Android KitKat on the Nexus 5

Google launched its latest sweet-themed Androidoperating system just in time for Halloween: KitKat.

Right now, it's only available on the Nexus 5, which just went on sale in the Google Play store. Other Nexus device users will get it sometime in November, while other Android owners will get it whenever their carrier decides to upgrade them.

Google holds out the hope that KitKat is the one Android version that will rule them all; it has been designed for the slowest of smartphones as well as speed machines like the Nexus 5. So for all those users still struggling on Android 2.3 Gingerbread (that would be roughly a third of all Android users), the KitKat upgrade is a huge deal.

The interface is full of incremental improvements. Scrolling is faster; fonts look sharper. Emoji icons have been added to the keyboard. There are no more widgets to worry about. A translucent search bar sits at the top of each of your pages of apps. Fire up a game or open an e-book, and the UI goes away altogether.

Ubuntu Saucy Salamander is Here

The latest version of Ubuntu was released on October 17, 2013. This is version 3.10 and is also called as Saucy Salamander, which includes some major enhancements when compared to previous version. What’s fascinating about the launch is the inclusion of a stable version of Ubuntu Touch, an operating system developed by Ubuntu, which can be installed on any smartphone or tablet.

According to Community Manager for Ubuntu, Jono Bacon, the desktop version has many new options. Despite this, the stable version of Ubuntu Touch, which is created ​​primarily for manufacturers and developers, brings only basic applications like a browser, clock, climate indicator and a calculator, all created by members of Ubuntu community.

What’s new in Ubuntu 13.10?

Saucy Salamander brings some new options that are worth trying. Smart Scopes is one among these options, that delivers search results for any term in the Dash Search. This feature is also present in the previous version of Ubuntu, although only Amazon delivered results. Now, results are extended for many other services such as Reddit, Wikipedia, eBay, Foursquare or Grooveshark.

There are some changes in user-interface too, although these are minor and nothing unusual. Ubuntu 13.10 brings eighteen new wallpapers and updated versions of Files, Rhythmbox, and LibreOffice.

Ubuntu Touch OS for tablets and smartphones

You can install the Ubuntu Touch into a Galaxy Nexus or LG Nexus 4 following these directions, but be cautious of a few things: You must be very careful during the installation process, or your smartphone can be damaged. It does not have all the features that are provided in a retail phone and eventually this process will erase all data on the device which cannot be recovered by restoring Android.

Touch Ubuntu is stable but not fully complete ye, but with some patience, you can wait to try it a little later. The other devices that support Touch Ubuntu are Samsung Nexus 10 and ASUS Nexus 7. Currently, this OS is restricted to only these devices.

Although Ubuntu Touch is an inexperienced version, the interface allows you to completely handle gestures such as drag from the left, open an application launcher that allows changes anchored between the two applications (multi-tasking ), drag from the right shows a circle with applications that are open, or drag down from the top will show indicators and settings.

Google Web Designer : A New Invention from Google

Google has recently released an interesting tool called Google Web Designer, that can be used both by professional web designers as well as newbies. Available in beta, this application solves some of the most important problems of the web like compatibility on different devices. More than anything, Google Web Designer is a complete application that can be used to design a program that is up to date with market trends, user-friendly and easy to use.

About Google Web Designer

What exactly is Google Web Designer? This is a free executable program that can be downloaded from a website and permits working with form styles to HTML5 and interactive graphics which can be used on any type of device. Even if the user does not have the ability to create a complete website, this tool can be used to create interactive Google Ads rather than have us use Adobe Dreamweaver. We will have to download this program to prove this point.

The main strength that we have in Google Web Designer is compatibility. In fact, the items that we develop with this program may look good, irrespective of screen size or device it is used in. The idea is that we can develop items like HTML, CSS, JavaScript and XML that are universal and help people see the work regardless of the device or equipment they use to access a particular function. In short, the goal of Google Web Designer is to eliminate compatibility problems.

In addition, Google Web Designer encompasses a functionality similar to one we find in Adobe Dreamweaver. It allows the user to work strictly on the design, and also gives a provision to work directly with the code to create the mandatory modifications. It is essential to note that with Google Web Designer it is possible to work with the code, and not use any additional software for this job. As for the visual editor, it searches Google and removes the need to work with HTML5 and CSS3, thus making people focused on creating a visual experience.

Google Web Designer is provided with lots of functionalities. Thus, users can find two completely different modes of animation, one quick mode which helps to build animations scene by scene and an advanced mode which provides several 3D capabilities. The user can create 3D content through CSS3. Similar to Dreamweaver, it has different display panels for example, you can choose to see the code or design or can have a combination of both in the same window.

Wearable Gadgets from Samsung!

Samsung takes the biggest leap into wearable gadgets this September. Indeed every technogeek has been waiting for it. The industry has already taken a shift towards wearable technologies with the announcements made by Samsung’s major competitor – Apple Inc.

Google Glass is the first commercially available wearable gadget that was released by the market leader, a few months back. Though it enjoyed a spectacular release with a lot of hype, the product did not catch up with expectations. Perhaps expectations were just too high. Google Glass has been labelled premature by evaluators and the public who were lucky enough to use it. This was primarily because limited “real-life” testing was carried out on the device. The gadget failed to perform in multiple scenarios and users found it embarrassing having to chant the command “Glass” each time they wanted to access a piece of information.

The concerns mentioned above drew a route map for Samsung’s journey towards wearable devices. Although Samsung team had less promotions compared to Google, they have worked hard to understand the requirements and mindsets of users.

The product release happened in a place that resembled a mix of a cathedral and a circus tent, in Berlin, Germany.

Samsung has tried to focus on the usability aspect rather than putting in extra effort to make it ornamental. The device has been named as “Samsung Gear”. It comes in the form of a wrist watch with a cute 320 x 320 1.64 inch Super AMOLED display. This screen is mounted on a wrist strap, making it a portable/wearable Galaxy smartphone.

All similar devices in the market concentrate on three main aspects:

·         Portability

·         Size

·         Battery backup

Samsung has put in sincere efforts to come up with the best possible solutions by optimizing the battery and the processor, ensuring a seamless usability experience to its users. However, Samsung Gear is yet to travel many miles before it can ensure complete satisfaction to overambitious users. Sources say that Samsung has been investing a lot on research and development around this domain and has a clear vision for all future releases and activities. This is a silent assurance for all who expect wonderful new products from the company. In the long run we can expect the term “Mobile” to be replaced by “Wearable” as more and more devices  transform themselves into wearable gadgets.

Samsung is now going through a “market study” phase. The release of these devices initially would evaluate the level of acceptance from users. The Samsung team will be able to customize them for the next release, based on reviews and feedback they gather. The same strategy was adopted even during the release of Galaxy series smartphones.

Smart watches and wearables leave a good margin of hope as they introduce functionalities that involve health and vital statistics measurement sensors. Such features in future wearables will offer a much healthier and happier life. This future is not far away.

8 Great Hidden Features in iOS7

1. Clock Icon

Go ahead and look at your clock app icon. Take a closer look. It's an actual clock with a working second hand. A nice little touch from Apple.

2. Text Timestamps

If you slide text messages to the left, you can see the timestamp for all of them — not just the most recent.

3. The Level

By opening up the Compass app and swiping your finger across it, a new digital "level" feature is revealed. You'll never have a crooked painting on the wall again.

4. Night Mode for Maps

If you're driving late at night, the glow of your iPhone screen can be nearly blinding as you try to use the Apple Maps app. Now, the platform displays a darker interface at certain times. This is less distracting and easier on the eyes when navigating at night.

5. Closing Multiple Apps

You can close multiple apps at once! Here's how: double click the home button to reveal open webpages and platforms. You can then swipe up to three apps at the same time by using three fingers and dragging them upwards.

6. Siri Controls Settings

You can use Siri to set alarms and reminders on previous iOS versions, but now you can lean on her to navigate settings too. For example, by saying "Open Settings," Siri will open the Settings folder. By asking Siri to "Turn Off Wi-Fi," she'll gladly oblige without you having to lift a finger. You can also tell her to make calls and play voicemail messages too.

7. Block Calls

If you're getting harassing calls, you can now put a stop to it. Visit Settings > Phone > Blocked to add numbers you want to restrict.

8. Apps Near Me

The Apple App Store has a new "Near Me" feature, which shows apps that are popular near your current location. So if you live in New York City, it will highlight handy apps such as NYC Subway KICKMap and Way2ride taxi, which lets you pay for cab rides via the app.

GOOGLE HUMMINGBIRD ALGORITHM

Google revealed a new search algorithm named Hummingbird. Designed to be more precise and provide faster query results, the algorithm is based on semantic search, focusing on user intent versus individual search terms.

Hummingbird is paying more attention to each word in a query, ensuring that the whole query – the whole sentence or conversation or meaning – is taken into account, rather than particular words. The goal is that pages matching the meaning do better, rather than pages matching just a few words.

Hummingbird is a definite expansion of Google’s semantic capability evident at the search interface level that reveals, significantly, two things,” “First, Google has increased its ability to deal with complex search queries which means that it also has got better at indexing entities in Web documents. Second, it has got a lot better at relationally linking search queries and Web documents which means that its Knowledge Graph must be considerably enriched.”