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Cult of Android - page 45

Honda Builds Smartphone Case With Built-In Airbag

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What happens when you’re so clumsy that not even the most protective cases on the market can prevent you from damaging your smartphone? You give it an airbag, of course.

That’s what Honda did. The company has built a concept smartphone case with a built-in airbag that automatically deploys in mid-air when you drop your device, keeping it from smashing into tiny little pieces on the hard ground below.

AT&T’s New Mobile Share Value Plans Mean Savings All Round

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AT&T’s new Mobile Share Value Plans are now official, and they’re not only going to save you cash on your data, but they’re going to make your monthly rates even cheaper if you already own a cellphone and you’re happy to hold onto it.

The plans are designed to help AT&T be more competitive against new offerings from T-Mobile and Verizon, and they’ll be available starting this Sunday.

The New Divide: Do You Live In A Desktop Or A Smartphone State?

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Image courtesy of Movable Ink

Movable Ink — a New York City-based company whose technology allows clients to create more relevant email marketing campaigns — has put together this data visualization graphic, showing the United States divided by whether they prefer using smartphones and tablets to access their emails, or the classic desktop approach.

Google Glass Owners Get Free Upgrade

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If you’re a Google Glass Explorer who paid $1,500 to get your hands on the device early, then you can expect to receive an email from Google inviting you to upgrade to the latest model free of charge. The design of the new wearable remains the same, but it’s not more durable and slightly faster.

The Man Behind Android Is Now Building Robots For Google

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Earlier this year, the leader and visionary behind Android, Andy Rubin -—the man Apple co-founder Steve Jobs once called an “arrogant f***” — stepped down as head of Google’s mobile OS. What’s he been doing since?

Well, if there’s any accuracy to claims Rubin ripped off Apple to make Android, then this time, it looks like Rubin intends to steal inspiration from Skynet. Rubin’s latest project for Google? Frickin’ robots.

Worldwide Tablet Shipments Could Slow To Single Digit Growth By 2017 [Report]

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International Data Corporation (IDC) released it’s quarterly report on worldwide tablet shipments Tuesday. The report states that the data tracking agency has lowered its expected forecast for growth in the tablet sector, which includes Android, iOS, and Windows tablets.

Tablet shipments are now expected to reach 221.3 million units this year, which is down from the agency’s earlier forecast of 227.4 million units. This new forecast is still 53.5 percent higher than last year’s unit shipment levels, however.

Apple Moves To Bar Key Samsung Executives From Licensing Negotiations

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Apple is looking to bar Samsung executives with knowledge of leaked confidential information from negotiating any mobile device licenses for the next two years.The U.S. District Court is currently considering imposing sanctions against Samsung and its lawyers due to concerns that the company’s law firm, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, may have shared confidential information from Apple with Samsung — including information about Apple’s patent licensing agreements with Nokia, Ericsson, Sharp and Philips, which was marked as viewable only by attorneys.

AllCast For Android Streams Your Content To Pretty Much Anything (Except ChromeCast)

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The Apple TV and Google Chromecast are pretty cool, but I know I’m not the only one who wishes I could stream whatever media I want to whatever device I want, without worrying about proprietary standards.

Until we get a universal API, we have AllCast for Android, an app that can stream content to an Apple TV, a Roku, an Xbox, a Samsung Smart TV, and so on. You name it, and AllCast supports it… except, perplexingly, for ChromeCast.

Why Google Wants to ‘Can’ Your Messages

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What makes Google think users want canned messages? Google filed a patent application, published November 19, for algorithmically driven auto-reply.

As you might expect, the messages aren’t really “canned” in the way that an email vacation auto-reply might be. It’s actually quite Googlish.

Here’s what Google is up to, and why you might actually love this technology.

Retina iPad Mini Comes ‘Distant Third’ In Display Shootout Against Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HDX

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You’ve probably heard that the new iPad mini with Retina display has a significantly smaller color gamut that the larger iPad Air, but how does it compete against rival tablets like the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon’s new Kindle Fire HDX?

According to the experts at DisplayMate, not very well. In fact, the new iPad mini came a “distant third” in their tablet display shootout, thanks to Apple’s “inexcusable” decision to use old technology.

“Apple was once the leader in mobile displays, unfortunately it has fallen way behind,” DisplayMate says.

The Android-Powered iPad Mini Clone That Costs $177

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Apple is ready to explode in China. Photo: Apple
Apple is ready to explode in China. Photo: Apple

Here’s a riddle to start Thanksgiving in style: what looks like an iPad mini, costs only $177, ships anywhere in the world, and runs… Android?

It’s none other than the Chuwi V88, and it’s a Chinese tablet designed to appeal to the would-be iPad owner on a budget — or at least a would-be Android owner, who wants people to think that they’re really an iPad owner.

New App Can Test For Irregular Heartbeats

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Heart not beating quite right? There’s an app for that.

Researchers for medical device company HealthSTATS International — in association with University College London — have patented the software behind what they claim to be the world’s first app to test for erratic heartbeats.

iPhone 5c May Be Significantly Outselling Galaxy S4 In India

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Cult of Mac may have previously reported that Apple manufacturer Foxconn was scaling back on iPhone 5c production — instead focusing its attention on the 5s — but it seems that there is at least one place where the iPhone 5c is finding its audience: and that place is India.

Although actual sales figures aren’t on offer — meaning that this relies on anecdotal evidence — resellers have reported far higher demand for the 5c than the new model Samsung smartphone.

Intel: 64-Bit Android Tablets Will Be Available In 2014

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The 64-bit iPad Air will have competition from Android-powered rivals next year.

While Android hardware manufacturers were busy trying to pack as many cores as they could into their smartphone and tablet processors, Apple took a different route and decided to go 64-bit instead. It’s a move that makes the iPhone 5s and the latest iPads some of the fastest mobile devices on the market, and so it’s no surprise that its rivals are getting ready to follow suit.

Intel has promised that you’ll be able to buy Android-powered tablets with 64-bit “Bay Trail” processors next year.