Monday, 24 February 2014

Google working on a WiFi app for Android and iOS

  

Google is reportedly working on a WiFi app for Android and iOS devices that automatically authenticates and connects to free hotspots inside Starbucks stores as well as private hotspots.According to sources, Google has internally discussed linking the app to its rollout of faster WiFi connections to all 7,000 Starbucks stores in the US.

Currently, Starbucks customers need to find the access point open their browser and agree to the terms and conditions. The new WiFi 'Google Starbucks' hotspots will allow users to connect automatically. Google has said it will provide Starbucks stores with a 100x speed boost in Fiber cities like Austin, KC and Provo and is now exploring the feasibility of deploying fiber connections in 34 more US cities.
Google, Microsoft, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and a number of other companies have joined together to form WifiForward, a collaboration aimed at improving and expanding Wi-Fi networks. Google is one of the first companies to offer free city wide WiFi network. The internet giant rolled out over 500 streetlight hotspots across Mountain View, California and is now planning to roll out Google WiFi to more locations across the US and Canada. Google has donated nearly $600,000 to equip 31 of San Francisco's public parks with free WiFi for at least two years.
Google is working on a new research project called Project Tango, which aims to bring 3D technology to smartphones. Google has developed a prototype smartphone which has inbuilt cameras, sensors and chips that create a three-dimensional map of user's surroundings. The internet giant aims to help the blind in indoor navigation and also build more immersive video games.

WhatsApp for Android lets users turn off 'last seen' timestamp

  

WhatsApp has rolled out new update v2.11.169, which allows users to disable the 'Last Seen' time stamp for Android smartphones. The much requested feature was already available for iPhone users, has now be launched for the Android OS as well.Users can see the option in the Privacy menu. There's an option to either limit users who can see the timestamp or disable it completely. However, once you select the option you will not be able to see the timestamp for other users as well. Android users can change the settings any number of times a day, while iPhone users will be able to change the setting only once in 24 hours.
The new update also brings the ability to limit visibility of profile photos and status. Users can choose between three options including show it to everyone which is default or limit it to their contacts or no one. The same choices are also given in visibility options as well. The new update is not available on the Google Play store but can be downloaded for Whatspp website directly.
WhatsApp which has more than 450 million users world wide was acquired by Facebook in a massive $19 Billion deal last week. The app recently suffered a major outage that lasted more than three hours just three days after the deal was announced. Frustrated Whatsapp users turned to Twitter, Facebook and other platforms to complain about the break down, with many speculating it was Facebook's way of getting people to communicate though Facebook Messenger instead.

Windows Phone 8.1 update looks to challenge Android

  
Microsoft has given a few more details about the update that Windows Phones will be receiving later this year, and it is clear that the Redmond giant now wants to target the affordable price points and take on Android. While Microsoft has not said anything about the name for the update, keeping the recent trend in mind, we believe it will be Windows Phone 8.1, and is supposed to release sometime in spring.The biggest change is in the philosophy, with Microsoft now apparently allowing smartphone makers to move away from rigid design and hardware requirements. First up, Windows Phone 8.1 will allow the use of lower end Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. This will be a critical aspect, for smartphone makers to consider making phones to take on the lower end and mid-range Android smartphones.

Microsoft had demanded that all phones have three standard keys on the front, plus a camera shutter button too, on the side. However, Microsoft is now letting smartphone makers do away with these physical keys, if they wish to. Information streaming out also suggests that Microsoft may allow smartphone makers to reuse the Android smartphone designs, but like we said, there is no confirmation on that.

Windows Phone 8.1 will also bring in the compatibility for dual-SIM hardware, which will give smartphone makers additional leverage on the spec sheet of the affordable Windows phones.Windows Phone 8.1 update will technically be compatible with existing Windows Phone 8 devices, but we still do not have clarity on the status of particular devices.

Friday, 21 February 2014

Microsoft renames Office Web Apps as 'Office Online'

  

Microsoft has rebranded Office Web Apps, as Office Online. The change was spotted by a Chinese website which discovered several pages on Microsoft's website with reference to the new name.The internet giant admitted that the old name was confusing for the customers.
Microsoft's Office Web Apps has received some enhancements along with the rebranding, including a large library of ready-to-use templates and an app switcher. Microsoft Office 2010 or Office 2013 users can click on a button to open an online document in the pertinent desktop application."We heard from customers that the inclusion of Apps in our name was confusing," wrote Amanda Lefebvre, a senior product marketing manager with Microsoft, in a Thursday post. "Are they something I install? Do I go to an app store to get them? No, to use them all you need is a web browser. Ah! You say. So it’s like Office, online. Yes, exactly. Office Online.”
Microsoft Online Office apps were earlier accessible only from SkyDrive, which the company recently renamed OneDrive. The internet giant has launched a promotion campaign and is giving away 100GB of online storage free post re-branding to the first 100,000 users.

Google's 3D smartphone technology project

  

Google has announced a new research project which aims to bring 3D technology to smartphones. The project is called Project Tango.The company has developed a prototype smartphone which is equipped with a collection of cameras, sensors and chips that create a three-dimensional map of user's surroundings. Google hopes that it will make way for applications that might include indoor navigation for the blind and more immersive videogames.The search giant has said that it would provide the prototype to outside developers so that they are encouraged into writing new applications.
According to project leader Johnny Lee, the goal of the project is to incorporate robotics and vision-processing technology and give mobile devices a human-scale understanding of space and motion."What if you could capture the dimensions of your home simply by walking around with your phone before you went furniture shopping?" Google said on its Project Tango web page.
When it comes to games, the technology could be used for "playing hide-and-seek in your house with your favourite game character.The smartphones are equipped with sensors which make over 1.4 million measurements per seconds, updating the position and rotation of the phone. Google has partnered with researchers from the University of Minnesota, George Washington University, German tech firm Bosch and the Open Source Robotics Foundation, among others.

Samsung starts rolling out Android 4.4.2 KitKat update to the Galaxy S4

  

Samsung has started rolling out Android v4.4.2 KitKat update to its Galaxy S4 smartphone. According to reports, the Exynos-based GT-I9500 will first receive the update, while the Snapdragon 600-based I9505 version will follow shortly after.The latest Android updates brings a lot of new features including minor UI changes, performance boost and better lock screen. The new UI shows KitKat style white status bar icons instead of the multi-colour icons, which we have seen on other Samsung devices. 

The keyboard layout has also been improved for use in landscape mode. This is supposed to make gesture typing easier and faster.The update also brings support for full-screen music album art and a dedicated camera shortcut.

Other notable features include wireless printing, new emojis support, Hangouts for SMS/MMS, option to customise launchers under settings and more.

Sony launches Xperia Z1 Compact at Rs.36,990

  
Sony has launched the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact in India today. The company had announced the phone at CES 2014 last month.The smartphone is priced at Rs.36,990. It is powered by a 2.2GHz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with an Adreno 330 GPU. The phone comes with Android 4.3 out of the box and has 2GB of RAM. Some special features of the phone include a 4.3 inch HD TFT display with Triluminous and X-Reality technology, a 20.7MP auto-focus camera powered by an Exmor RS image sensor capable of taking full HD videos, and water and dust resistance.
The phone is available in Lime, Pink, White and Black colours. It comes with 16GB of internal storage expandable upto 64GB through the provided memory card slot. The phone has a 2300mAh battery and has a 2MP front facing camera. The dimensions of the phone are 127 x 64.9 x 9.5 mm and weighs 137 grams.Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is Sony's answer to other manufacturers like Samsung and HTC, which also launched mini versions of their flagship smartphones of 2013. Samsung launched the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini and HTC launched the HTC One mini. Now with the release of Xperia Z1 Compact, Sony clearly seems to have an upper hand when it comes to mini versions of flagship smartphones.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)