Google Glass owners can swap to an updated version for free

Google is inviting existing Glass owners to swap their existing head-mounted display for a free updated version. While the new version of Google Glass looks identical, Google says it has made it “a bit faster and more durable.” Importantly, it’s also compatible with upcoming prescription frames for the device, and is designed for new accessories including the new shades and a mono earbud that’s included with the updated version. The wearable device isn’t expected to launch for consumers until early next year, but developers who joined the Explorer program have been invited to switch to the latest Google Glass version.

Google unveiled the new version of Glass on October 28th, and Explorers who purchased a unit prior to that are eligible for the free swap. Existing Google Glass owners have to register and swap their units by February 5th, 2014, and the one-time swap also allow owners to switch colors. Google Glass owners aren’t being forced to swap, but a free update is certainly worthwhile as the updated versions come with a new one-year warranty. As for the old units, Google says it will ensure “your old Glass is duly honored when you send it back.”

    Via - SlashGear
    Source - Google

Post by-) Saumil Patel

Assassin's Creed Pirates now available on Google Play

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ubisoft.assassin.pirates&referrer=utm_source%3Dandroidcentral%26utm_medium%3Dblog%26utm_campaign%3Dbloglink

Ubisoft's latest mobile plunderer, Assassin's Creed Pirates, is now available to purchase through Google Play. The game takes place in the same universe as the Assassin's Creed console titles, but sees players taking on the role of Alonso Batilla, sailing the seas in search of treasure as the Templars and Assassins play out their ancestoral war.

Our own Paul Acevedo had the chance to preview the game at Ubisoft's San Francisco HQ recently. Here's a snippet from his hands-on impressions:

    "After the introductory cinematic wraps, players will set sail towards their meeting with La Buse at Scorpion’s Reef. Steering the ship takes place in a first-person perspective, just as in Assassin’s Creed IV. Swipe left or right along the ship’s wheel in order to navigate the waters and avoid obstacles.  Buttons at the bottom-right corner of the screen control acceleration and deceleration.

    Ship battles consist of attack and defense phases. Drag left or right to aim your cannons. You’ll have to lead a little to compensate for the opponent’s movement, but firing too far ahead can lead to a miss too. Cannons take a little time to recharge, so all the more incentive to fire carefully."

Hit the Google Play link above to get started. The game sells for $4.99 in the U.S. and £2.99 in the UK.

Post by --+ Saumil Patel.

Samsung resumes international Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 updates

New firmware being pushed out starting today in parts of Europe

The Android 4.3 firmware rollout for Samsung's Galaxy S3 didn't go exactly to plan, leading to the manufacturer suspending the rollout to investigate numerous issues reported by S3 owners. Now it appears Samsung has completed its work squishing bugs in the 4.3 firmware as a new update is being pushed out to international Galaxy S3 (GT-i9300) owners in parts of Europe.

According to reports from SamMobile and XDA, the new firmware carries the build number I9300XXUGMK6, and was built on Nov. 28. Early reports from forums suggest that the performance and stability issues affecting the earlier update have been fixed in the latest build. As before, the 4.3 update also brings Samsung's KNOX enterprise security platform, as well as support for the Galaxy Gear smartwatch.

As always, the OTA will likely take at least a few days to filter out to all users; if you've got a European Galaxy S3, hit the comments and let us know if you've got this latest update.

Source: SamMobile, XDA

POST BY --■ Saumil Patel.

Samsung testing new display panels, could open door to flexible tablets and digitizer-less styluses

Samsung Logo

Back in November Samsung’s CEO JK Shin revealed that their long-term goal was to dethrone Apple in the tablet market and become the “most beloved” company in the world. In order to accomplish this feat, Samsung is obviously going to have to step up its game a little.

So how will Samsung’s tablet strategy differ going forward? For starters, the company is rumored to be preparing to introduce larger-sized (12.2-inch+) displays in the not-too-distant future. Samsung’s ambitions in the tablet space don’t end there, either.

According to the Korean media, the company is planning to replace the indium tin oxide touch panels it uses for its tablets in favor of metal mesh panels. These metal mesh panels are allegedly 20% to 30% cheaper than current indium tin oxide-based panels, and are also said to be easier to produce. This could help with any possible supply and demand issues when it comes to producing panels.

    If all goes well, the goal is to release a tablet with a metal mesh panel as early as the first half of 2014.

With less production costs involved with the display panels, Samsung may even be able to deliver better products at even cheaper price points – though that’s speculation on our part.

Aside from lowering production costs, metal mesh displays have a few other advantages. For one thing, they have low surface resistance, which allows them to bend easily, meaning they could be used for flexible tablet displays in the future.

Another benefit of metal mesh is that these panels will reportedly make it possible to create a pen stylus technology that doesn’t need a digitizer embedded in the touchscreen to work. This means that adding S-Pen tech to a Samsung device would be cheaper, and could even open the door to budget devices equipped with styluses.

So when might we see a Samsung tablet with a metal mesh panel? If the Korean media proves correct, Samsung has already received 7 and 8-inch metal mesh touch panels from domestic and oversea suppliers and is conducting tests as we speak. If all goes well, the goal is to release a tablet with a metal mesh panel as early as the first half of 2014.

Keep in mind that Samsung has yet to confirm any of this, so speculation is advised.

It’s also important to note that Samsung isn’t alone when it comes to experimenting with metal mesh touch panels. Just last month, LG Innotek also showed off their own metal mesh touchpanel, though LG has yet to reveal any devices that will use the technology.

Microsoft And Nokia Deal Approved By European Regulators

The Microsoft and Nokia deal was recently approved by US regulators, and now the European Commission has give the go ahead for Microsoft to buy Nokia’s smartphone business.

We heard about a week ago that the European regulators were expected to approve the deal, you can see a statement from the European Commission below.

Microsoft and Nokia

“The Commission concluded that the transaction would not raise any competition concerns, in particular because there are only modest overlaps between the parties’ activities and the links between Microsoft’s mobile operating systems, mobile applications and enterprise mail server software with Nokia’s smart mobile devices are unlikely to lead to competitors being shut out from the market,”

The deal, which will see Microsoft take over Nokia mobile phone and services division is worth $7.3 billion to Nokia, it has already been approved by the company’s shareholders.

As part of the deal Nokia will license a number of patents to Microsoft over the next 10 years, and Microsoft will take over Nokia’s Lumia Windows Phone brand.

Microsoft has already taken over Nokia’s headquarters in Finland, and 30,000 Nokia staff will now work for Microsoft as part of the deal.

Source ZDNet

Image Credit: Digital Trends

Post by .. Saumil Patel.

Facebook 'three times more popular than Twitter' on mobile

Research finds 45 per cent list Facebook among their three most frequently visited apps, while just 13 per cent say the same for Twitter

Facebook is more than three times as popular as Twitter on mobile and a host of other apps, according to a survey.

Of smartphone buyers asked to name the three most frequently used apps on their mobile phones, 45 per cent said Facebook, while 13 per cent said Twitter and 11 per cent said Candy Crush Saga, the popular mobile game.

The survey of 500 phones buyers in the US between June and September of this year shows that Facebook is unchallenged as the leading app on smartphones, according to the company which conducted the research.

Mike Levin, co-founder of Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), said: “Facebook just dominates mobile phones, in terms of most frequent use, not just downloads.

“For most other apps, including some well-known ones like YouTube and Pandora, fewer than 10 per cent of phone buyers included them among the most frequently used”.

Twitter has 15 million active users in the UK, the company revealed in September, representing about a quarter of the country's populatoin.