Nokia made an odd design choice putting a Micro USB 3.0 connector on the Lumia 2520, but we’re still able to use USB peripherals and even our old USB 2.0 OTG adapters! Connect flash drives, or even USB microphones.
Let’s take a look!
Opera looking for Android Beta Testers for Opera Max Data Saving Service
Welcome Opera! You’ve been kinda quiet lately!
Opera was the browser of choice for us hip kids during the Windows Mobile days. Back then, data compression was helpful because we often had slow Edge and baby 3G networks to browse on. Opera would squish that data down, and pages would load and render faster on those old phones. Nowadays, we have access to much faster 3G and 4G networks, but many of us have plans which include data caps, so data compression serves a different (yet equally useful) purpose, especially if you do a lot of browsing on your phone or cell network enabled tablet.
Opera Max is in open BETA now, and Opera is looking for testers using Android 4.0 or newer phones and tablets. Utilizing a Virtual Private Network, where Opera squishes data down for you before sending it out to your device, they claim they can shave a considerable chunk of data usage off your monthly tally. Especially as this set up will work for any non-encrypted data you receive, it’ll also help reduce data usage for a variety of apps and services you might use on your device. That’s right, not just data through your browser, but all data streaming to your phone.
It’s a little similar to how Blackberries used to handle network connections, sending through RIM servers before delivering to the handset. One of the tools which made BB so formidable during the early days of smartphone use. I’ve been a big fan of improving network efficiency, and this could be one way in which we end users can help reduce the load on cell towers.
If you’d like to try out the BETA, the full details are on the Opera Max site!
Experts Q&A 02: Android Boogaloo! We’re answering YOUR Android questions LIVE!
ROUND 2!
If you missed it live last night, our SECOND Experts round table is now available on Youtube, and this time we’re chatting ALL things Android! Your questions answered by some of the best minds on the web! Tablets, phones, OS updates, Chromecast and more!
The Experts this week:
Andrew Kameke from Mobile Burn – @AndrewKam
Warren Bowman from BWOne – @BWOneDotCom
Enobong Etteh from Boored at Work – @BooredAtWork
Russell Holly from Geek.com – @RussellHolly
Tshaka Armstrong from Fox LA – @TshakaArmstrong
Links to specific questions after the jump!
Continue reading “Experts Q&A 02: Android Boogaloo! We’re answering YOUR Android questions LIVE!”
Want to use a Flash Drive on a phone or tablet? Sony launches drive with full sized and Micro USB connectors!
This one’s pretty much for the Android users.
Did you know that most modern Android Phones support USB host to some degree? That means you can often connect low power USB devices to your phone or tablet, and the device will recognize them. Does your phone lack a MicroSD? You can probably augment your storage with a USB Flash Drive. Of course this often means have to keep track of an adapter cable, one that will convert your phone’s Micro USB port into a full sized USB port.
Sony’s new 2-in-1 drive offers up a potential solution for this issue. With a full sized USB 2 jack on one side and a Micro USB on the other. This should make sneaker-netting your files between computer and mobile device much easier. While Cloud Storage can help expand our gadget’s capabilities, sometimes it’s just faster and easier to go old school Plug & Play.
Sony says the device will work on most Android devices starting with Android 4.0.3 and newer. Prices start at $20 for an 8GB drive and scale up to $63 for 32GB. Drives should be available starting January 2014.
Full PR after the jump!
Qualcomm announces 64-Bit Snapdragon 410 chipset with World Mode 4G LTE
A bit techie, but stick with me.
We’re watching a smartphone revolution happen. It’s a little quiet now, but it’ll heat up very quickly. The exciting growth sector next year wont be in premier and high end phones. It’ll be in emerging and developing markets. We’ve seen hints of this with the popularity of the Nokia Lumia 520 and Moto G. Now Qualcomm is pushing forward with a new chipset designed to improve the mobile data experience for low-cost smartphones.
The Snapdragon 410 chipset is a 64-bit quadcore with integrated world mode LTE. We’re struggling to crawl out of the “chicken or egg” problem of delivering faster bandwidth to emerging markets. If they don’t have devices to support LTE, why build out the network? If there’s no network, why include expensive radios? The 410 aims to solve part of this problem by including LTE in a package which is designed for phones around the $150 off-contract price point. That’s Lumia 520 and Moto G territory.
The 64-bit addition could be interesting as well. Apple struck first, and we can take that as a clue or a cue that they might start merging the iOS and OSX ecosystems. We know Microsoft is working towards that with a planned release of “Threshold” in 2015, bringing Windows Phone and Windows 8 together. Qualcomm is now offering up hardware which might better facilitate that kind of software integration. Imagine Windows Phones, which can offer a robust computing environment like Windows RT for $200 or less powered by LTE data. Remarkable.
Read the full PR after the jump.
Continue reading “Qualcomm announces 64-Bit Snapdragon 410 chipset with World Mode 4G LTE”
LG Intros GPad 8.3 Google Play Edition Tablet
Looks like rumors surrounding a possible Nexus 8 tablet from LG were only MOSTLY false…
Google Play Edition phones are popular Android handsets running stock Android. We’ve seen Samsung and HTC strip out all of their custom software on the Galaxy S4 and One phones. LG will be offering up the first GPE tablet with the GPad 8.3. The specs make it a solid competitor for the Nexus 7: a 1080p screen powered by a Qualcomm 600 series chipset and 16GB of storage. Now you can choose between a GPad with LG’s custom software enhancements, or go with a clean, pure stock tablet.
GPad 8.3 GPE will start at $349, which on top of a Nexus 7 price, also nets you a MicroSD card slot and an IR blaster.
Full PR after the jump!
Continue reading “LG Intros GPad 8.3 Google Play Edition Tablet”
Ask Juan: Now that I own an RT tablet, will Windows RT disappear?
Just got this question from a reader. Jim asks:
As a recent purchaser of a Nokia Lumia 2520 tablet I am starting to get a little concerned about Windows RT folding or at least developers not making apps. Is this real and if so what does that mean for my tabby?
Hey Jim! First of all congrats on the Lumia! It was my Windows Tablet pick of the year!
So here’s the deal.
Windows RT as we know it today probably wont stick around long, and as the owner of a 2520 this is a good thing for you…Â Continue reading “Ask Juan: Now that I own an RT tablet, will Windows RT disappear?”
Using the Surface RT 2 for Podcasting and Voice Over Recording (RT not Pro)
If you’re into mobile audio, field recording, voice over, or podcasting, it’s been the dream for a while. The ability to use our consumer tablets as recording solutions.
It still hasn’t come to Android. Plug a USB mic into an Android tablet, and it’ll likely power up, but Android wont know what to do with it. Microsoft might have the hardware to offer up a solution for us mobile audio junkies. Let’s take a look at how recording works on a Surface 2, and what happens to the files you create after you’re done editing.