Tech News-4th August 2014

Google launches Newstand App

Google today launched a Newsstand app for Android, which combines its existing Flipboard-style Currents app, its Google Play magazine app, and a new newspaper subscription service to offer a variety of paid and free publications in one spot.
 The new Google Newsstand app shares a name with Apple's own Newsstand and it also mimics the functionality of the built-in app that Apple first debuted in 2011. As with Apple's Newsstand, Google's Newsstand aggregates content in one convenient location, combining all of a user's subscriptions for magazines and newspapers.

BlackBerry is going Private!

Canadian Mobile company BlackBerry is said to be going private.The board could take the step of making BlackBerry private in order to raise its sagging fortunes. Sources familiar to the matter told Reuters that the company and its CEO Thorsten Heins had been contemplating the idea of pulling itself from the stock market in order to be able to take some “breathing room” to itself while it tried to fix issues plaguing it. While no decisions have been made yet, the “change of tone” by the board could act as a call to private firms to raise some money to acquire the Canadian company.

Smart Trash Cans

A high-tech trash can from a UK company  by the name of Renew does more than collecting your garbage. These Renew Pods, as they are called installed around certain parts of London  were initially designed to serve up video advertisements thanks to large displays on either side. A dozen units have since been fitted with what the company is calling Renew ORB, a device that uses Wi-Fi technology to quietly find out and collect information from nearby smartphones.

Considering there are at least 100 of these recycling bins scattered across the city, there’s a heap of data being searched without consent. Specifically, the refreshed cans are able to capture the proximity of a smartphone to the ORB, how fast it is traveling (how fast you are walking) and how long it is within range. Also, Renew can even determine the manufacturer of your mobile device from its MAC address. Why would a trash can spy on a passerby??

A statement on Renew’s website said they’re collecting your information for advertising purposes. They suggests the data will be sold to advertisers in an effort to help them better target their campaigns – campaigns that would be run via video on the Renew Pods. Users can “opt out” of being tracked by disabling Wi-Fi or filling out a form online. Those are both a bit of a hassle, especially when you consider that 80 percent of people in London leave Wi-Fi enabled on their mobile devices.

Top 3 Best News Apps for Your Device

Being Updated in these times are very important for a person. So here are my top 5 Apps to keep you updated at all times


1.Flipboard- What do you get when you couple up news and awesome effects in an app? Answer-  Flipboard

Available for Android, iOS Devices

2.BBC News- From the best on TV to your mobile device

Available on both iOS& Android

3. Google Currents- A Flipboard look alike

Available on Android Devices

100 Must install Apps on Your Android Phone-News &Magazines

GReader Pro

Instapaper

TOI

Alive

NDTV

Google Currents

Economic Times

Flipboard

BBC News

Pulse News

Android 4.2

As per some industry reports Android 4.2 is around the corner, here are some of the features that might be included

• Multi-User Support: A tablet or a phone with many users, and each one has his/ her own settings
• Share Screen to Wireless Displays
• HTC Sense like photo album displays when its locked
•  NFC Sharing
•  Pre- installed Google Now
• "Photo Sphere"- As per google "Up, down and all around you, it’s like no camera you’ve ever seen. With Android 4.2, snap pictures in every direction that come together into incredible, immersive photo spheres that put you right inside the scene. View your photo spheres right on your phone, share them on Google+ with your friends and family, or even add them to Google Maps for the world to see. "
• Gesture Keyboard-Like you see on swype

 

Nokia's Meltemi OS gets axed

Nokia has apparently abandoned the Meltemi OS which was supposed to be launched in budget smartphones and they have planned to stick to the Series 40 platform for their Asha Series

Mobile Companies ordered to dispaly radiation levels

The Department of Technology in India, has ordered the Mobile companies to show the radiation levels of the mobile phones starting September 2012. The radiation levels are measured in SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) or how much a body can absorb radiation. As per the new regulations the SAR value should be less than 1.6 watts/ kg

Facebook Planning to make an Android Based Phone

As per rumors social networking giant Facebook is planning to make an Android Based phone with HTC, and it is viable to launch at the end of 2012.
The Facebook phone will have a custom based Android, and will support HTML 5.
 
Although HTC had launched Facebook enabled phone before called the "HTC ChaCha". But this is different this will be made by Facebook itself.

What will the phone have as features?? well that we will see in the future.

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