LG G Watch – corrosion update

Android, Reviews, Tech News, Wearables, ,

Last week I posted an article detailing the corrosion on my LG G Watch charging pins. See here https://gavinsgadgets.wordpress.com/2014/07/31/lg-g-watch-review-update-design-disaster/ for further details and photo of corrosion.

According to a number of sources (android police, techradar and talk android ) LG is due to issue a software update to fix a hardware fault. Hmmm. Apparently, the software update with deactivate the pins unless sitting on the cradle. I remain skeptical.

I also have chased Google Play support twice now for an update and as of today’s date there has been no proper response. Poor show really.

Apple Stores conned out of $309,000

Apple, Tech News,

This story is unbelievable. The con was so simple yet so effective. Well, effective until the guy got caught.

Each Apple Store got conned out of around $7200’s worth of kit using a closed debit card account. Surely that’s not possible but that’s what a 24-year-old fraudster is alleged to have done not once but 42 times – value of con being $309,768!

The Tampa Bay Times reports that the East Tampa resident Sharron Parrish used an absurdly simple method to persuade Apple Store staff to override payment terminals after his transactions were declined …

When a card transaction is declined by a bank, sales clerks have the option of phoning the bank to see whether they will authorize the transaction. If the bank agrees, they issue the clerk with an override code they can tap into the terminal to allow the transaction to go through.

The problem is: the system doesn’t check this code – only the number of digits. This crazily lax-sounding security shouldn’t normally matter, as the clerk should only ever override a declined transaction after speaking with the bank on the phone. But what Parrish did was to pretend to call his bank, then tell the clerk they’d okayed it and asked them to tap in the code – which Parrish simply made up.

Some Apple Store staff refused to do it, and Parrish left other stores without any goods when staff grew suspicious, but on 42 occasions the clerks did as asked and forced the transaction through.

I still cannot believe this was allowed to happen.

Source – 9to5mac.com

Amazon’s App Store now reaches 236 countries as 41 new ones added – details

Android, Tech News, ,

Amazon clearly has ambitious plans with its own app store. It is now available in a whopping 236 countries having added the following 41 new ones –

Here’s the full list of new locations:-

“Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leon, Singapore, Somalia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Yemen”

Google has an app that does Gesture Search

Android, Tech News

Google Gesture Search 2.1.4 adds a new widget that allows you to quickly launch recently used things, and the app now displays as a popup on tablets.

Gesture Search lets you quickly access contacts, applications, settings, music and bookmarks on your Android device by drawing letters or numbers. It continuously refines search results as you add each gesture, and becomes better as it learns from your search history.

Head over to the Google Play store for more details. Click here.

Google Now Launcher updated for all devices

Android, Tech News,

Google Now Launcher has been updated to work with all devices with android 4.1 upwards. Google has slowly sectioned off every part of its operating system in to an app to make it easier and faster to perform updates without the need for carriers to get involved. Details of the app are –

Upgrade the launcher on your device to make Google Now one swipe away. From your primary home screen, swipe right to access Google Now cards that give you just the right information, at just the right time.
Available on all devices with Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) or later.
Key features:
• Google Now on your home screen – it’s easier than ever to get just the right information at just the right time.
• Just say “Ok Google” – when you’re on your home screen, just say “Ok Google” to trigger voice input. Then say your search query. Or tell your phone what to do, like send a text message, get directions, or play a song.
• Faster search – tap the search box and you can enter your query immediately.
• Easy access to your favorite Google products and services, like Gmail, YouTube, and Maps.
• Larger viewing area – the status and navigation bars are now translucent, so your wallpaper pops from every pixel, and is even visible when you expand your apps drawer (when supported by device).
• Intuitive wallpaper picker – select any image that’s stored on your device, or in the cloud. Position and preview your wallpaper before you set it.

Head over to the Play Store for more details – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.launcher&hl=en

Samsung’s smartphones sales drop 7% in market share

Android, Tech News

Via Engadget.com

Samsung warned that its smartphone sales weren’t that great this spring, and now we have the numbers to show just what the company meant. IDC estimates that Samsung’s smartphone shipments saw a rare year-over-year drop in the second quarter, taking it from a lofty 32.3 percent market share down to 25.2 percent. That’s still enough to give it a comfortable lead, but a shock for a company which is used to growth. The cause, analysts say, is the rapid rise of Chinese brands that cut directly into Samsung’s low-end business. Huawei claimed 6.9 percent of the smartphone space after doubling its shipments, thanks in part to heavy discounts on phones like the Ascend P7; Lenovo jumped to 5.4 percent on the back of both budget phones at home as well as rapid expansion abroad.

This is no surprise and backs up my other article from today about the Mi4 which is also eroding market share from the traditional players.

Manufacturers watch out – Xiaomi launches Mi4 and sells out in 37 seconds

Android, Tech News

GSMArena reports that Xiaomi released its first batch of Mi4 smartphones, selling through them in just 37 seconds in China.

The Mi4 is Xiaomi high end smartphone selling for a competitive price around £300. Xiaomi is a real threat to the likes of Samsung and even Apple. Last year Xiaomi acquired one of Google’s top brass with the aim of expanding their horizons outside of China.

If Xiaomi manage to master sales outside of China, the playing field could get quite interesting.

Flickr’s Licensing Program – Earn money from your photos

Tech News

flickr-licensing

From Flickr –

One of the most inspiring parts of of our work as curators is the powerful images we discover on a daily basis. Flickr’s talented community is what makes our site such a great place for photography, and we believe there are tremendous opportunities to share your original moments with the world.

Today we are excited to introduce a new way for you to partner with photo agencies, editors, bloggers and other creative minds who are seeking original content like yours. Our curatorial team will provide assistance, outreach and connectivity to help you get your photos licensed. Flickr’s partners include the New York Times, Reuters, Gizmodo, Monocle, BBC and Getty Images as its program partners.

So if you use Flickr and want the chance to be selected hit the link below.

Source – http://blog.flickr.net/2014/07/29/curated-connections-a-new-flickr-licensing-experience

Three in Touch WiFi calling app – impressions on both iOS and Android

Android, Apple, Tech News

Yesterday, I posted about the new Three UK inTouch WiFi calling app. Details https://gavinsgadgets.wordpress.com/2014/07/30/three-uk-launches-intouch-app-wifi-calling-over-the-internet-links-for-ios-and-android/ with download links for both platforms.

To recap the app does the following –

– Call and text whenever you’re on Wi-Fi, even where there’s no signal.
– Free App, just download and activate.
– No extra charges. Calls and texts come from your monthly price plan or Pay As You Go credit.
– Make and receive calls using your normal Three number to anyone on any network.

So what is the user experience like. Well I installed the iOS version on my wife’s iPhone 5S and the android version on my LG G3. And it works as advertised. Except, the android version is so much easier to use than the iOS app. And here’s why. I called my wife and she could not work out how to answer the call. Her phone was ringing and there was a message on the lockscreen. So first attempt was a fail. It turns out you have to unlock phone using Touch ID, open the inTouch app and then tap to answer the call. So so cumbersome. So my wife called me on my G3. I just swiped the phone icon to answer. Now thats much simpler.

To make calls over wifi, you have to open the app and dial your contact. I have tried making several calls and every time the caller at the other end said the audio was fine. However, it did sound a bit metallic on my side. You can also send messages over wifi but the messages are confined to within the app and do not integrate in to the standard SMS app. A bit odd was I had a number of text messages showing in the app and I have no idea why or where the app obtained the information.

So now, I can use my phone in all the dead spots inside my home via this app and despite any flaws with the methodology it is definitely going to get a lot of use.

Update – the messages seem to have integrated just fine with the sms LG app.