If you’ve ever wished your motorcycle had better mirrors, or that you could get directions from your GPS without taking your eyes off the road, the Skully AR-1 may be the answer. Billed as “the world’s smartest helmet,” it incorporates a head-up display to show the view from a built-in 180-degree rear-facing camera as well as turn-by-turn directions from the integral GPS … Expand Expanding Close
In a study conducted by security research firm Zscaler, 28% of Android apps request permission to read old SMS logs, while a whopping 68% request permission to send SMS messages from your phone. They also found that 36% of apps request GPS permissions, while over 46% request access to the “phone’s state”, allowing the app to gather information related to the SIM card, IMEI number, serial number and more. For the study, Zscaler analyzed over 75,000 apps from the Google Play store and logged the requested permissions from each app. Being a security firm, Zscaler considers SMS and GPS related permissions to be the two most “high risk” permissions to grant access to, with “device information related permissions” landing sixth on the list.
A crowd-sourced crime-reporting and safety app trialled on selected university campuses has now been rolled out to everyone. Tapshield allows real-time viewing of crime stats and suspicious activity in an area, and allows you to summon help when in trouble.
An award-winning mobile safety app and response dashboard, TapShield uses collaboration and crowd-sourcing to build safer communities & improve response times. Think of TapShield as your social safety network with you wherever you want to go.
The way the app works is that users can report crimes in progress and anything else they spot that concerns them, and those locations and incidents are then automatically shown to other Tapshield users in the area.
When a crime is reported, Tapshield sends a message to campus security when used within one of the participating colleges, and dials 911 when used elsewhere. You also have the option of sending a non-emergency alert to police when you see something that concerns you but which doesn’t justify an immediate emergency response – such as a bunch of street lights out, leaving a path in darkness.
If you have to make a journey that concerns you, you can specify your route and ETA and allow family and friends to follow your journey remotely, raising the alarm if you go off-route or don’t reach your destination when expected.
Finally, the app has a ‘yank’ mode, which automatically sends an alert if headphones are forcibly pulled from the device, such as when your phone is snatched by a thief.
Google’s Project Tango 3D interior mapping technology, which will shortly be appearing in a tablet, is also taking to the air. A team from University of Pennsylvania led by Professor Vijay Kumar are using a Tango-equipped smartphone to enable a quadrocopter to navigate the interior of a building … Expand Expanding Close
SlickLogin launching at TechCrunch Dusrupt five months ago
TechCrunch reports Google has acquired the startup company SlickLogin, which appears to live up to its name with a whole bunch of clever ways of allowing you to login to a website without using a password. The key ingredient is sound.
To verify a user’s identity and log them in, a website would play a uniquely generated, nearly-silent sound through your computer’s speakers. An app running on your phone would pick up the sound, analyze it, and send the signal back to the site’s server confirming that you are who you say you are — or, at least, someone who has that person’s phone … Expand Expanding Close
As noticed by Droid-Life, Google has responded in its product forums to complaints related to multitouch issues for its new Nexus 7 and is rolling out an update to address the problems. The update will bring the Nexus 7 up to Android 4.3 build JSS15Q and a Googler confirmed the update should fix the touchscreen issues:
As a couple of you have mentioned, there’s a new system update that’s started rolling out for your Nexus 7s. This update does address the touchscreen issues discussed in this thread. If you’re one of the people experiencing touchscreen issues, please let us know how it’s going after you’ve received and installed the update.
Google today announced its finishing its roll out of Google Play Services 3.2, the latest version of its platform for delivering updates to its own apps and third-party apps using Google APIs. Version 3.2 includes a number of notable new features that end-users will benefit from, including a new compass mode for PhotoSphere that lets users navigate through PhotoSpheres by moving their device, and an improved InstantBuy UI that supports offers and loyalty data.
A few of the new features available for developers include improvements to location based services and hardware-based GPS geofencing:
The Fused Location Provider now supports the selection of a low-power mode option when requesting location updates, and the ability to inject mock locations — allowing you to more efficiently test your apps in a variety of simulated conditions.
The geofencing APIs have been updated to support hardware-based GPS geofencing on devices that have supporting hardware, such as the Nexus 4. Hardware geofences consume significantly less battery, and best of all your app will automatically take advantage of this feature on supported hardware without you having to make any changes.
Google also noted that a new Snapshot feature for the maps API will let devs “capture a bitmap image of the current map in order to improve performance when an interactive map isn’t necessary.” A simplified sharing control feature in the latest release will let developers using Google+ sign in (which also receives a shiny new animation) to simplify sharing to the social network.
The Google Play Services 3.2 release is now available for developers to test through an updated Google APIs emulator image in the Android SDK Manager. More info is available on the Android developers blog here.
NikonRumors just posted leaked press shots of the Android-based Coolpix “s800c” camera.
The pictures reveal a touchscreen menu on the backside, apparently running a Gingerbread flavor, with apps for a camera, email, browser, music, etc. Additional specs labeled on the front of the camera detail a “12X Wide Optical Zoom ED VR” in HD and a 4.5-54.0mm stock lens.
NikonRumors, which has a decent track record in scooping Nikon, said the official announcement will occur “on or around” Aug. 22. The website first discovered the s800c in a filling with the Indonesian Communication Agency, and it originally noted the camera touts a 3.5-inch OLED screen, Android 2.3 with Google Play apps, and built-in GPS and Wi-Fi.
iFixit is hardcore when it comes to breaking open our favorite electronics to see what’s inside, and the website did it again today with the refreshed Google-flagship, Asus-built Nexus 7 that unveiled at the Google I/O conference last week.
Teardown highlights:
— The 7-inch tablet offers GPS, NFC, and Wi-Fi antennas all manufactured between April 20 and May 25, 20011.
— The Nexus 7 boasts a 4326 mAh battery that lasts 9:49 hours, whereas the Kindle Fire has a 4400 mAh battery that lasts 7:42 hours. Meanwhile, the new iPad battery, which is “significantly larger” at 11,500 mAh, only lasts 9:52 hours for HSPA and 9:37 hours for LTE.
— The official Nexus page stated there is one “speaker” in the back, but iFixit spotted
— Hydis manufactures the 7-inch, 1,280-by-800 HD display designated by model HV070WX2.
At this point, at the very least, we already know that Google’s augmented reality glasses are capable of snapping a photo. However, we do not have much of an idea of how the UI might work other than what is in the initial concept video. Our sources previously indicated that Google was using a “head tilting-to scroll and click” for navigation of the user interface. Today, we get a look out how the company is experimenting with alternative methods of input for the glasses from a patent recently granted by the United States Patent & Trademark Office and detailed by PatentBolt.
According to the report, the highlight of the patent is how Google’s glasses could work with hand gestures. The patent described various hand-wearable markers, such as a ring, invisible tattoo, or a woman’s fingernail, which could be detected by the glasses’ IR camera, to “track position and motion of the hand-wearable item within a FOV of the HMD.” In other words, the wearable marker, in whatever form factor, would allow the glasses to pick up hand gestures. The report also noted multiple markers could be used to perform complex gestures involving several fingers or both hands: Expand Expanding Close
The MotoACTV was announced in the fall and is flaunted as the ultimate sports watch for those who are active. It ships with Android 2.3 and a custom skin on top, and one would not think the wristwatch could ever be rooted. However, like every other Android device out on the market, the MotoACTV was rooted with Revolutionary’s zergRush exploit. The root enables full Android 2.3 on the wristwatch. As you can see above with the Angry Birds start screen, users can even access the Android Market with the help of CyanogenMod. (via The Verge)
While we do not know if this is exactly useful, it is cool -nonetheless- seeing a tablet user interface run on a 1.6-inch display. The MotoACTV 8GB version is available for $209 on Amazon, and the 16GB version is available for $299. Check it out in action after the break:
The biggest difference philisophically is demonstrated in the logos above. No longer a Google phone, the Verizon Galaxy Nexus is a Verizon LTE phone – for all that is worth.
After 24 hours with the Verizon Galaxy Nexus, I am not going to say something that hasn’t already been guessed, so refer to the previous Galaxy Nexus Review for most of my original thoughts. However, here’s what is different:
The Verizon GN is slightly thicker to house the LTE Radios/antenna and the larger battery required. It’s also slightly heavier, but you will not notice or care about the size difference. Five people, who I’ve given blind tests to, could hardly determine one from the other. Battery life differences will matter more, though, as I have not run through my initial full charge on Verizon. So, that’s a good sign for the LTE version, but I still believe people will be able to go longer on HSPA+. By perhaps saving a little bit of space, Verizon/Samsung opted for an LTE Micro-SIM rather than a full sized one. This is interesting, especially when the International version is a full sized GSM variant.
Bigger also means 32 GB on Verizon’s LTE vs. 16 GB on HSPA+
LTE is faaaast (shocker!) and adds to an already lightning quick phone. Browsing is silly fast here: You have the fastest browser, coupled with one of the fastest processors, and an LTE connection to boot. We’re talking about desktop speeds here folks. Honestly, when I’m on a good LTE connection, it is as fast as Wifi on a Cable broadband connection… almost indistinguishable.
GPS is still a bit laggy compared to other manufacturers; however, since GPS is often tied to the Baseband, I was hoping for improvement. Both versions are the same.
They feel the same processor/GPU wise. There might be some differences, but real world – you won’t notice much.
Verizon Backup Assistant and My Verizon Mobile come on the device. You can delete these from Manage apps, and I’m sure many will.
For $149 on a Verizon LTE plan vs. purchasing the International version for $700+ and getting on an HSPA+ plan from T-Mobile or AT&T, I am going to wager that it is going to sell much faster than the international/unsubsidized (and the lines seem to bear this out). Whatever Verizon did to get the exclusive here was worth it (for them, not for us Google/Samsung customers).
While there are no VCast Apps or navigation apps, it would appear that Google relented in putting its Wallet on the Verizon device. Verizon’s line needs more testing. I anticipate it will be allowed on the device around the time Verizon’s ISIS service arrives in 2012, if ever.
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Bottom line: If you are cool with Verizon and their 4G plans, missing out on Google Wallet and battery life isn’t the dominating factor in choosing a phone, so go grab one of these now. This is by far the best Android device on the market (by the way, Verizon is offering a bigger battery pack for $25).
However, if you want to roam internationally, hope to use Google Wallet or want some carrier/plan freedom or need to be on AT&T/T-Mobile, you are going to want the International version. So, pick up another device or wait it out.
Anyway…we’ll have a more in-depth look at this device when we’ve had more time to play.
I am a big fan of this phone because of the low, no contract pricing starting at $35/month for unlimited text/data and the relatively untouched Android 2.2 experience. There are Android 2.3 ROMs floating around for the somewhat adventurous, though frankly Virgin should get their act together and update this phone themselves. Even with 2.2, you get voice actions, a very capable GPS and free unlimited 3G tethering if you know what you are doing.
This is also one of the smallest Android devices you can find with a 3.2-inch 320×480 screen and nice physical buttons. Expand Expanding Close
There is good reason Google collects our geographic location data through wireless access points, specifically to deliver location services to devices such as our smartphones faster than technologies like GPS. However, in September Google made it clear that they will “go further in protecting people’s privacy” related to collecting user location data to facilitate location services. Today, they are putting their first new initiative in place to address concerns by allowing a new method to opt out of having your location data stored in the Google Location Server.
Google explains:
“We’re introducing a method that lets you opt out of having your wireless access point included in the Google Location Server. To opt out, visit your access point’s settings and change the wireless network name (or SSID) so that it ends with “_nomap.” For example, if your SSID is“Network,” you‘d need to change it to “Network_nomap.”
A couple things to note:
1. The opt-out will become active the next time your device sends information to the Google Location Server with the _nomap tag, which will remove the access point from the server. The quickest way to do this- “open Google Maps on an Android Device with WiFi enabled, and use the My Location feature”
2. Google is hoping all location service providers, who will start notice the SSID opt-out method, will adopt the “_nomap” tag as a industry standard and “unified opt-out process”.
Google has also posted a support guide walking you through location-based services and the new opt-out feature. You can find detailed instructions under “How do I opt out?”, which essentially just walks you through changing your access point’s SSID. Expand Expanding Close
Fortune has a great Android article up from the magazine today called 100 million Android fans can’t be wrong. It is good to see the Android news going mainstream.
