Archive for August, 2012
Top 10 Apps of the week!
Aug 30th
We cannot seem to wrap our brains around how quickly this month has passed by! August is through and here are our final top 10 Apps of the weeks for August 2012. From Apps that help you locate your car, Apps that block your notifications when you’re driving all the way to spy-like Apps that allow you to get more information than Sherlock Holmes. Music lovers are never forgotten as well as faithful researchers so be sure to check them out and let us know what your thoughts are.
1. Car Locator (Get it for your android) $3.99
Once you’ve parked, the app is easy to set up. When you’re ready to return to your car, Car Locator uses GPS and Google Maps to activate radar and a map to tell you where the car is. Then it displays the current distance between you and the car, plus the direction of your car from where you are. We especially like the feature that tells you how long your car has been parked. For people prone to getting tickets for not feeding the meter in time, it’s a lifesaver.
2. Drive Off (Get it for your android) Free
One of the causes of road accidents is using the phone while driving. It is always advised not to text or answer calls while driving. But, since we live in a very hectic environment, we are usually tempted to answer the phone or reply to our text messages. The DriveOFF app sees these driving hazards and promotes safety by killing all your notifications sounds while you are driving. It will also launch a background, blocking your view of your phone’s screen.
3. Secret Audio Recording (Get it for your android) Free
If you are currently trying to expose somebody or trying to find out the truth about an issue, this app may be able to help you gather valuable information that you can’t just obtain through normal questioning. Sounds like an episode of Pretty Little Liars doesn’t it?
4. Quick Setting Manager – Lite (Get it for your android) Free
As mobile devices have become more sophisticated, the more settings there are for us to tweak. Now, we need to keep an eye on our volume levels if we’re in a quiet environment or brightness levels when we’re checking e-mails in a dark room. This app makes it easy for us to switch settings without having to fiddle with them.
5. G Cloud backup (Get it for your android) Free
The cheapest Backup App there is! Backup all those summer pictures, Contacts, Sms texts, call logs, videos and all your documents 1 GB for free. If you’ve got more than that you can upgrade for as low as $ 0.99 for a whooping 10 GB!
6. XenoAmp BETA (Get it for your android) Free
There are literally tons of music players on the Google Play Store and you’ve probably had to sift through them to find the one that you’ve got right now. Some of you may want a music player with a lot of functions while others prefer music players that are basic and does what they say on the tin. XenoAmp BETA not only does what it was made to do but is also aesthetically pleasing.
7. Muzy (Get it for your android) Free
If you’ve been on Facebook for a while, Muzy should not be a new name to you. It’s a way to edit your photos and put them together in a gorgeous photo collage. There’s no need for you to bust out your glue and your scissors when you can do everything with Muzy. Its official app was recently launched on the Google Play Store, giving people more access to its array of editing options.
8. CDo (Get it for your android) Free
If you’ve taken some time to build your background on music theory and note reading then you’re quite familiar with the English musical notation system. You know your C’s from your D’s and your E’s, but the world of music isn’t limited to just that notation system. The Latina musical notation might be foreign to you, but if you need to learn it quickly, CDo is the best app for that.
9. Office Ringtones Professional (Get it for your android) Free
One of the perks of having an Android phone is that it can be easily be customized. If you’re looking for an app that lets you choose a phone ringtone suitable for a corporate environment, you can try this app on your device. It’s like a ringtone hub that lets you choose a variety of ringtones & set them on your Android.
10. Reference Resource (Get it for your android) Free
Reference Resource FREE is an app that has all the necessary resources you’ll ever need for your projects, write-ups, school assignments, and a lot more. If you need to find the definition of a certain term, just launch this app and use its dictionary. If you need to find a word’s synonym, use the app’s thesaurus. And, if you need to know a certain thing’s history, you can use the app’s encyclopedia.
Meet the new Phablet; The Galaxy Note II
Aug 30th
It’s that time of year again; yes the pre-iPhone madness announcement season has kick started and it is off with a bang. On Wednesday, at the IFA 2012, Samsung unveiled a set of intriguing new products, among which was an Android-based camera and a Windows RT tablet yet the Galaxy Note II hybrid Smartphone takes the cake.
Last year, when the first Galaxy Note arrived, it was welcomed with a lot of praise and appeal, with global sales that rank up to 1 million in only two month, 5 million in 5 months and have surpassed ever since a whooping 10 million. For those of you who thought that the Galaxy Note could not get any bigger, well you were wrong. The second gen phone/mini tablet, whose specs were leaked a few hours early, has jumped from a 5.3 inch screen to a 5.5 inches.
Moving on to what concerns us most; the specs: The new Galaxy Note II is powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core Exynos processor and runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Either HSPA Plus or LTE connectivity will be supported. Buyers will be able to choose between, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of storage, with an 8 megapixel rear camera and a 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera.
Samsung is proudly boasting that the Note II’s HD Super AMOLED screen, stating quite boldly that it offers a “perfect viewing experience”. While we still don’t know how valid this actually is, but once we see it we’ll believe it. The S Pen also received a redesign from the company for it is longer and thicker now.
Though Samsung has not set a fixed release date for the device yet, it has confirmed that it will launch in Europe, Asia and the Middle East in October and will arrive in the US by the end of this year.
We could not help but compare between the Galaxy S III and the second generation Galaxy note. In fact, Samsung itself did not shy away from making the comparison. Director of product marketing for Samsung
Mobile US, Ryan Bidan, told the publican in an interview:
The best way to think about the Galaxy Note II is that we took kind of that experience that we created with the Galaxy S III, both in terms of design and software experience, and brought that to the Note platform. So, you’ve kind of got the refinement and evolution of what we did with the original Galaxy Note, along with all of those great sharing features and the power of the Galaxy S III device. So thinking about it along the lines as the Galaxy S III I think is absolutely fair because it does feel and act a lot like that, but now you’ve got the further advantage of having the S Pen and the Note characteristics with that.
However, Bidan was careful to note that the Galaxy S and Note families of devices remain separate:
[Samsung] started it with the original Note, kind of creating that unique category where we took a very powerful smartphone and integrated a lot of great tablet functionality. And if you look at kind of what we did with the S Pen with the Galaxy Note 10.1, kind of extending that paradigm a little bit further to content creation and a bunch of the unique tablet functionality, and now continuing to extend that category even further with the Galaxy Note II, so absolutely look at it as being a very different device than our Galaxy S III.
While we’re curious to find out how far this screen creep will catch on, but as far as we’re concerned, if you’re already at massive, what’s another 0.2 inches. It seems these “phablets” will keep on growing.
While Tech Crunch compared the device to a Chevy Corvette; “not for everyone” and the Galaxy S II to a more practical Chevy Camaro, Engadget’s first impressions were pleased with the new simpler and more cohesive features that are less business and more pleasure. What are your thoughts? Are you sold on the new Note? Let us know.
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Losing your stuff a lot? Then this new gadget is just for you!
Aug 28th
We all know how annoying it is when we misplace one of our favorite things and then never seem to find it again, as if the magic fairy of “All things lost” takes it as a punishment for our negligence. But, what if we told you that all of this hassle can be avoided by simply tagging your possessions and then keeping tags on them, just like an eager researcher tracking so many wildebeests in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve?
Well, now thanks to CAO Gadget, this is not so farfetched. The aptly named apparatus called Wireless Sensor Tags works on monitoring movement, angle and temperature as well as sending alerts to your iOS or Android device when things go afield. The new apparatus is so smart that it can detect any suspicious movement that can indicate abnormal activity such as potential theft or an impending breakage by your beloved little puppy.
You can easily set the parameters of what kind of notifications would set the tags off and you can even set how shrewd you want the system to be via app or web client. Despite the fact that the two-inch-square circuit boards are wrapped in a not-so-pretty elastic thermoplastic elastomer, the system actually works.
In case you were wondering about the pricing of these tags, well they come in at $15 ($12 if you purchase three or more at once) and they include a 3D digital magnetic sensor that captures angle and motion, plus it includes temperature sensors. The tags also contain a red LED and an alaram that can be remotely triggered.
The tags themselves are a square circuit board wrapped in a flexible, perdurable shell with Velcro straps. The sensors distribute data to a Tag Manager ($70), which is basically a white box, half the size of a mouse, and is connected to a router via Ethernet. This base, capable of handling up to 225 tags at once, connects to the local network and internet for remote access.
It is completely up to the user to sophisticate or simplify the system impeccably detailed adjustments and combinations of data tracking. For those of you requiring immense levels of control, the app and web client feature motion-sensitivity., threshold-angle and temperature adjustments.
The web client is explicit with large buttons on the home screen outlining the features they access. The apps are strictly practical, with default or white backgrounds and with obvious OS-level settings apps resemblance, with sliders and on/off buttons that are there for adjustment purposes such as enabling an onboard alarm or setting a temperature threshold to tell you when an ice chest has gotten too warm.
While the notifications are quite helpful, yet the default settings may not comply with the wishes of someone who might want to be notified the second a door has been opened or an object has been moved. Out of the box, the tags take a few seconds to alert the system. This delay was made for the purpose of saving the battery life, however, we concluded in our tests that it could take up to 30 seconds for an alert to come through.
Yet, if you do decide to attach a tag onto an invaluable endowment of yours and need to know the second it moves, then the web client offers access to advanced settings that can send alerts as soon as something is moved. For this to be applicable, you’ll have to sacrifice the battery life.
This system is every nerd’s dream, whether you want the battery to last two months or 85 months. Unfortunately, due to the size of the tags, the system might be stuck at that level, at least for now.
Once you get past the looks of the tags (or better yet, hide it inside a certain device) they’re actually a great way to keep your stuff from running wild and free.
More info can be found here.
Here is a video exemplifying how the system works. Let us know what your thoughts are and how often you lose your stuff!
Be part of the smart crowd and download G Cloud today; it’s free!
Top 10 Apps of the week!
Aug 23rd
We’re back for the penultimate top 10 Apps for August. You can finally enjoy Pinterest on your Android, monitor your running habits with Runtastic, finally capture those fireworks with your phone Cam but brace yourself for probably one of the best photo filtering Apps out there (and yes not Instagram nor Pixlr-o-Matic). Enjoy and let us know what your thoughts are!
1. Sound Around (Get it for your android) Free
If you’re stuck in an office where you have to sit with your back to a walkway or the entrance to your cubicle, you know how startling it can be when you’re listening to music and someone walks up behind you and taps you on the shoulder. Around Sound for Android makes sure that never happens again—the app uses the microphone on your headset or your phone as an extended ear, and if a loud noise is detected, the app will pause your music so you can pay attention.
2. Pinterest (Get it for your android) Free
Pinterest, the social network that lets you share your interests and opinions, using pictures, has finally got an Android app. It is well worth a download for all those who believe in letting pictures say a thousand words.
3. Runtastic (Get it for your android) Free
Of all the ways to get into shape, running is considered as one of the best.For your next run, jog or walk, bring alone your Android phone with Run-Tastic installed, and track and record your workout. Run-Tastic will not only tell you how far you’ve gone during your workout, but also will provide a detailed map, your altitude and even your heart rate when connected to a heart rate monitor using the GPS capabilities built into your device.
4. Photo Editor by Aviary (Get it for your android) Free
Aviary’s mission statement is to “Make the world’s creation accessible.” Although their mission is a little ambiguous, their free image editing application is surprisingly robust for tools you can access completely for free.
5. MoboPlayer (Get it for your android) Free
An alternative video player to the normal Android player. Playback is smooth and clear and the menus and options available are quite extensive. The user interface is really nice too and the app has a high quality feel to it. The app supports all video formats and allows you to create playlists and organize your video library.
6. Critical Strike Portable (Get it for your android) Free
From the responsible Finnish Indie developer comes the launch of the first person shooter “Critical Strike Portable”, which was released in June 2012. It’s a Unity 3D remake of the old and beloved Counter Strike 1.6 and supports cross platform multiplayer games for shooter fans all over the world.
7. G Cloud Backup (Get it for your android) Free
The cheapest Backup App there is! Backup all those summer pictures, Contacts, Sms texts, call logs, videos and all your documents 1 GB for free. If you’ve got more than that you can upgrade for as low as $ 0.99 for a whooping 10 GB!
8. Fast Burst Camera Lite (Get it for your android) Free
The app itself is pretty easy to use, fire it up, point it at something, and then hold the button! We did find that if we kept our thumb down on the button until it stopped (97 photos), it did take a while for the app to empty its cache whilst it saved the images to memory. The one thing we would like is a zoom option, which is available in the full version priced at £3.45 .
9. Apex Launcher (Get it for your android) Free
This App maintains the stock look&feel or Android Ice Cream Sandwich, while adding a ton of terrific functionality. Even after a lot of customization, it feels super fast. It lets you change everything about the ICS launcher; number of columns & rows to fit more icons, resize any widget, change the way folders look, customize the app drawer & you can even use a lot of gestures to make launching apps or accessing certain settings super easy.
10. 100 Floors (Get it for your android) Free
This is a game of many levels where you need to open doors to advance to the next level, to get to the next floor you need to solve many puzzles where you need to tilt, swipe, pinch, poke etc. It is very hard not to cheat to advance to the next floor, you only got to search Google by typing in “100 Floors” and all you see is cheats and walkthroughs.
Top 10 Apps of the week!
Aug 16th
We’re still feeling summery with the most beautiful yet highly useful top 10 Apps for this week. From trip planning Apps all the way to your own personal translator in your pocket. We’ve even got you covered if you want to save your 3G and check out the best Wi-Fi spots. Let us know what your thoughts are!
1. TripIt (Get it for your android) Free
Our trip folder is nicely organized, with links for tracking your flight status, checking seating charts and an adequate map of the local area that you can view when you have no network connection. If you have Gmail, you can set your TripIt preferences to automatically grab travel-related emails.
2. Best Parking (Get it for your android) Free
Parking garages and airport lots can be absurdly expensive if you choose poorly. The app relies on GPS to serve up prices (including taxes) for nearby parking establishments in 18 of the nation’s biggest cities and 79 major airports, in a format that’s easy on the eye.
3. G Cloud Backup (Get it for your android) Free
The cheapest Backup App there is! Backup all those summer pictures, Contacts, Sms texts, call logs, videos and all your documents 1 GB for free. If you’ve got more than that you can upgrade for as low as $ 0.99 for a whooping 10 GB!
4. Google Translate (Get it for your android) Free
This app lets you push a button and speak a query. From there, it will either display the translated phrase in more than 50 languages, or, for 23 of the world’s most popular languages, the app will actually speak the translation back to you.
With a new UI and some great new features – there has never been a better time to get Google Translate.
5. Pinball (Get it for your android) Free
Pinball was the first, and is still one of the best pinball games for your android device. Sure, it doesn’t have the most amazing graphics, but it makes up for it in spades with great game play.
6. Tabr Widget (Get it for your android) Free
If you are looking for a high functioning widget to help keep your home screens sorted, check out Tabr!
7. Mega Jump (Get it for your android) Free
Mega Jump is a classic “jumping” game (if such a genre actually exists), in the same vein as Doodle Jump. To spice things up, you collect coins, gain powers ups and evade monsters.
8. Wi-Fi Finder (Get it for your android) Free
Want to get online while you’re on the road yet don’t want to turn the 3G on? You could wander around looking for a Starbucks or a library, or you can open Wi-Fi Finder. The app will sniff out your location — or you can type it in, to avoid data charges — and point out the closest hot spots.
9. Slices (Get it for your android) Free
A Twitter client with a difference; allows you to stay up to date by browsing “slices” of content.
10. Appy Gamer (Get it for your android) Free
If you want to stay up to date with gaming news, then look no further than Appy Gamer. You will never need to buy another Gaming magazine again!
A Nikon the world has never seen!
Aug 13th
If you are one of the million filter loving enthusiasts, then today’s news will definitely be of your interest. It seems that Nikon wants to get back in the waters with a new Android-powered camera that will reportedly be out later this month. The camera will be part of Nikon’s CoolPix line of point-and-shoots, and what’s very cool about this cam is its ability to connect directly to the Google Play market to download apps that will run on the camera.
The camera-devotee blog posted this rumor on Wednesday, citing a filing with the Indonesian Communication Agency, and the report suspect the model number will be CoolPix S800 or S800c. Even though there are not addition citations for other sources, the website says the camera’s “foreseeable” specs shall be: a 3.5 inch OLED screen, 25-250 mm lens, built-in GPS and Wi-Fi.
In case you’re wondering what version of Android the camera will be running on, we’re glad to assure you it is supposed to be Android 2.3 Gingerbread and App downloads and runs shall be available. Even though it’s quite exciting to witness an Android supported Cam come to life, it is not the premier; Polaroid announced a similar model in January. Nikon, however, could be the first to actually go on sale.
So, let us come to the bottom line; why would any of us be actually interested in purchasing an Android camera you ask? Well, even though the vast majority of the Android Apps available for download would be a waste of time, the OS would enable the camera to run photography apps such as Instagram and Pixlr-o-Matic . Combining the user-friendliness and social networking of those brilliant apps with a real camera is quite the killer combo.
This may all seems like rainbows and butterflies for the camera-filter lovers, but the ugly truth is that the cam only becomes useful when connected. Wi-Fi connectivity is helpful in this respect, however without the 3G or 4G all this could go down the drains.
Other than the camera Apps, other Android Apps will give you the ability to entertain yourself with the likes of Triple town once your beloved phone runs out of juice.
The report stated that Nikon shall unveil this flagship camera at the Photokina show in Germany on August 22nd, however reps for Nikon did not confirm any such speculations.
How would you use such an Android-powered camera? Let us know you thought by leaving us a comment below.
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Top 10 Apps of the week!
Aug 9th
Have you gotten your grove on for this summer? Or are you still waiting for your boss to approve that long awaited summer vacation? Well, with these top 10 Apps for this week, you’ll be thanking us for saving you battery life, making beautiful photo books, having a great soundtrack for that road trip you’ve been planning for and even better, entertain yourself while waiting in boredom for that last office hour to pass with the most addictive game. Check them out and let us know what your thoughts are!
1. Million moments (Get it for your android) Free
This handy little App arranges your pictures into a notebook or a photobook; it has a swipe/ page turning effect. You can go from page to page. It dates them and you can even add your own comments or suppose you don’t like the cropping on the picture, you can just move and swipe it left/ right the way you want it, then click and boom it’s cropped. You can even tag pictures. It’s a really nice really smooth App by Sony.
2. Relaunch (Get it for your android) Free
This App gives you quick access to all the Apps on your device, beautifully and automatically categorized by Relaunch. You can access Relaunch by swiping; you can set it to any corner of your or any side of the screen. Then you swipe, and you can go to different categories; Talk, work, play, seek, relax, setup and all the other stuff. Nice little app to gain access to all your different apps.
3. Chomp Sms (Get it for your android) Free
If you can’t stand your phone’s default messaging client, then install chomp SMS. Well, for one it’s much more customizable. The quick and compose features are invaluable; popping up so you can text message like a mad woman/man. Plus you’ll never forget mother’s day or a friend’s birthday because you can schedule messages. Better yet, delay sending, so if you’re prone to sending messages you likely regret you can cancel before it gets to a certain someone. Or use the super micro managing stuff like using a signature, which we’ve never seen anyone do before. As well as blacklisting, just to keep that obsessive ex boyfriend under control.
4. Juice defender (Get it for your android) Free
So if you’re like us on the phone, constantly connected, data streaming left and right and forging 3G then you know that you need some good battery life, and we’re sorry but those task killers, those just don’t quite do it well for Android. Sticking with automation again, Juice Defender gives you a real measurable difference when it manages the most battery draining aspects of your Android device. You can use the preset modes or get down and dirty with it and configure the settings that are based on what your browsing experience is usually like. We cannot say enough good things about these guys.
5. Mog Mobile (Get it for your android) Free
Music is always a priority for many of us out there. We listen to it wherever we go, especially in the car. We love Mog as a service, even though you have to pay a 10 dollar fee to get every song you could imagine but they do have everything from VNV Nation, Monsters and Men to Lynyrd Skynyrd. You will have it in every road trip this summer, we can assure you.
6. G Cloud Backup (Get it for your android) Free
With over 70 million smartphones getting lost every single year and only 7% being actually recovered, we ought to immediately think of a way to protect ourselves and our digital life. For everyone who has coveted the simplicity of the iCloud, the backup software for iOS, here is an app for Android that is not only an equivalent, but as stated by one of the users: it puts the “Smart” in Smartphones.
7. Triple Town (Get it for your android) Free
Now if you don’t know the idea behind Triple Town, we shall explain. Basically it is a simple puzzle alchemy game where if you match three objects they turn into one object. Match three of those objects and get another object. These keep going up in points of course. Now this idea is not unique to Triple Town and Triple Town is not the pioneer. We’veplayed many small flash games with this concept that just haven’t reached full media attention as Triple Town has, but that’s a whole other post in itself. The inherent addictiveness factor that comes with the genre makes it so successful. The great deal of polish and hook that come in the form of the cute graphics of the bushes, trees and bears and the hook comes with the bonuses, wanting to see all the combinations and that it is freemium… Now if you read our previous post, you’ll know we are not big fans of freemium type of games as usually they let you only play a very small fraction of the full game. I feel with Triple Town you can get a full experience without paying the full price as the full price only unlocks unlimited turns and new maps.
8. Smart Tools (Get it for your android) $2.31
This is an App packed with so many tools, though it will take you a few hours just to get through the whole App. At the heart, the tools you will be using most are the ones to measure things. These make up the first of five app sets.
9. CloudOn (Get it for your android) Free
This little App gives you full access to Microsoft Office on your tablet or phone. Users can create and edit PowerPoint presentations, draft Word documents, and even maintain Excel spreadsheets. It’s like running a virtual PC on your Android phone or tablet. Very handy if you ask the little geek in everyone of us.
10. Robin (Get it for your android) Free
Robin is quickly becoming one of our favorite Android apps. The virtual assistant is better than Siri in many ways. She can tweet for you, give you turn by turn directions, provide real-time parking info, and so much more. But hey, where is Barney?
Be Smarter than Mat Honan!
Aug 8th
The question that has been bewildering us lately was this: how can we keep our back(UP) in this world that is seemingly always trying to take our stuff down? If you’ve been keeping up with the latest in the Tech blogosphere, then you’re already aware of the horrible and yet shocking hacking incident that has been inflicted upon the well-renowned former Gizmodo and currently Wired writer Mat Honan.
Apparently, it was not all that difficult for the pair of 19-year olds to crack into his whole entire digital and social life; taking over his Google account and deleting it, next they took over his Twitter account and sent out numerous racist and offensive tweets. The worst part in this horror of a tale is that anyone of use that has both an Amazon account and an Apple ID is potentially vulnerable to the same sort of attack.
Steps are being taken by the two companies towards closing the security gaps, yet it seems that they were unforthcoming on Tuesday concerning the details of these changes.
Honan’s agonizing incident, one that he later on Monday documented in a Wired story, exemplifies how the Friday-night hack attack swiftly snowballed into the taking over of his many digital accounts; Amazon, Apple iCloud, Gmail and Twitter. Not to mention the deletion of all of his three Apple devices.
There is a horrendous drawback, in the heart of this tale, between the identity verification systems implemented by Amazon and Apple; two of the tech behemoths.
Honan, like many others, has a number of email addresses. Anyone who’s out on the hunt can easily gain access to several of them. The hacker responsible for the breach find Honan’s @me.com address, which served as a tip-off that Honan had an AppleID account. He then on used Amazon’s systems to break into Apple’s.
In an astounding twist of events, Honan was contacted by the hacker that agreed to share the methods he exploited on the condition Honan did not press charges.
“It turns out, a billing address and the last four digits of a credit card number are the only two pieces of information anyone needs to get into your iCloud account,” Honan wrote. “Once supplied, Apple will issue a temporary password, and that password grants access to iCloud.”
“Apple tech support confirmed to me twice over the weekend that all you need to access someone’s AppleID is the associated e-mail address, a credit card number, the billing address, and the last four digits of a credit card on file,” he wrote. “I was very clear about this.”
We are not quite sure how Amazon has enhanced their security system, however, in a separate Wired article posted Tuesday stated that Amazon’s customer service representatives will no longer change account settings such as credit cards or email addresses by phone.
Honan, in his declarative article, seems to cast little if any blame on the hackers; instead he said it was his fault for not backing up his data, and “daisy-chaining” his various accounts together.
So, the question is, is it really back up if you only have one plan if everything goes down the drain? The answer is, of course not. You have to have a structured strategy to salvage your data in this hap hazardous world of ours if the Cloud rained down on us. We would suggested some good old fashioned reliable offline backup such as Timeline 2012 that will allow us to sleep tight at night not fearing the preying eyes of the hackers.
Be part of the smart crowd and download G Cloud today; it’s free!
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is officially launched!
Aug 6th
Samsung, the tech behemoth, has finally put its final touches on the long-awaited flagship Galaxy Note 10.1 Android tablet and announced its official global availability. According to their press release, it’s scheduled to start immediately in the United States, United Kingdom, Korea and Germany. Other markets are set to have availability “starting August”. The inaugural release includes only the Wi-Fi only and the 3G/HSPA + enabled variants. With the LTE flavor coming late this year.
While the press release was a bit obscure on what they meant with the “starting August” part; are they referring to the four aforesaid countries or the following global availability? We’re tending towards the latter though.
New updates to the Note 10.1 include a stylus slot for its S Pen (we’re not sure why they haven’t included that in the first place) a bump to 2GB of RAM to match that of the Galaxy S III as well as a 1.4 GHz quad-core Exynos processor. The Note 10.1 will come in, just like the Galaxy S III, with 16, 32 or 64 GB. The Note’s 1280×800 screen resolution will by no means break any records, considering both ASUS and Acer have already come out with than than 1080p tablets of their own earlier this year.
The Note 10.1 (8.9mm) is marginally thicker than the original Tab 10.1 (8.6mm) due to the needed S Pen storage slot.
We find it a bit peculiar though, that Samsung was reserved on pricing of the Galaxy Note 10.1 variants. We are guessing though, that the US pricing structure will be announced at least by the end of the August 15th press conference set to be in New York City.
For a full specs chart, check out the table below.
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Specs
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Processor
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1.4 GHz quad-core processor
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OS
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Android 4.0 (ICS)
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RAM size
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2 GB
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Rear Camera
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5 MB
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Front Camera
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2 MB
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Battery
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Li-ion 7,000mAh
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Thickness
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0.35 inches
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Weight
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1.29 pounds
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Display
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10.1 inches
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Resolution
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1280×800
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Touchscreen type
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Dual-digitizer
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Multitouch
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Sensors
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Ambient Light, Gyroscope, Compass / Magnetometer, Accelerometer
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Internal storage size
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16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB
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External storage
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Be part of the smart crowd and download G Cloud today; it’s free!
Top 8 Apps of the week!
Aug 2nd
Best Apps of the week are back and ready to kick the August summer heat! From beautiful collage making Apps, to ones that act as your own personal trainers all the way to Apps to your own personal pocket tourist guide! This week’s collection is sure to set you on the right track for the summer vacation you’re longing for.
1. DJRun (Get it for your android) Free
We all know how hard it is to work out, let alone run, without having the right soundtrack to motivate us to keep on going. The App promises, using your device’s accelerometers, to give you the perfect playlist that matches your pace in order for your motivation to stay up and your feet moving.
2. Word Lens (Get it for your android) $2.99
We all love to travel and explore new places yet the frustration hits us when we are dropped in a country where no signs are in English and we end up like English men in New York! Yet, with this handy App, that uses augmented reality through the phone’s camera, it automatically translates signs and other things in the real world into your native tongue. Quite impressive!
3. Wondershare PowerGIF (Get it for your android) Free
This is a cool Android app that lets you create animated GIF quickly and easily. You can use the images stored on your phone’s gallery or take new pictures/videos and convert them to GIF in just a few seconds! Just launch the app, choose Capture if you want to take new photos/video or choose Load Photo if you want to import photos from your gallery.
4. Stay (Get it for your android) Free
Summer is upon us, and everyone is planning for their trip out of the office and onto the sandy beaches anywhere to recharge their battery for the rest of the year. Well, before you go anywhere, make sure to turn to “Stay” for advice. Set your desired destination and the app will flood you with great activities so that you won’t even need a tourist guide. The best things about this handy little App is that it downloads all the data for your required city, ensuring that you explore your desired escape worry-free.
5. Pictarine (Get it for your android) Free
If you caught the social networking bug, chances are you are bewildered with the many different platforms and friends you follow on those platforms. Fortunately, there are tools, such as this handy little App, that help you browse through all the different photos in one place Pictarine can connect to and pull photos from 11 major social networks, that you can then view, share, comment, and like.
6. Sit ups Pro (Get it for your android) Free
Craving to have the perfect summer bod yet you don’t have the time or the money for a personal trainer? Well, then this is the App for you. SitUps not only helps you count the number of Sit Ups you do, but also computes the calories you burn throughout every workout and creates the perfect workout strategy according to your daily exercise and body status.
7. Waze Social GPS & Traffic (Get it for your android) Free
Waze is a fun, community-based traffic and navigation App, 20 million strong. Plunge into the driving community in your area and join forces with other drivers nearby to outsmart traffic jam, save precious time, and of course spend less gas and cash.
8. Photo Grid (Get it for your android) Free
If you’re one of the photo enthusiast then this is the App for you. Make beautiful collages out of your favorite pictures with this free collage maker that has lots of layout templates, frames and backgrounds. Once finished you can share it onto Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flicker, Picasa, Blogger, Tumblr and other social media platforms.
Be part of the smart crowd and download G Cloud today; it’s free!