Viber Messaging App Arrives on the Desktop

Viber today made the leap from smartphone to desktop. The free messaging/phone service is now available on PC and Mac computers, allowing seamless integration between mobile and desktop users. The move comes alongside news that Viber has more than 200 million users across various platforms, including Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry.

Viber Desktop runs in harmony with mobile versions, completing the setup process using your existing phone number as your ID. "With Viber Desktop you always get to use the most convenient device. You can seamlessly switch devices while messaging and even transfer calls between your mobile and desktop." - Viber CEO Talmon Marco.

The computer-based version was built from the ground up, but keeps in line with some of its mobile counterpart's features, including easy activation — enter your cell phone number and the confirmation code sent by Viber via SMS, then access all of your contacts, which are synced between devices.


Viber Desktop is Viber's first application to offer video calls," the company's release said. "With this new beta feature, users can now make desktop-to-desktop video calls to other Viber users."

Viber's desktop release is part of the roll out of Viber 3.0, which includes major updates to the Android and iOS apps, as well as a new version for BlackBerry, all of which connect easily with the desktop platform. Users will find new video message capabilities, last-online status, new stickers, an enhanced photo experience, performance improvements, and a new voice engine. Viber also now speaks eight new languages, including Dutch, Korean, Swedish, and Turkish.

Check out the Viber Desktop service in action in the video below.

Download Viber Desktop for Windows and Mac via the links below or visit viber.com 

Download Viber for Windows

Download Viber for Mac

Viber is now availble on our desktop, what do you think is the future of skype. Let me know in the comments field.

Microsoft Releases ‘Switch to Windows Phone’ Android App

One of the ongoing criticisms of Windows Phone 8 or specifically, the Windows Phone Store, is that it lacks apps. Aside from the gaping gap where many feel Instagram should reside, the platform is still without basic necessities like banking apps, and considering more and more mobile device owners use their gadgets to move money between accounts and whatnot, Windows Phone simply doesn’t cut the mustard for some.

Microsoft cannot pull these missing apps out of thin air, but at least, with the Switch to Windows Phone app, it can present its platform as a welcoming, accommodating, and (aside from the gaps) very capable one.

Having used Windows Phone 8 quite a bit over the past few months via the Lumia 820, I have been impressed with how it runs, the intuitive interface, and seamless customization. But as a daily runner, it’s not viable until the aforementioned issue is addressed, and as beautiful as it may be, its shortcomings make it feel like a promising work in progress at times.

But hey, those are just my opinions, and if you’re somewhat enticed by the whole Windows Phone 8 vibe, the Switch to Windows Phone app will certainly be of assistance. It provides an apps search engine which, powered by Quixey, looks to source alternatives for Windows Phone to the ones you currently use on Android. If the corresponding version of the app is available already (i.e. Facebook), then it selects that, but if not, it will instead index something similar.

The Switch to Windows Phone app is highly recommended to those users who are willing to make the jump to Windows Phone 8, otherwise you can take it for a spin, it’s free, anyways.

The App is available on the Google Play Store 

Go check it Out if you are planning to switch from Android to Windows Phone

Google Glass Specs Announced

Google has finally published the full technical specifications of Glass, alongside Mirror API for apps, and MyGlass companion app for Android on the Google Play Store.

According to the official specs, Google Glass features a 640 x 360 display which is equivalent to that of a 25-inch high definition screen from around eight feet away. It sports a 5 megapixel camera which can record videos in 720p HD. It also houses 16GB of flash storage, which is synced with Google cloud storage, although only 12GB of useable memory will be available on board for actual use.

Interestingly enough, the battery life on Glass will last you “one full day of typical use” but doing things such as recording videos and Google Hangouts will drain it faster. It supports connectivity via 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interface, and will be compatible to work with any Bluetooth capable phone.

List of the full specs are listed below;

Fit

• Adjustable nosepads and durable frame fits any face.
• Extra nosepads in two sizes.

Display

High resolution display is the equivalent of a 25 inch high definition screen from eight feet away.

Camera

• Photos – 5 MP
• Videos – 720p

Audio

• Bone Conduction Transducer

Connectivity

• Wifi – 802.11b/g
• Bluetooth

Storage

• 12 GB of usable memory, synced with Google cloud storage. 16 GB Flash total.

Battery

One full day of typical use. Some features, like Hangouts and video recording, are more battery intensive.

Charger

• Included Micro USB cable and charger.

While there are thousands of Micro USB chargers out there, Glass is designed and tested with the included charger in mind. Use it and preserve long and prosperous Glass use.

Compatibility

• Any Bluetooth-capable phone.
• The MyGlass companion app requires Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher. MyGlass enables GPS and SMS messaging.

Also available today on the Play Store is the MyGlass companion app for Android which requires devices running Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich and above. This app basically allows you to manage and configure your futuristic Glass frames right from your Android phone. Google also cheekily reminds us that the app does nothing if you don’t have a Glass unit. MyGlass companion app for Android can be downloaded now from Play Store.

What do you think about it? Are you getting the Glass? Let me know your mind below.

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Google Play Store Updated to Version 4.0.25

Google Play Store app for Android has just been updated and features a brighter, card-based interface from which users can more easily source new content. For a long time, the Play Store has presented Droidsters with a decidedly dark look, but the lighter aesthetic really helps accentuate the card-based theme, and the official rollout is now underway.

Google has placed a great deal of emphasis on improving the design of its products across the board, and the revamped Play Store app certainly falls in line. In fact, the card-based look borrows heavily from the rather pretty Google Now, and although there’s no mention of improved performance therein, the new look will certainly make the process of finding new and exciting apps just that little bit more pleasurable.

Google Play’s update is unfortunately not one that you can download, so if you’re eager to try out the new look, you will be required to play the waiting game for the time being. But thanks to the good folks over at XDA, you can grab the APK right now and install it on your device, provided that you have Unknown sources checked under the Security menu in Settings. However, if you want the Play Store update to tickle to on to your device on its own, then be ready to play the waiting game.

As well as showcasing Google’s desires to up the ante in the field of design, the revised look of the Play Store app is being marketed as a win for those in favor of simple, uncluttered user interfaces. As big fans of minimalism here at Redmond Pie, we’d say the Big G has done a pretty good job, and we cannot wait until our own fleet of Android devices has been treated to this new look.

You can update Google play store app on your Android device or visit the link below to download.
Download Google Play Store

Source: XDA developers
Via: RedmondPie

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Google Reported to Acquire WhatsApp For $1 Billion

WhatsApp Messenger, the cross-platform instant messaging app serving iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Symbian and Windows Phone, is a life-saver to those looking for a hassle-free mode of communication, and according to a new report, the search giant is very interested in buying it.

According to the report from Gizmodo, WhatsApp founded by former Yahoo pioneers Brian Acton and Jan Koum, is said to be holding out for the $1 billion.

The news, if true, would be pretty significant, but also rather surprising. Google’s mobile messaging department could certainly do with bolstering, and drafting in WhatsApp would certainly be an easy way for the Mountain View-based company to achieve this. However, it has long since been reckoned that Google’s ‘Babel’ chat will be an all-encompassing communications service, and with GTalk already being a popular, strong feature of the GApps (at least, on Android), the immediate benefit would seem to be in the user base WhatsApp has amassed in its four years of existence.

Google has, on numerous occasions, acknowledged that the quality of its messaging services have fallen below par, and buying WhatsApp would be a big statement of intent. It would also, as many perceived as motive to Facebook’s Instagram purchase, eliminate one of the main competitors in this field, helping Google quickly place itself among the likes of Facebook Messenger and Apple iMessage.

Unless Google Babel is, contrary to reports, not culminating into the great service Google needs to make its presence known in the IM market, then this could also go a way to explaining why the company is rumored to be considering WhatsApp. After all, the service, which was founded only in 2009, handles tens of billions of messages a day, and if it were to provide the engine for the upcoming Babel service, Google would have one hell of a beast to unleash.

Via: RedmondPie

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LG Reported to be Working on its own smartwatch and a Google Glass-like Project

Apple, Google, and Samsung are all rumored to be building their own smartwatches, LG becomes the latest manufacturer to reportedly join the fray. According The Korea Times.

LG is currently developing both a smartwatch and another wearable computing device described as something similar to Google Glass. It wouldn't be the first time that LG developed such a product — back in 2009, the company showed off a "watch phone," which came with a full GSM radio built-in for voice calls. This rumored new product would be more along the lines of the Pebble and other speculated smartwatches, with the ability to sync with your smartphone and check messages or other notifications.

The watch is reported to run on Android, which fits considering the company's heavy focus on Google's OS — but there's also a chance it'll run the new Firefox OS that was shown off in detail at MWC last month. While it would certainly make sense for LG to be exploring wearable computing options, the timing of this rumor helps put LG in the conversation alongside consumer technology's giants — smartwatches from Samsung, Google, and Apple are probably the biggest rumor in technology right now.

Source

Google reported working on its own smartwatch!

Reports claimed that Google's Android unit is working on a smart watch. With Samsung confirming that it is working on a smart watch and rumors about Apple's "iWatch" continuing to circulate, it appears that the three companies are set to battle in a new mobile device segment.

The report unsurprisingly suggests that Google views the smart watch as a more mainstream wearable accessory than the Google Glass project that has garnered significant attention in recent months.

While Glass is being created in its X Lab, home to experimental “moonshot” projects such as the self-driving car, Google’s smart watch is being developed by its Android unit, according to a person briefed on the project, to act as an extension to the smartphones using that operating system. The project is separate from Samsung’s efforts, the source said, although there is no indication of when it might launch.

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Google Anounces Google Keep a new Cloud Service

Google Keep, the newly announced service from Google which allows users to quickly jot down notes, voice memos with transcription support, reminders, checklists, ideas or anything else including photos to keep track of important things that matter.

Your notes and data are safely stored on Google Drive and synced to all devices for anywhere access.

 

Google Keep allow the user to
Keep track of your thoughts via notes, lists and photos
• Have voice notes transcribed automatically
• Use home-screen widgets to capture thoughts quickly
• Color-code your notes to help find them later
• Swipe to archive things you no longer need
• Turn a note into a checklist by adding check-boxes
• Use your notes from anywhere - they are safely stored in the cloud and available on the web

Source
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OUYA is coming; On March 28

OUYA announced that its Android-powered game console is shipping to Kickstarter backers starting on March 28th. The company took to its kickstarter page to announce the news, which says, "Parts are in the factory and assembly lines are buzzing." When the console starts arriving to folks who supported the Kickstarter campaign which finished in August 2012-- wherein the company raised just over $8.6 million dollars -- That extra money has gone into luring game developers to the platform, and at last count the console was going to launch with somewhere around 500 games. Alongside news of the console's launch date for backers comes word that Portal creator Kim Swift is developing a "brand new, exclusive title" for the console, and Papo & Yo dev studio Minority Media is also stepping up with a new game. Both Tripwire Interactive and nWay are also bringing games to the OUYA, with the former working on two games and the latter working on one (action-RPG ChronoBlade).

The trouble is that a lot of the premiere games don't seem to be launch titles. Square Enix is on board with Final Fantasy III for the OUYA launch, but a lot of the games mentioned in today's announcement won't be there for launch. The developer of Papo & Yo has an adventure puzzler due this fall, and Kim Swift of Airtight Games (as well as Portal and Left 4 Dead fame) said the team is developing a game for OUYA, but hasn't even announced when it will come out.

Still, there should be a solid selection, and a lot more games coming. And, it's only a month away from the start of the consoles shipping.

Source: OUYA
Via: PhoneArena

***OUYA is an upcoming video game console running its own version of the Android operating system which runs on a Tegra 3 processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of flash storage. it has Bluetooth 4.0 and WiFi 802.11 b/g/n protocols. It has an 1080p output for maximum resolution on the big screen***

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HTC One unveiled; features 4.7-inch 1080p display, 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 600, UltraPixel camera, Android 4.1.2 with Sense 5.

HTC’s new flagship phone sets new standards for the company, for both external and internal hardware. Unlike most of its previous phones, the new smartphone uses aluminum and glass as its main materials for its new unibody design. The HTC One features a 4.7-inch super LCD 3 display, capable of 1080p output and protected by the ultra-strong Gorilla Glass 2, a quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor running at 1.7 GHz, 2GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel “UltraPixel” camera, 2,300mAh battery and two generous storage options: 32 or 64GB. The new phone is powered with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. The One also bears the distinction of being one of the first smartphones to feature Qualcomm's quad-core Snapdragon 600.

The new unibody construction manages to cram a 2,300mAh Li-polymer battery, 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n Wi-Fi radios, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC. There are also speakers with built-in amps, as well as a beefed-up camera branded as HTC UltraPixel that is capable of gathering 300 percent more light than a standard smartphone camera, suggesting that HTC will market this device, at least partially, as a multimedia powerhouse.

The HTC One is powered with an IR blaster, integrated into the power button, allowing the smartphone to act as a remote for most TV’s and set-top boxes. In addition, HTC Sense TV, a new app built into the device, acts as an interactive program guide. To compliment the brand new hardware, the HTC One runs on top of HTC’s Sense user interface, which now sits at version 5 with tons of new refinements over previous releases.

The HTC one will be available beginning in March, from 185 mobile operators across 80 countries, including AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint in the United States.

Source: RedmondPie

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Skype Video Messages for Mac, iPhone and Android

Microsoft Launched a new Video Messages feature for Skype. The company was reported working on some new features for some months now, having previously revealed it a little early, and it debuts on iOS, Android, and Mac. Designed for online and offline messaging, Video Messages lets Skype users send up to three minutes of video to each other.

The feature works on Android and iOS by using the font facing camera, with an option to switch to the rear. You can send up to three minutes of video to users who are either online or offline and the video will be delivered in the chat part of Skype just like how a normal conversation appears.

In response to windows and windows phone compactibility issues and availability; here is what a skype spokesperson said :- "We’re pleased that there’s interest for Video Messaging to come to Skype for Windows and Skype for Windows 8, We’ll let you know when we expand the service to the platform. We tested the feature out on all available platforms and it seems to sync the video messages just as you'd expect." He added -:“We will have send capability in Windows by end of April. In the meantime, we continue to test this new feature in its early release.”

US and UK Skype users get first crack at Video Messages, with users in other countries expected to get the feature soon afterwards. Skype Video Messages is rolling out as part of Skype Premium Services, and after 20 free messages you’ll have to subscribe to the service for $4.99 a month to have continued access to the feature.

Source

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Ubuntu Phone OS to be availabe for download on February 21

Installable Ubuntu Phone images for the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 4 handsets will be available to download from next week. Two pre-compiled images will be available for anyone with a supported handset to download the OS.

The preview will allow fans and app developers have the chance to get to grips with the Ubuntu Phone experience ahead of its official release later this year. The tool will be similar to nexus 7 installer which allows you to install Ubuntu OS on your Android tablet.

"Our platform supports a wide range of screen sizes and resolutions. Developers who have experience bringing up phone environments will find it relatively easy to port Ubuntu to current handsets" - Canonical stated in their blog post.

This ‘milestone’ will be significant for the Ubuntu Phone project as it will mark the first that developers can dive in to the code. As an open-source project, developers will be able to fix, refine and add features, as well as its port to run on other devices.

Source

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HP Reported working on Android Smartphones and Tablets

HP is looking into getting back into the mobile hardware game, according to a new report being confirmed from their own sources. The company is apparently still looking to get back into the hardware game after a hiatus spanning a couple of years, however, with a new tablet featuring an NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor, which ReadWrite pegs for an imminent announcement, and is also considering Android-based smartphone for future development.

After HP CEO Meg Whitman took over, she announced that the company would ultimately offer a smartphone to keep up with the fact that for many in the developing world, such a device is now their first and maybe only computer. That launch isn’t planned for 2013, however, Whitman later stated.

But back in late 2011, Whitman did make statements to the effect that HP could create webOS-powered tablets again in 2013. While these reports suggest webOS is likely off the table, HP could stick to Whitman’s target plan of fielding a tablet device based on a mobile OS this year, but one based on Android instead of its own product, which it has since open-sourced.

HP is holding private meetings during the Mobile World Congress in Barcleona, Spain, later this month, and it might show off the new Android tablet there behind closed doors.

Source
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Skype for BlackBerry 10 Coming Soon

It has been confirmed that Skype for BlackBerry 10 will be an Android port. Skype finally revealed that BlackBerry comes again but this time, publicly and a cover version of Android. Many BlackBerry users have asked here and are so so at their beck and call.It is questionable whether a native Skype app would develop or that the Android app would porting for BlackBerry 10. That question is answered by Skype. Together with BlackBerry Skype is the collaborations to ensure that the app runs great on BlackBerry 10.

This is was confirmed from a press statement from skype - :
"You are correct That the Skype app coming to BlackBerry 10 is our very popular Skype for Android app. We are excited That BlackBerry is enabling Android apps like Skype for Android run great on BB10, and are fully supporting the Android runtime environment and tools for Android BlackBerry 10. This Allows us to leverage our existing Skype for Android Development Efforts to Quickly Have the latest version of our app (Skype for Android 3.1) ready for BlackBerry 10.

We are closely collaborating with blackberry to Ensure the app runs well and That BlackBerry 10 users will have a great Skype experience. To That end, we are working closely with blackberry to open up some of the integration points available to native apps in the OS so That They Can Also be used by the Skype application and we expect the Skype app will allow users to see notifications, to start the app from the Hub, and to see Their Skype contacts in the native phone book." - Skype

Source: ihelplounge

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Ubuntu OS phones to hit stores in October

It's been said that Ubuntu's open-source operating system would be available on smartphones by the end of the year, and now it's confirmed that consumers can get their hands on such devices in October.

The founder and CEO of Canonical Mark Shuttleworth said that Ubuntu OS smartphones will be available in October and app developers will get access to the OS later this month.


Ubuntu OS is long a favorite open-source platform for computing. The OS will use the same drivers as Android smartphones and will also be able to run on entry-level smartphones. It will use native apps, which means that developers can create a single app for both the desktop and the PC. This will let users easily move between devices. The OS also favors swiping gestures to reveal navigation strips and overview pages.

Source

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Windows Software to run on Android soon

Phoronix reports that an Android version of the open-source Wine software – which is used to run Windows-based apps on Linux, Mac OSX and BSD – is currently in development. The Android version was briefly demonstrated by Wine's original developer Alexandre Julliard after the FOSDEM 2013 talk in Brussels on Monday.

While Wine is coming to ARM and there's quite a lot of interest there, CodeWeavers is quite interested and hopeful for the success of Intel x86 Atom CPUs for tablets," Phoronix said. "If Android gains traction on x86-based tablets and other mobile devices, CodeWeavers has a lot of commercial opportunities for pushing the running of Windows software on Android.


According to the Wine website, the software doesn't simulate internal Windows logic like a virtual machine or emulator. Instead, Wine translates Windows API calls into POSIX calls on-the-fly. This supposedly eliminates the performance and memory penalties associated with VMs and emulators, allowing the user to "cleanly" integrate Windows applications into a non-Windows desktop.

Wine originally began in 1993 as a way to run Windows 3.1 programs on Linux. It took 15 years before Wine finally reached v1.0, the first stable release, in 2008.

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Great News The Nexus 4 returns to the Google Play Store

After a long, long wait, the much-loved Nexus 4 is back in stock at the Google Play Store. Google and LG have been experiencing some stock issues with the handset due to incredibly high demand, leaving potential buyers without many more options. The phone has been available at T-Mobile, but those who wanted to go straight through Google had to wait weeks for the handset to become available again.

Luckily, today’s the day, so if you’ve been holding out for it to return to the Google Play Store, you’ll probably want to head over there sooner rather than later. After all, there’s no telling if the Nexus 4 will sell out again, but with so many people waiting to buy one, it might not be long before stock is tight. At the time of this writing, the listings for both the 8GB and 16GB variants say orders will be shipping out in 1-2 weeks.

Hopefully that shipping time doesn’t get extended as more people order a Nexus 4, but you never know. The Nexus 4 proved to be incredibly popular upon release, packing in solid hardware at a price that’s too hard to ignore for many smartphone users. The 8GB Nexus 4 only costs $299.99, while the 16GB model is $349.99 – keep in mind that you’re getting an unlocked Nexus 4 when you order directly from Google, so that sweetens the deal further.

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LG Nexus 5 and Nexus 7.7 Rumors [More Soon]

Rumors about the next generation of the Nexus has already started leaking from Korean forums. The next version of the Nexus which is the Nexus 5 is claimed to be an LG affair again, but this time around, it comes with a 5" Full HD screen, the new NVIDIA Tegra 4 Processor, 2 GB of RAM, 13 MP camera, as well as 3 MP front-facer, and 8 or 16 GB of storage. The price for the 8 GB versions is said to start off at $299, like the current edition.

Not only that, but the rumor mill spat out the next Google tablet, informing us that it might be a Nexus 7.7 this time, with a higher 1920x1200 resolution (294ppi), Tegra 4 Processor, 8 GB of starting storage, as well as front and rear HD cameras. Interestingly enough, the manufacturer mentioned here is again LG, whereas it was Asus doing the Nexus tablet gear for 2012.



At CES 2013 Event which happened last week, LG's Senior Vice President James Fisher said: "Through our collaboration with Google, we launched the LG Nexus 4 smartphone. This is the first of many devices to come from our growing partnership with this very selective company."

Two rumors that are not hard to believe at all, given the 2013 hardware trends, and the source claims these will be announced at the Google I/O conference in mid-May, alongside the next Key Lime Pie Android 5 version that is expected there too.


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Ubuntu Mobile OS Announced

Ubuntu's developer Canonical has announced their entry into the smartphone business with first public glimpses and features of upcoming Ubuntu for Phones. The Linux-based operating system will offer users an seamless experience on Desktop, PC and Mobile with some exciting features and an "android compatible kernel" so existing Google Android users can simply install and use Ubuntu on their phones. While Ubuntu for Phones will be available in 2013 for users to install on existing hardware, handsets powered by the OS will hit shelves in 2014.

Canonical released an extensive video preview and this looks really promising.

Take a look below;

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Twitter Announces Photo Filter Feature

Twitter has announced new photo features for its service that lets you edit, filter, and refine your images. From today you’ll be able to edit and refine your photos, right from Twitter. The latest versions for iPhone and Android introduce a few new ways to enhance the images you tweet.

Apply one of eight filters, ranging from black & white to vintage, to add a new look and feel to your photos. Take a bird’s-eye view to see how each filter would affect your photo in a single grid view, or swipe through looks to compare your options. Frame the action which helps you to crop and pinch to zoom in order to focus attention. Auto-enhance allows you to make your photos pop with balanced light and colors by tapping the wand.

Heres a video description of how the Photo filter works... Enjoy...

if you have twitter already just update or download on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

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