Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source'

Google, according to reports from "a dozen executives working at key companies in the Android ecosystem" is finally locking down the open source and easily-fragmented Android operating system.

As it currently stands, Google hands over the 'final' code for each version of Android, and OEMs and developers then spend some time customizing the OS to fit their hardware, and to create a unique and marketable flavor. That's all set to change, however.

Over the last few months, according to several people familiar with the matter, Android licensees such as HTC, Motorola and Facebook, have been asked to sign 'non-fragmentation clauses.' This new contract caveat will give Google the right to review and pass judgment on all changes to the Android OS. Two executives at Facebook say that they're unhappy that Google gets to review its changes to Android -- which is understandable, given Facebook and Google are direct competitors -- and there have also been allegations that Google is preventing some Verizon devices from shipping because they include Microsoft's Bing instead of Google search.

Continue reading Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source'

Google demands veto on OEM Android changes, stretches definition of 'open source' originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/google-demands-veto-on-android-changes-stretches-definition-of/

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Line Grapefruit is a tricky Flash "path" game

linegrapefruit
Okay, see that snaking line coming in from the right on the screenshot? That's you. And see those large round circles? Those are supposedly grapefruits, only they won't sit still - they keep moving up and down and cutting across your path. And if you touch one, you die!

That's what you have to deal with in Line Grapefruit. But that's not all - you're also on a time limit. In fact, you have a very limited amount of time to make it through the "path" (for lack of a better word). You need to snake your way through the winding trail without touching anything. The good news is that a grapefruit only kills you if it touches the end of the line - once you've made it past the grapefruit, nothing happens if it crosses the path you've made.

This is not an easy game, but it's quite unique - I can't recall seeing another game quite like it.

Line Grapefruit is a tricky Flash "path" game originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/01/line-grapefruit-is-a-tricky-flash-path-game/

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Skype 5.3 for Windows released, improves mobile video call quality

Version 5.3 of Skype for Windows has just been released, with the main emphasis of the new release being improved call quality, and the quality of video received by mobile Skype users. Presumably one party of the video call must be using Skype for Windows 5.3, though.

Beyond improved call quality, not much has changed. You can now see your friends' presence icons when contact cards are collapsed, and the topic editing button is now always visible on the conversation header. For a complete list of changes, hit up the Skype Garage blog.

Download Skype 5.3 for Windows

Skype 5.3 for Windows released, improves mobile video call quality originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/07/skype-5-3-for-windows-released-improves-mobile-video-call-quali/

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Getting Android on Your TV

If you've been getting into the convenience and usability of the smartphone and tablet User Interface and are wondering just why your cable provider is unable to create anything with the same elegance and function, it may be time to slap Android on your TV -- yourself. There are a few ways to approach this, and all of the methods have pros and cons. The method Google has planned for us is with its native Google TV operating system -- a type of Android OS -- designed specifically for the big screen.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/23a13962/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C761980Bhtml/story01.htm

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Konstruct for iOS creates generative augmented reality art with your voice

Konstruct generative augmented reality art for iOS
If you have an artistic temperament, but you weren't blessed with steady hands or an eye for color, Konstruct might be the app for you. Not only does the iPhone app let you produce generative art using words, warbles and whistles, but it also uses augmented reality to bring your artistic creation to life.

To get started, you first need to print out the Konstruct marker and place it wherever you'd like to create your AR sculpture -- it could be on your living room wall, or on the floor of your bathroom, it doesn't matter. Open the app, point your iPhone at the marker, and start making some noises! Once you're done, you can save your creation, or simply wipe the slate clean and start again.

The volume of your voice affects the size of the shapes that are drawn on the screen, and you can move your head around to alter the path of your 'brush' -- but to change the shape of your brush or modify the color palette you have to use a menu. Without knowledge of the app's internal workings, it's hard to say what the actual difference between whistling, talking and singing is -- and judging by the developer's affinity for whistling in the demo video (after the break), the app probably doesn't perform that much analysis on your input.

Still, Konstruct is just a prototype! A later version could do away with menus and rely entirely on the location, tonality, quality and amplitude of your voice -- and judging by the the words of the developer, James Alliban, there is definitely more in store for Konstruct: "The idea of transforming entire cities into user generated virtual art galleries really appeals to me. I see Konstruct as an early prototype that will hopefully be realised in this form in the future."

Download Konstruct for free from the App Store (iPhone 3GS and 4 only)

[Thanks to Richard for the tip!]

Continue reading Konstruct for iOS creates generative augmented reality art with your voice

Konstruct for iOS creates generative augmented reality art with your voice originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/05/konstruct-for-ios-creates-generative-augmented-reality-art-with/

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Martin Reisch talks iPhone 5 camera vs Canon 5D Mark II and RED Scarlet

Professional photographer and videographer, and Instagram legend Martin Reisch -- *safe solvent™ -- talks about the iPhone 5 camera, how he decides between shooting with the iPhone vs. the Canon 5D Mark III and the RED Scarlet, and tips for aspiring iPhoneographers.

Update: And here's Martin testing the lowlight capabilities of the iPhone 5.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/K7var_zSWMQ/story01.htm

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Microsoft resurrects Courier through Project Austin app for Windows 8, sparks nostalgia (video)

Microsoft resurrects Courier through Project Austin app for Windows 8, sparks nostalgia video

Many who've been following Microsoft's tablet efforts for years will have a soft spot for the Courier, a creative-focused device axed because it didn't fit the Windows puzzle. However, it looks like you just can't keep a clever idea down. Developers at Microsoft have revived the dream through Project Austin, a Windows 8 app based around the visual concept of a notebook. Pen aficionados can choose different paper types and paste in photos, but they're deliberately kept away from typing, searching and other elements that would complicate the idea. It should sound familiar: it's a rough (if possibly unintentional) Windows doppelganger to FiftyThree's Paper for iPad, which itself was designed by some of the former Courier team. A company spokesperson won't say if or when Project Austin will be available in a complete form for the public, although there's not much point until Windows 8 arrives on October 26th. Thankfully, programmers keen to see what Courier might have been -- if just in bits and pieces -- can already download the source code for themselves.

Continue reading Microsoft resurrects Courier through Project Austin app for Windows 8, sparks nostalgia (video)

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Microsoft resurrects Courier through Project Austin app for Windows 8, sparks nostalgia (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 Sep 2012 06:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/22/microsoft-resurrects-courier-through-project-austin-app/

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Best iPhone 5 PAYG nano-SIM options for traveling to the UK

Best iPhone 5 PAYG nano-SIM options for traveling to the UK

If you’re visiting the United Kingdom with a GSM unlocked iPhone 5, your main options for Pay As You Go SIMs are limited to just two of the five major networks. At the time of writing, only T-Mobile and O2 offer nano-SIMs on Pay As You Go (pre-paid) deals. Three will sell you a nano-SIM on a one-month rolling contract, but that’s not much use for travelers, as it’s subject to all the usual credit requirements. Vodafone and Orange have yet to announce any PAYG nano-SIM options, nor has the community-oriented GiffGaff network.

T-Mobile UK Pay As You Go nano-SIM for iPhone 5

T-Mobile UK’s PAYG nano-SIM works just the same as any of the carrier’s other PAYG SIMs. After topping up at least £10 of credit, you can choose between three price plans for your iPhone 5 --

  • Text Plan - Unlimited UK texts, in addition to your data allowance and calling UK credit.
  • Talk Plan - 100 UK minutes, in addition to your data allowance and UK calling credit.
  • International Plan - 70 international minutes, in addition to your data allowance and UK calling credit

All of T-Mobile UK’s PAYG plans come with unlimited mobile data for browsing and email for the following month, plus a 500MB data allowance for media streaming, which should be more than enough for most travelers. In particular, that 70 minutes of international calls may be ideal for visitors to the UK who want an convenient way to call home without breaking the bank.

O2 UK Pay & Go nano-SIM for iPhone 5

O2's pre-paid nano-SIM option is well hidden, but it does indeed offer them. O2 has a wide range of PAYG plans, each with varying benefits --

  • Pay and Go Go Go - 75 minutes, 500 texts and 100MB for a month, for £10. Allowances double after three months. Unlimited texts are added after nine months.
  • O2 Unlimited - Unlimited O2 to O2 (UK) calls and texts with a £15 top-up. UK web browsing charged at £1 per day.
  • Text and Web - 500MB data allowance for a month, plus a varying text allowanced based on how much you top up.£10-14 gets you 300, £15 to £29 gets you 500, and after £30 texts are unlimited.
  • Simplicity - Starts at £7.50 per month, which gets you unlimited texts. £10.50 will get you 100 minutes and 500 texts, and £15.50 for 300 minutes and unlimited texts. Then add one of three data allowances -- £3 for 100MB, £6 for 500MB or £10 for 1GB.

Other options

It’s also worth mentioning that nano-SIM “cutters” are available online to enable brave users to trim down micro-SIMs to nano-SIM size. If the gold contacts are the right size, you should be able to use one of these hole punch-like devices to cut down the plastic around your micro-SIM so that it’s the correct size for iPhone 5. You can also attempt this manually using a good old-fashioned pair of scissors, if you’re feeling adventurous.

Cutting down SIM cards can be hit and miss, though, so proceed at your own risk if you decide to go ahead with this. However, if successful, you’d be able to slice down any micro-SIM and use Three, Vodafone and Orange PAYG SIMs in your iPhone 5.

If you do decide to cut a larger SIM down to size, you may want to consider a micro-SIM from Three, which in our opinion offers by the most attractive PAYG plans for heavy data users. You can top up £15 and get unlimited data, 300 minutes and 3000 texts, or top up £10 for 500MB, 100 minutes and 3000 texts.

We’ve reached out to the other major mobile networks to see if they plan on offering PAYG nano-SIMs anytime soon. We’ll update this article with any new information they provide.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/DVewNbstBmg/story01.htm

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Review: Bowers & Wilkins P3 Headphones

Photo by Ariel Zambelich/Wired

Two years ago, Bowers & Wilkins debuted its P5 headphones, some of the best-sounding compact headphones we’d ever heard.

B&W’s design for the P5s coupled a minimalist and luxurious aesthetic — complete with supple memory-foam ear pads swathed in black New Zealand sheep leather — with truly stunning audio performance. They earned a very high rating from Wired (and from most other reviewers) even though they were priced at $300.

That’s pretty steep for a pair of on-the-ear headphones. B&W has won many fans who are used to paying a premium for the company’s high-end audio products. Other consumers who are less aware of the relatively obscure British manufacturer, not so much.

Now B&W has come out with a more affordable option, the P3 headphones, which sell for only $200. They look a lot like the P5s, though the materials aren’t as swank. The newer P3s are smaller, however, and they fold up, making them even more portable. Although not as opulent as the P5s, the P3s still sound excellent, and they deliver enough pleasure — auditory and otherwise — to justify the $200 price tag.

Source: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/09/review-bowers-wilkins-p3-headphones/

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Add a Windows 8 user tile to your Windows 7 taskbar

Now that Windows 8 images have begun leaking out, it's only a matter of time until developers start releasing mods for Windows 7 which mimic upcoming features. Over at Into Windows, they've spotted one such mod already.

In the earliest Windows 8 images, we saw Windows Live integration on the taskbar. In the far right corner, there's a user tile displayed. If you'd like to do the same on Windows 7, download Taskbar User Tile from DeviantArt user AngelWZR.

Once installed, your current picture will appear on the taskbar. Click it, and a menu appears which allows you to log off, switch users, and access the control panel. Right now, the mod only works if your taskbar is displayed on the bottom of your Windows desktop.

Add a Windows 8 user tile to your Windows 7 taskbar originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/06/add-a-windows-8-user-tile-to-your-windows-7-taskbar/

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