The T3 YouTube channel has posted a very interesting looking concept render of a Google smartwatch, designed very much in the image of the search giant's Nexus brand of products. Running, as you would expect, an adapted version of Android, it would link up with your smartphone to supplement the overall experience by answering calls, syncing calendars, and generally lessening the need for you to incessantly reach for your pocket.
Drop tests provide us with a decent general idea of how a device will fare when faced with the unthinkable. Of course, the idea is to keep a handset protected and try and avoid dropping it from various heights, but should this accident ever occur, drop tests offer a reasonable indication of how robust and durable a device is. Vloggers GizmoSlip posted a clip to YouTube on Friday showing the all-new Samsung Galaxy S4 in a drop test against its predecessor, the Galaxy S III, as well as the Apple iPhone 5. Find out just how much damage each smartphone sustained in the video clip coming up after the break!
Google finally got around in publishing Google Glass specs in the middle of this month, but despite clearing up the vast majority of the technical details, two key elements remained undisclosed until now. As reported earlier, the hackers have been out in force these past few hours and have managed to root Google Glass, and the joint efforts of both Jay Lee and Liam McLoughlin have seen details of the CPU and RAM finally revealed. Full details on these two key components can be found after the break!
There are lots of benefits to rooting your Android device, many of which we've touched on at length in previous articles. The best thing about it, in my opinion, is the fact that you can get right into the guts of the Android software, and although Google's mobile OS is quite a bit more flexible than, say, iOS, rooting can still be a very advantageous and fruitful pursuit. Without meaning to continue in the theme of morbidity, if rooting were the practice of dissection, the eXperience tool could perhaps be seen as the noob's meat cleaver, for it allows you to really explore the depths of what your Android device can do, and with a broad repertoire of features, it's a must-have for any fledgling rooter.
In this fast-moving smartphone industry, it's fair to say that both Apple and vendors of Android devices move in similar ways. If one device contains a certain feature, it's almost certain that a rivaling model will look to bring something similar with the next generation, but one area in which Android and iOS handsets have always differed is the display. Apple has stuck faithfully with LCD, while the likes of Samsung have placed their faith in OLED, but according to DisplayMate, the new 1080p Super AMOLED panel of the Galaxy S4 more than holds its own against the iPhone 5's Retina LCD display.
Having already been given a glimpse of what AirDroid 2 is capable of via the AirDroid 2 beta released earlier on in the year, it's fair to say we were very excited by the prospect of the final version hitting the Google Play Store. For those of you that are unfamiliar, AirDroid 2 is the sequel to the original AirDroid for Android, a popular app which let Android users control their devices remotely, accessing and managing most of the features from the comfort of their desktop, or the web. The aforementioned beta of AirDroid 2 gave a teaser of some further niceties including remote camera functionality and a handy phone locating feature, and today, AirDroid 2 steps out of beta and strides into the Google Play Store.
If you cast your minds back a year or so, you may recall the Fast Facebook app for Android which, as the name implied, offered a much slicker and less weighty alternative to the official application. Created by team2soft, it has been used ever since by those who want to feast on the world's largest social network without the additional waistline, and the same gang is back with an equally lightweight collection of accompanying widgets.
Ever since the start of modern computers, malware has been an omnipresent issue. Viruses, Trojans, rootkits, spyware, keyloggers and several others of the like continue to assault your computing devices all the time, looking for vulnerabilities and loopholes in your defenses to get through. Generally, users have become aware enough to deploy some form of protection on their desktops and notebooks, and while infections continue to plague the computing world, they’re significantly reduced in impact.
Mobile phones are a lot about making a personal statement. Even since the inception of “dumb phones”, there have been certain personalization features that have shaped the device according to the owner’s wish and desire. Some manufacturers have even gone to the level or including multiple back covers, while others have made it possible to theme one to your liking, just to add a more personal and “individual” touch, differentiating from the rest of the crowd. Then, ringtones, wallpapers, carrier logos etc., all added to the mix even more options.
Swype, the once-revered piece of software bringing an intuitive gesture-based typing system to Android, has finally been released as a standalone app, and can be downloaded right now over at the Google Play Store. There's a free trial from which you can test Swype's credibility, and if it does make your typing experience that little bit easier, you can buy the complete app for a cool 99 cents.
