Cellcom Canada

Tuesday, 7 January 2014

Google and a number of automakers are planning to bring Android to cars with the launch of a new group called the Open Automotive Alliance. The alliance consists of Google, GM, Honda, Audi, Hyundai, and chipmaker Nvidia, and will focus on bringing the successful mobile operating system to in-car entertainment systems "in a way that is purpose built for cars." The first cars with Android integration are planned for launch by the end of 2014.

In a press release, the group outlines its plans for the future, noting that it hopes to add more automakers and technology companies down the line. Its focus at the moment is to develop new features for Android that'll allow developers to easily add car modes to their apps. The Open Automotive Alliance has already been in touch with the National Highways Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in order to ensure the system is safe for in-car use. Its primary goal is to "bring the best of Android into the automobile in a safe and seamless way."

GOOGLE FACES STIFF COMPETITION, EVEN FROM ITS PARTNERS

Google is just one of several companies shooting for in-car supremacy. The first cars with full Siri integration have begun to appear after Apple announced its own partnerships back in 2012, and the Sync system found in Fords is based on Microsoft technology. Car companies don't appear to be choosing just one partner either — Honda is already involved in Apple's efforts, while, Chevrolet, a division of Google's newly announced partner GM, recently demonstrated an app store and in-car interface for its 2015 lineup.

News of Google's plans for an automotive version of Android came late last year, when it was reported that the software giant was to partner with Audi. It turns out the partnership is far larger than originally expected.

CES 2014: LG unveils curved smartphone

Smartphones are starting to show off their curves.

LG says it will launch the G Flex smartphone, which includes a curved display, during the first quarter for carriers AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. Pricing will be announced at a later date.

The smartphone features a 6-inch HD, curved OLED display, a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera and will run on Google's Android 4.2.2 mobile operating system, code-named "Jelly Bean."

FULL COVERAGE: CES 2014

So, what are the benefits of a curved smartphone? LG claims the experience will be better for consumers "because the distinctively curved, flexible design follows the contour of the face," says the electronics maker in a statement.

The G Flex will also feature a QuickTheater for accessing photos and videos from the lock screen and a Dual Window to have two apps open simultaneously.

The curved display is the next frontier for the smartphone, as manufacturers continue to look for innovative ways to drum up interest in the market. Last fall, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Round that includes a "Roll Effect" for users to view the date, time or missed calls.

In November, Bloomberg reported iPhone maker Apple was exploring new versions of the device with curved displays.

Monday, 6 January 2014

Nokia Lumia 720 review Hands on first impressions

Samsung at CES 2014: Join us at 2 p.m. PT Monday (live blog)

The Korean electronics giant will show off its latest devices, including new TVs, home appliances, cameras, and computers. CNET will be there to bring you live news and commentary.

Samsung's press conference is sure to be the hottest ticket at the Consumer Electronics Show.

The Korean electronics giant, one of the few companies to draw huge crowds at its events, will kick off its press conference at 2 p.m. PT on Monday at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas. CNET's David Katzmaier, Jessica Dolcourt, James Martin, and I will be on hand to bring you all the juicy details, photos, and running commentary throughout the event.

Samsung isn't just the world's biggest smartphone maker but is also the largest TV seller and one of the fastest growing PC and tablet vendors. The company typically only enters markets it believes it can eventually take over. Next up for Samsung is home appliances, with the goal to be No. 1 in that market by 2015. CES marks the chance for Samsung's consumer electronics business to highlight its newest innovations.

Samsung got a jump on the show, releasing some of its news before CES even started. That includes details about new TVs, including a 105-inch curved 4K TV and a new Smart Control for its televisions. Samsung also said it will show new smart TV features, such as a fine-tuned voice interaction service and improved gestures. That's not all Samsung has in store for the living room, with many more TVs and home audio products sure to appear.

Computers and tablets are another area Samsung will discuss at the show. It's believed to be launching a new 10.5-inch tablet at the show, as well as other possible computing devices. Samsung also will release new home appliances and cameras. It revealed the Galaxy Camera 2 earlier this week.

One area that likely won't make a showing at CES is smartphones. Samsung unveiled theGalaxy S4 during its own event in March of last year, and it released other products at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona in February. It's likely to save most of its mobile devices for similar events this year.

There could be some surprises or innovative technologies shown, though. At CES last year, Samsung dazzled the crowd with its flexible screen technology, called Youm.

Friday, 3 January 2014

C6-01 Nokia unboxing.

What's Acer thinking? Its new all-in-one PC uses Android, not Windows

Acer looks like it’s willing to try anything as it rolls out an Android-based all-in-one

The Acer TA272 HUL has a 27-inch screen with resolution of 2560 by 1440 pixels. It runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean on an Nvidia Tegra 4 processor and has 16GB of storage, a 2-megapixel webcam, and a USB 3.0 port. It also has HDMI and DisplayPort inputs so it can become an external monitor for other devices. Acer hasn’t said how much RAM the computer has, but we’d guess either 1GB or 2GB.

In other words, it’s the guts of a typical Android phone or tablet inside a much larger touchscreen with a multi-angled kickstand. Acer says its Android all-in-one is “ideal for home entertainment, browsing, and sharing,” which is a reasonable statement given that Android is substandard for desktop-level productivity.

acer android all in one with Android — The Acer TA272 HUL in a side view

Unlike Windows or Mac OS X, Android has no windowing system for multitasking, and offers only primitive mouse and keyboard support. The things you’d expect from a desktop OS, such as being able to right-click on something to bring up a context menu, aren’t supported in Android.

The lack of Adobe Flash support is a bigger drawback on a full-blown computer than on mobile devices and, of course, Android versions of programs like Photoshop and Chrome aren’t nearly as useful as their desktop counterparts.

So is Acer’s $1100 price tag justified? In fairness, it’s hard to find Windows-based all-in-one PCs with displays with this large of a screen and this kind of resolution for this cheap (though the Microsoft Store currently has one from Lenovo

Meanwhile, some standalone monitors with the same screen resolution are pretty expensive, so you could think of Acer’s model as just a monitor for your Windows desktop with Android thrown in. But whether people actually want their Windows machines with a side of Android is the question of the moment.

Thursday, 2 January 2014

Nokia 5230

iphone 5