Motorola Alert app debuts to keep tabs on loved ones

Motorola’s latest smartphone, the stupid-cheap Moto E, as well as a new LTE edition of the already crazy-affordable Moto G. Sure, we didn’t see any Moto 360 action, but considering what else we got it hardly seems worthwhile complaining. Hardware: covered. But as it turns out that’s only one component of Motorola’s news for us today, and we’re also learning about some new software Motorola’s got for its users, as it releases Motorola Alert.
Alert is a location-based notification app, and has a couple different modes of operation. One lets the user set up zones – say, work, school, or home – and configure the app to automatically send out a notification to other devices when entering or leaving that zone. So, for instance, a parent could configure the app on a child’s phone to automatically send updates when they reach and leave school each day. The users receiving those notifications need not have Motorola Alert installed on their own phones.
The other mode provides designated contacts with an ongoing series of notifications, designed to keep them informed of your movements. Again, this sounds perfect for families, maybe if they split up while out shopping or at an attraction, to let some members keep track of and eventually meet back up with the others.
Motorola Alert debuts with the new Moto E, but should be coming to other Motorola phones, including the Moto X and Moto G, in the near future.


Source: Motorola (Google Play)

Is Nokia uploading Android apps to its Nokia Store before devs even give approval?

The new Nokia X series of Androids may run Google’s platform at their core, but Nokia’s taken a few liberties with its forked version of Android that means the user experience is quite a bit removed from what most Android fans will be used to. Specifically, it’s Android sans Google, and you won’t find Google Play Services nor any of the core Google apps as these phones arrive from the manufacturer (though you can certainly install that all yourself after the fact). With no Google Play Store, Nokia’s had to come up with its own app store offering, and the company’s been doing its best to make sure that the big apps you love from the Play Store are still accessible in the Nokia Store. But is it taking too many liberties in its efforts to keep the Nokia Store well-stocked? That’s what some devs are wondering, after hearing from Nokia that the company has created them accounts and uploaded apps without prior authorization.
Ander Webbs reports that Nokia contacted him about his ADW Launcher (of which we’re already fans), but rather than just asking if he might be interested in making it available in the Nokia Store, the company informed him it had already set up an account in his name and uploaded the app to its servers.
To be clear, it looks like Nokia was still waiting on Webbs’s approval to activate this account and make the app available to users, but that still feels very, very forward of the company. We also wonder if the action of uploading the app may violate copyright laws, as Nokia was never expressly authorized to do so.



Source: Ander Webbs (Google+)

Revamped Spotify app available on Windows Phone

Spotify became available on Windows Phone 8 in February of last year. Sadly, aside from a couple of bug fix updates, the application has been in the same state for about 14 months now. That has changed with a new version of the client available to download.
The music streaming service recently started overhauling its application in order to improve overall UX; it started with the Desktop and iOS, then Android users were able to experience the darker theme, and now all of that is available on Windows Phone, via a revamped Spotify app. Expect a brand new application with performance improvements, UI overhaul, as well as the addition of features that were missing in the previous version: Radio, Discover and Browse.


 

Source: Spotify, Windows Phone Store

Moto G Ferrari Edition introduced in Mexico

The Moto G LTE, and the brand new Moto E, were not the only two phones announced yesterday by Motorola. In Mexico, the two new devices were accompanied by a third one. Not a new device per se, but one that addresses a particular chunk of the market: those who want a Moto G Ferrari Edition.
Expect the same internals as your regular Moto G: 720p screen, Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7, Adreno 305 GPU, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 5MP camera, and the rest. However, the changes are on the outside. Aside from the Scuderia badge and Ferrari logo, the phone comes with a Kevlar cover, and unnamed Ferrari accessories. It will cost $4,999MXN (about $387) outright and you should expect it sometime in June.

 Source: Motorola

Sony Xperia A2 announced for Japan

Available in black, orange, lavender, and white, the Sony Xperia A2 packs a 4.3-inch display with 720p resolution, quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor clocked at 2.2GHz, Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD card), 20.7MP camera, 2.2MP webcam, 2,300mAh battery, and an IP55/IP58 certified build. The phone is expected mid-June.

Source: Sony

Apple building Multitasking split-screen iPad In iOS 8

A new report from 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman, who has a strong track record in predicting the future of Apple’s software, says that Apple will be building split-screen multitasking into iOS 8, the next major update for its mobile devices. This split-screen functionality will resemble these features as seen in recent Samsung tablets and the Microsoft Surface, the report claims. This comes hot on the heels of a new jailbreak tweak that adds almost exactly that kind of multitasking to iPad called “OS Experience.“
Split screen functionality is something that Microsoft has used to target the iPad in advertisements for its own tablet efforts, and something that is often requested by users in forums and editorials online. The feature in iOS 8 would allow two apps to be used side-by-side, but also make it possible for people to drag things like images, video and text from one app into the other. Apple is also working on a way to let apps running next to each other interact with each other directly while running, too.
It only works in landscape mode, per 9to5Mac’s report, and it is said to be targeted at the larger 9.7-inch iPad specifically, so it’s unclear whether it’ll also work with the iPad mini. This would go a long way to making the iPad an even more capable notebook replacement.
iOS 8 looks to be packing a lot of improvements, including the possible introduction of a Healthbook app which would work with fitness and medical devices, and improvements to Maps with the addition of transit directions. Some of this could be pushed back to an iOS 8.1 update, 9to5Mac cautions, but overall, it looks like the next update will still bring a healthy number of changes even if parts are released at a later date.

Anyone in the US can Purchase Google Glass and be an explorer

Google is opening up the Google Glass Explorer program once again, except this time, they have no intentions to close it. Google states that as long as they have units to sell, anyone can buy them and become an Explorer. Of course, the price is still $1500, but if you are a true early adopter of all things tech related, here is your chance to own a pair. 
While Google continues to work on finalized hardware and software, the company is still looking for feedback from Explorers, meaning your job as a Google Glass owner is a very important one.

We learned a lot when we opened our site a few weeks ago, so we’ve decided to move to a more open beta. We’re still in the Explorer Program while we continue to improve our hardware and software, but starting today anyone in the US can buy the Glass Explorer Edition, as long as we have it on hand.

 

 via:+Google Glass