LG To Introduce The LG G3 Smartphone Come May 27

LG on Tuesday confirmed that the LG G3 will launch earlier than anticipated this year, saying in its Q1 2014 earnings report that the new high-end smartphone will help the company boost its Q2 numbers. In a following interview with reporters in South Korea, LG further acknowledged that the company will launch the handset by the end of May. A day later, LG has officially announced a special media event scheduled for May 27, when it’ll likely unveil the handset, possibly alongside its first Android Wear smartwatch.

LG’s France-based arm confirmed on Tuesday that the already official G Watch will launch in June in the country, selling for €199.

The invitation has a short message, a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, teasing new G-branded products without specifically naming the G3 or the G Watch. “To be simple is to be Great” the quote says, with the G clearly highlighted.

The fact that LG already confirmed the name and launch date for the G3 is a clear indication the May 27 event will be mostly about LG’s future flagship handset. Furthermore, the fact that the company will host the event in six cities simultaneously, including San Francisco, New York and London, suggests it has big plans for the immediate future.

The G3 will likely be one of the most important Galaxy S5 rivals, with recent leaks claiming the phone will have at least one better feature than Samsung’s top 2014 handset, a high-resolution 2K display. Furthermore, The Verge speculates that the event invite seems to indicate the G3 may have a metal case, which would be another major selling point for the handset – the invitation’s message appears to be written on a dark brushed aluminum surface.

Home Quote Of The Day

“Where we love is home,
Home that the feet may leave,
but not our hearts.” 
― Oliver Wendell Holmes

Fabulous interior decors...... color they say bring life to whatever its applied to so how bout a little colour to your home to lighten up the whole place?

Home Quote Of The Day

Life takes us to unexpected places but love brings us back home.

Gogo; AT&T To Build a Better In-Flight WiFi

AT&T and Honeywell International are teaming up to offer high-speed, in-flight Internet in the United States, the companies said on Monday, challenging industry leader Gogo.

Gogo’s shares fell 14 percent in after-hours trading following the announcement of the new service, expected by late 2015. It will use an AT&T 4G LTE network and Honeywell systems and hardware to supply broadband service to business, commercial, and general aviation passengers, as well as to airlines seeking more connectivity onboard planes.

Honeywell said the deal could provide it with $1 billion in revenue over the next decade. AT&T declined to estimate potential revenue from the agreement.

The two companies have signed a letter of intent and expect to sign a formal contract shortly, Honeywell said.

Gogo currently provides similar cellular network-based technology, known as air-to-ground, that is in use on about 80 percent of wired commercial aircraft in the United States, including Delta Air Lines and the newly merged American Airlines.

After Gogo’s shares fell sharply, Chief Executive Mike Small said in an interview: “I think it went the wrong direction.” He noted that Gogo pioneered the air-to-ground system over the past 20 years.

“We have a great business, and everybody wants in,” he said.

Gogo recently announced a satellite-based system that offers connectivity over water and uses a dual antenna capable of providing speeds of up to 70 megabits per second, compared with its current air-to-ground service speed of 9.8 Mbps in the U.S.

Honeywell said the AT&T system would have greater speed and bandwidth than existing systems, but it did not provide approximate data speeds for the 4G system.

AT&T said airborne WiFi fits its strategy of adding connectivity to a wide range of applications, from cars to automation in homes. The company has about 116 million subscribers in the United States.

The AT&T-Honeywell deal comes as a number of in-flight Internet options are being rolled out, many based on Ka band or Ku band satellite spectrum. The systems promise faster speeds and wider application at lower cost. But they also have made it difficult for airlines to choose among competing technologies, and the cost of equipping a fleet can run hundreds of millions of dollars.

Better connectivity would allow more communication with pilots and crew members and the plane’s diagnostic systems, providing real-time weather tracking and status reports on aircraft parts. With improved and less costly connectivity, a plane could send more alerts about parts that might be close to failure, enabling ground crews to have spares ready when the aircraft lands.

Greater connectivity also would help in tracking jets that is a priority as the search continues for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which vanished from radar screens on March 8 with 239 people aboard. The wreckage has still not been located.

Here's The New MacBook Air; Lower Price

The Air just got a little refresher. 

On Tuesday morning, Apple announced a new version of its MacBook Air, its slim, lightweight, oft-imitated laptop computer. The new MacBook Air looks the same as last year’s model, but Apple has upgraded the computer’s processor, making it speedier at things like multitasking, and also taken $100 off the starting price.

The design, weight, and screen sizes and quality remain the same. What Apple has improved here are the guts of the computer, improving its zip and likely its battery life, too. Last year’s MacBook Airs, which launched in June, started with Intel dual-core 1.3 GHz processors; this year’s MacBook Airs will come with newer Intel dual-core 1.4 GHz processors.

That means better speed. The cheapest MacBook Air configuration, for a laptop with an 11-inch display, costs $899, down from $999 a year ago. A new MacBook Air with a 13-inch display starts at $999, also down $100 from a year ago.

Though Apple’s super-skinny laptop was one of a kind when it debuted in 2008, similarly lightweight, slim models from Windows manufacturers like Samsung and Asus have been challenging the Air as of late. Many of these models are cheaper than the Air and offer similar processing power and lightness. But none of those myriad Windows “ultrabooks,” as they are called, has caught on like the Air has.

For the gear-heads, tech specs are available at Apple’s website. The new MacBook Air is available now on Apple.com and in Apple Stores. 

Steps To Tracking A Lost Or Stolen Phone

Last week, a group of wireless carriers unanimously agreed to include anti-theft tools in their mobile devices as a way to prevent the increasing trend of smartphone theft.  

Under the voluntary commitment, companies including Apple, AT&T, Samsung, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon Wireless have all pledged to include free “kill switch” tools on every smartphone sold in the United States after July 2015. The kill switch will let owners shut down their phones from afar after they’ve been taken from them.

That’s a step in the right direction. But you don’t have to wait until next summer to enable security tools on your beloved smartphone. Manufacturers have provided device-tracking apps for years now, and there are a variety of services that will help wipe a smartphone’s data or prevent reactivation if a phone is lost or stolen.

Here’s a brief guide to ensure that your phone — and all the data on it — is as safe as can be.

AndroidPhones running Google’s Android operating system come with their own location-tracking technology. Here’s how to enable it:

1. Tap the Apps icon. 

2. Find and open Google Settings.

3. Select Location.

4. Check the box under the header Access location. If you haven’t synced your Google account with your phone, you’ll have to do that.

5. Once you’ve gone through those steps, you’ll have to visit the Android Device Manager website and accept Google’s terms (which are displayed below and somewhat unsettling!).

6. From there, you’ll need to select Setup Lock & Erase.

7. A box will pop up that asks to message a notification to your phone. Click Send.

8. Tap the notification on your phone.

9. You’ll be brought to a page that details the functions of this feature. Once you select Activate, you’ll be able to remotely wipe your phone’s data, change the screen unlock password, and lock the screen.

Mission accomplished! Now feel free to go leave your phone at your favorite local coffee shop. (Please don’t.)

iOSAnyone with an Apple device is automatically gifted an app called Find My iPhone/iPad/iPod. It’s introduced to you when you first set up your device. Perhaps you’ve already enabled it. If not, here’s a brief guide to doing so:

1. If you haven’t created an iCloud account, do that. This is how Apple will store your data and access it remotely. Note that you can track more than one device in the Find My iPhone app as long as you use the same iCloud account for each.

2. Ensure that your device is running at least iOS 5. Ideally you’d be running iOS 7, because that version offers more security features.

3. Go to Settings.

4. Go to iCloud. If you’re asked to sign in, enter your Apple ID.

5. Scroll down until you see Find My iPhone, and swipe the toggle to turn it on. When a confirmation message pops up, tap Allow.

If you lose your phone, you’ll be able to see its latest location on a map at this website. You’ll also be able to make it play a sound, put it into “lost mode” (which locks the screen with a message of your choice), or wipe the phone altogether.

Once, I watched my iPhone travel around Manhattan in a cab for a day (a map of its journey is below). I added a lock screen with an alternate number and frantically made it beep over and over again until it died. The driver saw my information, called me, and returned my phone. 

WindowsThose of you with Windows Phones have a built-in app called Find My Phone to help you track your device. You’ll need to make sure you have a Microsoft account before you enable it. Then …

1. On your desktop, go to windowsphone.com. Sign in with the same account you use to sign in with on your phone.

2. In the upper-right corner of the screen, hover your mouse over the phone to bring up a drop-down menu, and then click Find My Phone.

3. From there, you’ll be able to see your phone’s location on a map, make it ring, lock it, and erase all its data.

4. If you’d like to adjust this feature’s settings, you’ll need to access the Find My Phone app on your phone via your App list.

5. From there, tap the Settings square  and then select Find My Phone.

6. You’ll be offered two options: Send apps to my phone using push notifications (not SMS) and Save my phone’s location periodically and before the battery runs out to make it easier to find. I’d recommend enabling both of these. The first because, as a default, the Find My Phone services texts commands to your phone. Switching that to push notifications will be cheaper, faster, and less limiting. The second will automatically store your phone’s location every couple of hours in case its battery dies while it’s lost. This can be a life-saver, because batteries die a lot.

BlackBerryAll BlackBerry 10 phones have a tracking feature called BlackBerry Protect built into them. If you’re running an earlier operating system, you can download the free BlackBerry Protect app here. Just like all the other operating systems, you’ll need to have a special BlackBerry log-in to link your phone.

1. To add a device that’s running BlackBerry 10 OS to your Protectaccount, swipe down from the top of the home screen.

2. Tap Settings → Protect.

3. Turn on BlackBerry Protect.

4. From there, you’ll be able to see the current location of your precious phone on a map, make the device ring, add a message on your home screen, lock your phone and reset its password, and wipe your device altogether.

And that, my dear readers, is how you avoid losing your trusty phone sidekick — or, at least, how you can locate it once you do. Godspeed.

Home Quote Of The Day

Everyone needs a house to live in, but a supportive family is what builds a home.” 
― Anthony Liccione

Home Quote Of The Day

I think what you notice most when you haven’t been home in a while is how much the trees have grown around your memories.
-Mitch Albom

With Google Map, You Can Travel-time

Google Maps is going back in time.

Google announced in a blog post Wednesday that you can now see past images of certain landmarks and neighborhoods as far back as 2007. You’re also able to view photos of locations during each of the four different seasons.

It’s no time-traveling DeLorean, but it does offer a fascinating perspective on developing monuments like the Freedom Tower or — more practically — what the climate of a future vacation destination might look like when you get there.

Though the feature isn’t available for every little plot of land that Google Maps cars have photographed, it is the start of building an important database of historical imagery. A digital time capsule of the developing world may offer invaluable data for future generations, displaying the effects of natural disasters and informing the planning of future infrastructure. 

Here’s how it works: 

When you search for a certain landmark on your desktop, you’ll have the option to explore Street View Imagery. From there, you’ll see a collection of image times. Those with photo archives will display a clock icon in their upper-left corners.

From there, you’ll be able to tab through a timeline of an image. In many cases, this means you’ll be able to watch a mini time-lapse of how a building was erected. 

Here are some cool side-by-sides, courtesy of Google, to give you an idea of what it looks like:

Try it out yourself with a brand-new development, like Brazil’s newly minted World Cup stadium.

Now if only Google could do this for your childhood home.

LG Flaunts Features Of Its Yet to Come Android Smartwatch

LG has launched an official site dedicated to teasing technophiles about the upcoming launch of its G Watch.

Expected to go on sale in July and to cost less than $300, the G Watch will use Google’s new Android Wear operating system and will be focused on pushing relevant information and notifications to the wearer’s wrist at exactly the right moment.

The new site provides more information and images of the device but is careful not to reveal much in terms of information on specs and functions. So while we now know that the watch will be dust and water resistant — sufficiently so to appeal to outdoors types — and will be available in champagne gold as well as a stealthy-looking all black finish, LG is being very careful not to give any clues as to the watch’s dimensions or processor specifications.

However, the company says that, unlike a lot of smartwatches already out there (most notably those produced by its main rival, Samsung), the G Watch screen will always be illuminated; there will be no need to tap it, shake it, or speak to it for it to wake up.

The watch sports absolutely no buttons and so will respond either to onscreen touches or to voice commands — just say, “OK Google” to prime it and then ask for a weather update or access to the music library.

Whatever its eventual specs when it does go on sale, the G Watch could struggle to follow the Moto 360. The first smartwatch to use the Android Wear operating system is scheduled to launch in June and, unlike LG, Motorola has gone to great lengths to highlight the device’s desirability and the sizable investment it has made in design and in the selection of premium materials so that the watch feels and looks more like something from Switzerland than from Japan.

Cellphones Can Improve Literacy Says UN

A study conducted by the UN (United Nations)education agency says cellphones are getting more and more people to read in countries where books are rare and illiteracy is high.

Paris-based UNESCO says 774 million people worldwide cannot read, and most people in sub-Saharan Africa don’t own any books, but cellphones are increasingly widespread. The report Wednesday says large numbers of people in such countries are reading books and stories on “rudimentary small-screen devices.”

It says a third of study participants read stories to children from cellphones. It also says that people who start reading on a mobile device go on to read more in general, improving their overall literacy.

The study was conducted among 4,000 people in Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

Home Quote Of The Day

“What is home? My favorite definition is "a safe place," a place where one is free from attack, a place where one experiences secure relationships and affirmation. It's a place where people share and understand each other. Its relationships are nurturing. The people in it do not need to be perfect; instead, they need to be honest, loving, supportive, recognizing a common humanity that makes all of us vulnerable.” 
-Gladys Hunt

Here Are 10 Popular Smartphones You Probably Have Never Heard Of

Good old America, land of the hot new smartphone. HTC Ones, iPhones, Samsung Galaxies — these devices are relatively common here and, thanks to the subsidized structure of our wireless plans, mostly within financial reach for large segments of the population. But in the rest of the world, only the elite can afford the ridiculously high price tags these devices command. Look beyond the 1 percent and you’ll see a different picture — a panoply of smartphones being churned out by gigantic corporations you’ve never heard of, and often incorporating features you’ve never dreamed of. These are the smartphones of the world. Meet them now for the first time.

1. KT Tech’s KM-E100 is a middle-of-the-road Android smartphone that happens to come with a massively popular (in South Korea) messaging app called KakaoTalk built in. A genius feature allows owners to split the screen in half and simultaneously chat on both Facebook and KakaoTalk at the same time.

2. China’s 9080W runs Android Jelly Bean and has dual SIM slots, which allows the phone to be used with two carriers at once

3. The QMobile Noir Quarto Z4 from Pakistan sports a 5-inch display, a quad-core processor, and 2 GB RAM, all loaded up with Android Jelly Bean. The price? Just under $350 unlocked.

4. The $300 XOLO LT900 was India’s first LTE-enabled smartphone. It comes with a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3-inch display, and, thanks to XOLO’s partnerships with Indian carriers, offers the ability to stream movies and TV shows directly to the device over the wireless data connection.

5. The YotaPhone is a beautiful piece of Russian tech that has an e-ink display on its back for notifications like texts and weather.

6. Brazilian company IGB Eletrônica SA trademarked the “iPhone” name back in 2000. That allows it to sell the iPhone Neo One. Instead of chamfered aluminum, a fingerprint sensor, and iOS, you get a low-end plastic device that runs Android 2.3. But hey, it’s also just $250.

7. The Titanium S5 from Indian smartphone maker Karbonn isn’t made of titanium, sadly. But at least that keeps the price under $200 for a 5-inch Android phone powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor and with an 8-megapixel camera.

8. Pick up a Nokia in Sub-Saharan Africa, and it’s bound to look a lot like the Asha 303. This BlackBerry-style handset combines both a 2.6-inch touchscreen and a traditional QWERTY keyboard.

9. The Oppo N1 looks like someone took an HTC One and unceremoniously clipped webcam  on top of it 

10. This rugged beast from Japanese maker NEC is designed to be the Hulk of phones. The Android handset is built to military specifications, so it’s dustproof, waterproof, and shockproof, and capable of withstanding extreme temperatures and UV exposure. Price starting from $429.99

Home Quote Of The Day

“Home is where somebody notices when you are no longer there. ” 
― Aleksandar Hemon

Google Patents Contact Lenses With Micro-cameras

Add this one to the list of unbelievably cool things Google has in the works: It has patented a contact lens system that would include built-in cameras. 

The technology could potentially allow Google to shrink its wearable face computer — known as Google Glass — into the size of a single contact lens. Rather than be controlled by voice, those wearing the contacts would command their device through, as Patent Bolt analyzes it, “a sophisticated system” of “unique blinking patterns.” In other words, people wearing these contacts may look even weirder than people in Google Glass.

News of Google’s patent filing comes just a few months after the company revealed a prototype contact lens that monitors glucose levels. The invention, which was developed in the company’s secretive Google X Labs, could be a major aid for the millions of diabetics who must measure their blood sugar by drawing blood from their fingers.

Google’s latest breakthrough in contact lens technology could potentially grant the blind the ability to see certain things, according to Patent Bolt’s close reading of the patent application.

“For example, a blind person wearing Google’s contact lens with a built-in camera may be walking on a sidewalk and approaching an intersection. The analysis component of the contact lens can process the raw image data of the camera to determine … that there is a car approaching the intersection.” 

Sounds rad. Let’s just hope it doesn’t spawn a whole new population of Glassholes. 

Samsung's Newest Android; The Galaxy S5

The wait is over. The Galaxy S5, Samsung’s newest Android flagship smartphone, hit the stores on Friday April 11.

Improving on last year’s Galaxy S4 with a slightly larger screen, speedier innards, an improved camera, and its own fingerprint sensor to rival Apple’s Touch ID, the S5 immediately became one of the top smartphones on the market on  Friday April 11.

Where do I buy one?The phone is launched in 125 countries on  Friday April 11, but stateside you can pick one up from any of the four major wireless carriers — T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, or AT&T — as well as Best Buy, RadioShack, and other retailers. If you don’t mind waiting for it to be shipped, Amazon.com is also a good option.

How much is it?Contract carriers are selling the Galaxy S5 for $199 with a two-year agreement. T-Mobile is offering the device at a $0 down, $27-a-month payment plan spread out across two years.

Sprint and AT&T also have similar $0-down payment plans, which allow customers to upgrade earlier than those in two-year service agreements. Verizon has a buy one, get one free promotion, though both purchasers must sign a new two-year contract, and must also be on the same plan. 

The last option is to just buy an unlocked Galaxy S5 to be used on prepaid services or without contract. You can grab one this way from places like Newegg.com or Amazon, but it’ll run you anywhere from $700 to $800.

Should I buy one?Our own David Pogue recently put the Samsung Galaxy S5 through its paces and found it to be a great and capable device with a very good camera and a very smart waterproof feature. The downside: The phone is unfortunately loaded with Samsung “junkware” and probably too many features you’ll never use. Luckily Android, and Samsung’s version called TouchWiz, are so customizable that much of the stuff you’ll never use can be hidden out of the way.

Be sure to read Pogue’s full review of the Galaxy S5 before deciding on whether or not it should be your next smartphone. Keep in mind that Samsung’s Galaxy phones are very popular, so unless you’re the patient type when it comes to getting your new toys (we are not), you might want to make your mind up soon before your neighborhood store runs out of stock.

Happy gadgeting!

Apple's iOS7.1 With Carplay Support

Apple has finally taken the wraps off its latest firmware update, iOS 7.1, which is now available as a free download for everyone. The new OS update adds a few new features to the mix, including a few tweaks to its UI and bug fixes, especially for the random reboot problem many iOS 7 users have been experiencing.
But perhaps the most notable feature is the inclusion of Apple’s CarPlay feature, which brings iOS integration to your in-dash stereo and provides you with the ability to interact with Siri, access your music library and third-party audio apps, navigate routes using Maps, answer calls and send texts hands-free. The feature will be offered on select new Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Ferrari models, while plenty of other manufacturers are working on CarPlay options of their own.

Home Quote Of The Day

"Home is where my habits have habitats"
-Fiona Apple

Google Glass For US Only; Begins And Ends April 15

Google will make a limited supply of its controversial Internet-linked Glass eyewear available for purchase in the United States beginning —and ending — on April 15.

Anyone in the United States with $1,500 to spend on Glass will be able to join the ranks of “Explorers” who have gotten to test out the devices prior to them hitting the market, the California-based Internet titan said Thursday in a post at Google+ social network.

“Our Explorers are moms, artists, surgeons, rockers, and each new Explorer has brought a new perspective that is making Glass better,” Google said in the post.

“But every day we get requests from those of you who haven’t found a way into the program yet, and we want your feedback too.”

On April 15, starting at 9 a.m. Eastern, Google will commence what it billed as the biggest expansion of the Explorer program to date by letting anyone in the U.S. buy the eyewear online here, noting that there would be a limited number of units available.

Selling the imageGoogle in March said it is joining forces with the frame giant behind Ray-Ban and other high-end brands to create and sell Glass Internet-linked eyewear in the United States.

The partnership with Luxottica was portrayed as Google’s “biggest step yet into the emerging smart eyewear market.”

Luxottica brands include Oakley, Alain Mikli, Ray-Ban, and Vogue-Eyewear.

The first smart glasses by Luxottica for Google Glass will go on sale in 2015, the head of the Italian eyewear group said Tuesday.

Google has been working to burnish the image of Glass, which has triggered concerns about privacy, because the devices are capable of capturing pictures and video.

Google recently sent out a release to debunk Glass myths including that it invades privacy, distracts wearers, and is for “technology-worshipping geeks.”

“If someone wants to secretly record you, there are much, much better cameras out there than one you wear conspicuously on your face and that lights up every time you give a voice command or press a button,” Google said.

“If a company sought to design a secret spy device, they could do a better job than Glass.”

During the Explorer testing phase, developers are creating apps for Google Glass, which can range from getting weather reports to sharing videos to playing games.

Google in February gave the early adopters a bit of advice: Don’t be “Glassholes.”

It was the final suggestion in a recommended code of conduct posted online for the software developers and others taking part in the Explorer program.

Google appeared intent on avoiding the kinds of caustic run-ins that have seen some Glass wearers tossed from eateries, pubs, or other establishments due to concerns over camera capabilities built into devices.

Glass connects to the Internet using WiFi hotspots or, more typically, by being wirelessly tethered to mobile phones. Pictures or video may be shared through the Google+ social network.

Home Quote Of The Day

“You can go other places, all right - you can live on the other side of the world, but you can't ever leave home” 
- Sue Monk Kidd

Home Quote Of The Day

"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it."
-George Augustus Moore

Facebook To Remove Messaging From Mobile App

Facebook’s mobile app is losing one of its main features.

The social media network is notifying some of its European members that they will no longer be able to send direct messages to friends through the Facebook app, The Verge reports. For that function, they’ll instead need to download Messenger for iOS or Android.

The change is expected to roll out for those who received the message abroad in two weeks. A Facebook spokesperson confirmed that this is not a temporary or regional test. Sometime soon, everyone in every country will have to use a separate app for messaging. That is, unless she 1) owns a lower-end Android device without enough memory to load Messenger, 2) has a Windows Phone or tablet, or 3) uses Facebook’s news app Paper to message people … for some reason.

By separating the main Facebook app from Messenger, the company might be able to introduce more unique features into Messenger more quickly, like WhatsApp integration or voice calling. 

So next time you tap the message button in the Facebook app and it redirects you to download Messenger, that’s why.

Twitter's New Look; Bigger Photos, Highlighted Tweets

Twitter is getting a little more Facebook-like. 

Twitter this morning said that it’s rolling out a new design for your Twitter profile which includes larger photos, a readjusted timeline, and a display of your most popular Tweets.

It looks (and acts) undeniably like a Facebook profile. But these new features may also make it easier to sift out good Tweets from a stream of white noise.The makeover includes the following new tools:

—Best Tweets: Any 140-word post that’s been faved, retweeted, or spurred a lot of discussion will be enlarged on your page so more people can see it. In other words, people will be able to spot your Twitter fights and puppy photos easier.

—Pinned Tweet: You, too, can curate the most interesting Tweets in your feed by “pinning” one to the top of your page. That way, anyone who visits your profile will be able to see the message. Sort of like a status update.

—Filtered Tweets: When you’re snooping around other people’s profiles, you can filter out their timeline by choosing to only see Tweets, Tweets with photos/videos, or Tweets with replies.

Those who are brand new to Twitter will automatically inherit the new Twitter, while veterans will receive it over the next couple of weeks.