We’ve all been to a party or barbecue where the music is just awful. And of course, being the polite guest that you are, you can’t just unplug the host’s smartphone and swap yours in for a better playlist. On a quest to save your sanity and make the music at your next gathering more interactive, Internet Explorer and Nokia launched a new music platform called Mix Party, making playlist creation collaborative. Here’s how it works: The host of the party can open Mix Party on his Xbox using Internet Explorer. Although the host needs an Xbox with Xbox Live subscription, anyone with a smartphone can play along. First, download the accompanying smartphone app, which requires scanning a QR code to join the Mix Party. Then vote on which songs to play next. The service is free through the month of July, and at the end of the offer, you will be prompted to sign up for Nokia Music, an ad-free service that launched in September 2012, exclusive to Lumia smartphone users. The concept actually builds off Nokia Music, which lets you to download up to four one-hour music mixes. Users can upgrade to the platform’s unlimited access plan for $3.99 a month, which gives Mix Party users access to Nokia’s full library, so you can hear any song at your next gathering. Nokia has been creeping further into the music game over the past year. The mobile manufacturer has also built Nokia Mix Radio, a free service that lets you skip songs and save playlists for offline use (like when you’re underground on the subway). What creative ways do you manage playlists at parties? Let us know in the comments below. Image via Gilles Mingasson/Getty Images Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/07/02/nokia-mix-party/
Nokia expanded its apology over faked video and photos used to publicize the company’s newest flagship phone. Unveiled on Wednesday, the Lumia 920 features the “PureView” camera, which has a “floating lens” optical image stabilization (OIS) technology that Nokia claims lets users take sharp photos and video. Earlier this week, Nokia admitted a video that purportedly demonstrates the benefits of the 920’s OIS capabilities was “a simulation” and not shot using its PureView camera. It later revealed on Saturday that promotional photos were also faked. “The video was produced while the Nokia Lumia 920 was in early prototype and still not ready to show the full benefits of the amazing innovation it contains,” spokesman Brett Young told Mashable in an emailed statement. “While there was no intention to mislead, the failure to add a disclaimer to the video was obviously a mistake.” Nokia also apologized for misleading photos that were taken from the video. Set in Helsinki, Finland, they show the same actress in three different scenarios: riding a bike, sitting on a carousel and standing in the street at night. A photo posted to Hacker News on Thursday reveals sophisticated camera and lighting equipment at a photo shoot for the Lumia 920. In both cases, independent bloggers denounced Nokia for false advertising. The Finnish telecom giant issued an apology on its “Conversations” blog Thursday. “We should have posted a disclaimer stating this was a representation of OIS only,” wrote spokeswoman Heidi Lemmetyinen. The video is now marked with a “Simulation of OIS technology” disclaimer, which you can see above. Nokia said it posted genuine images of the Lumia 920 being used in low light conditions, alongside similar photos taken by a competitor’s smartphone, on Wednesday. They use a Lumia 920 prototype and “no artificial lighting or stands,” the company told Mashable on Thursday. Check out what Nokia claims to be the 920’s photo, followed by its competitor’s photo, below. An industry report suggests Nokia will start selling the Lumia 920, which features a 4.5-inch 720p curved-glass display, this November. Are you less likely to buy the Lumia 920 in light of this controversy? Does it change your perception of Nokia? Discuss in the comments below. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/09/08/nokia-lumia-920-misleading/
If you have an iOS device, you’re probably familiar with the volume buttons located on its side. These buttons are usually set up to control the device’s ringer and alert volume, but they can actually be reassigned to serve a different purpose. The volume buttons on your device can also be used to control the overall audio level within iOS.To change your volume buttons’ functionality, watch the video or follow the steps below: Step 1: Go into the Settings app on your device and tap on Sounds. On the iPad, this section is located within General settings. Step 2: Under the Ringer and Alerts section, turn off Change with Buttons. Step 3: Exit out of the Settings app and go back to the home screen. Next time you use the volume buttons on your device, they will control the audio level of iOS instead of your ringer and alerts. With this option set, you’ll have to go back into your device’s sound settings when you want to change the ringer volume. Kairosoft’s new iOS game challenges you to become a Magazine Mogul Evolve: Hunters Quest is your key to unlocking perks in 2K’s upcoming Evolve shooter The Apple Watch may just turn Apple retail stores into jewelry shops Today’s apps gone free: Kingdom Rush Frontiers, Smart PDF Scanner, Gridplay and more This article originally published at AppAdvice here Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/09/04/volume-buttons-functionality/
What’s the sturdiest smartphone on the market today? Among the most popular flagships, it appears to be the HTC One M8, which survived drops that proved catastrophic to its contemporaries, the Samsung Galaxy S5 and iPhone 5S. The gang at TechSmartt did a thorough test, dropping all three phones from waist height, head height and even over-the-head height to see who would survive. First to die was the iPhone 5S. Apple’s phones did very well in previous drop tests (probably aided by the relatively small screen), but it landed on its face in this one, cracking the screen from only head height. Going over the head, the Galaxy S5 was next to go, suffering a fatal screen crack while the HTC One kept on ticking. Only when the HTC fell from an unlikely 10-foot drop did it, too, get smashed. Does this mean the HTC One M8 gets bragging rights as the hardiest device you can buy? Not necessarily — after all, as the tester notes, there was no way to ensure the phones all fell the same way. But the One, with its solid metal casing may have a slight advantage over its rivals. In any case, these tests are fun to watch. HTC One M8 Review One Is the Safest Number The new HTC One may be a little larger and more refined than the previous version, but the experience is fundamentally the same. It’s still an excellent Android phone, though, with a killer camera. It’s available on all major U.S. carriers. Image: Mashable, Will Fenstermaker Versus the Old One The new HTC One has a 5-inch screen to the old version’s 4.7-inch display. The design sports more metal, with softer edges, and even louder front-facing speakers. Image: Mashable, Will Fenstermaker BlinkFeed Gets Color BlinkFeed — the homescreen that’s filled with a feed of “snackable” data — gets an upgrade with more sources and an SDK for developers. Image: Mashable, Will Fenstermaker BlinkFeed Settings You can also add specific topics to your feed. Image: Mashable, Will Fenstermaker App Screen You can customize your app screen with three or four columns. Image: Mashable, Will Fenstermaker Dot View Case The optional Dot view case works with the screen to convey basic information. Image: Mashable, Will Fenstermaker Colors The M8 comes in silver, gun metal or gold. Image: Mashable, Will Fenstermaker Left Side The left side has the microSD card slot. Image: Mashable, Will Fenstermaker Right Side The right side has the SIM card slot and the volume buttons. Image: Mashable, Will Fenstermaker Top View The top of the phone has the power button, which doubles as an infrared blaster for controlling a TV. Image: Mashable, Will Fenstermaker Bottom View The bottom has the microUSB port and headphone jack. Moving Parts The headphone jack jumps from the top to the bottom for the new One. Image: Mashable, Will Fenstermaker Duo Camera The new HTC One has a Duo Camera and a dual-LED flash. The second camera captures depth information, enabling focus […]
In the latest video of our Ask a Dev series, Consulting Architect Conrad Stoll discusses the newest features of the latest iOS upgrade. Our developer experts are from Mutual Mobile, a leading development and design firm that builds mobile strategies for top companies such as Audi, Google and Citigroup. The team is eager to answer your questions about mobile, so ping us with your top queries on Twitter, using the hashtag #AskaDev. Don’t forget to check out our Ask a Dev YouTube channel and subscribe. Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/03/17/ios-7-1-ask-a-dev/
Qualcomm’s Toq smartwatch got the Dick Tracy treatment on Monday with a new feature dubbed “Toq Talk.” Powered by Nuance’s voice-to-text technology, Toq Talk lets owners create and respond to text messages using their voices. Nuance is one of the industry leaders in in speech recognition and natural language processing. It powers Siri on iOS and is embedded in many other systems spanning various industries. Nuance also powers the voice-input on the original Galaxy Gear smartwatch. For now, the feature is restricted to the text messaging app. You’re also limited to nine seconds of speech input — but that should be enough to compose a quick message or send a quick reply. It’s important to remember, however, that Qualcomm isn’t selling the Toq through traditional consumer channels. It’s designed more as a reference point so other manufacturers can see what’s possible in the wearable space, rather than a fully-realized product. It’s not hard to imagine that this sort of technology — especially aligned with some of the cloud-based systems Nuance is investing in — powering a wide array of voice-controlled interfaces for the wearable market. Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/05/05/toq-smartwatch-voice-text/
There are few tasks more infuriating than trying to remove rust from just about anything. That’s exactly why this laser is pretty much the best tool I’ve ever seen. This amazing device is called the P-Laser QF-1000. Like its much larger counterparts, the 1,000-watt handheld tool is meant for industrial applications, like preparing metal for robotic welding or removing residue from manufacturing molds. However, it also does an excellent job when it comes to making rust disappear right before your very eyes. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DCBP_ATF’); }); Just watch this mesmerizing video of the laser in action. I could stare at this all day, honestly. But if you’re thinking about getting one of these for yourself, know that it’ll cost you a cool $50,000. I’ll pass. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/laser-cleaning/
If Windows 8 is a shape, it’s a rectangle. The iconography and design of the new user interface (what used to be called Metro) emphasizes right angles and shapes that line up edge to edge. Even the Surface, Microsoft’s new prize tablet, hits the rectangle hard, particularly with its kickstand and Touch Cover. The thing about rectangles is that they work well in perspective. And the Lytro camera, with its magical focus-after-the-fact abilities, does perspective in a very unique way. We had a Lytro on hand when we covered the the event and the armada of Window 8 devices on hand. The Lytro camera, of course, uses what’s called light-field photography to capture photos where you can choose which part is in focus when you’re viewing them. The company recently released new manual controls for the camera that give users more options when taking pics. Check out the Lytro photos we captured at Microsoft’s big party below, and let us know which one’s your favorite in the comments. Surfaces in a row Touch cover Using the Surface That Start screen Up close with the UI Surface tablets everywhere Windows 8 poster Windows 8 laptops Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/10/25/lytro-windows-8/
Facebook is holding a highly-anticipated press event at its headquarters to reveal its “new home on Android.” Could we see a new Facebook-centric smartphone? If the rumors are any indication, definitely. The company will be livestreaming the announcement from its Menlo Park, Calif. office, and you can watch at Facebook Live, starting at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT. The Mashable team will also be on site, and we’ll be live blogging the event as the news unfolds. Follow along here. Rumors and leaks have been swirling about the Internet for awhile, pointing mostly to a concept of a HTC-built smartphone called Facebook First. Although it would have all the makings of a midrange smartphone — such as a 4.3-inch 720p display, a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 and so on — the software would be the star of the show (if, that is, the rumors are true). It’s possible we could see a Facebook operating system, powered by Android, with a news feed at the top of the lock screen. Other features would run throughout the platform. A recent FCC filing indicates the device would run on AT&T. The product announcement comes just months after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said a smartphone has “always been the wrong strategy” for the company. What do you think Facebook will announce? Would you buy a Facebook phone? Let us know in the comments below. Image via iStockphoto, Franckreporter Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/04/04/how-to-watch-facebook-phone-online/
Product Name: The Impossible Instant LabPrice: $299Who would like this? Retro photographers, lovers of good design and anyone who still decorates their fridge/desk/walls with prints. Digital photography has decimated film, but that doesn’t mean no one likes to print photo anymore. Now we’re just more selective — it used to be that you needed to print out all your photos to get just the one or two you really wanted. Now photo printers and printing services let us get prints on demand. That’s great, but for those who like the look of analog film, prints from ultra-precise inkjets and laser printers can sometimes lack flavor. That’s why a group of people launched the Impossible Project in 2008. After a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2012, the company brought to market its Impossible Lab: a curious-looking tabletop gadget that turns your iPhone photos into prints — analog, instant prints. Image: Impossible Lab, Kickstarter The lab can do this because of the work Impossible put into creating instant prints that works just like the old Polaroid ones, which ceased production in 2008. Keep that in mind if you buy the Lab as a gift — the owner will need to occasionally replenish the film supply at $20-$25 a pop. To anyone who appreciates the retro feeling of Polaroids, though, that’s a small price to pay. Paired with the iOS app, the Lab (which is battery-powered for easy portability) will pop out an instant print of any iPhone photo, which will develop in seconds once it ejects. Just hearing that click and whir will certainly bring back fond memories for lots of people. The lab folds up and is light enough (just a pound) to throw in a bag, so you can even take it to parties to show off your retro chic. For novelty’s sake along, this is a great gift for anyone who appreciates history — and great design. Image: Impossible Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/12/14/impossible-lab/
