Flipboard yesterday launched its new iOS app for iPhone and iPod, after its great success on the iPad. Google has today finally announced its Android rival, called currents, funnily enough the app is available on both Android and iOS with cross platform support from the get go. The app gives a magazine like reading experience for online feeds. The app is free and offers you a swipeable, graphics-heavy way to read material from partners like AllThingsD, PBS, Huffington Post and Fast Company, as well public Google+ feeds and RSS. You can also import our own content and add feeds like the iGyaan Rss.
For publishers, Google is providing self-service tools for customizing how their content is displayed in the app. Currents is US only for the time being. You can always head over to XDA-Dev for the hacked link for using it in India for Android only.
With the new update on the app you will now be able to search posts and people from within the Google+ app. The new update will also allow you to add +1 to photos and comments, see the ‘online’ and ‘typing’ status of your Messenger buddies, and upload videos and full-res photos.
With the new Goggles you have a brilliant continuous mode that will allow you to log multiple items without the need to press the shutter button again and again. The update will also allow better crowd sourcing which means that you will now be able to add things unknown to Goggles like our unboxing knife!
Eagerly waiting to get in on the tablet action, but need something that will secure future updates? Enter Ainol NOVO7 a US$ 100 tablet that has already been launched with Android 4.0. The device was previously selling as a Android 2.3 tablet but now comes with ICS preloaded. It features a Ingenic JZ4770 mobile applications processor and 1GHz MIPS-based XBurst CPU, 7-inch capacitive touchscreen, a Vivante GC860 GPU clocked at 444MHz, 1080p video decoding, rear 2MP camera with VGA front-facing cam, USB 2.0, HDMI 1.3, microSD slot.
The company is also working on 8 inch and 9 inch versions of the tablet. Seems like an excellent option for an under 5000 Rupee tablet. oh wait1 the dollar is much more expensive now.
[toggle title_open=”Press Release” title_closed=”Press Release” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]MIPS Technologies and Ingenic Semiconductor Announce Availability of World’s First Android™ ‘Ice Cream Sandwich’ Tablet
1GHz, Low-Power Tablet Sets New Market Standard at Sub-$100 Price Point
SUNNYVALE, Calif. – December 5, 2011 – MIPS Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MIPS), a leading provider of industry-standard processor architectures and cores for digital home, networking and mobile applications, and Ingenic Semiconductor, a leading China-based CPU provider for mobile multimedia applications, today announced worldwide availability of the world’s first tablet based on Android ™ 4.0, known as ‘Ice Cream Sandwich’, that is retailing for less than $100 (U.S). The tablet is powered by Ingenic’s JZ4770 mobile applications processor, which leverages a MIPS-Based™ XBurst™ CPU running at 1GHz.
According to Andy Rubin, senior vice president of mobile at Google, “I’m thrilled to see the entrance of MIPS-Based Android 4.0 tablets into the market. Low cost, high performance tablets are a big win for mobile consumers and a strong illustration of how Android’s openness drives innovation and competition for the benefit of consumers around the world.”
The new Android 4.0 tablet is available in China and online through Ainol Electronics Co., Ltd. It will be available in the United States and other geographies within the next several months under brands from companies including Leader International Inc. and OMG Electronics Ltd.
The new tablet is available with a 7″ capacitive multi-touch screen. 8″ and 9″ form factors will be available soon. All versions include support for WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, USB 2.0, HDMI 1.3 and microSD, as well as 3D graphics with the Vivante GC860 GPU, 1080p video decoding and dual front/rear cameras. The XBurst processor’s power-efficient architecture provides extended battery life-the 7″ tablet draws less than 400mA during active web browsing.
“We are pleased to join with MIPS to announce these breakthrough high-performance, low-power, low-cost Android 4.0 tablets. Combining the elegance of the MIPS architecture and Ingenic’s innovation in processor design, we are bringing a new level of processor technology to mobile devices. As we continue to collaborate with MIPS to broaden the mobile ecosystem around the legendary MIPS architecture, we anticipate even broader proliferation of our devices worldwide. We believe the mobile world will be more versatile and colorful with another processor joining in,” said Qiang Liu, chairman and CEO, Ingenic Semiconductor.
“The openness of Android is enabling a new level of connectedness and interaction between devices and between people across the globe. We are excited to be a part of the Android ecosystem delivering on that vision. We applaud Ingenic’s accomplishment in developing this new high-performance, feature-rich Android 4.0 tablet, and offering it at a price point that makes it widely accessible. We look forward to teaming with Ingenic as it continues to develop MIPS-Based mobile innovations,” said Sandeep Vij, president and CEO, MIPS Technologies.
Ingenic JZ4770 SoC The Ingenic JZ4770 SoC inside of the new tablet is one of the first MIPS-Based systems-on-chips (SoCs) targeted for mobile devices that delivers 1GHz+ frequency, increasingly a requirement for tablets and other devices that incorporate rich multimedia and high-performance applications/functionality. The JZ4770 SoC is powered by a MIPS32 compatible XBurst CPU designed by Ingenic. The XBurst CPU core adopts an innovative ultra-low-power pipelining architecture which consumes less than 90mW in 1GHz (with L1 cache), and the entire SOC consumes ~250mW with the CPU and video engine operating under full load. In addition to the XBurst CPU, the JZ4770 SoC integrates an optimized 1080p video processing engine, OpenGL ES 2.0 3D graphics processing unit from Vivante Corp. and numerous on-chip analog and application blocks such as audio codecs and GPS.
Pricing and Availability Ingenic’s JZ4770 SoC for Android 4.0 tablets is available now. The new Android 4.0 tablet is available in China and online through Ainol Electronics Co., Ltd. at www.ainovo.com. The 7″ tablet retails for less than $100 (U.S.) non-subsidized. The tablet will be available in other geographies within the next several months.[/toggle]
Google employees are testing Ice Cream Goodness on the Nexus S and apparently it works great. This means that if you are rocking a Nexus S you are only weeks away from receiving an official update to the next delicious version. The company is also hoping to remove any and all kinks during this test process so that they can deliver a very stable bug free version for an update.
Youtube has today launched a new redesigned version of their homepage. At first the page may not look as interesting as it is, but a closer look will reveal that a large amount of brain power has gone into redesigning one of the most viewed pages on the internet. The revamp splits the homepage into three sections which, in many ways, feels familiar and mirrors the way Facebook operates. On the left, a navigation bar features links to videos shared by your Google+ and Facebook friends, while it also lists each of the channels you subscribe to along with trending and popular uploads.
Youtube has also unleashed new Channels, which make it easier for creators ( like iGyaan) to interact with the viewers. Our new redesigned channel should be up shortly. YouTube says it has also added “a coat of paint” to the whole site, along with the ability to easily customise your own channel.
If you have updated to the latest version of Google Maps on Android, you will now notice that Maps is now updating indoor locations on its maps app. Google Maps 6.0, which is a free update for phones loaded with Android 2.1 and up, will bring you intimate details of many shopping centres and airports in the US and Japan. The app is also sensitive to which floor you’re on, so if you go up an escalator in the shopping centre, the list of stores will update.
Now this is seriously useful utilization of your portable handheld device.
[dropcap]M[/dropcap]icrosoft is using a browser based demo of WP7 on Android and iOS to lure users into shifting into their new OS. The HTML5 demonstration showcases Windows Phone’s Metro user-interface and allows you to follow through and experience the operating system’s basic functionality.
The demo goes thorough basic functionality and demos some of the key features like Phone, People, Messaging, Outlook, Calendar, Family, Local Scout and Picture tiles. Just visit the link http://aka.ms/wpdemo on your Android or iOS device and enjoy the demo exploits. Its like owning the phone without owning it, Microsoft is playing those naughty games again. Trying to itch you into buying a WP7 device.
The Motorola XT615 has been spotted getting FCC approvals and stickers. XT615 remains targeted solely at international markets with dual-band 2100 / 900MHz WCDMA and quad band GSM support. Powered by a modest 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7227A-0 CPU, the phone has sleek design addressing to younger consumers. A 4-inch touchscreen edge-to-edge display with FWVGA (854 x 480) resolution, Moto Switch UI 2.0, 512MB of RAM, a 1GB of ROM, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 3.0., an 8MP rear-facing camera with a LED flash, a VGA front-facing camera for video calls, and a MicroSD card slot supports up to 32GB expansion.
The the Motorola XT615 has a 1390mAh battery that is good for up to 300 minutes of talk time, 110 hours of standby. Price is expected to be lower than 15K.
The new Google Doodle to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Stainistaw Lem’s first ever book publication, is by far the most interactive Google Doodle yet. It involves a game comprising of Robots and 3 levels to complete parts for the Google Logo. Every stage has different challenges, in the first stage you have to answer basic math questions using the randomizer, in the second level you have to match wave patterns to get the part and in the third and final stage, you need to launch robots onto a satellite. Check it out and play for yourself by visiting Google.co.uk
Google just released a new revision to mobile search app for the iOS, focusing on improvements to iPad users. Prima-focus on seeing results side-by-side, adding instant previews and Google instant, along with full screen browsing and access to Google Apps.
Anandtech has been busy this weekend comparing the Samsung Galaxy Nexus against the iPhone 4S. The results are in the and Android powerhouse beats the iPhone 4S in some areas.
In the SunSpider Javascript Benchmark the iPhone scored a 2250 whereas the Galaxy nexus got a 1875 ( the lower the number the better in this test). Essentially that menas that Java performance is better on the G-Nexus. In the Rightware BrowserMark test the iPhone 4S scored a 87,841 whereas the Nexus S Scored a 98,272 ( the more the better in this test). This means that the overall web index scores and rendering of webpages should be much faster on the G-Nexus compared to the the iPhone 4s. The major improvements on the web experience are said to be blamed on the enhancements of software found in Ice Cream Sandwich.
The Graphics benchmarks revealed that the iDevices including the iPhone and the iPad performed better. In the OpenGL test the iPad and the iPhone 4S got 148.2 and 123.1 respectively, whereas the G-Nexus got a disappointing 45.2. Head on to the source link for full benchmarks and test results.
In an interesting turn of events Motorola Stockholders have changed their judgement over the Google Motorola Deal.
We are pleased and gratified by the strong support we have received from our stockholders, with more than 99 percent of the voting shares voting in support of the transaction, We look forward to working with Google to realize the significant value this combination will bring to our stockholders and all the new opportunities it will provide our dedicated employees, customers, and partners.
-Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha
Google intends to use the tens of thousands of patents it will control as a result of the merger as a new line of defense in a series of patent battles between its various Android partners and aggressively litigious companies like Apple and Microsoft.
Motorola Mobility Stockholders Approve Merger with Google
Nov. 17, 2011
LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Nov. 17, 2011 – Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) (“Motorola Mobility”) today announced that at the Company’s Special Meeting of Stockholders held today, stockholders voted overwhelmingly to approve the proposed merger with Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) (“Google”).
Approximately 99 percent of the shares voting at today’s Special Meeting of Stockholders voted in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement, which represented approximately 74 percent of Motorola Mobility’s total outstanding shares of common stock as of the October 11, 2011 record date for the Special Meeting.
Sanjay Jha, chairman and CEO of Motorola Mobility, said, “We are pleased and gratified by the strong support we have received from our stockholders, with more than 99 percent of the voting shares voting in support of the transaction. We look forward to working with Google to realize the significant value this combination will bring to our stockholders and all the new opportunities it will provide our dedicated employees, customers, and partners.”
As previously announced on August 15, 2011, Motorola Mobility and Google entered into a definitive agreement for Google to acquire Motorola Mobility for $40.00 per share in cash, or a total of approximately $12.5 billion. The Company previously disclosed that it expected the merger to close by the end of 2011 or early 2012. While the Company continues to work to complete the transaction as expeditiously as possible, given the schedule of regulatory filings, it currently believes that the close is expected to occur in early 2012. It is important to note however, that the merger is subject to various closing conditions, and it is possible that the failure to timely meet such conditions or other factors outside of the Company’s control could delay or prevent the Company from completing the merger altogether.
Yet another music service launched, yet another disappointing story for India. The company is partnering with Universal, EMI, Sony Music and no less than 23 independent labels on the service that covers about 13 million songs in total, 8 million of which are available today.
Google Music will have a number of exclusive offerings from the labels, including concerts from the likes of The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Pearl Jam and The Dave Matthews Band, and the exclusive debut of Busta Rhymes’ latest album. The DIY-like software allows virtually anyone to sell and price their music,, brilliant for upcoming Artists.
Here is hoping this one arrives in India as promised.
Pogoplug joins the long list of free cloud services with its new Pogoplug cloud. With apps for all major platforms for smartphones as well as computers. The new cloud offers seamless connectivity b/w all platforms.
The first 5Gb is free and you can upgrade to a bigger 50GB or 100GB for US $ 9.95 & $19.95 / month respectively. You also have the ability to make and share folders just like dropbox, and if you are the social type you can even share your activity of Facebook and Twitter.
[toggle title_open=”Press Release” title_closed=”Press Release” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Pogoplug Introduces Free Cloud Storage for Mobile Phones Share and Stream Directly From Your Phone
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Pogoplug, creators of the award-winning line of streaming and sharing devices, today unveiled a new service: Pogoplug Cloud. The service provides users with a secure online space to store personal content and instantly share and stream it from their mobile device. Users sign up directly from any mobile phone, tablet or web browser and immediately receive their free 5GB Pogoplug Cloud.
Pogoplug is the only service to offer infinite expansion. Users can purchase additional online storage from Pogoplug, or host a private, unlimited cloud for no monthly fees by buying a Pogoplug box and connecting it to a home or office network.
Pogoplug Cloud enables users to: – Store: Automatically upload photos and videos from your mobile phone to your Pogoplug Cloud-no sync required.
– Share: Instantly share anything in your cloud through email, Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Create shared folders and collaborate with friends and colleagues.
– Stream: Stream HD videos, photos and music from your Pogoplug Cloud to your phone.
“Mobile users are asking for more storage for their devices,” said Daniel Putterman, CEO and co-founder of Cloud Engines. “We designed Pogoplug Cloud to give everyone the freedom to interact with all of their personal content straight from their mobile phone.”
Pricing and Availability Pogoplug offers 5GB of free cloud storage. 50GB and 100GB of additional cloud storage are available for $9.95/month and $19.95/month, respectively. Pogoplug Cloud is available today at www.pogoplug.com. Pogoplug’s iOS and Android apps are FREE and available for download in the iTunes Store and Android Marketplace. The full range of Pogoplug hardware and software products are available at www.pogoplug.com.
ABOUT POGOPLUG
Pogoplug is cloud storage for your mobile life. The service enables users to store, share and stream personal content from any mobile device. Pogoplug is the only service that provides flexible expansion options by allowing users to purchase additional cloud-based storage or to host a private unlimited cloud for no monthly fees by purchasing a Pogoplug box.
Pogoplug is led by experienced entrepreneurs from the digital media and security space and backed by Foundry Group, Softbank and Morgan Stanley. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, with a satellite office in Tel Aviv. For more information, please visit http://www.pogoplug.com.[/toggle]
Oh No! Google is ending support for the Gmail app on the Blackberry platform, woe is the Blackberry user. Plagued by downfalls and poor support Blackberry seems to be heading for a downfall. Google has announced that it will end support of the Gmail app for BlackBerry phones on November 22nd.
Fortunately those who already have the app installed will be able to continue using it indefinitely, but it will no longer be supported by Google.
Deprecation of Gmail App for BlackBerry
Released on 11/08/2011
Beginning November 22, 2011, we will end support for the Gmail App for Blackberry (installed native app). Over this past year, we’ve focused efforts on building a great Gmail experience in the mobile browser and will continue investing in this area.
Users may continue to use the app, if installed, however it will not be supported by Google, or available for download starting November 22. BlackBerry users can continue to access Gmail through the mobile web app at http://www.gmail.com in their BlackBerry web browser.Learn more.
Editions included: Google Apps, Google Apps for Business, Government and Education
