Google Releases Android Camera App With Selective Focus

Google has released a standalone version of its stock camera app for Android— and it's a significant improvement on its predecessor.

The new app, called simply Google Camera, features a new user interface with revamped shooting modes, as well as the ability to selectively focus the camera.

Rumors of the new app first surfaced earlier this month after it was reported the company was testing a new camera app that would be released independently of the upcoming Android 4.4.3 update.

Google also unveiled Lens Blur, a brand new effect that enables users to shoot with a shallower depth of field to selectively focus on certain portions of a particular image. This is the first time Google has included the feature in its camera app.

"Achieving this optical effect has traditionally required a big lens and aperture, and therefore hasn’t been possible using the camera on your mobile phone or tablet," wrote Google software Engineer Carlos Hernandez in a blog post explaining how Google's research team created Lens Blur.

"Lens Blur replaces the need for a large optical system with algorithms that simulate a larger lens and aperture," he added. "Instead of capturing a single photo, you move the camera in an upward sweep to capture a whole series of frame."

The camera's panorama and portrait sphere modes have also been improved with higher resolution. Google Camera is also the first time the company has made portrait sphere, a shooting mode that that enables 360 degree panoramas, available to non-Nexus devices.

The app also features an enlarged shutter button and viewfinder, so what users see in the viewfinder will be what comes out in the shot.

Google Camera is available in the Google Play Store and is compatible with devices running Android 4.4 (KitKat).

Image: GOOGLE

Read full Article…

Philips Shines Light on First 3D-Printed Smart Lamp

As 3D-printed objects and smart home technology become even hotter product categories, it makes sense that Philips is rolling out an app-controlled 3D-printed lamp.

Philips announced a collection of new products on Friday — from a new app-controlled light bulb to a kinectic-energy-powered light switch — but we're most entranced by its 3D-printed lamp line.

The lamp comes in two styles that work with the company's Hue line, the Entity (pictured above) and the Tempest (pictured below, in pendant form). Users can create lighting effects using more than 16 million color variations on the lamp and control the settings via an accompanying app. Lighting can also be programmed based on the time of day and personal preferences.

But the price of cool is hefty. The table lamps are $4,445 and the pendant edition is $4,135. The products are available for pre-order on Meethue.com, starting March 31.

Philips is also launching the Hue tap ($59), a product the company calls the first ever kinetic-powered, web-enabled light switch. If you don't want to use an app to control Hue bulbs, the light switch sticks to the walls and can be re-applied throughout the house. Users can also program up to four color sequences. It doesn't need batteries (it requires a bridge that plugs into a home Wi-Fi router) and can control up to 50 Hue bulbs. It will go on sale in North America and Europe this summer.

The light bulb line is also getting an update with the addition of the Hue Lux, an app-controlled light bulb that only emits white light. This option is significantly less pricey ($99 for two bulbs and a bridge) than the color controlled ones ($199 for three bulbs and a bridge).

Philips aims to make this the entry-level product for those looking to take their first steps toward creating a smarter home, but the Hue Lux still uses the Hue system so you can access third party apps, such as the disco app that syncs the light to music.

It's also compatible with the Jawbone fitness tracker, so it knows when you wake up and can automatically switch on the light another room. The Hue Lux will launch in fall 2014. 

Image: PHILIPS

Read full Article…

Report: Android Malware Is Mining Bitcoin While You Recharge

Some Android users have noticed their phones and tablets are charging slowly and heating up quickly while plugged in. They actually may have a major issue on their hands.

A new strain of malware found in various popular apps is reportedly stealing digital currency, taxing the device's processor and battery while it charges, according to a researcher at antivirus firm Trend Micro. It's believed the malware has affected "thousands of devices."

The malware — called ANDROIDOS_KAGECOIN.HBT — has been detected in Android apps coming from the Google Play store, including Songs, Football Manager Handheld and TuneIn Radio.

"This malware uses a victim’s phone resources to 'mine' crytpocurrencies like Bitcoin," Christopher Budd, Trend Micro's threat communications manager, told. "In essence, the victim’s phone is put to work to make money for the attacker."

The malware could result in shorter battery life, increased wear and tear and lead to a shorter device lifespan. Budd said users should uninstall the affected apps immediately.

"This show that mobile is becoming as dangerous — if not more dangerous than the PC. Malware focused on cryptocurrency has been a problem on the PC-platform for some time and PC-based threats are now migrating to the mobile platform."

The apps were infected with CPU mining code from an Android cryptocurrency mining app. To hide the code, the cybercriminal modified the Google Mobile Ads portion of the app, the report said.

"Clever as the attack is, whoever carried it out may not have thought things through. Phones do not have sufficient performance to serve as effective miners," a Trend Micro researcher said in a blog post. "Users will also quickly notice the odd behavior of the miners — slow charging and excessively hot phones will all be seen, making the miner’s presence not particularly stealthy. Yes, they can gain money this way, but at a glacial pace."

Read full Article…

Samsung Names Its Price for Gear Fit, Gear 2 Smartwatch

For those awaiting more details about Samsung's new Gear 2 smartwatch and Gear Fit wristband tracker, the company announced pricing and availability on Thursday.

According to Sammobile.com, which reported Samsung's official pricing for Taiwan, the Gear 2 will cost $299 in the U.S., while the Gear Fit will go for $199.

Samsung later told that the Gear 2 Neo, which is similar to the Gear 2 smartwatch but has a plastic exterior and comes without a camera, will also cost $199.

The devices will go on sale in April, but the pre-sale starts on Friday via BestBuy.com.

Last month, Samsung introduced the Gear 2 as its second-generation smartwatch, touting a heart-rate sensor, music player and infrared emitter that could be used to control a TV. It's also powered by Tizen; the previous Galaxy Gear smartwatch ran on Android.

Meanwhile, the Gear Fit comes with a curved Super AMOLED touchscreen with a built-in heart rate monitor. The waterproof fitness tracker comes with an adjustable band and connects via Bluetooth, so you can get notifications directly to the device from your smartphone. Like the Gear 2 Neo, it doesn't feature with a camera.

IMAGE: MANU FERNANDEZ/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Read full Article…

With Educational Apps on the Rise, Textbooks Are History

With more educational apps being developed everyday, smartphones and tablets are on their way to replacing those clunky textbooks in the classroom.

In the latest video of our Mobile Minute series, Market Developer Paul Sowada discusses the future of education and technology.

"Bringing your phone to class used to be a one-way ticket to detention," says Paul. "Fortunately, schools all across the country are easing up on their outside technology policies. Pew research says 73% of teachers now allow smartphones and tablets inside the classroom".

Educational apps such as eduPad can help students both in and out of the classroom, while parents can use apps like Common Core to look up teaching standards for their local school district.

The Mobile Minute is a series from Mashable and Mutual Mobile, an emerging technology company that pushes innovation for top brands such as Audi, Google and Citigroup.

Read full Article…

'Minority Report' Interface, the Home Version

When Minority Report came to theaters in 2002, its futuristic technology looked generations away. Moving screens and multiple apps interacting together all were at a flick of Tom Cruise's finger. That kind of technology could be real in June.

The Swiss-based software company Dizmo surpassed its fundraising goal of $25,000 today on Kickstarter, and its savvy user interface could be available by June. Dizmo's user interface allows customers to move, swivel, shrink and expand any app, including calendars, maps, spreadsheets or videos on televisions, tablets and glass surfaces. All the features of Dizmo's interface are responsive, meaning the visual elements automatically adjust to the size they're expanded or shrunk to.

"In short, Dizmo is taking the ability to interact with your digital life to the next level," Matthias Aebi, Dizmo's co-founder and CEO, said in a video on Kickstarter. Aebi did not mention how much the software will end up costing.

The potential of Dizmo — a combination of "digital gizmo" — is portrayed in the "Day of Glass," video by Corning, maker of Gorilla Glass. Almost every glass surface in the video has interface technology — the kitchen counter, the fridge, the bathroom mirror and more. The vision is obvious: a touchscreen on any and every surface in your home.

Dizmo launched its fundraising campaign on Feb. 6, completing its monetary goal in under two weeks. So far almost 300 have people donated to Dizmo, according to Kickstarter. The project's managers promise they'll be the first to receive the company' software.

Image: Kickstarter

Read full Article…

Wearable Transmitter Turns Your Palm Into a Touch Interface

The world could be at your fingertips, thanks to a new wearable, gesture-based gadget.

Fin enables users to control up to three devices such as smartphones, car radios and smart TVs using only swipes and taps. The ring-shaped technology is worn on the thumb, and communicates with different devices using Bluetooth.

Fin has five pre-programmed gestures; in its final iteration, users will be able to create custom ones on an app that will come with the device.

"People in today's world are becoming more busy, but still they are wasting a lot of time interacting with their smart devices, " Rohildev Nattukallingal, founder of RHL Vision Technologies, the startup behind Fin. "Fin removes this interaction gap by allowing users to quickly interact with those devices."

The portable gadget can control the volume on a television, and even lets users text or dial a number without touching their phone. Fin's creators say they hope this natural interaction can help people who are visually impaired.

Fin can last for up to a month on one charge if it's in power-saving mode, and is only used for eight hours a day, according to Nattukallingal. Fin will retail for $120, and is expected to be released in September 2014. Its creators also plan to release a software development kit, so developers can create their own apps for Fin. The device will be sold in five different colors.

Nattukallingal and his team aim to raise $100,000 in flexible funding on crowdfunding site Indiegogo (this means they will still receive the funds even if they don't reach their goal). As of press time, the campaign has raised more than $15,000 with 21 days remaining.

IMAGE: FIN

Read full Article…

Best New Android Tablet Apps to Make Life Simpler: Better contact management, financial tools, and free magazines

Contacts+

Contact management is often a mess, especially with the multiple accounts that people often have to juggle. Contacts+ is a good solution for cleaning things up and linking those in your contact list to social and communication networks.

The Contacts+ app syncs the contacts' profile data and contact information so you can send a message through one of many platforms. There are greater customization options than what is found in the stock contacts Android app, with great-looking profile photo options and methods for tweaking the overall Contacts+ scheme.

Talon for Twitter

Talon is a well-designed Twitter app that is geared towards power users looking for more than just what the company-created app contains. Talon for Twitter offers viewing images and web links in-line, and multiple layout choices.

True geeks like myself also get to see which client each tweet is coming from. Another smart move is separating the discussion and conversation panels from a specific tweet so you can see if the sender interacted with others.

Just like the developer's other excellent Android app, Sliding Messaging Pro, Talon gets frequent bug fix and optimization updates along with new features.

Level Money

Level Money is a great, new tool that links to bank accounts for rapid access to financial information. It calculates total income, savings and recurring bills in order to determine spendable cash. This amount is designed to show you how much can be spent on a specific month, day or week.

Level Money also provides several widgets so you can get this information at a glance right from the home screen without the need to open the app.

ISSUU

Issuu hopes to democratize publishing with a low point-of-entry and monthly cost for creating magazines. The company boasts of over 30 million magazines and catalogues in its Android app.

The result is an interesting mix of content, which has much of the community-enthusiast feel of Flipboard. It is worth exploring for the variety of content; time will tell if this becomes a disruptive element to magazine publishing.

This article originally published at TabTimes

Image: Android

Read full Article…

This Is the World's Top-Earning App

Line's active user count might be an enigma, but the latest edition of the App Annie Index shows outside of games, Line was the top earning app and publisher in the world in 2013.

Line ranked ninth in the list of most downloaded publishers in the world. It's the sixth most-downloaded app outside of games.

According to the report, Japan surpassed the US as the top country in terms of app revenue, driven largely by games on Google Play. That means Line's home market likely helped push it to the top of the highest earners list.

Within Japan, Line's game lineup took seven of the top ten highest earning mobile game spots, beaten only by fellow Japanese game Puzzles and Dragons. Line and Line Camera are the two most-downloaded apps in the country outside of games.

The popular Japanese messaging app and social platform might well be making more money than any other chat app out there, as well.

The hole in App Annie's data, however, is WeChat, which started monetizing from stickers, games, and in-app payments last year. App Annie pulls its data from Google Play and the Apple App Store, which means its stats for Chinese Android apps are likely skewed. Google Play is seldom used in China because it can't be installed on most phones sold within the mainland. Much like Line's mammoth revenues likely originate from Taiwan and Japan, WeChat's likely originate primarily from mainland China. So while both apps are technically top earners globally, they remain regional kings in a fragmented global space.

Here's a few other interesting observations from the App Annie Index:

> Japanese publisher GungHo Online and its game Puzzles and Dragons are the top-earning publisher and app in the world, respectively (merchandising not included).

> South Korea bumped the UK off the podium to be the third-highest earning country in app revenue.

> China's Alipay was the second most-downloaded payment app in the world, despite skewed China rankings.

> Outside of games, three Chinese publishers made the top ten most-downloaded app publishers: Sungy Mobile (third), Tencent (eighth), and Baidu (tenth).

Beijing- and US-based analytics firm App Annie is used by over 350,000 apps to track downloads, revenues, and rankings.

This article originally published at Tech in Asia

Image: MICHAEL PROBST/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Read full Article…

My N3RD Helps You Control Devices From Anywhere

A new gadget called My N3RD (pronounced "my nerd") allows users to operate anything with an on-off switch via their smartphone. This includes lights, garage doors and even coffee makers for the the truly tired among us.

"I became frustrated with the number of remote controls I needed to use on a daily basis just to control my stuff," Rob Dorrell, My N3RD's creator, says in a video on the device's Kickstarter page.

My N3RD is wireless, but doesn't need the Internet or a router to work. The device can be controlled through existing Wi-Fi, but if the connection fails, it will automatically compensate by creating its own network — essentially cutting out the middle man. My N3RD's companion app can turn appliances on or off, and can also set timers on lights, fireplaces and sprinklers, among other things.

The app is currently available for iOS users (an Android version is still in development). It's free, but users will have to pay to enable specific features, such as Wi-Fi or timers, that will make My N3RD work. The device's creators also have plans to launch a web interface for the device, and to integrate it with the cloud.

Users will have to directly connect My N3RD to the appliances they want to control with the app. This means My N3RD has the flexibility to work with most household appliances since the device is relying on components that they already have.

Dorrell posted several online tutorials on how to hook up the My N3RD to appliances, including garage doors and electric fireplaces.

My N3RD is expected to start shipping its first round of devices in July. At press time, the device has raised more than half of its $50,000 goal via Kickstarter.

Image: Kickstarter

Read full Article…

Trove Rethinks Social News Discovery

Trove, the social news discovery app first created by the Washington Post's digital team, relaunched a completely overhauled suite of iOS apps Wednesday.

The app's concept is similar to news aggregation apps like Zite and Flipboard in that it provides users with curated stories based specific topics. (A "trove" is a curated list of stories based around a single topic.)

But unlike these apps, Trove doesn't rely on algorithms to predict relevant stories. Instead, each topic is managed by an individual curator who hand-picks each story.

The goal, says CEO Vijay Ravindran, is to reduce signal noise and help readers find all the stories they care about.

"The product is really built on this principle: Readers have a diverse set of interests from fun to serious," he said. "We're going to connect them with curators who are sharing those same interests so there's an opportunity for them to get this really high quality content experience."

Currently, troves are selected and organized by beta curators who are experts in a given field. The "Top Science News" trove, for example, is curated by Science magazine, and "Farm to Table" by former Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelshon. But any user can curate any topic.

"The system favors curators who are actively picking and who are amassing larger and larger followers," Ravindra added. "Over time, we think quality will go to the top fairly naturally."

Trove's team is headed up by Ravindra and Slashdot founder Rob Malda, who serves as product lead. Based on their editorial roots and close ties with The Washington Post, ensuring the credibility of individual sources was an important step in the app's development.

All of Trove's stories are culled from a list of 15,000 sources, each of which has been vetted by an editor. Users can also submit new sources to Trove for editorial approval.

The app is available for iPhone and iPad, with an Android app planned for later this year.

Image: TROVE

Read full Article…

WhatsApp Doubles Active Users in 10 Months

WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum announced Monday that the cross-platform mobile-messaging app now has 430 million active users. That's up from 200 million in April 2013, which means its user base has more than doubled in less than a year.

The number of messages sent and received via WhatsApp has increased, as well, from 20 billion per day to 50 billion per day.

Private messaging is becoming increasingly popular of late, especially for social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat — and yet, it seems WhatsApp continues to hold its own.

   Time                 =       Active users

April 2013           =         200m

Agust 2013          =        300m

January 2014      =        430m

Image: MARGARETHE WICHERT/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Read full Article…

LogMeIn Cancels Free Service

Free accounts on the remote desktop service, LogMeIn, are no longer available.

As of Tuesday, the company’s remote access services will be limited to paid subscribers, LogMeIn revealed to users Tuesday via an email alert as well as through an official blog post that discusses the policy changes.

The company said it was beginning the process of migrating users from the decade-old LogMeIn app to a single premium-access product, LogMeIn Pro. Existing users will have a seven-day window to upgrade, the post said, and the premium product brings with it integration with other cloud services, including Cubby, Dropbox, Box, Google Drive and SkyDrive.

LogMeIn allows users to remotely access content from their PCs via their iPhone or iPad. Previously this service was offered to users for free with other premium features, including remote printing and access to LogMeIn’s cloud services, offered to paid subscribers.

Subscriptions for a LogMeIn Pro account are currently being offered at a discount and start at $49 a year for two computers.

Users who don’t wish to pay the subscription fee can find similar free services from Younity or VNC Viewer.

Image: ISTOCKPHOTO, ISTOCKPHOTO, RIDOFRANZ

Read full Article…

Proof the Next Great App Could Come From a Kid

Are kids these days really as hopeless and self-absorbed as we claim? Perhaps not.

The next wave of tech extraordinaires seem to get younger and younger, and the app-creating students mentioned here are just the tip of the iceberg.

Check out the apps below from impressive, pint-sized developers, who’ve accomplished much more before high school than most people more than twice their age.

1. Chow Checker

New Hampshire’s Hampstead Academy is a strictly peanut-free zone due to the relatively high number of students with nut allergies.

This inspired the school’s eighth graders to create the cleverly named Chow Checker app, which identifies food allergens to determine if certain foods, from grocery stores or restaurants, are safe to eat.

You can create a profile and select up to 12 allergens, and then search for a product name or scan a barcode. Either option pulls up a list of ingredients in that food, as well as nutritional content.

The app taps into the daily updated Nutritionix food database, which includes more than 300,000 food items. You can add notes about the food for future reference.

Hampstead students worked with the MIT Media Lab to write the app, which was a Verizon Innovative App Challenge winner in 2013.

Available for free on Android.

IMAGE: HAMPSTEAD ACADEMY

2. Bubble Ball

When he was 14 years old, Robert Nay’s physics-based puzzle game, Bubble Ball, unseated the seemingly indomitable Angry Birds for the iTunes App Store’s top spot in January 2011. Not bad for someone who created his first website in third grade and already owns his own company, Nay Games LLC.

Nay wrote Bubble Ball with Corona tools from Ansca Mobile. It took him roughly 4,000 lines of code.

The app capitalizes on players’ creativity, prompting you to set up lengths of wood and metal, and activate various power-ups to manipulate your bubble for the sake of reaching the goal.

There are 144 official levels, and because anyone can create a new level, the game is constantly evolving. There are already more than 200 community-created levels to explore.

Available for free on iOS and Android.


VIDEO: YOUTUBE, NAYGAMESCHANNEL

3. Backdoor

David Singer’s app, Backdoor, removes a key component of communication -- identity.

Backdoor, which launched in July 2013, is an anonymous messaging app that lets you reach your friends by signing in through either Facebook or Google+. The app gives you clues to learn more about the sender’s identity. In-app purchases provide additional clues, such as gender, likes, interests and more.

Cashing in on people’s desperation and curiosity? Color us impressed.

Singer, who considers himself primarily a UI designer, was 13 years old when he wrote the app. He’s the same kid behind YouTell, the popular website that allows you to post questions and solicit anonymous feedback.

Available for free on iOS.


IMAGE: BACKDOOR

4. Things to Think About

Second through fifth graders from Jackson County, Mich., worked with two high schoolers in the same district to create iPad app Things to Think About.

Its premise is to jumpstart and foster children’s interest in writing and critical thinking, as well as encourage dialogue about challenging ideas and issues.

The app asks kids to dream big, think through “what would you do” scenarios and expands horizons past kids’ environments.

The students brainstormed 100 writing prompts in 12 categories, including Friends, Family, School, Fun and Feelings. A student’s original hand-drawn illustration and the option of a child’s short voice narration accompanies each prompt.

Available for free on iOS. An Android version is in the works.

IMAGE: JCISD EDTECH

Image: Flickr, Stephen Chin

Read full Article…