Daily Archives: February 11, 2016

Google’s secret next gen VR headsets, revealed

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Google is experimenting with its next-gen VR headsets. Photo: GoogleSo far, Google’s experiments in virtual reality have mostly been done through Cardboard, the search giant’s super-cheap device that can convert any smartphone into a VR rig. But Cardboard isn’t the limit to Google’s ambitions, with the Wall Street Journal today reporting that the company is developing a standalone virtual reality headset. According to the

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The post Google’s secret next gen VR headsets, revealed appeared first on Cult of Android.

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Facebook testing multiple account management and SMS integration on Android

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Some Facebook Messenger users over on Android Police have reported that their Facebook Messenger app has been looking different for a couple of weeks now.

On top of all the changes already made, Facebook is testing a few new features for a future app release.

The most unusual of which is SMS integration for Android. A few years ago, Facebook Messenger featured a way to set Messenger as your default SMS app. This was a way for users to quickly message people both on Facebook and SMS quickly without leaving the app. The problem was that it wasn’t adopted as much as the Facebook Team had hoped.

Just like the Facebook message color is blue, the SMS color is purple to differentiate it from a Facebook message.

The feature has been pulled back in 2014 but Facebook’s new business strategy for the year involves being able to look up people to talk to by name, not even using a phone number.

There are some new Material Design elements found like the blue action bar and the blue status bar. Facebook is testing several different layouts and hasn’t seemed to finalize on one yet.

Also new, is multiple Facebook account support. The ability to add more than one account to Facebook Messenger account on a single device.

This would be especially useful for business users who manage multiple business accounts with high volume customer interaction.

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Facebook Messenger getting new theme, multiple account support, and possibly SMS support

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The Facebook Messenger app is changing for some people, and we might see even bigger changes in the future. One new thing some are seeing is a new theme. The top bars are now blue instead of white, with the status bar matching the blue color. Another change is multiple account support. These changes seem to be server side, so only some are seeing them.

One that seems to be unconfirmed so far is SMS support. You may remember that the Facebook Messenger app used to have SMS support, but that was pulled in 2013 due to poor adoption. But it might be making a return soon, as one user has the feature in his app. Facebook and SMS threads are kept separate, unlike Hangouts, and SMS gets a purple color to contrast Facebook’s blue.

While the latter feature is unconfirmed, the theme change and multiple account support are definitely coming. I already have them in my app. Hopefully the changes will roll out soon, and we’ll get to hear more about SMS support. It was nice having SMS in the pop-out chat heads. If Facebook Messenger got SMS support, would you use it? Leave a comment!

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First gen Moto 360 receiving Marshmallow update for some

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The first generation Moto 360 was released almost a year and a half ago, yet it’s still kicking. Plenty of people are using them, seeing no need for upgrading or just buying them at a low price after the launch of the second gen. They’re good devices, and they’re getting better with every update.

The newest update for Android Wear is Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and it’s set to roll out to every Android Wear device. But the aging Moto 360 is already getting it, as a few users on Reddit have reported the update coming to their device. It fixes a few small issues that the watch has had for a while, though some features like speaker support obviously won’t work.

If you’re interested in the update, check the About section of your smartwatch and see if you can download it. It’ll likely be rolling out in the next few weeks so most people won’t get it immediately. It’s great to see older and still functioning devices receive continued support. How many of you are still rocking the original Moto 360?

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Instagram announces video view counter

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In general, the popularity of a video is based on views more than likes. It matters less how many people bother to hit the like button, what really matters is how many people watched it. But Instagram is based on likes, so when the service got video sharing, the same old system applied. Your self worth was based on how many likes you got.

But no more, as Instagram has announced that videos will be getting view counters over the next few weeks. Hitting the views will show you how many likes you got, but they’re taking a backseat to actual views. Though likes should be more easily accessible and visible from the video itself, seeing the number of views is definitely a better metric of your social media reach. It also means bigger numbers to inflate your ego, so Instagram addicts can rejoice.

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