Category Archives: Tech News

How to get notification badges on android apps

Android, Tech News,

2013-05-21 12.03.42

Look at the above screen shot. You will see notifications on the Twitter app, and on the folder above, which when opens shows a notification for Pocketcasts.

To achieve the above you need to download Nova Launcher, buy Nova Launcher Prime and Missed it. In Nova Settings, Unread Counts, change the Provider for Missed it. In the phones settings app, go to accessibility and turn on Missed it. Go to the Missed it app and select all the apps that you want badges to show. The proviso is that badges only show for apps that send notifications to the status bar.

I must admit it has been refreshing using Nova Launcher instead of Apex Launcher, but I do prefer the one setting on Apex that allows for the status bar to match the wallpaper. Also Apex allows individual resizing of icons for the dock, folders, and homescreen. But Nova allows the clock to be removed from the status bar, has alternative folder styles as shown in screen shot and allows integration with Missed it. For a number of the advanced features you need to have rooted your phone.

Opera finally arrives on Android

Android, Tech News

Opera is now out of beta and available in the Play Store.

Opera promote the app with the following key features –

– Fast and easy to use: Our fastest browser for Android loads webpages almost instantly, in the right size and format for your phone.
– Keep your connection: Browse at high speed outside 3G coverage with Off-Road mode.
– News for you: Find out what’s happening with the Discover feature, your personal news feed.
– Instant favourites: Set your top sites and bookmarks in the Speed Dial – open them with one click!
– Music, movies and more: Start, stop, resume, save and rename the media files you keep on your phone with our download manager.

The off road mode would be a key feature for me. Would you want to use Opera or stick with Chrome?

Flickr receives a huge update – sets the bar for free storage

Tech News

Flickr just hit the world by storm, offering 1TB thats 1,000gb of free online storage for your photos. In addition it has updated its web interface and mobile apps. The new look web is modern and snazzy.

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Previously Flickr would always upload your photos full resolution, but only show your last 200. If you wanted the full res to show and be able to have more than 200 photos visible you needed to upgrade to a Pro account. Now you get full res and 1TB for nothing. You can pay to remove ads, or upgrade should you need more space.

I would imagine current Pro users would not be too happy, but I gather Flickr is offering pro rata refunds.

If nothing else, it is work using Flickr to hold a copy of all your digital photos.

And one more thing, if you happen to have an HTC One, within the camera settings you can turn on auto upload of photos to Flickr. All photos are private when uploaded, and you can chose the album as well. I have activated this features and turned off Dropbox now.

Microsoft’s Xbox One has arrived – and it’s smashing

Tech News

Microsoft has just announced the Xbox One and it looks like a stunning piece of technology.

Some of the exciting stuff –

– 8 core CPU – DirectX 11.1 graphics and 32MB of high bandwidth embedded ESRAM memory. The 28nm chip will consume around 100 watts
– 8gb system memory – DDR3
– Blu Ray
– 802.11n / WiFi Direct
– HDMI in/out
– USB 3
– 1080p and 4K, 7.1 surround sound
– Kinect with 250,000 pixel depth and 720p web cam
– Xbox Live servers increased from 15,000 to 300,000
– dedicated game DVR
– will run 3 operating systems, Windows 8, RT and a custom one
– EA games will include FIFA, NBA Live, Madden and UFC using new EA engine
– second screen support, smart glass support
– Forza Motorsport 5 announced for the Xbox One
– Max Payne creator launching Quantum Break
– Xbox studios will have in year one 15 exclusive titles and 8 new franchises
– Halo TV series created by 343 and Spielberg
– Call of Duty – Ghosts DLC will launch first on Xbox One

Great games and hardware could make this a huge success.

Tim Cook, Bullock and Oppenheimer faced tax avoidance hearing

Apple, Tech News

Apple’s top brass faced a hearing by the US Senate over the company’s tax arrangements.

Despite the tough questioning, and the attempted character assassination by Senator Levin (I personally thought he was an idiot and arrogant as he seemed to ignore what he was being told) ,I thought Apple demonstrated that they paid a fair share of tax, and well within the legal system.

What it did show was how antiquated the tax system is in the US and globally. And I thought Tim Cook did a stellar job.

Samsung Tab 3 8.0 specs leaked

Android, Tech News

Samsung seems to be on its constant mission to release a device at every imaginable screen size including 8 inch. The Tab 3 8.0 had been announced but no specs were present. Fortunately these have now been leaked.

The Tab 3 8.0 specs are –

– available in 3G and/or WiFi
– 1280 x 800 screen resolution
– 6.95 bezel
– 5mp rear camera 1.3mp front
– Jellybean 4.2.2
– 1.5GHz dual-core processor with 1.5GB of RAM
– 4,550 mAh battery

It will also feature Samsung customised apps and services.

New Technology can recharge your Phone in 20 seconds

Tech News

Esha Khare of Saratoga, California has created a super fast charging device that has the nickname supercapacitor. It can charge a phone in 20 seconds flat, which is totally awesome.

Her invention enabled her to win the $50,000 from the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, and attract the attention of Google.

This invention could prove invaluable as presently battery duration is a smartphones weakest link.

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Source Photo: CBS

HTC One news

Android, Tech News, ,

HTC One short news update –

Android Jellybean 4.2.2 – I reported a short while back that the HTC One would receive this update. Twitter user @LlabTooFer has now added to this, alluding that the update will be around 3 weeks away. This is inline with previous expectations of a June release.

KDDI launches the HTC One J – following the special HTC One 802 edition for China which featured dual sims and a micro sd slot, KDDI has launched its own version which also has a micro sd card slot. It also features a slot beneath the camera, its purpose is not yet known. I will update as soon as discovered.

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More information at KDDI – http://www.kddi.com/corporate/news_release/2013/0520g/

LG to demo 5 inch unbreakable display at SID

Tech News

LG will have on display will be 5- and 7-inch HD Oxide TFT panels at SID.

In addition the bezel is just 1mm wide, enabling a borderless frame when installed in smartphones. Both displays are lightweight and consume less power than their traditional equivalents.

How often have you dropped your phone, only to discover the screen has cracked. Having an unbreakable display is in my book a must along with great battery life. Lets hope these displays arrive soon.
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A Supercharged HTC One

Android, Tech News

Over the weekend I installed a custom rom, Android Revolution , on my HTC One. I mentioned yesterday I did this with the blessing of Three UK, although they will probably deny they actually said this, but they did! I got fed up waiting for the HTC One software update that would improve the camera considerably.

The process to go from a Three branded phone to a unlocked bootloader, rooted and custom rom took me hours but I was reading all I could find about how to do this process and having difficult understanding the language. However, now I realise what everything means in idiot language, the process isn’t really that difficult. I will write a guide, linking in various articles next week.

So why is my phone supercharged. Well for a start it has a stock version but the latest version available for the HTC One. This includes all the latest versions of the stock apps, the camera fixes and other bug fixes, new Sense 5 features, battery optimisations, speed and memory optimisations and special tweaks. During installation of this custom rom you have two screens where you can select or deselect whether you want certain apps or tweaks installed or not. For example, you can deselect Facebook if you never use it. You are also given the option to install extra apps that are important and would more than likely install afterwards. As the phone is rooted, I now can have additional features using Apex Launcher. But sometimes the simplest of tweaks make the world of difference.

Instead of always having to reach for the power button to switch on the HTC One, I can press the volume down. Genius as I hold my phone in my my right hand. Next handy tweak is a long press on the back capacitive button brings up the menu. So now more three dots at the bottom of the screen in some apps. The battery icon now shows the actual percentage. And system toggled are now shown in the notification centre.

I have been so impressed with this setup that I went on an app spending spree in the Play store. I now have a complete range of android apps and games to envy my iOS collection.

My next quest is to connect game consul controllers: PS3, Xbox and Moga Pro and play some game classics. I already have the SNES emulator installed and have been playing old game classics of mine from Super Mario World to Karting.

And so far what I have done is rock solid. And to change the rom is now a quick 15 min job, thanks to Titanium Pro backup.