Daily News Courier

Foursquare adds features, refreshes interface in latest update

Everyone's favorite social check in service Foursquare has just pushed out a notable update in the Play Store, bringing a refreshed UI, some new features and a lot of polish. The previous UI wasn't bad or ugly by any stretch, but the Foursquare team has managed to add a bit more functionality and design to this latest update. The main homescreen is now a bit cleaner, with a universal "explore" search bar at the top and options to check in, see your last location and add a photo at the bottom of the screen. A now Android-standard swipe to the right reveals a settings screen to access your profile, lists, settings and friends — although curiously there's still a very iOS-like menu slide button in the upper left corner.

The Check In screen has received a facelift as well, with some cleaner lines and little more visual flare. The text box asking "What are you up to?" is now more prominently laid over a map of the check in location with an option to add a picture still prominently set to the right of it. There's still a bit more cleaning up and unification of the UI to go, but things are looking better with each update.

Google Now shown off in latest Nexus 4 commercial

Google just posted up their latest Android-specific commercial, and it's all about the Nexus 4 and Google Now. We've long said that Google Now is the killer feature of Android, and tonight's ad pushes that point home. Weather, train schedules, local guides and translation portions of Google Now all get their time in front of the camera, and the one minute spot ends with a calendar reminder of a hangout where a road warrior spends some time with his son. 

While we expect Google to pimp out the Nexus 4 a good bit, it appears they also know that Google Now is pretty damn awesome. It's about time they show off both the phone and Google Now a little for everyone who hasn't been able to  experience either it first hand. The full video is after the break, be sure to check it out.

Via: Youtube

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Google Now shown off in latest Nexus 4 commercial

Google just posted up their latest Android-specific commercial, and it's all about the Nexus 4 and Google Now. We've long said that Google Now is the killer feature of Android, and tonight's ad pushes that point home. Weather, train schedules, local guides and translation portions of Google Now all get their time in front of the camera, and the one minute spot ends with a calendar reminder of a hangout where a road warrior spends some time with his son. 

While we expect Google to pimp out the Nexus 4 a good bit, it appears they also know that Google Now is pretty damn awesome. It's about time they show off both the phone and Google Now a little for everyone who hasn't been able to  experience either it first hand. The full video is after the break, be sure to check it out.

Via: Youtube

read more

Google Now shown off in latest Nexus 4 commercial

Google just posted up their latest Android-specific commercial, and it's all about the Nexus 4 and Google Now. We've long said that Google Now is the killer feature of Android, and tonight's ad pushes that point home. Weather, train schedules, local guides and translation portions of Google Now all get their time in front of the camera, and the one minute spot ends with a calendar reminder of a hangout where a road warrior spends some time with his son. 

While we expect Google to pimp out the Nexus 4 a good bit, it appears they also know that Google Now is pretty damn awesome. It's about time they show off both the phone and Google Now a little for everyone who hasn't been able to  experience either it first hand. The full video is after the break, be sure to check it out.

Via: Youtube

read more

Hidden full screen browsing mode in latest Chrome Beta discovered

Full screen browsing is top of many an Android fans wish list for Google's mobile version of the Chrome browser. On smartphone screens in particular, display space is important. It seems it might not be all that far away, as a recent discovery has shown off a hidden full screen browsing mode. 

Shared by Reddit user smackel, there is a bit of light work to be done to bring it about. So, while there, our thinking is that this is something to be rolled out properly in future updates. It's also a little buggy, but doesn't take any genius level work to enable. Click on past the break and we'll walk you through it. 

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Hidden full screen browsing mode in latest Chrome Beta discovered

Full screen browsing is top of many an Android fans wish list for Google's mobile version of the Chrome browser. On smartphone screens in particular, display space is important. It seems it might not be all that far away, as a recent discovery has shown off a hidden full screen browsing mode. 

Shared by Reddit user smackel, there is a bit of light work to be done to bring it about. So, while there, our thinking is that this is something to be rolled out properly in future updates. It's also a little buggy, but doesn't take any genius level work to enable. Click on past the break and we'll walk you through it. 

read more

The Xperia Z is Sony’s latest flagship smartphone with Jelly Bean, 1080p display

Not to be outdone by Huawei and Pantech, Sony announced its own high-end Android smartphone slated to launch in Q1 of 2013.  The Sony Xperia Z is expected to launch globally, which is great news for consumers interested in a Sony smartphone with great hardware and up to date software.

To begin, the Xperia Z offers a 5 inch display with 1080p resolution, 2GB of RAM, 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 13MP rear facing camera, 4G LTE, NFC and Android 4.1.  Other notable features is Battery STAMINA mode, which reportedly extends battery life by as much as four times.  In addition, it is said to be water and dust resistant, which is great for those prone to getting their smartphone a little wet.  Sony also mentions that it will be upgraded to Android 4.2 shortly upon its launch, which is great news for prospective owners.

It will be interesting to see how well the hardware and software of the Xperia Z comes together.  If the Battery STAMNINA mode can truly extend the battery life, it will be a winning feature.

[Sony]

Related Stories

• Huawei Ascend D2 pushes innovation with quad-core processor, 5 inch 1080p display
• Huawei Ascend Mate Android smartphone boasts 6.1 inch touch screen display
• AT&T announces Pantech Discover, launches Jan. 11 for $50 on two year contract

The Latest on Google Glass

A project in flux, though with great promise.

IEEE Spectrum landed a great interview with Babak Parviz, who

LG’s latest Smart TVs to include NFC and Miracast compatibility

Not content with waiting until next week to unveil CES bound products, LG has pulled the wraps off some of their latest Smart TV's. We already know that LG is taking some new Google TV hardware to Las Vegas, but these TV sets aren't those. But, despite lacking a direct Android connection, they still give us cause for interest. 

The new LG Cinema 3D range includes this rather handsome looking edge-to-edge display, but there's a couple of standout features included. The new TVs will come with NFC compatibility, and Miracast. The sets will come with an NFC sticker that makes it easy to pair with an NFC capable smartphone, allowing for hassle free pairing and streaming of content from your mobile devices.

And that streaming will include the use of Miracast technology. While still in its infancy, it's still great to see LG including the technology in their new TV sets. After all, they did make the Nexus 4.

via Pocket-Lint 

Flipboard?s Latest Update Focuses on Books

Flipboard today announced the latest update for the excellent social networking and news app, saying that it represents a new way to browse books. The new books section enables readers to browse through literature, cookbooks, travel guides, and other categories, as well as being able to easily buy books that they are interested in via the iBookstore. You will also be able to flip through catalogue-like pages of books, just as you always have been able to with the other sections of the app.

Quote:

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"Buying a book is simple, but finding a book that interests you is hard. There are so many great books out there, waiting to be discovered," said Christina Mace-Turner, head of publisher partnerships at Flipboard. "By surfacing books available on the iBookstore on Flipboard, readers will encounter great books naturally, alongside the kinds of content they’re already reading about, so they can explore popular books as well as discover the many thousands of amazing books in the long tail."

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There are a total of 25 customised book sections in all, including Fiction & Literature, Biographies & Memoirs, Business Books, Cookbooks and Travel. The localized sections are available in the following 10 countries: United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Italy, and Spain.

Click here to download the free app: http://beacon.flipboard.com/redirect…oad_button_ios

Source: Flipboard