Google Play Books gets high quality read aloud, pinch zoom, recommendations

Google Play Books gets high quality read aloud, pinch zoom, recommendations

If you like having your classics read to you by your handheld device but don't care for the usual robot-stuck-in-a-well tones, Google Play Books has been updated with a more dulcet option. The "read aloud" function (which has been around for several versions, despite Google saying it's new) now has a high quality voice option, which only works if you're connected to the internet. We gave it a whirl ourselves, and it's now far more tolerable to listen to "Oliver Twist" or other flowing text books, thanks to a more natural sounding voice -- as heard in the audio file after the break. In addition, Google has added pinch or double-tap zoom options, text editing features for notes, personalized recommendations and "numerous bug fixes and performance enhancements." To give it a look (or listen) for yourself, check the source for more info.

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Via: Android Central

Source: Google Play Books

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/19/google-play-books-gets-high-quality-read-aloud/

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This Awesome Destroyer of Worlds Is the Best Astronomy Image of the Year

I was looking back for the best, most impressive astronomy images of the year 2012—ready to post a winner when this dropped in my NASA feed. The image is stunning on its own, but the description just made my head spin. Combined with its sheer beauty, it made it the winner. Here is why: More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/nTqvRpdUXAU/this-awesome-destroyer-of-worlds-must-be-the-best-astronomy-image-of-the-year

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Shot Shot Pirate is a fun, simple physics game

shotshotpirate
Shot Shot Pirate is very satisfying, because each level is short and to the point. You know what you have to do and you just do it.

As you may have gathered from the name, you're cast in the role of a pirate. Your goal is to shoot at a diamond and make it fall off a tower of bricks. The height of the tower changes as you progress through the levels. It's not enough to just make the diamond fall off the tower of bricks - it has to fall below a certain line (drawn on the screen) for the level to be completed.

There are also different kinds of bricks, with some heavier than others, and different kinds of ammo. You only get a certain amount of ammo for each level, and when it's gone, you lose. But don't worry! If you don't make it on the first try, it's very easy to restart the level and just give it another shot (or three).

All in all it's a cute game. I've seen similar games with better graphics and music, but the game delivers on its main promise - a few minutes of pure time wasting!

Shot Shot Pirate is a fun, simple physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/24/shot-shot-pirate-is-a-fun-simple-physics-game/

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Torus is an impressive 3D Tetris game powered by HTML5

torus
As far as Tetris goes, most variations look quite similar. You're usually looking at a "wall" of bricks directly from the front. Torus takes that notion and throws it away; as you might have guessed from the name (or screenshot), this Tetris clone is played on a ring-like 3D surface.

You rotate the ring itself with the arrow keys, while a Tetris-like piece slowly (excruciatingly slowly, in fact) descends from the top. As soon as you make a solid line, it disappears.

Not all pieces are Tetris-like; some of them wouldn't really work with a regular Tetris game but are a good fit for Torus' 3D format.

Torus is ideal for playing at the office, because it has absolutely no soundtrack. The game is dead-quiet. It's also very very slow (slow enough for me to mention it twice in one post) so you can safely look away for a moment and then keep playing. Also, as soon as the game loses focus, it automatically pauses.

Bottom line: It's an impressive demo of the power of HTML5; if it were a bit faster, it would have some serious addictive potential.

Torus is an impressive 3D Tetris game powered by HTML5 originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/17/torus-is-an-impressive-3d-tetris-game-powered-by-html5/

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Yahoo! Messenger now censors the links you share

Yahoo Messenger Big Brother censorshipWe've all thought it, but never dared think it could be true: what if Microsoft, Yahoo, and AOL actively monitor our instant messenger chats? What if mentions of 'bomb' and 'underage' are tracked and sent to law enforcement agencies? What if chat providers don't agree with the things we say, or the links we share, and filter or censor the content of our transmitted messages?

Well, it looks like our fears may actually have some basis in reality: Yahoo Messenger strips FilesTube links from instant messages. It doesn't tell either party that a URL has been removed from chat -- it just deletes it. Poof. FilesTube, in case you were wondering, is one of the largest file hosting meta search engines on the Web -- it indexes RapidShare, Megaupload, Mediafire, and many other 'cyberlocker' services.

It's fairly obvious why FilesTube links are being removed -- the Censor General at Yahoo is probably one of those perplexed primates who think all uses of BitTorrent are illegal -- but this situation poses a far more important question: is Yahoo censoring messages on the client side, or the server side. Does the messenger client itself maintain a list of 'blacklisted' words -- and if so, why are we not told that FilesTube links are banned? What other words and terms does Yahoo protect us from?

Continue reading Yahoo! Messenger now censors the links you share

Yahoo! Messenger now censors the links you share originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/30/yahoo-messenger-now-censors-links-raises-serious-privacy-issue/

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AppFinity Game Controllers review

AppFinity makes many different types of game controllers.

AppFinity makes many different types of game controllers.

The iPod touch and the iPhone create arguably one of the best-selling handheld gaming systems in the US, if not the world. While not all of them are sold for the purpose of gaming, there are a lot of them out there being used for games as well as other things. That means they’re open season for casual games. I’ve never been one for gaming add-ons to my phone, but, when Julie offered us the Appfinity Racing driving wheel attachment, I thought I would give it a try.

A week or so later, a huge, yet very light box arrived for me. In it were not one, but three different Appfinity game controllers for handhelds – a two-trigger gun, the promised four-trigger driving wheel, and a two-trigger fishing pole. Wow!

AppFinity's AppDrive feels and looks like a real steering wheel, making driving games much more realistic.

AppFinity’s AppDrive feels and looks like a real steering wheel, making driving games much more realistic.

There are games that work with these controllers offered for free and for sale on the App Store, so I started downloading right away. In the box are adapters to let you use various devices within the controllers. These will not work with the newer large-screen devices, but if you’ve got a phone or iPod touch in a form factor from the original iPhone to the iPhone 4S, you’re most likely in luck. Let’s look at the generalities first, then the specifics of each controller individually.

The overall construction is of a high quality plastic, molded and painted. The enclosures for your device (no devices come in the boxes!) are very, very secure. There is an enclosure, slide locks, and a good bit of surrounding plastic on each one. The actuators that hit the screen to control the game are a soft conductive material.

Detail of acctuators on the inside of the device holder for the AppDrive. The two red paddles control two, and the thumb-buttons on the top control the others. They are soft pads, that will not scratch your screen.

Detail of actuators on the inside of the device holder for the AppDrive. The two red paddles control two, and the thumb-buttons on the top control the others. They are soft pads, that will not scratch your screen.

Speaking of conductive, the design of these gadgets is quite ingenious. There is metal on some part of each one, right where you would have to touch it to hold or fire it, so that there is never a time when you hit a key and nothing happens. It is so subtile that, unless you’re looking for it, you’ll miss it.

Metal along the outside of the driving wheel will prevent breakage, as well as ensure proper gameplay.

Metal along the outside of the driving wheel will prevent breakage, as well as ensure proper gameplay.

The metal, while necessary for electrical conduction to the screen, is of a heavy enough gauge as to enhance the structure of the controller, rather than just being a foil add-on. These are well-thought-out, well-made devices.

Trigger of the AppBlaster, showing the metal integrated in for strength and conductivity.

Trigger of the AppBlaster, showing the metal integrated in for strength and conductivity. Also, note the clip on the left with the arrow. This snaps securely into the device holder. There’s one on the other side of the barrel as well.

The first one I opened was the blaster. (Hey, I’m a boy! Everything’s a gun.) There’s a QR code on the box that takes you to the App Store where you can download a free alien shooting game, so I was fighting off virtual aliens in minutes. Your device is locked into a holder which clips onto the “barrel” and is held in place by two sliding locks which click firmly into place.

AppBlaster, showing the device holder with an iPhone 4s. This clips onto the barrel in the slot just forward of the rear trigger, so that the two tap pads can touch the screen. Note the locking sliders on the side to secure the device holder onto the controller.

AppBlaster, showing the device holder with an iPhone 4s. This clips onto the barrel in the slot just forward of the rear trigger, so that the two tap pads can touch the screen. Note the locking sliders on the side to secure the device holder onto the controller.

I never worried that my iPhone was going to go flying off as I moved about shooting aliens that were attacking me from 360° on all planes. You’re basically in the center of a sphere, and they come at you from everywhere, getting larger as they get nearer. Since they are kinda cartoonish, and they only box and bump you, it’s very appropriate for younger gamers. Sorry, guys, no blood and gore a la CoD or GoW! But the immersion is instantaneous.

No terrifying monsters in this freebie, but they come at you from all sides at once, and can really surprise you when you spin around and - BAM! - they're in your face!

No terrifying monsters in this freebie, but they come at you from all sides at once, and can really surprise you when you spin around and – BAM! – they’re in your face!

There is a hole in the rear of the phone holder, and the camera activates, showing your cartoon nemesis imposed over the real world. On-screen arrows alert you to attacks from behind, and a radar scope in the bottom right keeps you aware of “bogeys” as they approach as well. The front trigger is used to fire a different type weapon (in the case of this game, a smart bomb that blasts all aliens in a certain range), but it’s also nice having two hands to hold on to the controller.

I then tried the fishing controller. I’ve fished in real life a good bit over the years, and the casting and reeling actions mimic the real thing pretty accurately. I never did get the hang of landing a fish, though, because my line kept breaking. Even when I gave it more line, the fish would always snap it and get away. But you shoulda seen the size on that monster! ;-P

Finally, I got around to the driving controller. The four controls are mounted under your index finger and thumb of each hand, and can control things like camera angle, forward/reverse throttle, and other in-game elements. “Steering” with the gyroscopic function has always seemed second nature, but putting the actual grips onto your phone really takes it up a notch. It’s very easy to get into, and snapping your phone into the controller takes just a second or two.

The AppDriver lets you truly get the feel of driving games. The thumb buttons are matched with index finger triggers under the wheel. Note the small "shelf" over the top of the screen, which hides the touch pads.

The AppDriver lets you truly get the feel of driving games. The thumb buttons are matched with index finger triggers under the wheel. Note the small “shelf” over the top of the screen, which hides the touch pads.

For my testing, I couldn’t rely on just my limited experience with games, so I enlisted some help. I wanted to see what pros and n00bs alike would think of the games and the controllers.

My Lovely Bride loves word games, but not so much action, “twitchy”-type games where you have to be quick with your fingers, rather than your wits. Despite this, she laughed and played along for a few minutes, once I got her into the basics of finding the bad guys, reloading, and firing the right weapon (trigger). My younger daughter (23) is also more adept at word and puzzle games, but really had a ball, once she figured out the mechanics. I just about couldn’t get my phone back! (“Wait, wait! There’s one more! Pew! Pew!”)

The acid test, however, came when I took them into the breakroom at work. At first, I just showed them to a colleague or two, and left them sitting on the counter near the break computers. As soon as I got them all there, however, I needed to do something about storage. Owing to my general appearance, I felt it apropos to label a box “Santa’s Toys” and explain in a meeting what I was doing. From then on, I rarely came back to the break room without seeing someone playing something. Even those with the iPhone 5, which doesn’t fit in the holder, were borrowing older phones in order to play. Those who are not avid gamers also got involved, and there was a lot of coaching and sharing going on. Several who have kids with iPod touches were asking about them as holiday gifts.When I took them home to shoot photos and finish the review, several folks moaned and asked when I was going to bring them back in. I think they were a hit.

So, let’s look at pros and cons. Price wise, they are not too bad. Since there are no electronics involved, they are very reasonably priced at about $20 each. For the build and design quality, this is right in line. I’m sure these will survive far longer than some other things that cost a bit more in your holiday gifting! Ease of use and versatility (being able to use with several different devices via adapters), and a good number of games available are top-notch. The only real drawback I found with any of the controllers is that there’s no easy way to get to the system volume when it’s locked and loaded for play. You have to remove the device from the holder, set the volume, and then put it back in – not easy to do, if you’re a parent with kids playing while you’re trying to sound professional on a phone call. You can go into settings and turn things down from there, but it’s just as fiddly. This is probably not addressable without compromising the security of the device, but it was mentioned several times by my testing crew. (Of course, they all wanted to turn it up, but same difference!)

If you have kids (of any age), one of these would make a great addition to their handheld system. One of the parents I spoke with was talking about having to get her kids an iPod touch, and wanted to buy the less expensive, older design, since her kids are younger. “One of these might make it justified,” she said.

Five stars.

Product Information

Price:various - but about $20 per controller.
Manufacturer:AppFinity
Retailer:various online and in stores
Requirements:
  • Phone or iPod Touch in 4.5" x 2.5" form factor
Pros:
  • Sturdy
  • Device is secure in holders
Cons:
  • None

Filed in categories: Android related, Gaming Gear, Geek Toys, iPhone, iPad, iPod, Reviews

Tagged: ,

AppFinity Game Controllers review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 18, 2012 at 11:00 am.

Ask DLS: What's your favorite mobile app at the moment?

askdls
The mobile app marketplace is exploding; there are now hundreds of thousands of apps on the iOS, Android and BlackBerry app markets. Heck, even Windows Phone 7 just crossed the 10,000 mark!

But alas, not all apps are created equal; some are way, way better than others. Which leads me to today's Ask DLS question: What is your favorite mobile app at the moment?

We don't necessarily mean the latest craze; we'd like to hear about apps that have stood the test of time on your device, apps that are among the first you install on a new smartphones, apps that have earned their place on your home screen and in your heart.

So, what are some of these apps? Bonus points for links to screenshots in the comments!

Ask DLS: What's your favorite mobile app at the moment? originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/17/ask-dls-whats-your-favorite-mobile-app-at-the-moment/

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Apple is an iPhone stock and growth in China is just beginning

Apple is an iPhone stock and growth in China is just beginning

As much as it pains Apple shareholders to watch the stock drop to $500 from a high of over $700, we all need to learn to stomach the volatility and focus on the business performance.

Right now, Apple’s stock is driven by the market’s perception of iPhone supply and demand. It’s an iPhone stock more than anything else. This won’t always be the case, but it is for now.

China is an enormous growth market for Apple. This year China will make up about 15% of Apple’s total revenue. Back in April when Apple reported its Q2 results, Tim Cook revealed that sales in China had tripled year over year. He said “There’s a lot of headroom here in our view”.

That was 8 months ago. And we’re starting to see what Cook means. Apple just sold over 2 million iPhone 5 devices in a single weekend, inspiring the first-ever China-specific press release.

Apple hasn’t even cut a deal with China Mobile yet. For those unfamiliar with the telecom competitive landscape in the gigantic Asian country, China Mobile is the largest operator by a long shot. They’ve got over 700 million cellular subscribers, and pretty much all of the growth is coming from 3G (TD-SCDMA). Eventually this growth will shift to 3G (TD-LTE).

If Apple can strike a deal with the world’s largest carrier and capture 5% of its subscribers (presumably the wealthier among the total) then it amounts to 35 million iPhone sales. Let’s round the average selling price of the iPhone 5 down to $600 - we’re talking about $21 billion in new revenue. If these users are on a 2 year replacement cycle, we’re looking at $10 billion per year in new sales from one carrier deal.

Right now, Android is king in China. Apple’s share of the Chinese smartphone market is less than 10%. But in a country with over a billion mobile users, smartphones still represent the minority. In fact, only about one fifth of all cellular subscribers are even on the countries 3G networks as of now. Smartphone volume will continue to rise. As this happens, if Apple can recapture some share, as it seems to be doing with the iPhone 5 launch (and if they can get into China Mobile), the volume growth will continue to be impressive.

And then the halo effect kicks in. People who can afford iPhones in China can certainly afford iPads, and mostly likely Macs too.

What I’m really interested to know is if Apple has a strategy to compete with the mid tier smartphone makers in China. In the rest of the world, Apple keeps previous generation devices, currently the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4, on the market at lower price points. That's because there is a limit to how many people can afford a $600+ phone. We don’t want to see Apple competing the the guys making $100 Android phones, but there has to be a happy middle ground where Apple can grow its ecosystem while still enabling the wealthier customers to sport a more expensive and luxurious iPhone.

Apple is an iPhone stock, and China represents a pretty big opportunity that has yet to be fully tapped.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/7hGdNCPrjtw/story01.htm

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Google Cloud Print comes to HP ePrint printers

hp google cloud print
HP has become the first major OEM to deliver support for Google Cloud Print in retail-boxed printers. In an official release, HP announced that its ePrint-enabled printers are now fully Cloud Print compatible. Just sign in to your Google account, pick your HP ePrint device, and you're ready to fire off a print job from anywhere you've got Internet access. Well, as long as your app supports Cloud Print as well -- like Gmail and Google Docs, for example.

We're curious, though -- how many of you are still printing? Like our pals at Engadget, our printers have been mostly gathering dust for the last few years.

Google Cloud Print comes to HP ePrint printers originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/01/google-cloud-print-comes-to-hp-eprint-printers/

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