Daily Archives: August 10, 2015

Google launches faster Hangouts 4.0 for Android with material design

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Back in June Google unveiled its revamped Hangouts messaging app for iOS, version 4.0 to be exact. For whatever reason, the Android iteration has taken this long to come to life, and is only launching today.

If it hasn’t already arrived on your Android device via update notification, know that Hangouts 4.0 is on its way to the Play Store and should land within the next few days, as Google likes to stage the rollouts of its app updates.

Hangouts 4.0 comes with material design, the philosophy Google has embraced more and more starting with the release of Android 5.0 Lollipop. The company says things now respond to your touch in more intuitive ways, and the transitions are more fluid.

The app is faster now too, thanks to a big number of bugs having been fixed as well as a general message delivery speedup. An added bonus should apparently be less battery drain from this particular app.

Hangouts now features a simplified contact list and Compose button, for easier interactions. Since attachments have been revamped too, it should be a breeze to share stuff from this point on – whether that’s a photo (or multiple ones), some emoji, GIFs, or your location.

The calls you make from the Hangouts Dialer (which is a separate app) finally come with outbound caller ID, so the people you’re calling won’t be receiving calls from “Unknown”. You can reply to group MMS messages using Google Voice, and even use Hangouts on your Android Wear-powered smartwatch. Finally, custom status messages have been added…

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Singapore Post’s Digital Makeover Creates A New E-Commerce Leader

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There are many examples of companies that have had a difficult time competing with digital native organizations. One-time stalwarts like Circuit City and Blockbuster are no more, but Amazon and Netflix are thriving in their place. The postal service in many countries have been hit hard by competition, whether it is through digital channels like email, or through more nimble and innovative competitors like FedEx. The US Postal Service lost roughly $5.5 billion last year, for example.

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Qualcomm announces new Snapdragon 212, 412 and 616 processors

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In a quiet announcement, Qualcomm has announced three new processors in its entry-level and mid-range line-up. The first of the bunch is the Snapdragon 212 processor, which features four Cortex-A7 cores clocked at 1.3GHz. The rest of the processor has stayed the same as the previous model. Next up is the Snapdragon 412 processor, which sports four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.4GHz. The only other change in the 412 is that its memory bandwidth has increased to 600MHz, up from 533MHz.

The last of the group is the Snapdragon 616 processor, which is an octa-core processor with four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.7GHz and another four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.2GHz. Other than that, the Snapdragon 616 remains unchanged. All three chips should begin to be found in devices near the end of this year.

Source: Qualcomm (1), (2), (3)
Via: Android Police

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Alcatel Idol 3 (4.7) launches in North America, costs $180 unlocked

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North America was the first market for the 5.5″ Alcatel Idol 3. The smartphone turned out quite a treat with very capable hardware and beautiful design. Currently the phone is on sale at about $250, contract-free and unlocked.

Today Alcatel announced it will be finally releasing the smaller 4.7″ flavor of the Idol 3. It will hit North America this Friday – August 14. It has been available in several markets for a while but USA and Canada didn’t get the same launch treatment.

So, the Alcatel Idol 3 (4.7) features a 4.7″ 720p IPS display and runs on the Snapdragon 410 chip (quad-core 1.2GHz Cortex-A53, Adreno 306 and 1.5GB RAM). It offers 16GB expandable storage, a 13MP main cam and a 5MP selfie snapper, plus a 2,000 mAh battery. The Android OS in charge of the new Idol 3 is Lollipop 5.0.2.

Amazon, Alcatel USA and Alcatel Canada will begin selling the Idol 3 (4.7) this Friday for $179.99 (about CAD…

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La última beta de Cortana puede sustituir a Google Now

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Sabíamos que Cortana ya estaba en Android, pero su llegada no fue del todo como esperábamos. Sin embargo, su última beta ha activado una función que muchos usuarios agradecerán enormemente, ya que la nueva versión 1.0.0.204 permite colocar al asisten…

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No Longer Rocket Science: Helping Consumers Understand Genetic Info

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A decade ago, biologist Ting Wu saw a need to promote education and interest in genetics among consumers, as well as to help scientists understand how the public views their research. Today, the initiative that resulted helps teachers and students, scientists, Congress, and even Hollywood writers and producers understand and spread the message that genetics is important and accessible.

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