Walyou

Walyou

Link to Walyou

Android Silver Devices Will Replace the Google Nexus Line

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 10:00 AM PDT

Android Silver

Recent reports from TheInformation.com suggest that Google might kill the Nexus family of phones and tablets in favor of high-end Android Silver devices.

One of the things that made the Nexus line so popular was the price-quality ratio. At half the price of their Apple counterparts, Nexus smartphones and tablets packed plenty of firepower to satisfy even the most pretentious Android users. Still, after this year’s Nexus 6 smartphone (which most likely will also be made by LG) and the Nexus 8 tablet HTC is rumored to work on, the line will be no more. If anyone wants to analyze the names of the products, they might notice that after 6 comes 7, and Nexus 7 already is a product. Have to admit that Google might not have thought this through when they started naming their devices. The new Android Silver line makes sense not only from a naming viewpoint.

The launch of the Android Silver handsets will mark a change on how Google treats its own products and customers. By creating a new line of products, Google tightens the competition with Apple, while diminishing at the same time the power (and the market share) of Samsung.

The Information reports that “The expensive effort involves dumping the Nexus phone brand in favor of a new programme called Silver, under which manufacturers and wireless carriers will be paid to produce and sell high-end devices that closely adhere to Google specifications, according to four people briefed on the project.”

LG and Motorola (whom Google sold to Lenovo earlier this year) might be the first one to build Android Silver smartphones. On the other hand, Samsung, HTC and Sony might not have this privilege so soon, so they will remain with the satisfaction of having Google Play editions of their handsets.

A new line of products could represent the best opportunity for Google to launch a new version of Android, maybe even 5.0. This move has been anticipated for a while, but instead of making it, Google decided to take small steps.

In the end, the role of the Android Silver line is to reduce the bloatware and the number of non-Google apps that come on Android phones. That and delivering products of an even higher quality.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about how Android Silver could reunite Google Support under the same roof and the high-end Nexus tablet that HTC is reportedly working on.

Microsoft’s Type-Hover-Swipe Keyboard Obsoletes Touchscreens

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 07:00 AM PDT

Microsoft Type-Hover-Swipe Keyboard 2

Touchscreens and air-gesture controls can really improve the workflow, but Microsoft intends to create a interface that brings all of these and typing together.

Mechanical keyboards are about to be revolutionized by the Redmond giant. Touchscreens, no matter how convenient to use, are pretty expensive compared to their non-touch counterparts. Air mice might seem quicker and easier to use, but at some point people get tired of waving their hands in the air. Type-Hover-Swipe, the mechanical keyboard developed by Microsoft, takes bits from all of these devices and puts them together.

An experimental product, the Type-Hover-Swipe keyboard features a grid of IR motion sensors between the keys, so the gestures can be detected with great ease by the peripheral.

Microsoft hasn’t talked about mass producing this device, even though many of us would like to have it on our desks. The company admitted that the product is not perfect, in that there still are some delays between the air gestures and the actions that are taken. I’m not sure whether this is caused by the infrared motion sensors or by the software that interprets the gestures and turns them into actions.

Still, the Type-Hover-Swipe keyboard is accurate enough for basic games. In the following video you can see users mimicking that they’re holding a steering wheel in their hands while playing a racing game. By the looks of it, the peripheral is quite precise in interpreting the gestures of the driver.

So what exactly can be done using the Type-Hover-Swipe keyboard? Well, besides typing, which is quite an obvious feature, people can also pinch-to-zoom, scroll long documents and Web pages, as well as switch between applications.

An interesting aspect is the size of this keyboard. There’s no numeric pad, and even if there were, the device wouldn’t be any thicker. Of course, as it is, the keyboard would make an ideal peripheral for desktop PCs, but I’m going to take this even further and say that Microsoft could implement it in notebooks. Laptops with touchscreens are no longer a novelty, so it was about time someone thought of changing how people interact with their portable computers. Such a change could lead to innovations in the design of notebooks, as the touchpad would become obsolete. Of course, people would also have to think about how much the infrared motion sensors cost, in case they break down.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Logitech Harmony Ultimate Hub and the One2Touch Softpad S1 keyboard.

Sonic The Hedgehog Through The Eyes Of Oculus Rift

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 07:00 AM PDT

Sonic Oculus Rift image

He’s the fasting thing alive, and now you can experience it for yourselves in first-person.

Sonic the Hedgehog has been in 2D and 3D. The Blue Speedster has even been known to dig the chili-D. Chili-dogs, that is. Weirdly, for Sega, a company that affixed the word "virtual" to a bunch of their games, he's never truly crossed into the realm of virtual reality.

YouTube user Chadtronic gives us a good peek at such an experience, by creating a Sonic GDK for the Oculus Rift that puts players behind the green (or black) eyes of Sonic. And yes, it's as stomach twisting to the senses as going through an actual loop-de-loop at the speed of sound should probably feel like.

The Sonic GDK mod was made using the Unreal Engine 3, and as advised by its user (Chadtronic), will make anyone with sensitive tummies run for the bathroom upon sight. Although, if you're a thrill seeker, you might love the first-person feel of speeding through corkscrews like a ride at Six Flags.

Chadtronic has a download link for the Sonic GDK mod for anyone who has a Oculus Rift headset and an iron gut right under the YouTube video page. I would try if I had one of those awesome visors, and if I didn't get motion sickness so easily. Thankfully, there's video.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories at https://www.facebook.com/Walyou and https://twitter.com/walyou.

10 Worst Possible Game of Thrones Memes

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 06:00 AM PDT

Text Box Genius

At their best, memes are funny and sometimes thought provoking. At their worst, they look like someone took a picture and pinned on it a few words that don’t make sense, like this Game of Thrones collection.

Harry Potter & The Unsullied?!

 

TIL Harry Potter = Daenerys Targaryen.

I’m Confused

 

Well, he’s not a spider, but most people in Westeros use their sigils to describe themselves. So, you don’t actually have to be a Spider to be called one. This Crow – Jon Snow one works on the same defective logic:

Not True to his Word

 

A Scene I Can’t Erase From my Mind

 

As a book reader, I still don’t understand why they changed the scene between Jaime and Cersei in the sept to be a creepy rape one.

Grammar is Important to get a Message Across

 

It’s Khal Drogo, not Charl

 

Text Box Genius

 

Not anymore, btw.

Brains more important than anything

 

Zombies feel the same way.

The Khaleesi Friendzone

Poor Jorah…

For more of these (a bit too lewd for us), check out the new S@#$ Game of Thrones Memes page.

For some better ones, take a look at an older yet always fun to watch post about the best GOT memes we could find at the time.

 

Sprint to Begin Selling Unlocked Phones Next Year

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 05:00 AM PDT

1.-Unlocked-Phones-Image-Courtesy-Blogspot

In a perfect world, all technologies would co-operate, but unfortunately that’s not the case in mobile technology, often for artificial reasons.

T-Mobile has been getting all of the “uncarrier” branded attention lately, but not all other carriers are as old hat as T-Mobile CEO, John Legere, would have you believe.  While T-Mobile has done away with service contracts and simplified plans, their financed devices still come carrier locked, while their next closes competitor, Sprint, has just announced that all Sprint phones will be ship unlocked for all US carriers next year.

This won’t be the first time Sprint phones will be able to be used on other American carrier’s, though.  A handful of current devices can already be used on other carrier’s, provided the right radios are supported.  What is significant about this move is that it is a sweeping commitment that doesn’t just cover Sprint branded devices, but other devices from Sprint’s prepaid brands, Boost and Virgin Mobile.

This may be a more standard position taken by other carriers in the US, considering the CTIA consumer code takes a strong stance on device unlocking, but it’s still significant that Sprint is publicly leading the charge, taking the opportunity to mark themselves as an industry leader.

Sprint’s network has been in a state of disrepair for years, so giving people the ability to change carrier’s with greater ease is a bold statement of confidence in their network improvements.  There’s still a significant amount of work to be done, but Sprint’s rollout of LTE has been impressive in many areas of the country, due largely to the influx of capital from their acquisition by Japan’s Softbank.

Not all phones will run equally on all carrier’s though.  For example, Sprint’s version of the HTC One M8 only supports LTE bands 25, 26, and 41, which are used exclusively by Sprint in the US, so while you might be able to place calls and use 3G when using an unlocked Sprint HTC One M8 on other US carriers, it won’t support LTE, which is a bit of a downer for an otherwise screaming fast phone.

The Nexus 5 was supported by Sprint, though, and that single device supported almost any global frequency or LTE band you could want, so it’s possible as more carriers get on the unlocking bandwagon that we’ll see more and more ubiquitously supported devices.  Either way, this is a good step forward not just for Sprint, but for all US carriers.

Source: Engadget

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter

Read more on Walyou, The Next Nexus Tablet Could be a Product of HTC, Project Ara Aims to Create Entirely New Mobile Industry

Exetech XS-4 Solar-Charging 4G Android 4.4 Waterproof Smartwatch-Phone

Posted: 29 Apr 2014 01:45 PM PDT

Exetech XS-4

As smartwatches go, Exetech XS-4 is certainly among the most feature-rich pieces of wearable tech. Of course, in this field, manufacturers need to distinguish themselves as much as possible from the competition in order to survive.

Most smartwatches were designed as smartphone companions, but carrying two devices that achieve similar functions gets tedious at some point. Because of that, smartwatches that double as smartphones seem to be the ideal solution, especially since they are more affordable than flagship phones that get paired to watches using proprietary software. Exetech XS-4 is supposed to be the ultimate hybrid between smartphones and smartwatches, but whether that claim stands remains to be seen.

In October 2013, Exetech showcased the XS-3 smartwatch/phone hybrid, but that specific device wasn’t exactly successful. The horrid battery life was one of the main drawbacks of the previous iteration, but Exetech promises to solve that issue in the XS-4. The smartwatch comes with two batteries, a 450mAh one and another rated at 800mAh. Exetech XS-4 also features a small photovoltaic panel that solar-charges the battery, thus eliminating the need for power sockets all the time.

Also, the manufacturer improved the waterproofness of the smartwatch, which also a problem of the previous version. Come to think about it, smartwatches are not of much use if a bit of rain or a day at the pool ruins them.

In terms of software, Exetech will run Android 4.4 KitKat. The only app incompatibility issues may be determined by the small resolution of the screen. After all, the 1.54″ AMOLED display only has a resolution of 240×240 pixels, so typing text messages might be a challenge. The internal memory of the XS-4 is of only 2GB, but it can be easily expanded using a microSD card of up to 32GB. An interesting aspect is that the smartwatch features a GPS sensor, so in theory it could be used with fitness trackers without having to carry the smartphone.

Exetech started a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, and supposing that people back the project with €35,000 (approximately $48K) in the next 30 days, the XS-4 will enter mass production. Backers who offer €169 ($233) or more will get an XS-4 smartwatch-phone. There is also an Indiegogo limited edition costing €299 ($412), but that price is hardly justified by a silver-plated plaque on which the owner’s name is engraved.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Exetech XS-3 and the Google smartwatch made by LG.

3D Printed Cast Uses Ultrasound to Facilitate Bone Recovery

Posted: 29 Apr 2014 12:45 PM PDT

Ultrasound 3D Printed Cast

Using the form follows function principle, designer Deniz Karasahin created a new type of 3D printed casts that employ ultrasounds to speed bone regrowth.

3D printed casts are made to measure, a fact that ensures a high degree of comfort. Besides that, the polymers used for printing it are very lightweight, which is yet another aspect that makes these casts very comfortable to wear. Studies conducted both on animals and on humans demonstrated that low-intensity pulsed ultrasound stimulation (LIPUS) can speed up bone regrowth dramatically, so Turkish industrial designer Deniz Karasahin decided to combine this technology with 3D printing to bring the world the best orthopedic cast yet.

Osteoid, the custom-fitted, 3D printed medical cast created by Deniz Karasahin comes with a LIPUS bone stimulator system that attaches to it. Ultrasound pulses increase the incorporation of calcium ions in cultures of cartilage and bone cells, so the principle used by this system is not overly complex. Obviously, this solution is non-invasive, so people wearing it shouldn’t have any concerns.

Still, LIPUS hasn’t been adopted at a large scale simply because its effectiveness varied greatly. In most cases, however, it is able to speed up the healing rate by 80%, while reducing the healing process by 38%, all with 20 minutes of use every day. The LIPUS pulse generator is equipped with a color switching LED that gives hints on whether the bone stimulator is working or not.

Making a 3D printed cast is not as easy as it seems, hence the low adoption rate. First, the patient’s broken limb is analyzed using a 3D body scanner. Next, the data is transferred to a computer running modeling software that ensures that the cast has plenty of ventilation holes, as well as a locking mechanism that holds the two parts of the Osteoid together.

Last year, after I managed somehow to sprain a metatarsal bone in my right foot, I had to wear for a week a plaster cast. While it maintained my foot in a fixed position, to some degree, the cast was quite heavy, uncomfortable, and it didn’t allow the skin to make contact with the air. Had it been a 3D printed cast, I wouldn’t have had any of these problems, but this technology has yet to become mainstream.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Final Fantasy VII 3D printed polygon figures and the 3D printed Iron Man helmet.

Comments system

Disqus Shortname