Google updates policies to prevent developers auto-updating apps outside of Play Store

 . You could be forgiven to have thought that Facebook and Google had put aside their rivalries and become BFFs after the launch of Facebook Home and the HTC First. However, it didn't take long for one side to strike the other, with Google making the move to update the Play Store policy and ban developers from bypassing the official update mechanism.
Facebook opened a can of worms when they added a feature in one of their latest releases that allowed them to auto-update their app on certain users' devices for beta testing purposes.

Android Phone , Google updates policies to prevent developers auto-updating apps outside of Play Store, Google updates policies to prevent developers auto-updating apps outside of Play Store

Julie's Gadget Diary - 2nd look at Qi wireless charging

A few weeks ago I published a gadget diary post sharing my experiences with trying to get Qi wireless charging working with my Verizon Samsung Galaxy S3. Long story short, I ordered a wireless charging patch (receiver) and a Nokia DT-900 Wireless Charging pad and it didn't work. One of our frequent readers (Haesslich) left a comment suggesting that the Nokia DT-910 Wireless Charging Stand might be a better choice… I took that advice, sent the DT-900 back to Amazon and ordered a DT-910. I've had a lot better luck with that one except for a couple new problems….


The Gadgeteer , Julie's Gadget Diary - 2nd look at Qi wireless charging, Julie's Gadget Diary - 2nd look at Qi wireless charging

Washington poised to nearly double its hybrid fleet

The Detroit News reports The General Services Administration is set to increase the number of hybrid vehicles in the government's fleet by 10,000. Doing so is estimated to save one million gallons of fuel per year through the lives of the machines. Currently, the GSA fleet boasts around 10,672 hybrids, and last fiscal year saw the agency purchase 919 of the vehicles. The GSA helps support other agencies, and in this case, it will cover the extra cost of opting for hybrid models over a standard internal combustion vehicle for any other agency that wishes to take part in the program.

Autoblog , Washington poised to nearly double its hybrid fleet, Washington poised to nearly double its hybrid fleet

Google Officially Acquires Wavii Resulting In Shutdown Of App

We recently reported on Wavii's possible acquisition by Google earlier this week, and it looks like the cat is officially out of the bag as the company has announced that it has indeed been acquired by Google. The news comes from Wavii's CEO Adrian Aoun, who published a statement on its homepage: . You probably know us best for our app that takes the deluge of information streaming across the web and condenses it into fast, fun updates.

Ubergizmo , Google Officially Acquires Wavii Resulting In Shutdown Of App, Google Officially Acquires Wavii Resulting In Shutdown Of App

Samsung NP300E5E-A02US 15.6-Inch Laptop

Here's another affordable 15.6-inch laptop for you to take home from Samsung, the NP300E5E-A02US. Priced at just $429.99 over at BestBuy, the system is equipped with a 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 LED-backlight display, a 2.5GHz Intel Core i3-3120M processor, an Intel HD Graphics 4000, a 4GB DDR3 RAM, a 750GB hard drive, a 720p HD webcam, a DVD Super Multi Drive, a 3-in-1 media reader, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, a 6-cell battery and runs on Windows 8 64-bit OS.

TechFresh , Samsung NP300E5E-A02US 15.6-Inch Laptop, Samsung NP300E5E-A02US 15.6-Inch Laptop

Hyundai in hot water over suicide-themed commercial

There's a surprisingly long and storied history of automakers creating suicide-themed advertisements. You'd think the companies and their marketing firms would have figured out by now that such ads always result in a swirl of backlash – see examples from Audi, Citroën, General Motors and Volkswagen, all pasted down below, as proof. It seems somebody at Hyundai didn't get the message that many people don't find suicide a laughing matter. A video making the rounds on the web that was, according to Hyundai, produced in the UK, depicts a man trying to commit suicide by pumping exhaust fumes into the passenger compartment of his car.







Autoblog , Hyundai in hot water over suicide-themed commercial, Hyundai in hot water over suicide-themed commercial

Oppo R809T Mid-Range Smartphone

While it goes without saying that companies ought to do their bit to ensure that they have a decent flagship device to keep in the smartphone race, it would also make perfect sense to achieve a balance in their product portfolio by rolling out devices that will also cater to different segments of society, and the middle class would be a good place to start. Word on the street earlier in the month has it that Oppo is working on a smartphone that is known as the Oppo R809T, where it measures 6..93mm thin, but that mark will still be far off from the 6.65mm of the Oppo Finder which was released sometime last year.

Ubergizmo , Oppo R809T Mid-Range Smartphone, Oppo R809T Mid-Range Smartphone

Gameloft's Iron Man 3 endless runner is now available on Google Play for free

It's been teased and teased, and just when Android gamers thought they couldn't take it any longer (this is starting to get weird), Gameloft has finally dropped their official movie-tie in for Iron Man 3 into the Google Play Store. Because endless runners are all the rage these days, Gameloft decided to go that route adding plenty of in-app purchases to the freemium title (Tony Stark is a businessman after all). Don't worry about movie spoilers, according to the game's description, the endless running/flying takes place after the events of Iron Man 3.


Android Phone , Gameloft's Iron Man 3 endless runner is now available on Google Play for free

See also:
, Gameloft's Iron Man 3 endless runner is now available on Google Play for free

Open Mobile Alliance Elects Board Leaders from Deutsche Telekom/T-Mobile, AT&T, Telecom Italia

Gary Jones, Bryan Sullivan and Cecilia Corbi to champion market driven specifications San Diego, CA – April 25, 2013 – The Open Mobile Alliance announced today the election of Gary Jones of Deutsche Telekom/T-Mobile as Chairman of OMA’s Board of Directors.  Bryan Sullivan of AT&T and Cecilia Corbi of Telecom Italia have been elected Vice-chairs.  The election of the officers brings continuity to the ongoing work of promoting innovation in standards-setting processes, as well as market-driven perspectives on areas of engagement for new technical work items.Newly elected to the position of

Press Release Distribution , Open Mobile Alliance Elects Board Leaders from Deutsche Telekom/T-Mobile, AT&T, Telecom Italia, Open Mobile Alliance Elects Board Leaders from Deutsche Telekom/T-Mobile, AT&T, Telecom Italia

Apple Worldwide Developers Conference On June 10 In San Francisco

Apple is launching WDDC 2013 at San Francisco's Moscone West from June 10 for five days. The event will feature more than 100 technical sessions presented by more than 1,000 Apple engineers. Tickets for this year's conference will go on sale Thursday, April 25, at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m.

Aurum3 NewTech , Apple Worldwide Developers Conference On June 10 In San Francisco, Apple Worldwide Developers Conference On June 10 In San Francisco

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX50 Travel-Zoom Digital Camera

Sony is preparing to launch a new travel-zoom digital camera in the UK called the Cyber-shot DSC-HX50. Claimed as the world's smallest camera with a 30x optical zoom lens, the Cyber-shot DSC-HX50 sports a 20.4MP Exmor R CMOS sensor, a 24-720mm lens, a 3.0-inch 921K-dot Xtra Fine LCD screen, Sony's BIONZ processor, WiFi connectivity and Full HD (50p) movie recording capability. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX50 will be available in the UK from May for around 350 GBP (about $536).

TechFresh , Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX50 Travel-Zoom Digital Camera, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX50 Travel-Zoom Digital Camera

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Deliveries To Resume In May

We've covered the whole Boeing 787 Dreamliner saga here. The jet was grounded earlier this year after its faulty battery system caused emergency landing of one flight and filling up of smoke in another. Since then Boeing has developed a new battery system, it has conducted flight certification tests, and only last week the FAA cleared its new battery system which will now be installed on Dreamliner planes that are sitting in hangars across the world. Flights have not resumed as of now, but are expected to in the near future.

Ubergizmo , Boeing 787 Dreamliner Deliveries To Resume In May, Boeing 787 Dreamliner Deliveries To Resume In May

Samsung Galaxy S4 Review

The Samsung Galaxy S4 has arrived to America, and if you have been eagerly waiting to know how it feels to use the Galaxy S4 in the real world, the wait is over. Since its predecessor sold more than 50M units worldwide, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has to live up to rather high anticipation and expectations. You may have followed our first hands-on review of the S4, so you may know a fair amount about this smartphone. for this complete review, we have had more time to use the Galaxy S4 as a primary smartphone, and needless to say that on paper, it improves upon all aspects of the Galaxy S3 with which you may have seen or played with.










Ubergizmo , Samsung Galaxy S4 Review, Samsung Galaxy S4 Review

Olympus Rumored To Announce E-P5 And E-PL6 Mirrorless Cameras

Yesterday we reported that according to the rumors, Fujifilm was expected to announce an entry-level mirrorless camera in the near future, and now according to the folks at digicame-info, they might not be alone as word on the street has it that Olympus will be announcing two new mirrorless cameras as well. At this point in time, the specifications of either camera remain something of a mystery, but they are expected to feature the model numbers E-P5 and the E-PL6. The E-P5 is expected to be the higher end of the two and could be priced at $1,000 for the body only. The E-PL6 will be priced cheaper at $700 for the body-only as well.

Ubergizmo , Olympus Rumored To Announce E-P5 And E-PL6 Mirrorless Cameras, Olympus Rumored To Announce E-P5 And E-PL6 Mirrorless Cameras

Nokia Wins Preliminary Injunction Against HTC In The Netherlands

In the Netherlands, a court granted Nokia a preliminary injunction against HTC concerning technology surrounding the microphone used in smartphones. Of course, this is not quite near patent territory just yet, but it certainly sees Nokia deal another blow to HTC. The technology involved here would be the same one that is used by HTC in its flagship device, namely, the well promoted HTC One. HTC claimed that the HTC One will come with high-amplitude microphones, but it so happens that this is also the very same dual-membrane technology which Nokia uses in their Lumia range of smartphones that run on the Windows Phone operating system.

Ubergizmo , Nokia Wins Preliminary Injunction Against HTC In The Netherlands, Nokia Wins Preliminary Injunction Against HTC In The Netherlands

Intel Update For USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Increase Power Output As Well

Intel has announced that they will be introducing an update to their USB 3.0 SuperSpeed interface, where this spanking new update will not only increase the total available throughput via the interface, but will also bump up the power output as well. In a nutshell, this would allow you to transfer data to your USB 3.0 devices at a faster rate in addition to having the potential of powering a bunch of other peripherals connected to it, sans a dedicated power cord. Now we're talking.

Ubergizmo , Intel Update For USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Increase Power Output As Well, Intel Update For USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Increase Power Output As Well

Eric Schmidt says Google Glass retail units are about another year away

It was last year at Google I/O we saw the action packed debut of Google Glass back when the device was still very much in its infancy. Little more than fancy head mounted camera chock full of potential, developers were only allowed to sign up for early access to the hardware — if they could afford the hefty $1,500 price tag that is. Since then, we've been seeing Google making a strong effort to create buzz for Glass, throwing promotional contests like “If I Had Glass,” even giving headsets away to celebrities and a few everyday developers.

Android Phone , Eric Schmidt says Google Glass retail units are about another year away, Eric Schmidt says Google Glass retail units are about another year away

Mother 3 Fan Translation Team Ready To Give Nintendo All Assets

Nintendo, a name that is revered among many for churning out memorable hits over the past decades in terms of gaming, did come across a Japan-only hit known as Mother, and they never really rolled out a translated version for the rest of the world to enjoy. Well, an independent, fan-driven translation team decided to do all the hard work for Mother 3, and this time around, the very same team is more than willing to share their assets with Nintendo, and would not mind editing whatever files required to fit the new standards – ranging from content to formatting and memory size among others.

Ubergizmo , Mother 3 Fan Translation Team Ready To Give Nintendo All Assets, Mother 3 Fan Translation Team Ready To Give Nintendo All Assets

64GB HTC One In Black Arrives On AT&T And Sprint Websites

At the end of last week, we did talk about how the HTC One has started to appear on the websites of both AT&T as well as Sprint, with pricing starting from $199 onwards. Of course, that is meant for the 32GB model, and for those who feel that they cannot survive without 32GB but would prefer to move on to double the amount of memory, then 64GB is the way to go, with AT&T offering that capacity for the HTC One for $299.99 a pop. Needless to say, regardless of which memory size you decide to choose, customers are required to sign a 2-year agreement beforehand.

Ubergizmo , 64GB HTC One In Black Arrives On AT&T And Sprint Websites

See also:
, 64GB HTC One In Black Arrives On AT&T And Sprint Websites

HTC One Kernel Source Code Is Now Available

Things are finally on track for HTC One. The latest Android flagship of this Taiwanese manufacturer was hit with production issues in the start which caused launch delays. Now that those setbacks have been done with, and the HTC One is on track for what seems to be a successful launch, the company hasn't forgotten about the developers that have been anxiously waiting for the code. HTC One kernel source code is now available for download from HTCdev.
To an average user the kernel source code is obviously of no use, but there's no doubt that developers will now be overjoyed.

Ubergizmo , HTC One Kernel Source Code Is Now Available, HTC One Kernel Source Code Is Now Available