LG announces world’s first FullHD smartphone display with a pixel density of 440ppi

LG has created a new display for the ever evolving smartphone that involves packing in 1920 x 1080 pixels in just 5-inches of display space. This is the world’s first FullHD smartphone display and has a pixel density of an astonishing 440ppi, way ahead of what we currently have in our phones.

The panel used in the display is an Advanced High Performance In-Plane Switching or AH-IPS LCD. This is the same technology that LG used in one of its panels last year for which they also won an award. Compared to standard IPS panels, AH-IPS panels have greater color accuracy, wider viewing angles and greater light transmission which leads to lower power consumption.
This 5-inch FullHD panel will be released in the second half of this year and should hopefully be the norm in next year’s high-end smartphones.

Gizmon Clip-On Lenses lets you add interchangeable lenses to your iPhone and iPad

You may already be aware of the olloclip lens for the iPhone. Gizmon Clip-On Lenses are similar but gives you the option to change the lens and also works with an iPad.

You have a basic clip that slides on top of your iPhone or iPad and then you get three interchangeable lenses that you can screw on top of the clip. There are fish-eye, 3 image mirage filter and circular polarizer lenses available by default.
The first two are just for fun but the polarizer filter can be incredibly useful in cutting out all the glare and reflections from your pictures.



The whole set costs $35 and can be purchased from the link below. The design isn’t as elegant as olloclip’s but the addition of the polarizing filter itself makes it worth it, especially to those who take a lot of pictures from their iPhone.
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Bing Maps to now use Nokia’s traffic and geocoding information

When Nokia partnered with Microsoft to make Windows Phone as their primary smartphone platform, they also mentioned that this partnership will run a lot deeper than simply installing Windows Phone on their devices. It would be a two-way street, with both companies bringing something to the table.

Till now we have seen Nokia release phones based on the Windows Phone operating system but now we are going to see the other side of this partnership. From now onward, Microsoft’s Bing Map service will use Nokia’s traffic and geocoding information.
One of the best things about the Nokia Maps service is the traffic information, which will now be available on every device using Bing Maps and not just Nokia’s own. You will get status on traffic on your routes as well as reports about any road accidents. The traffic feature is available in 24 countries, including Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, UK and US.
Geocoding helps you find stuff on the map. It is a set of information that the mapping system uses to assign places with their geological co-ordinates. It’s how the map knows exactly where to look when you type the name of a place. This information will now come from Nokia.
This is just the beginning. I’m sure we’ll see more of Nokia’s tech go over to Microsoft and vice-versa in future.

Facebook releases new Facebook Camera app for iOS

Facebook has released a brand new Facebook Camera app for the iOS. The app is completely separate from the main Facebook app and concentrates only on capturing, sharing and viewing photos on Facebook.

The launch of this app has come as a surprise to everyone considering it has only been a month since Facebook as announced that it will be plonking $1 billion for Instagram, a dedicated mobile photo sharing service. However, Facebook Camera has a couple of advantages over Instagram.
The batch upload option is the big deal here. Whereas other apps, including the standard Facebook mobile app, only lets you upload one photo at a time, with Facebook Camera, you can click as many as you want and then batch upload them. You just have to tap the pictures you want in the photo gallery and hit upload. The app will even make a separate album for all your photos on Facebook.
Another important feature is tagging. You can tag the people in the photos through this app. Just click on their face and start typing. The app will provide suggestions from your friends list. What’s cool is that once you tag someone, all the photos within the app that has that person in them will get auto tagged thanks to facial recognition.
Lastly, Facebook Camera also has Instagram style filters and basic editing options such as as cropping.
One of the things I liked about it is how great it looks; it is so much better than the stock Facebook app. You see full size images that span edge to edge, like in Instagram or the new Facebook mobile app. You can scroll vertically to see all your friend’s pictures and if you come across an album, you just swipe horizontally to see all the pictures inside without having to leave the timeline. This app is also much faster than the stock Facebook app.
Now coming back to why Facebook made this app after acquiring Instagram is because it was in development even before the plans to acquire Instagram came up. Acquiring Instagram was a logical move because it was a looming threat to Facebook. Releasing Facebook Camera was logical because it was already being developed and it is different enough from Instagram to stand out on its own.
The Facebook Camera app is free for download but is currently only available on the App Store. Also, as of now, it is available in very few locations, so don’t be surprised if you can’t find it in your App Store.

Google introduces in-app subscriptions in Google Play

Google added the ability to purchase content from within the apps on the Play Store through in-app billing last year. This allowed developers to sell additional content to their users from within the app, content such as extra levels, extra currency to purchase in-game items and special abilities.

Google has now also added in-app subscription option to the Play Store. The difference between in-app billing and in-app subscription is that subscriptions are recurring and automatically renew themselves after a specific period.
This will now allow developers to sell content such as newspapers, magazines and comic books on the Play Store. The user will have to download the app and then choose their subscription model. After that the Play Store will automatically charge the user, lets say, every month when a new issue of the magazine comes out. The user will get an email notification, informing them about the renewal of the subscription. The user can view or cancel their subscription any time they want.
Google is also introducing a new HTTP-based publisher API. Using this API, developers will be able to let their users carry their subscriptions from one property to another. So in theory, if you, say, subscribed to The New York Times from their website and if the website uses Google’s API, then you will be able to carry forward that subscription to their mobile app as well and vice-versa. Of course, this functionality depends upon the developer and how they use it.
For now, you will find the game Frontline Commando offering the option of in-app subscription but many more should be joining it soon. From your end, there is nothing to do; if you have the Play Store app v3.5 and above, you will automatically be given the in-app subscription option as and when available.
For more information, check out the source link below.
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CyanogenMod 9 changelog website goes live

The popular CyanogenMod ROM for Android now has a dedicated site for all the latest updates.

If you have a Cyanogen-running device, this is an excellent way to track whether the build for it has been updated.
While custom firmware is a great way to add some extra functionality to your device, the various CyanogenMod 9 builds (the ones based on Android 4.0), are not without their fair share of problems.
The newly-released changelog site lets you filter results by device, allowing you to see if a problem you’ve been having has been fixed. It also lets you see if a certain nifty ICS feature has been implemented.
More info on how to get CyanogenMod can be found here. Keep in mind that installing a custom ROM involves steps that void the warranty on your device, so proced with care.

EA offering up to 85% off on iOS games

If you have an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, consider yourself lucky because EA is offering some pretty heavy discounts on its iOS titles, as much as 85% off on some.

The following are some of the popular titles along with their discounted price.
Flight Control Rocket: $0.99
Mass Effect Infiltrator: $2.99
Tetris: $0.99
FIFA 12: $1.99
Shift 2 Unleashed: $0.99
Dead Space: $0.99
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit: $0.99
Reckless Racing: $0.99
Mirror’s Edge: $0.99
There are a lot more games but these are just some of my personal favorites.
EA is not the only one offering discounts, though. Infinity Blade II is selling for $2.99 instead of the usual $5.99. Grand Theft Auto 3 is selling for $0.99 instead of the usual $4.99. Best of all, Cut the Rope: Experiments is completely free, although only for today.
These are all limited time discounts so make sure take advantage of them.

Get great discounts on iOS, Android, OS X, Steam and other games thanks to the ‘Because We May’ campaign

We just talked about some great discounts on EA games on the App Store. But why should iOS users have all the fun? Now thanks to the ‘Because We May’ campaign, you can get great discounts on Android, OS X and Steam as well.

The purpose of this campaign is simple. Developers should be allowed to price their apps as they please. If they want to drop their prices because they want to promote their titles, they should be free to do so. Through this campaign, some of the developers have come together and offered to price their games at a discounted rates for the duration of May 24 to June 1. It also helps highlight the application stores that give the freedom to the developers to price their games whatever they want to.
You can go to their website and choose from some very popular titles, such as World of Goo, Osmos, EDGE, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, Riptide GP, SHADOWGUN, Fieldrunners, Super Meat Boy, Braid, etc., all at heavily discounted rates.
If you are a developer and want to take part in the campaign, you can just register on their site and then your game will be listed there.
If you are a user, well, what are you waiting for? Click the source link and start downloading.
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Google updates Search app for iOS

After a barrage of mediocre apps for iOS, Google has finally started to take the platform and its users seriously. Two weeks ago we saw the new Google+ for iOS, which not only bests its Android counterpart but also the stock Twitter and Facebook apps by a mile.

Google has now updated the Google Search app for the iPhone. This isn’t a brand new design as we have already seen it on the iPad last year but only now is it trickling down to the iPhone.
The app has a stunningly simple UI with an incredible amount of polish. You can type your search queries or use your voice. The search results don’t just look like they have been pulled from the mobile optimized web version. Clicking on a link opens it within the app itself. A drawer slides in from the right and you can continue to browse in it as you do in mobile Safari. To hide the drawer and go back to the search results, just swipe it away. You can pull it back in anytime you want.
Below you will find various search categories. My favourite is the new Image search, which shows beautiful tiled thumbnails of the images and the top and bottom bars move out of your way as you scroll.
You can log in to your Google account, at which point you will also be able to access Google’s other services such as Gmail, Docs, Google+, etc. from within the app. These are basically the mobile versions of their services that can be accessed from mobile Safari as well.
While the app is definitely very good, its usability is dubious. On iOS, it’s just easier and quicker to search Google from Spotlight rather than launching a separate app. Still, it is nice to see Google release good quality apps for iOS.

Fruit Ninja celebrates two year anniversary with a major update

Fruit Ninja, one of the most popular mobile games of all time, is celebrating its two year anniversary and developer HalfbrickStudios has released a major update for the game.

Fruit Ninja now includes a new currency system in the form of the Starfruit. You get a thousand of these once you install the update and get more as you play the game. You will be able to use these in a new section called Gatsu’s Cart, where you will find additional items that give you special abilities.

Bomb Deflects lets you, well, deflect bombs from the screen. When you swipe on a bomb, instead of exploding and ending the game the bomb is merely pushed out of the screen. You can purchase as many as you can afford but you can only use three per game.
Berry Blasts are strawberries that explode when you swipe them, destroying all the other fruits and also giving you five points.
Peachy Time gives special peaches that provide additional time in Arcade and Zen Mode.
You can also use the Starfruit to purchase the previously available items such as backgrounds and swords. If you run out of Starfruits, just keep playing the game or use the in-app purchase option to buy some more.
For now this update is only available on iOS. Click on the link below to download the game.

Microsoft to allegedly release iOS and Android version of Office in November

Rumors have been flying around about a version of Microsoft Office for the iOS for a while now but now BGR is reporting that not only will there be a version of Office for iOS but also for Android and both will be launching together in November.

This information comes from one of their sources who has seen the application running on an iPad and says that it looks identical to the one we have seen before. After that image first came out, Microsoft later said that the screenshot in the picture was fake but The Daily, who leaked the screenshot, said it was authentic and that it was someone from Microsoft who demoed it to them.
It’s good that there is news about an Android version of Office being in the works as well, because Microsoft has been giving the platform a cold shoulder in the recent past, preferring to release its apps first on iOS. It remains to be seen whether Office for iOS and Android will work only on the tablets or be universal apps. Also, whether Microsoft will sell the entire suite the way they do on the desktop or split them up the way Apple sells iWork apps on iOS.

VIA announces its $49 Android PC, poses a real treat to the Raspberry Pi

Raspberry Pi, be very, very careful! You are not the only ultra cheap PC out there any more, as VIA launches its own fully functional computer, which costs next to nothing.

Dubbed “APC”, this cheap PC runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread and carries a $49 price tag. This is slightly more expensive than the $25/$35 Raspberr Pi, but you also get better specs.
Powered by a WonderMedia ARM 11 SoC with a WM8750 processor clocked at 800MHz, the APC packs 512MB DDR3 RAM, 2GB on-board flash storage, 4USB 2.0 ports, microSD slot and Ethernet port. Display connection options include VGA and HDMI display ports.
OpenGL-ES 2.0 is enabled and supports H.264 video encoding and 720p video playback. This means you could use it as a cheap media center and because all that comes in the package is a single board, you could put it virtually everywhere.
VIA has started taking pre-orders and promises the first units to arrive early July. So, follow the source link below for more information on how to purchase this little fella.

Apple retains position as world’s top brand

The annual BrandZ study by market research agency Millward Brown has named Apple the top global brand for a second straight year.

The BrandZ report lists Apple’s brand value for 2012 at just under $183 billion, representing a 19% year-over-year increase.
Apple find themselves at the head of a top 10 list of which only Coca-Cola, Marlboro and McDonalds are not Telecom or Tech companies, illustrating just how much drive is behind today’s mobile technology sector.
Other notable changes in the top 100 include Facebook, whose IPO this year helped them jump up 16 positions to number 19 on the list, while raising their brand value to over $33 billion.
With the exception of Google, the top 8 looks eerily like it came straight out of the 1980′s, when IBM and Apple vied for control of an emerging PC market.
The only two other smartphone manufacturers on the list are Samsung and Sony, which are ranked 55th and 86th, respectively. The full list can be found here, while more details on the BrandZ study are on this page.

Control a computer with the wave of your hand, Minority Report style

Ten years ago sci-fi movie Minority Report, starring Tom Cruise, showed a mesmerizing new way of controlling software interfaces – by waving your hands and making gestures in the air in front of the monitor (a giant monitor wall in the case of the movie). Well, we’ve all seen Kinect and what it has done to home gaming but we are yet to witness the next revolution – commanding your run-of-the mill Windows or Mac OS computer with similar hand gestures in the air.

Well, meet this tiny USB gizmo, made by a company called Leap Motion, that promises to enable just that – and it’s just $70. They’ve got a great video to prove their point. Let’s hope that the real product delivers on the promises.
The leap is able to track all ten of your fingers and track their individual movements down to a 1/100th of a millimeter. You can also stack up several devices to create a larger input area.
There are no details how this all works, but it’s impressive, isn’t it? You can pre-order yours right now (if you are lucky) and the first units will ship this winter.

Samsung S Voice leaks alongside some widgets, apps and ringtones from the Galaxy S III

First Flipboard lost its Galaxy S III exclusivity and is currently available for all Androids, now S Voice and various apps and widgets from the Galaxy S III followed suit.

The credit for leaking the highly anticipated S Voice goes to XDA member PlaYOuT, who extracted it and made it available for everyone’s downloading pleasure. Soon before him, however, ithehappy went a step further and made available a couple of widgets, apps and ringtones from Samsung’s new flagship.
Now AccuWeather, GTalk, YouTube, FM Radio, a couple of digital clock widgets and S III’s ringtones are available for download from the source links below. There is also an explanation on how to run them on your device. Keep in mind your Android has to be rooted and run Ice Cream Sandwich.
According to user reports, S Voice is working without hiccups, but just like us, they are not heavily impressed with Samsung’s virtual personal assistant. Follow the links below to install the leaked Galaxy S III software goodies.

Microsoft alters Windows 8 desktop look to match Metro UI

A lot of people have complained about the discrepancy between the two modes on Windows 8. As you may know, Windows 8 will ship with the new Metro UI as well as a standard desktop mode for legacy apps. While the Metro side of the OS looks modern and fresh, the desktop version looks almost similar to older versions of Windows and the two couldn’t be more different.

Microsoft has heard your complaints and although they won’t be redesigning the desktop side in Metro they have made some changes to the existing UI to be more in sync with the Metro design language.
For starters, the Aero look is gone. Aero was the name of the UI design that debuted with Windows Vista and featured a ton of transparency effects and glossy finishes to the window chrome. Although these were meant for the user to focus more on the app content and less on the window chrome, which was supposed to blend with the background, it’s not the kind of design that ages well and most certainly does not gel with the flat look of the Metro UI.
So now the window chrome won’t be transparent anymore. Nor will it be glossy or have glowing buttons or exaggerated shadows surrounding the window. It now has a cleaner, flatter look to it that’s a lot simpler and almost reminds me of the Windows 95 days. The default window chrome will be in white, although there may be an option to customize it. However, without the lack of transparency, a colored window chrome will just be distracting so don’t be surprised if white is the only option. The taskbar, however, remains transparent.
Some of these changes will reflect in the upcoming Release Preview, however, you will only see the full impact of these changes in the final version of Windows 8, expected to go on sale later this year around October.
So how do you like this new change? Let us know in the comments below.

Samsung Galaxy S III gets rooted ahead of launch

We are no strangers to seeing Android devices being rooted ahead of their launch and the upcoming Galaxy S III is no different. The root comes courtesy Android developer Chainfire and you will be able to find more details regarding the root on his post on xda-developers forum.

Chainfire gives special credit to Samsung for this root. Apparently, the whole process was a piece of cake compared to some of the other devices, including previous Galaxy models. It seems Samsung has made it very easy for developers to unlock and root the phone. Chainfire even concluded his post with this special note:

Now, everybody say thanks to Samsung! I don’t always agree with them, but so far they have been the first and IMHO still are the only high-end Android OEM who aren’t complete douchebags in the unlock department!

You can find the rest of the post in the link below.
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Android PC available for $74, about the size of a pack of gum

The MK802 may look like an ordinary USB stick, but it’s a fully-functional computer.

Of course, you need to attach it to a display, and connect some sort of keyboard/mouse combo, but the MK802 could very well be the smallest PC around.
Perhaps you remember the portable FXI dual-core USB stick, which let you turn any HDMI display into an Android-powered computer?
Well, along those lines, a Chinese manufacturer has created the MK802, which is a more affordable version of the same device.
There are, of course, some trade-offs involved here. The MK802 is from an unspecified manufacturer, and has a single core 1.5Ghz processor (as opposed to the dual-core FXI). Also, the HDMI is a connector, rather than a socket, so you’ll need to use a cable rather than just stick it into the back of a TV.
The MK802 comes with 512 MB of RAM, WiFi connectivity, and 4GB of internal storage. There’s a undetermined “3D Graphical processor” inside, whatever that means, but it does come with a plethora of cables and adapters for connectivity. It comes with Android preinstalled, although you should be able to load other platforms onto it.
If you’re the adventurous type, and have $74 to spend on anonymous Chinese devices (we’ve all done it at some point), then the MK802 may be right down your alley. If you do decide to take the leap, be sure to share your experiences with the rest of us in the comments.

Google I/O event schedule released

The Google I/O event, where we get to hear about all things Google, is set to start at the end of next month.

The real highlight, as always, will be the keynote. While this is not an event dedicated entirely to Android, we do expect to hear quite a lot about the Google’s mobile OS.
There’s sessions for all sorts of Google-related stuff scheduled, and it looks like the Android talks will center largely around enhanced developer integration. Other Google products to be covered include Maps, Chrome, Drive, Google+ and YouTube – the full schedule can be found here.
Entry into the popular event costs $900 for general admittance – although Google were offering Academia tickets for $300, if you can prove you’re a student, staff or faculty member of a university – the event is sold out, though. Worry not, Google I/O will be streamed live on their website.
For everything about the event, checkout the I/O section of the Google developers portal, which includes a nifty in-browser invention machine.

Rovio preparing ‘Angry Birds Heikki’ webgame

By this point, you may or may not have heard about Rovio’s sponsorship deal with Finnish Formula 1 racer Heikki Kovalainen.

Looks like the next step after the cool racing helmet is making a new Angry Birds game with a racing theme, set to launch mid-June.

Not much else is known about Angry Birds Heikki, although Rovio has put up a teaser website to get your bird-flinging juices going.
For now, all indications are that this will be a browser-based game, and while there’s no word yet on whether it will be available on mobile OS we can’t see Rovio abandoning its home turf.