Vine launches web profiles, planting seeds for six second satisfaction

Vine launches web profiles, planting seeds for six second satisfaction

The Vines are growing

Twitter-owned video sharing service Vine has rolled out its web profiles, allowing users to browser their feeds and visit the profiles of other users.

After announcing the plans, and inviting users to sign up for vanity URLs last month, the company has wasted little time in launching the profiles.

Users can now log in at the Vine.co page, where the experience is much the same as it is within the mobile apps for Android, iOS and Windows Phone.

However, there is one major difference, a new TV mode, which allows users to browse through Vines in a neat full screen mode. Within TV Mode the videos will play in sequence, meaning no loops and no endless scrolling and stopping.

First step

Vine's online launch comes after Instagram made the leap with photos and then videos in 2012. Like Instagram, Vine users will be unable to upload videos directly to the website, with that feature remaining mobile only.

The company said the roll out of web profiles is just the "first step" so perhaps uploads shouldn't be completely ruled out?

"This release is just a first step toward bringing you a richer, more enjoyable web experience. We look forward to introducing more improvements in 2014," Vine wrote on its company blog.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Galaxy S5 set for MWC launch? Samsung designer drops biggest hint yet

Galaxy S5 set for MWC launch? Samsung designer drops biggest hint yet

Early arrival for Galaxy S5 continues to appear more likely

Samsung's last major appearance at Mobile World Congress was in 2011, when it launched the Galaxy S2. Since then, the company has gone it alone with glamorous events and debatable success.

After the largely-mocked broadway-style Galaxy S4 introduction in New York last May, Samsung may be about to rejoin the chasing pack by revealing the Galaxy S5 at February's expo in Barcelona.

The rumour has been around for a while now, but it just a little more credence thanks to a hint from Samsung design director Dong-hoon Chang.

In an interview with reporters in Samsung's Korean homeland, Chang intimated that the handset will arrive with a new build material, while the possibility of a flexible display was "under review."

Stealing the show

Speculation has suggested Samsung will move forward the launch of the Galaxy S5 to counteract disappointing sales of the Galaxy S4 smartphone.

Should Samsung head back to Barcelona in February, the Galaxy S5 would undoubtedly steal the show.

MWC has lost some of its lustre in recent years as more and more manufacturers choose their own standalone events to launch their hero phones.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Samsung chairman to employees: ditch hardware focus, innovate non-stop

Samsung chairman to employees: ditch hardware focus, innovate non-stop

The opposite of what Microsoft is trying to do

Samsung has been successful with record-breaking smartphones sales and a reported 95% of Android profits, but its chairman still wants to shake up its hardware concentration.

To do this, it has to "get rid of business models and strategies from five, ten years ago and hardware-focused ways," said chairman Lee Kun-hee according to the Wall Street Journal.

His annual speech at the start of the new year is the latest indication that Samsung wants to improve its software and reduce its dependency on Android.

Right now, the company has its TouchWiz interface and a number of homegrown apps available on Google-powered devices like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3.

Teasin' Tizen

As Android users get accustomed to Samsung's pre-installed software and sign up for its new services, the company's developers continue to work on the Tizen operating system.

Tizen is Samsung's Linux-based operating system that's being prepped for its smartphone debut later this year. It's already powering one Samsung camera in South Korea.

With HTC and LG trying to muscle in on Samsung's Android territory and newcomers like Huawei threatening to do the same, Lee is asking his employees for constant innovation.

"Research & development center(s) should work around the clock, non-stop," said the chairman.

That could bring us a Tizen-equipped smartphone sooner than ever, or at least the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4 launches a little more quickly.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Looks like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lite will downgrade to a 720p display

Looks like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lite will downgrade to a 720p display

Going for the mid-range market

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lite, believed to be arriving in a matter of weeks, looks set to downgrade from a full HD to a 720p display.

"Hey, it's called the Lite for a reason, what did you expect?" we hear you cry. Well no, we're not exactly surprised by the information, which was spotted in a user agent profile for what is allegedly the non-LTE version of the phone.

The phone will still remain at the 5.7-inch size but the same profile says it won't be upgraded to Android 4.4 KitKat – still 4.3 for now. That may change when the phone actually launches, however.

Notable difference

The screen will also be switched from AMOLED to LCD, according to other reports, and will be bringing its 13MP camera down to an 8MP affair.

Let's hope it also gets a really tempting price tag to make the reductions worth it. If it does, Apple should probably hurry up and get a bigger iPhone out the door.

CES 2014 is just around the corner, but all rumours so far suggest the Note 3 Lite is holding off an appearance until MWC.


Source : techradar[dot]com

Acer Liquid Z5 budget smartphone goes official ahead of CES

Acer Liquid Z5 budget smartphone goes official ahead of CES

Acer's bringing the liquidy goodness to CES 2014

CES 2014 is just a matter of hours away and Acer has outed a bunch of devices that we'll be able to get our hands on at the Vegas show.

Included in the mix is its new budget smartphone, the Liquid Z5, which comes with a 5-inch screen, 5MP rear camera, dual-core 1,3GHz Cortex-A7 processor and 4GB of internal storage.

This one will come running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean and will come with a bunch of software feature such as AcerFloat for multitasking and AcerRapid for one-handed control.

Don't break the bank

The Z5 also brings dual-SIM support, 3G with HSPA+ and a 2,000mAh battery. No word from Acer on what the screen resolution will actually be, however.

But at a price of €169 (about £140) you certainly won't be breaking the bank for what looks like an ok successor to the Liquid Z3, though it's no Moto G.

The exciting part is that the phone will come in two vibrant colour options - white and grey. Calm yourselves down, ok?


Source : techradar[dot]com

Get marathon fit with your smartphone: starting out

Get marathon fit with your smartphone: starting out

Are you off the sofa yet?

If the New Year has inspired you to get fighting fit, then you've hit the right page. Technology has the tools to help you get in the shape of your life but it's not easy to know which product is right for your goals.

We've enlisted the help of T3.com Editor-in-chief and ultra runner Kieran Alger to put together a five-part guide to help you uncover everything you need to go from couch slouch to marathon finisher.

Your smartphone has revolutionised everything. From the way you work to how you shop, it's now the weapon of choice for most of life's battles. With innovations in motion-sensing, the arrival of Bluetooth LE and improved GPS chips, it now even has the power to transform you from sofa-dweller to marathon machine. That's right, even you.

Thanks to lighter handsets, more powerful processing and better sensors, smartphone-powered fitness has exploded.

Activity tracking innovations like Apple's M7 'motion coprocessor' - built to let your track your movements 24/7 with a lower drain on battery life - mean we're now able to learn more about ourselves and our fitness habits in real time.

Bluetooth Low Energy means we can also sync data collected by the multitude of new fitness apps with stats captured by other devices, like Wi-Fi scales, heart rate monitors and even devices that tell you how tired you are with less leeching of phone juice.

The result? It's easier than ever to build up a comprehensive picture of our health and fitness. We can effectively take control of our own fitness.

While that's amazing, all of this new technology is still only half the battle. If you want to get fit, you're going to need to overcome your inner instinct to sit on you backside and watch Homeland. To beat the human pre-disposition for laziness, you need a goal.

So with January upon us, New Year's resolutions being scribbled and Spring marathon season just around the corner, we're here to show you how to turn your phone into a running coach, nutritionist and motivator - your very own pocket personal trainer. We'll show you how you can go from couch to 42km with the help of that thing you mainly use to check Facebook.

The complete novice

Getting started is always the hardest part but the good news is it doesn't need to be complicated or expensive. If you've got a smartphone, plus a little willpower you're in a good place.

If you're not a smartphone owner, upgrade to a handset with a good battery life, like the LG G2, Nokia Lumia 520 or Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

Now you're tooled up, you need to get fired up. Download the Amazon Kindle app or the Apple iBooks and treat yourself to one of the books recommended below. These are your inspiration. In the dark moments when you're doubting yourself, read these.

Amazon Kindle app
Download the Amazon Kindle app

Next you'd be wise to get an indication of your resting heart. Download something like Instant Heart Rate, an app that uses your phones camera to detect your pulse. Make sure you've been sat still for a good five minutes before and make a note of the rate. If it's stupidly high, see a doctor before you lace up.

You will need motivation while you're clocking up the miles. Most people use music. So either load your phone with MP3s or opt for a streaming music service like Spotify or Deezer and create yourself some playlists of varying durations. Need inspiration? Head to ShareMyPlaylist.com for ready-made fitness soundtracks.

If music isn't your thing then audiobooks are a great alternative.

Now it's time to get moving. If it's been a long time since you've run, or done any exercise, you need to build up slowly. Use an app like Nike Move – iOS only for the moment – and Samsung HealthMate, to track walks. Think in minutes rather than distance with the aim to get to a good fast-paced 45 minute walk without feeling the need to stop.

Endomondo

Once your base level of fitness holds up to a fast-paced 45 minute walk it's time to up the ante a bit. Download Endomondo Sports Tracker – a free GPS tracking app with a handy fitness test feature.

The app tracks how long it takes to walk or run a mile as fast as you can, lets you log your heart rate after and gives you feedback on your fitness levels. This will be your benchmark.

Now that you have the Endomondo app installed you can start to build running into your 30-minute walks and use the app to track everything from speed, pace and distance to the hills your climbed and rolled down.

The aim here is to use walk-running to slowly build up your fitness. Walk for two minutes to warm up, then run for two minutes. Once you get tired, walk again. Repeat until you hit the thirty-minute mark.

Keep doing this until you find you're able to run the whole thirty minutes. You'll be able to see your progress in the app and access all the data online for free.

Once you're running for 30 minutes solid, you're ready to move on to the next step.

Part 2 of our "Get marathon fit with your smartphone" series will be online soon. In the meantime, good luck!


Source : techradar[dot]com

Expect 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch iPhones this year, claim insiders

Expect 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch iPhones this year, claim insiders

Are our hands ready for a bigger iPhone?

Ongoing speculation suggests that Apple is set to go bigger in 2014, but we're still unsure whether it's the iPhones or the rumours themselves that will prove to be inflated.

Back in June we heard that Apple was mulling over both a 4.7-inch and a 5.7-inch iPhone, and sources from within Foxconn are allegedly now claiming the same thing.

The same insiders also said that the new handsets will come with a form of biometric sensor, which we'll assume to be Touch ID.

By the numbers

It's a bit of a 'guess the number' game at the moment. We recently reported (once again) that Apple was testing a 6-inch iPhone that could be launched as early as May.

It may be the case that Apple deemed 6 inches too big for our hands and has opted for a 5.7-inch model instead, which would go up against the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. The 4.7-inch model could theoretically replace the 4-inch iPhone 5S.

Or, alternatively, these sources at Foxconn don't know what's really going on. After all, the story claims that the anonymous source spilled the beans at a Christmas party, so there's a good chance that these claims came from nothing more than a cocktail of alcohol and factual inaccuracies,


Source : techradar[dot]com

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