Leaked Android Music app images and hands-on review

Android Music player
This morning, an updated version of the stock Android Music app was leaked along with a new version of Android Market. The new Music app, which is labeled 'version 3', is similar to the leaked build from December, but it has received a ton of polish -- and indeed, it looks almost ready for prime time.

If you don't have Android 2.3 -- or don't want to root your phone to install the leaked Music app -- take a look through our gallery, and then read on for our initial hands-on impressions.

Continue reading Leaked Android Music app images and hands-on review

Leaked Android Music app images and hands-on review originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/05/leaked-android-music-app-hands-on/

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Baidu Censors a Bit Too Well

China's government is all for Internet censorship -- but not like this. Three employees from China's top search engine, Baidu, were arrested for deleting posts from its website in exchange for money, according to a report. Those three employees were fired, along with a fourth who was fired but not arrested. Baidu confirmed that they have run into deleting-for-cash deals in the past, but this particular case was noteworthy for the amount of money being exchanged.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/221b4c1e/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C758250Bhtml/story01.htm

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Valve reportedly preparing second-generation Source engine, kinda explains the Episode Three delay

Valve reportedly preparing secondgeneration Source Engine, kinda explains the Episode Three delay

ValveTime has dug through the Source Filmmaker code to reveal references to "Source 2," reportedly a next-generation revamp of Valve's famous game engine. Given that the three major consoles are all due a refresh, it's unsurprising to see preparations being made. That said, however, the second (and major) launch title for the original Source was Half Life 2, so we're gonna be getting a complaint letter ready if we don't get some more time with Gordon, Alyx and Dog in a beautifully rendered future dystopia.

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Valve reportedly preparing second-generation Source engine, kinda explains the Episode Three delay originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 08:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is GNOME in Free Fall?

Between the arrival of both MATE 1.4 and KDE 4.9 and the emergence of SolusOS' brand-new GNOME Classic on the scene, there's no denying it's been an exciting few weeks here in the world of Linux desktops. That, in turn, has made it all the more difficult to witness the identity crisis that has apparently befallen GNOME itself. "Core developers are leaving GNOME development," wrote developer Benjamin Otte in a recent blog post entitled, "Staring into the Abyss." Not only that, but "GNOME is understaffed," "GNOME has no goals" and "GNOME is losing market- and mindshare."

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2219523a/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C75820A0Bhtml/story01.htm

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Siri, meet Nina, Nuance's new virtual customer service assistant SDK for iOS

Siri, meet Nina, Nuance's new virtual customer service assistant SDK for iOS

Nuance has just announced Nina, a new virtual customer service assistant SDK (software developers kit) for iOS and Android. Nuance, which is widely believed to power Apple's Siri voice recognition, is aiming the SDK at iPhone and iPad developers who want to quickly and easily add voice assistance to their App Store apps. And while Siri understands what you're saying and the context in which you're saying it,Nuance claims Nina uses voice biometrics to understand just who exactly is doing the talking. Robert Weideman, executive vice president and general manager of the Nuance Enterprise Division, said in their press release:

Nina is a watershed innovation for the automated customer service industry, not only because it brings the virtual assistant directly into an app, but because it raises the bar through its level of interactive dialog and language understanding. Nina provides our customers a major competitive differentiator by enabling more successful self-service through their mobile apps. We are especially pleased to further our partnership with USAA, a company known for its innovation and approach to delivering a premier mobile customer service experience to its members.

USAA, a financial services company with a US military focus, is piloting the system this August and intends to fully roll it out early next year.

Nina is comprised of a personal assistant persona, the SDK proper, and the backend cloud component. It's is available to developers now in US, UK, and Australian English, with additional languages slated for later this year.

By contrast, Apple does not supply iOS or Mac developers with Siri API in the iOS SDK, which means that, while any app with a keyboard can tap into the system-wide Dictation speech-to-text functionality, they can't hook into Siri's response system. In other words, they can't let Siri see into their app or their service and return their results. No asking your banking app what your balance is, for example. Not with Siri. Which is why developers might find Nina attractive.

Aside from Google, who hired one of Nuance's founders and created their own implementation, Nuance has a virtual lock on voice recognition technology. As devices like the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Mac move towards more natural language input methods, the ability to understand voice becomes table stakes. Since most companies have to license that from Nuance, and they all end up using the same engine, the competitive advantage shifts to natural language parsing and response -- understanding not only what a person is saying, but what it means and how to act on it.

Apple bought Siri in part because of their excellent, context aware parsing technology. As Nuance provides tools like Nina, and as competitors like Samsung bring similar services like S Voice to market, parsing might likewise become table stakes.

That leaves packaging and services, which is likely why Apple spent so much time on Siri's Pixar-like personality, and on and the services they integrated to support it -- results from Yelp, Yahoo!, Wolfram|Alpha, and other more. And why Apple is adding sports, movies, turn-by-turn navigation, and additional services to Siri as part of iOS 6.

Is voice ID strong enough security for things like accessing banking details, however? "My voice is my passport" has been the stuff of movies for years. But it's also been spoofed in those same movies for years...

Either way, Nina looks to fill a void Apple's either not ready to, or not interested in. Would you want Nina in any of your apps? Which ones?

More: Nuance

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Belkin Rotating Charger 2.1 ChargeSync for iPhone and iPad review [Giveaway]

Want a chance to win a Belkin Rotating Charger 2.1 + ChargeSync of your very own? Subscribe to our YouTube channel and leave a comment on the video above!

The Belkin Rotating Charger 2.1 + ChargeSync is for a) people who can never seem to have enough chargers around for all their Apple gear, be it iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, and b) need plugs that can swivel and fit into any spare outlet that's available, regardless of how cramped they may be, or which direction they're in.

Belkin Rotating Charger 2.1 + ChargeSync for iPhone and iPad review

The 2.1 in the Belkin Rotating Charger 2.1 + ChargeSync signifies the amount of amps. That'll handle any iPhone, iPod, or iPad on the market, though the time it takes to charge will vary depending on the battery size of the device in question. The included Dock to USB cable is 4 feet, which is okay but not exceptional.

I originally thought, upon getting the Belkin Rotating Charger 2.1 + ChargeSync, that it would be the cable end that rotates. Since the USB to Dock cable is separate from the charger unit, and the charger unit is rather large, that would be a handy feature to have -- it would greatly reduce the chances for the cable becoming detached or the plug falling out due to torque or tension from handling your device on the other end. However, it's actually the prong assembly that swivels and then locks into position at 90 degree intervals.

It does come in handy when you have a powerbar already jam packed with plugs and the one free outlet, of course, isn't in the right direction to fit. Rather than unplugging and rearranging the entire strip -- which can be especially annoying if computers, TVs, gaming systems, and other machines that don't like being disconnected are involved -- you simply swivel the Belkin Rotating Charger 2.1 + ChargeSync into whichever orientation fits, and plug it right in.

Belkin markets the Rotating Charger 2.1 as a "ChargeSync" cable, which a lot of other companies do, but I find it irksome. Any USB to Dock cable is a "ChargeSync" cable because that's the kind of cable that can both charge over USB and sync with iTunes on the Mac or PC at the same time. The cable that comes in the box with your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad does just exactly that. You know what Apple calls it? "Apple Dock connector to USB cable". Yeah.

So basically, you're getting Belkin's much bulkier version of that, with a more functional sounding name, and much bigger AC adapter that rather than simply fitting into tight spaces the way Apple's iPhone AC adapter does, it swivels to make up for its big, bulkiness. If you're looking for an iPad adapter, it's not as big of a size difference, but compared to the iPhone and iPod touch adapter, it's big.

And wait, it gets worse. The 30-pin part of the Dock connecter doesn't fit into the iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad anywhere nearly as well as Apple's cable. On a naked device, it sticks out and is loose. On a case, the bulkiness greatly reduces the odds that you can plug it in at all.

The thicker gauge of the cable might prove more rugged and durable, but the sheer size of the Dock connector makes it a poor tradeoff. You can, of course, use an Apple cable -- or any other cable -- with the Belkin swivel AC adapter, but that kinds of defeats the purpose of the Belkin Rotating Charger 2.1 + ChargeSync combo. (And again, the AC adapter has chunkiness issues all its own...)

On the plus side, the prongs can also fold down to keep the safe and sound in a bag or luggage while traveling.

The good

  • 2.1 amps
  • Prongs can swivel

The bad

  • Connector is bulky
  • Adapter is big

The conclusion

Unless you specifically need a heavier gauge iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad cable, or prongs that can fold away for travel, there's little reason to recommend the Belkin Rotating Charger 2.1 + ChargeSync over other options.

$24.95 - Buy now

Giveaway

Want to win a Belkin Rotating Charger 2.1 + ChargeSync of your very own? Easy! Just subscribe to our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/iMoreVideo and leave a YouTube comment at the bottom of the the Belkin Rotating Charger 2.1 + ChargeSync ! We'll pick a winner and that winner will get a Belkin Rotating Charger 2.1 + ChargeSync!

Ready, set, enter now!!

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Voice assistant 'Nina' lets any app obey commands, makes speech your password

Voice assistant 'Nina' lets any app obey commands, makes speech your password

Voice recognition technology from Nuance is all over the place -- in everything from Smart TVs to Beemers. But today, in response to the growth of device-specific voice assistants like Siri and S-Voice, the company wants to take things down a different route: launching a mobile SDK for iOS and Android that any third-party app can employ. Baptized "Nina," the voice assistant won't only be able to understand instructions, but will also identify the speaker using vocal biometrics. That means Nina could potentially pay a bill, arrange a bank transfer, book a vacation or even interact with government services without ever requiring you to enter a password. The video after the break shows just how intimate things could get -- assuming you're able to find a spot where the two of you won't be overheard.

Continue reading Voice assistant 'Nina' lets any app obey commands, makes speech your password

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Voice assistant 'Nina' lets any app obey commands, makes speech your password originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 06:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple seeds iOS 6 beta 4 to developers: here's the changelog

Apple seeds iOS 6 beta 4 to developers here's the changelog

Right around 20 days after iOS 6 beta 3 was beamed out to developers, beta 4 is now making its way into those same hands via an OTA download. We've just confirmed that the files are indeed being pushed out, with the changelog showing fixes related to Facebook integration, the Address Book, authorization statues, and Apple TV / Bonjour workflows. You'll also get a patched-up Dictionary, iTunes and Maps, amongst other things. The entire list of updates is embedded after the break, but we'd recommend a stiff cup of coffee before trying to digest 'em all.

Update: For the eagle-eyed, yes, this update does indeed remove the YouTube app from the iOS homescreen. If you're out of the loop, Google owns YouTube. And Apple hasn't shied away from doing its best to distance iOS from Googlefied apps...

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Apple seeds iOS 6 beta 4 to developers: here's the changelog

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Apple seeds iOS 6 beta 4 to developers: here's the changelog originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 14:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maingear introduces Vybe, a 15-inch notebook that's ready to go in 48 hours

Maingear

Need a super-spec gaming notebook in a hurry? Maingear's new Vybe laptops should be right up your street. Once ordered, the pre-built units can leave the company's New Jersey HQ in under 48 hours, packed to the gills with all the options you'd expect from the company. The range is packing Ivy Bridge CPUs, Kepler-running GeForce 650M or 660M with 2GB RAM and a 1080p, LED-backlit matte (matte!) finish display. The four options available are laid out in a table after the break -- but rest that itchy mouse finger a moment more, as while the base "Good" and "Better" systems are available from today, you'll have to wait until August 17th if you're looking for the "Best" or "Ultimate," the latter setting you back $1,999.

Continue reading Maingear introduces Vybe, a 15-inch notebook that's ready to go in 48 hours

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Maingear introduces Vybe, a 15-inch notebook that's ready to go in 48 hours originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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