video calling and runs on Android Kitkat 4.4 OS. And while the actual product photo is not available, It is also rumored to come with a very thin body measuring at 6.4 mm and it’ll also be enclosed in a waterproof body. More details to follow.

Update1: The guys over at @evleaks just posted an unverified image of the next Xperia tablet. Initial look and feel is very similar to the first generation, the Z1 tablet, only with some better specs. We look forward to learning more about this product at Sony’s Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona on February 24. 

Alleged-Xperia-z2-Tablet

Update2: Mobile World Congress 2014 began yesterday in Barcelona, lifting the curtain of the upcoming Xperia Z2 tablet which Sony claims to be the thinnest and lightest waterproof slate in the world. Other than that, leaks were right on the spot with the new Z2 packing a 10.1-inch 1,920 x 1,200 pixel Triluminos display along with 3GB RAM, a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, dual 8.1/2.2-megapixel cameras, and a super slim chassis measuring in only 6.9mm thick. Naturally, it comes running the latest and greatest Android OS known as 4.4.2 KitKat.

[youtube id=”fA4dIRau5Mc”]

video courtesy of T3
tablets

Archos Unveils Three New Neon Android Tablets

archos-neon-tablet

French manufacturer, Archos,  is once again aiming to reach out to the mass market with a variety of new tablets offered under the Neon moniker. The trio, which are expected to be announced just under $200, will pack a quad-core A9 processor, along with 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage (expendable via microSD expansion up to 64GB),  WiFi connectivity, and Micro USB 2.0. It has also been confirmed that the budget-friendly devices will run Android 4.2 Jelly Bean under the lid, paired with an integrated speaker, a built-in mic, an embedded G-sensor for device orientation, and a Lithium Polymer battery pack. The new Neon series is coming in three variants: the 9-inch Archos 90 Neon (800 x 400 screen resolution), 9.7-inch 97 Neon (1024 x 768 screen resolution), and the 10.1-inch 101 Neon (1024 x 600 screen resolution), while the first and third models will only include a front-facing VGA shooter which caters for all your video chat needs, and the second, the 9.7-inchers comes with an additional 2-megapixel rear-facing cam.  U.S. availability is yet to be determined but in Europe, the tablets are already on sale.

[Archos]

CES, tablets

Polaroid To Release New Q Line of Android 4.4 Tablets

polaroid-Q10-android-tablet

Have you ever heard the name Polaroid before? Well, it is not exactly a glamorous company anymore, but it sure is making a formal comeback. And while we haven’t heard all that much about it lately, the 75 years old company apparently has some interesting plans to share with ya all. Today, Polaroid announced its Q line of Android-based tablets, including the 7-inch Q7, 8-inch Q8 and 10.1-inch Q10. Neither device is exactly best in breed, but the choices you get are fairly decent and the price is reasonable. For instance, all three tablets ship with Android 4.4 Kit Kat under the hood, and the processor inside is a quad-core Snapdragon 600. There’s also a Wifi connectivity, alongside an HDMI port, and dual HD cameras to capture video and photos. Unfortunately, that’s pretty much all the details we got to share with you now, but we certainly hope to bring even more. Overall it’s not that bad for the price you pay, which is about $129.99, $149.99 and $179.99 respectively.

[Polaroid]

tablets

Nvidia Tegra Note 7 Gets Updated With Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

1 Comment

nvidia_tegra_note_7_back

Some of you probably remember the Tegra Note 7 that has been recently released by hardware giant, Nvidia (and sold under brand names such as EVGA, ADVENT, Gigabyte, Shenzhen Homecare Technology, ZOTAC and XOLO). If you don’t, let me refresh your memory: It’s a 7-inch Android tablet device running a Tegra 4 SOC under the lid with a quad-core Cortex-A15 processor, 16GB of internal storage, 2GB of RAM and a 72-core GeForce GPU. It was launched worldwide last October both in shelves and online for only $199, and has gained popularity over other basic slates available in the market.

Yesterday, we learned that Nvidia had apparently rolled out a new update for the 7-inch Note that promises to boost general usability. Aside from the OS upgrade to Android 4.3, the new update also improves the graphics tablet pen, which now offers support for left-handed users, as well as a wide range of manual setting features, and a better accuracy of touch in the DirectStylus response. In addition, you can transfer apps from the tablet’s internal storage over to a microSD card and by doing so save even more space.

Finally, the update has also added an always-on HDR function for the 5MP rear-facing camera, which means a real-time HDR engine when taking candid photos of people in the street. Some other enhancements include a new video stabilization feature and even better results in taking low-light photography moments.

The update is now officially available for a download over the air.

[NVIDIA]

 

tablets

LG G Pad 8.3 Tablet Finally Gets The Google Play Edition

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LG-G-Pad-8.3-Google-Play-Tablet

Although LG has already introduced the G Pad 8.3 tablet more than three months ago, it didn’t announce the Google Play Edition, and gladly it is doing so today. The new 8-incher which has been specifically designed to take on Google Nexus 7 directly, is running the latest and greatest stock version of Android 4.4 (KitKat) under the hood, along with similar ingredients that we have already encountered before, including a stunning 1920 x 1200 Full HD IPS display, a quad-core 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 system-on-chip, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage,  5-megapixel rear camera and a 1.2-megapixel shooter up front. In addition, the 8.3mm thick device, which happens to retail for exactly the same price as the regular one ($349), boasts the best technology in terms of connectivity (e.g NFC, Bluetooth 4.0,  and dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi), paired with a 4600mAh battery and a microSD card slot.

There are many benefits of having a stock Google Android machine instead of the company version, particularly when it comes to the frequency of updates, simplicity in UI, the absence of bloatware that can slow the system down, and the overall performance, which it is expected to deliver. The LG G Pad 8.3 Google Play Edition is now officially available via Google Play — are you getting one?

tablets

Toshiba Reveals Budget Excite 7 Tablet

Toshiba today announces its latest 7-inch tablet, the Excite 7. Now, don’t expect this new device to be on par with the rest of the popular Excite tablet family. It is a budget 1.6GHz quad-core slate, with a mediocre 7-inch display on board, boasting 1,024×600 screen resolution and with Mali 400MP quad-core GPU. Not exactly the top-notch hardware you’d get with the Excite Pro and Excite Pure Android Jelly Bean slabs, but the price is to be respectively less as well. At its $169 base price, Toshiba’s entry-level tablet packs 1GB of RAM, your choice of 8GB or 16GB of internal storage, a microSD slot expansion, USB, HDMI out and a standard Wifi connectivity plus Bluetooth 4.0. The cameras on this fat bezel slate are at the low end of the digital spectrum range, with only 3-megapixel camera on the back and a 0.3-megapixel shooter up front. Again, it’s a cheap makeover but fairly new. On the other hand, there are quite a few great options out there that have more reliable performance technology inside, and that cost only a few dollars more; the new Nexus 7 for example. Anyways, everything is at your discretion what to buy and what not to.

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Video courtesy of Android Central

[Toshiba]

tablets

Archos 101 XS 2 Tablet Announced, Coming in December For $279

Archos is looking to update its 10-inch tablet offering with a new model. The French corp has announced it will push the release of a new successor to the Archos 101 XS sometime next month. The upcoming slate, known as the 101 XS 2, will be featuring a quad-core 1.6GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor inside its sprawling gut, along with 2GB of RAM and an IPS display with a relatively low resolution of 1280×800. The tablet will run on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) out of the box, and said to be bundled with a nice detachable keyboard dock. In addition to that, the tablet will also pack 16GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD up to 64GB), dual cameras (2MP in the front and 2MP at the back), dual-band Wifi connectivity, Bluetooth, GPS and USB 2.0 ports. As already mentioned, the 101 XS 2 will be on sale in the US from the beginning of December with a retail price of $279 — which is still not too much, although, when compared to the $229.99 Nexus 7 tablet (with a 1920 x 1200 display) it definitely is.  

[Archos]

 

Image via clubic.com

tablets

Lenovo Officially Announces a New Line Of ‘Yoga’ Android Tablets With 8- and 10-inch Screens

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You know how it goes, first there’s the leak and then there’s the official announcement, and in Lenovo’s case a new line of two Yoga Tablets. What was previously best known as the IdeaPad B6000 and B8000 is now available in 8-inch and 10-inch iterations with 1,280 x 800 IPS screens that can easily rotate up to 135 degrees. The Chinese corp has appointed Ashton Kutcher to promote the new products and unveiled a low introductory price of $249 for the smaller device and only $299 for the slightly bigger version (both are gonna kick off today on Best Buy).

The new slates will pack a quad-core MediaTek processor under the hood, along with dual cameras (1.6MP in front, 5MP in back), Google’s Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 for the OS, and up to 16GB of integrated storage (expandable via microSD slot). There’s also 1GB of RAM inside the box and a lithium battery providing up to 18 hours of continuous work. At least that is what the company says.

What’s unique about these Yoga tablets is the new and conceptual design with the massive kickstand thing positioned widely on the back of the slabs, the textured plastic cover and this rounded tube placed at the base – the kind of pipe you’d find on Apple’s wireless keyboards. While designs remain pretty much the same, the overall weight is slightly different between one Yoga device to another. The 8-inch model weighs only 0.88 pound while the 10-incher is at 1.33 pounds.

Hit the “play” and watch the video

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