The Latest Distribution of Different Android Versions

Are you curious to what percentage of Android mobile phones and tablets are running the latest version of Android?

Android Version	Internal Codename	Usage as on July 1, 2012	Usage as on August 1, 2012
1.5	Cupcake	0.2%	0.2%
1.6	Donut	0.5%	0.5%
2.1	Eclair	4.7%	4.2%
2.2	Froyo	17.3%	15.5%
2.3.x	Gingerbread	63.6%	60.3% (-2.7%)
3.1	Honeycomb	0.5%	0.5%
3.2		1.9%	1.8%
4.0.x	Ice Cream Sandwich	10.7%	15.8% (+5.1%)
4.1	Jelly Bean	N/A	0.8%

Google has just updated their distribution charts for the Android platform and it suggests that 15.8% of Android phones and tablets have Ice Cream Sandwich installed. Gingerbread, the most popular Android version ever, still powers 60.3% Android devices though it was released way back in December 2010. [via]

Dictation – Speech Recognition in the Browser

Ever noticed that microphone icon on some web pages?

The newer versions of Google Chrome include an impressive speech recognition engine that even works offline but with one limitation – the feature is only available to text input fields (like the Google search box) and you can’t use Chrome’s speech recognition to write longer pieces of text (say a message inside Gmail).

Meet Dictation, a speech recognition app powered by Chrome itself but one that is not limited to text boxes. Here’s a quick getting started guide:

1. Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + . (period) or click the big microphone icon to activate dictation mode and talk.
2. If you make a mistake, or if Chrome makes an error in transcription, simple click the incorrect word and edit it inline.
3. You can say “new line” to insert a new line or “delete everything” to make a fresh start.

Dictation requires the Google Chrome browser. The full source code is available at ctrlq.org and what follows is a brief video demo.

Google Makes Some Changes to the I’m Feeling Lucky Button

The I’m Feeling Lucky button on the Google homepage, which has been sitting there since day one, takes you directly to the first search result completely bypassing Google’s search results pages. It’s a convenient option for consumers though it does cost Google a lot of money since the company miss an opportunity to serve you ads.

Google won’t mind you spending a little more time on their own properties and thus, after nearly 15 years, they have made one little change to the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button.

Google wants you to spend more time on their own properties

You’ve Got Mail – A New Notifier for Gmail

Back in the days of dial-up Internet, America Online (AoL) subscribers would hear a sound alert saying “You’ve got mail” every time a new email landed in their AOL mailbox.

Voice-over artist Elwood Edwards initially recorded these three words on a cassette tape to sell them as a .wav file, AOL decided to use the sound into their mail program and the line became such a hit that it even inspired Warner Bros. to create a movie with the same name - “You’ve got mail.”

How to Block Useless Websites from your Google Search Results

Google has been getting better at identifying and removing spam websites from their search results pages but sometimes not-so-useful sites do manage to slip through the Google filters. What can you do to prevent such sites from appearing in your Google results?

Approach #1: Block Sites at the Browser Level 

Google offers an easy-to-use Chrome add-on called Personal Blocklist that lets you block entire web domains from showing up in your Google search results. If you spot any irrelevant website in search results pages, just click the block link (screenshot below) and all pages from that website will be hidden from your Google results forever.

Prevent Google Chrome from Hijacking RSS Feeds

If you happen to click an RSS or Atom feed inside the latest version of Google Chrome, the browser won’t display the actual content of the XML file but will instead offer you to open the feed in either Google Reader or one of the Chrome apps.

XML Feeds are ‘greek’ to most users but for the rest of us, Chrome offers no built-in option to turn off this default behavior. Also, if you using an RSS feed reader that is not available as a Chrome app, like FeedDemon or Microsoft Outlook, there isn’t an easy way to set that external program as the default handler for RSS feeds in Chrome.

Tips for Buying Domains through Google Apps

When you buy a web domain through Google Docs, you get personalized email addresses (like me@mydomain.com instead of me@gmail.com) plus you can setup a quick website on Google Sites without having to pay for web hosting. The domains are registered privately meaning others cannot see your contact information in the public WHOIS database.

Google Apps comes in two flavors – the free edition (where you just pay for the domain name) and the business edition (where you pay for the domain and the number of users).

Tip #1: How to Sign-up for Google Apps Free Edition

For business reasons, the Google Apps homepage includes no mention of the free edition but you can use this secret link to  go straight to the sign-up form. The link  is otherwise hidden under the “Pricing” section of the Google Apps website.

How often Outlook checks Gmail for New Mail?

If you have connected your Gmail account to Outlook over POP3, you may have noticed that emails arriving in your Gmail mailbox are delivered to your Outlook mailbox after a little wait.

The support pages do not say how often Outlook.com checks your Gmail.com account for new emails but you can easily find a clue in your Gmail mailbox itself.

Amazon Brings the Kindle Reader to India

Some good news for book worms in India. You can now buy Amazon’s Kindle ebook reader from select TATA Croma stores here and if you don’t have one in your city, you can order it online at cromaretail.com.

What’s new then? While it has always been possible to buy Kindle directly from amazon.com, the Croma advantage is that you don’t need an international credit card and you can even pay for the device using your Debit card or through net banking.

The Wi-Fi 6″ version of Kindle costs 7k at Croma while competing online stores like IndiaTimes and IndiaPlaza offer the same Kindle model for 9.5k and 11k  respectively.

Google+ debuts 'sliders' to help users de-clog their streams

Let's face it, some people's posts are more important than others -- now, Google's social network has a feature that lets users control what they see and share in their Circles stream.

Google+'s new "sliders" lets users control what they most want to see on the social network.(Credit: Google)

 

Google Plus launched a new feature today called "sliders" that lets users decide how and when they want to tone down information from their Circles that may be clogging up their stream.

Google Maps explores the faraway Arctic with Street View

The tech giant's mapping team goes further north than it's ever been to add in roads, rivers, and lakes in the beautiful Canadian Arctic, which is only accessible by plane or boat.

The Street View Trike collecting imagery of Cambridge Bay.

(Credit: Google)

       

Far beyond the Arctic Circle -- nearing the North Pole, where tundra, snow, and glaciers are commonplace year-round -- is an area called Cambridge Bay in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut. It sits in the Canadian Arctic and is only accessible by plane or boat. 

This is the newest location to hit Google Maps Street View.

Yap.TV tunes Internet age viewing for the world

 

Yap.TV software released in the US for Apple iPad, iPhone, and iPod devices have been customized for 19 more countries

SAN FRANCISCO —San Francisco startup Yap.TV went international with a hit service that helps people mine gems from junk in the growing mountain of shows, films and videos.

Versions of Yap.TV software released in the United States early last year for Apple iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch devices have been customized for 19 more countries and in four languages other than English.

Applications for smartphones or tablets powered by Android software were in the works and expected to be ready in a matter of months.

Facebook brings Mention Tagging to Open Graph

Facebook has launched a new tool for its Open Graph that allows users to tag other users inside Facebook-connected apps. The new feature, dubbed as the Mention Tagging, is likely to help the social networking company increase the engagement and exposure of its apps.

The new Mention Tagging app should not be confused with Action Tagging feature, which is for mentioning action with your friends. It's notable the Mention Tagging app has been in the graph for quite some time. The new feature will enable users to mention their Facebook friends right inline in their messages.

MTS launches MTag 351, MTag 352 and MTag 281 Android Smartphones

Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL) which nationally operates its telecom services under the MTS brand has announced the launch of three new Android-based smartphones – MTS MTag 351, MTag 352 and MTag 281. The new smartphones run on Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS and come bundled with MTS' unlimited data plans.

MTS MTag 351

The MTS MTag 351 features a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen with 320X480 pixel resolution. The device is powered by an 800MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 Processor and comes with a 1,300 mAh battery. The MTag 351 features a dual camera with flash (3.0 MP back and VGA front); an expandable memory slot of up to 32 GB; bundled with a 2GB card in box and is available in two colours -  red and black. The smartphone has been priced at Rs. 7,499. Read the full specifications of the device here.

Kobian unveils 'Mercury magiQ' dual SIM tablet at Rs. 12,700

Kobian has announced the launch of its first dual SIM tablet - Mercury magiQ. The 5-inch magiQ tablet seems to be more of a hybrid much like the Samsung Galaxy Note or the Dell Streak rather than a tablet.

The Mercury magiQ works on Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich OS and runs on a 1GHz processor. It has 512MB of RAM and features 4GB internal storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card and a capacitive multi touch display.

Portronics releases Health Key 3D digital pedometer at Rs. 1,249

 

Portronics, a company known for its portable and digital devices, has introduced a digital pedometer, called the Health Key. Described as an ‘advanced 3D pedometer,’ the H-Key will apparently provide ‘accurate readings’ in any functional position with its ‘Tri-Axis technology’, not just vertical – it is accurate ‘whether it’s up, down or flat, on its side or at any angle.’

The Health Key digital pedometer from Portronics also uses a digital 3D acceleration sensor, supposedly far more accurate than mechanical sensors used in other pedometers. Data provided by the pedometer can help users record their steps, distance, average speed, calories burned and time spent exercising.

The data on the Portronics Health Key is displayed on a LCD screen with a dual row display. Shipping it with a strap, the company tries to ensure the digital pedometer is truly portable, with features like vibration-filtration and smart counting. The Health Key runs on coin batteries, and counts up to 1 million steps with a 7-day memory.

According to Portronics, the Health Key has been designed to be fashionable, and says users can carry it in their pockets, purses, or even wear it around their neck. Other features include a built-in clock, calendar & sports timer and auto sleep mode technology. 

The Health Key has been priced at Rs. 1,249, and will be available two different colours – blue and orange. It will also ship with an instruction manual.
 

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Coming Tomorrow!

A glance at the tablet reveals a 23.4-cm (10-inch) display and a Smart stylus sans the calling functionality.  

Thursday, August 23, 2012:  The much talked about Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 aka Note 800 is coming to India, as soon as Friday, 24 August. The news becomes even more obvious with the latest media invite extended by the company. The company has not indicated the name of the device to be launched. We had reported earlier that the device can be pre-booked from the Samsung India store at a price of Rs 2000.

 

Gaming on your mobile; which is the best operating system?

Whatever kind of phone you have, there are a huge range of casino apps that you can choose from, like deal or no deal slots. Amongst them the majority run on either Flash or the newest development in internet coding, HTML5.

Microsoft Surface will sell for ultra-competitive $199 in October 26th

Microsoft’s price and availability detail for its Surface tablet is still in secrecy, no official word from the OS-giant from Redmond. Guessing from early and present rumor, respectively, they’ve suggested an absolute contrary in pricing structure, suggesting an earlier top-priced bid to ultra-budget priced Microsoft Surface tablet.

Back in late last month, reports shows sky high prices for variant of Microsoft Surface with claims, “The 64GB RT would supposedly cost $1430, and the 64GB and 128GB Pro versions, arriving next year, would be $1860 and $2150, respectively.”

 

Windows Phone 8 Powered BlackBerry

When you’ve thought that BlackBerry will be left alone in their QWERTY keyboard-era, think twice or even thrice as pro-designer Michal Bonikowski outed a spectacular concept of a BlackBerry running the latest Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 operating system.

No more complex BB interface with WP8, which somehow made the device a lot attractive and fluid with the design build.

However, as we speak this is only a concept smartphone which will simply translate to Microsoft and RIM’s partnership a same idea.

Read more at Yanko Design

Back To School Gadgets Of 2012

School life is perhaps one of the best times in the life of every person and thinking about the gadgets that can be taken back to school is another exhilarating option. With the passage of time, the gadgets that can be taken to school have changed during the last few years. Once the school session starts in full motion, there will be no end to work and projects. However, engaging in pleasurable activities in between the full school sessions should be a good idea. While taking a vacation is one of the first and foremost things that come to mind, the present day kids  and high school students love to handle all the new gadgets that are being brought out by companies during regular intervals. In this article, we will focus on some of the back to school gadgets of 2012 that are doing the rounds.

We have summarized some back to school gadgets in the following lines:

Lego® and iPhone – A Perfect Pair!

Lego® continues to be that international symbol for “I am still a kid at heart.” Let’s face it, once you play with the toy bricks you are hooked. And the addiction continues through your life.

 

iPhones continue to be the international symbol of cool technology. If you are like me, you cannot survive or be productive very long without it.

The good folks at TinkerBrick have decided to merge these two loves into the TinkerBrick™ Lego® Compatble Case. Currently available for the iPhone 4G, this unique innovation is specifically designed to work with Lego®. Whether you own a 4G or not, take a look. It measures 8 Lego® units in width, 14 units in height and thickness of one brick and plate. Lego® units on the device can be attached to other Lego®. The possibilities with the case are endless! Build a stand to prop it up. Make handles to hold it while you game. See the video below for more revolutionary examples of what TinkerBrick has created. The case is available in red, white, black and yellow for just $32.95 and www.tinkerbrick.com contains plenty of ideas and app suggestions to get the most out of the device.

Let's go on, your inner child integrate with today’s technology!

SmartPhone Sleeper Hands-Free Stand

 

Our smartphones have evolved to such a level these days that you can safely say that they are the lifeblood for the corporate executive. Many of us do store our fair share of music and visual entertainment on our smartphones, and you know that these devices are not exactly the lightest around. How about making sure you can enjoy your most recently downloaded movie on a long trip without worrying about whether your hands are going to end up feeling cramped? This is where the $34.99 SmartPhone Sleeper Hands-Free Stand steps in, letting you lay in comfort with your smartphone in tow.

It is extremely easy to use and set up, as there are no bolts, screws or adhesives to deal with, and it works with a slew of smartphones out there, including (but not limited to) those running on the iOS, Android, Windows and Blackberry platforms. When not in use, you can easily tuck it under your mattress or seat cushion for easy storage. After all, out of sight, out of mind, no? Musicians might find this particular device worth owning.

Razer BlackWidow returns to dominate the gaming keyboard scene

As for the world of gaming hardware, you can say that Razer has come up with peripherals that have dominated the scene for quite some years, and the Razer BlackWidow can be an example worth citing. This time around, the Razer BlackWidow is said to be locked and loaded for more mechanical domination in the gaming keyboard market. 

Pantech Renue arrives on AT&T

Well, when it comes to smartphones, there are two classes of users – one who loves the full touchscreen display and the kind of freedom that it comes with, while another class would want something more proper – that is, a full physical QWERTY keyboard so that you can have that comforting tactile feedback that your fingers are so used to after all these years of using an old school phone. Well, we are glad to say that the Pantech Renue from AT&T delivers something from both worlds, although I would not be bold enough to venture that it is the best of both worlds considering the relatively small 3.2″ capacitive touchscreen display.

iConvert Scanner – Digitizes Docs for iPad

Let’s face it, the iPad is an awesome little gadget, but it certainly does have its limitations. For all the things it can do, it seems like there’s a whole lot of potential left on the table. Some of that untapped potential is getting realized by third parties who are developing interesting apps and add-ons that make the iPad even more useful. So in investigating some of the available “gadgets for our gadgets”, I found something that might be pretty useful to some of us.

Welcome the iConvert scanner, an interesting tool for the iPad user that allows you to simply dock your iPad, press a button and feed your pictures, legal documents, receipts or recipes straight into the device and have them converted and saved directly on your iPad, perfect for saving, emailing, posting or printing. The device is small, easily portable and quite handy for a multitude of folks that have a need for this kind of organization.