CyanogenMod to Bring New Camera Enhancements to Supported Devices

Owners of Android devices with CyanogenMod ROMs installed on them might soon be able to take advantage of some new camera enhancements, it seems.

The camera app in CyanogenMod builds is said to be getting some new features soon, including voice activated and time delayed photo capture, some of the latest reports on the matter suggest. The team has already showcased the new features, confirming that they are still under development. Users can have a look at what these features are all about in the video embedded above.

Apparently, the voice activated photo capture feature works only for a single photo at the moment, something that will be changed soon, while the timer mode enables users to select for a shot to be taken with a delay of up to 1 minute.

CM Voice Shutter
Video credits to Ricardo Cerqueira

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Ubuntu Tweak 0.8.4 Released to Support Ubuntu 13.04

Tualatrix Chou, the developer behind the Ubuntu Tweak application, a very useful utility for all users of the Ubuntu Linux operating system, announced today, April 25, that a new version is available for download, supporting the brand-new Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail) operating system.

Beside the support for Ubuntu 13.04, Ubuntu Tweak 0.8.4 also fixes a few annoying bugs, such an unexpected issue that appears when installing apps through Ubuntu Tweak,  correctly upgrade the path of scripts on Ubuntu 13.04. Ubuntu Tweak 0.8.4 also fixes rare crashes that appear while updating the software list, the Janitor only shows “System” issue, and the window button tweak error in Ubuntu 13.04.

“You may encountered unexpected issues while installing apps through Ubuntu Tweak: download fails, network is down, then Ubuntu Tweak will popup an error dialog to tell the truth.” “In the old versions, Ubuntu Tweak will hang after you click the “Close” button, and you have to force close it and launch again. In 0.8.4, this bug is finally fixed! Now enjoy with installing third party apps without any pain,” said Tualatrix Chou in the official release announcement.

Download Ubuntu Tweak 0.8.4

Ubuntu Tweak 0.8
Image credits to launchpad.net

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Ubuntu 13.10 a.k.a. Saucy Salamander

A few hours after the official release of Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail), Mark Shuttleworth, father of the popular Ubuntu operating system, proudly announced the name and the goals for the next version of Ubuntu OS.

Yes, we are talking about Ubuntu 13.10, dubbed Saucy Salamander and scheduled for release sometime this year on October. Looks like Ubuntu Touch is the main target of Ubuntu 13.10, which will enhance the mobile UI with new applications, a new SDK, and a gorgeous clean interface. "It’s a way of saying ‘thank you’ to the tremendous community that has joined the effort to create a single unified experience from phone to PC, with tons of crisp and stylish core apps made by people from all over the world who want to build something fast, fresh and free."

"And we’re saucy too – life’s to short to be stodgy or stilted. Our work is our play – we make amazing things for a huge audience, we find space for pretty much every flavour of interface and do it with style." said Mark Shuttleworth in the blog announcement. What’s a Salamander? It looks like it’s an amphibian within the order Caudata. More details can be found on the Wikipedia page.

Salamander
Image credits to wikimedia.org

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Three New Nokia Lumia Handsets Emerge Online

Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia is getting ready for the launch of a new series of smartphones running under Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system, with at least three new models expected to be unveiled soon, it seems.

All three have been spotted online recently, and have already been mentioned in a tweet coming from Alan Mendelevich, founder of AdDuplex. The three sport model numbers RM-941, RM-943 and RM-910, though specific info on the wireless carriers that might bring them to shelves hasn’t been provided as of now.

Nothing has been officially confirmed on any of the three yet, but it seems that they might not be launched as high-end devices, since they sport only WVGA and WXGA screen resolutions. In fact, RM-943 is said to have emerged only once in AdDuplex’ logs, and to have been powered by Windows Phone 7 when it did.

Nokia logo
Image credits to Nokia

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Intel's Latest USB Driver for Android

Intel's Android USB Driver is now ready for download. This release will make your Android, Intel Atom based smartphone recognizable by your Windows running system.

This version is suited for Windows Vista, 7 and 8 on 32- or 64 bit architecture and Windows XP's 32-bit version. Bear in mind that USB Driver package version 1.1.5 is designed for Android App developer usage and has added support of Microsoft Windows 8. The USB profiles supported are ADB (Android Debug Bridge), MTP (Media Transfer Protocol), PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol), RNDIS and CDC Serial (Modem AT Proxy). As always, one might run into some issues with the installation, especially the one where the device is not recognized as “Android device.” Intel has provided a basic troubleshooter to help those that missed a step in the installation.

In the Device Manager window you may see “USB Mass Storage” instead of “ADB Device.” If that happens, right click it and select uninstall. Unplug your device and install the driver again. Do the same if you see the “Android Device” with yellow warning icon. Make sure the device you are attempting to connect has USB debugging enabled. Below is the link to the driver. Download, install and stay “updated one minute ago.”

Download Intel Android USB Driver 1.1.5

USB Driver package version 1.1.5 is designed for Android App developer usage
Image credits to Intel

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Lenovo IdeaPhone K900 Arrives in China on May 6

Lenovo’s flagship smartphone, the K900 has been recently confirmed to arrive in China on May 6. Also known as “king of the benchmarks,” due to the fact that it topped Samsung’s Galaxy S 4, Lenovo K900 is likely to be the most powerful Android smartphone in China.

According to GSMInsider, the smartphone will ship with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system out of the box and a powerful 2GHz quad-core Intel Clover Trail processor. Furthermore, the K900 embeds 2GB of RAM and sports a stunning 5.5-inch full HD capacitive touchscreen display that supports 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution.

On the back, Lenovo IdeaPhone K900 boasts an impressive 13-megapixel rear photo snapper, which features Sony Exmor RS lens, autofocus, LED flash and full HD (1080p) video recording. Unfortunately, there’s no telling whether or not Lenovo will release the K900 outside China. Stay tuned for more updates on the matter.

Kobe Bryant ad for Lenovo IdeaPhone K600
Image credits to GSMInsider

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Microsoft Confirms: Next Generation Xbox 720 Will Be Revealed on May 21

After lots and lots of rumors from all around the world, Microsoft has officially confirmed that it's going to reveal the next Xbox (aka the Xbox 720 or Durango) on May 21, through an invitation to a special event in Redmond, Washington.

The next generation Xbox console, oft-rumored under the Xbox 720 or Durango names, has received a lot of reported details in the past few months, especially since Sony already presented its own PlayStation 4.  Now, after hearing some rumors about a possible May 21 reveal, Microsoft has decided to make things official and has begun sending out invitations to media websites from all around the world. In the invitation, which you can check out above and below, the company mentions a "new generation Xbox."

The event will take place on May 21 at 10am in Microsoft's Redmond, Washington campus, according to Kotaku. Microsoft's Xbox community manager, Larry Hryb, also wrote on his blog saying that the company will also present other games and details at E3 2013 in June. Expect to hear some more details as we get closer to that date.

The invitation to the new generation Xbox reveal event
Image credits to Kotaku

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Nokia HERE Transit 3.5.1045 Arrives on Lumia Devices

An updated flavor of the HERE Transit application is now available for download for the owners of Nokia Lumia devices, namely version 3.5.1045, with various enhancements packed inside.

The new app release brings a series of bug fixes, while also being capable of enabling users to easily switch from HERE Maps to HERE Transit within the Journey Planner. HERE Transit also offers support for favorites in HERE Maps and Drive, and shows nearby stations and stops on a map.

“HERE Transit is available in over 670 cities and 50 countries around the world so there is no need to download separate apps for each city. Check if your city is covered here: www.nokia.com/transport-coverage,” Nokia also notes. HERE Transit for Lumia devices can be found in the Windows Phone Store via this link (though downloadable only directly on handsets).

HERE Transit
Image credits to Windows Phone Store

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MSI Radeon HD 7990 R7990-6GD5 Graphics Card

I'm sure I'll have practically flooded this section with tidbits about new Radeon HD 7990 graphics cards by tonight.

Still, as tedious as it is to report on the arrival of each new video card box, I may as well get it over it, especially since it's not all that often that a high-profile product like this appears. Much like Club 3D, ASUS and Origin PC have done, Micro-Star International has revealed its own-brand Radeon HD 7990.

Bearing the part number of R7990-6GD5, it has all the features I have described, and, of course, ships with download codes for eight games. Later this year, when and if AMD allows its partners to modify the PCB and cooling, we may see an actually unique MSI iteration of the adapter. Until then, logo stickers will have to do.

MSI Radeon HD 7990
Image credits to MSI

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ASUS Radeon HD 7990 6GB

It would have been quite odd if ASUS skipped releasing a Malta graphics card, but fortunately we have been spared the awkwardness of the absence of such an announcement.

Much like Club 3D and Origin PC, the company took the AMD Radeon HD 7990, slapped its logo stickers on the fans and shoved it into a box bearing its various logos and trademarks. That is the full extent of the modifications really, as AMD has not allowed any OEMs to modify the PCB, cooler or anything else about the new dual-GPU video board.

We should also note that, like all other Malta boards, the product ships with the full 8-game package: Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix), Hitman: Absolution (IO Interactive/Square Enix), Sleeping Dogs (Square Enix), Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos/Square Enix), Crysis 3 (Crytek/EA), Far Cry 3 (Ubisoft), Far Cry: Blood Dragon (Ubisoft), BioShock Infinite (Irrational Games/2K).

ASUS Radeon HD 7990
Image credits to ASUS

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