Marvel has bestowed some new superpowers on its Marvel Unlimited app for iOS, integrating the adaptive audio technology it has been working on in its secret evil lairs for over a year.
Starting with five issues of Captain America: The Winter Solder, the company is adding cover-to-cover soundtracks with the hope of upping the drama and improving the reading experience for fans.
The adaptive part comes through gauging how fast readers progress through the panels. If users spend a long time on a particular panel, the music will loop. Skip forward and it will seamlessly segue to the next part of the score.
Other changes to the new app, which is available now, sees Marvel shift from HTML 5 to native iOS code for faster transitions. The Android version of the app is close too.
More blips!
There's no adaptive audio with these blips, but they're still essential reading.
Google Now Launcher has arrived, but you will be forgiven if you don't know much about it.
We are scratching our heads as to why Google Now Launcher was actually launched with minimal fanfare and a low-profile Google+ post. All we can say is: don't let the low-key launch fool you as this is one of Google's most important apps in years.
Not only is the new Google Now Launcher a cracking bit of software, it's also the future of Android.
It is also a little bit of a secret - not much is know about Google Now Launcher and some are confused as to why you would actually need it on your phone.
That's why we have tried the launcher for ourselves and are here to tell you everything you need to know about the app that adds more Google to your Android phone...
What exactly is Google Now Launcher?
On an Android phone, the launcher is basically the maître d': it's the bit of software that welcomes you onto the phone, is in charge of the home screen, and does the behind-the-scenes launching of any apps. It's in charge of the layout of arguably the most important and frequently seen bits of the operating system, and as such is quite important.
It also tends to vary a fair bit between different Android-running phones. Vanilla Android, as released by Google, has a 'stock' launcher, but most third-party manufacturers like Samsung, Sony or HTC tend to use a software 'skin' on top of Android, which changes a bunch of things, including the launcher.
But, because this is Android, switching your launcher is pretty easy – hustle over to the Play Store, and there's innumerable free launchers just vying for your attention.
The Google Now Launcher, then, isn't a unique app – it goes in to bat against an already established market of other options, like the venerable Nova and Apex launchers that were around back when phones had trackballs and short trousers.
Where the Google Now Launcher is different is that it's the first time Google's released the stock Android launcher for download on the Play Store (with some caveats, which we'll mention later). This means that anyone with a device running Android 4.x can have the same experience that's previously only been available on the Nexus 5.
For those who need Google *Now*
The Google Now Launcher does pretty much what it says on the tin – it puts Google's personal assistant-cum-mind-reader, Now, front and centre on your phone. Google Now, in case you're not familiar, is the Google service that is meant to give you personalised information, without you even having to ask for it, in the form of 'cards' that pop up in your notification tray.
Now has existed on every Android device since July 2012 and Android 4.1, but to access it, you have to hold the home button, then swipe your thumb upwards: not exactly the most taxing gesture, truth be told, but it means that you only discover Google Now if you're specifically looking for it.
The Now Launcher changes that: your cards are now accessible through a simple left-swipe from your main homescreen page (which, by complete coincidence, is exactly how Spotlight search used to be accessed in iOS). It's a minor cosmetic change, for sure, but it makes Now far more prominent in the Android operating system, and is a clear sign that Google sees Now as being a tool for the general public, not the tech-blog-frequenting minority.
It's not all cosmetic changes, though. The biggest functional change the Now Launcher brings to the table is an always-on voice capability, like that found in the MotoX. Rather than having to tap a mic button to initiate voice command (as you had to do previously in Android), just preface your question with "Okay Google", and you can query the world's biggest search engine with whatever's bugging you.
A new press image showing the forthcoming HTC One sequel has surfaced, showing a neat new smart case that displays information through perforations in the surface.
The case appears to be covered with small holes, allowing users to see the time, weather conditions and almost certainly other notifications, without opening the cover or waking the device.
The photo comes courtesy of @evleaks (who else?), who tweeted it alongside the caption" "Holes. Time. Colours."
The case makes the device look a little like an LED scoreboard, roadsign or, as The Verge points out, a modern interpretation of Hasbro's Lite Brite toy!
In recent times there have been plenty of smart cases showing vital info through cut out sections, but this would represent a welcome new approach from the Taiwanese firm.
Pure Android coming too
As well as the image, @evleaks also informed users to expect a Google Play Edition of the device, running pure Android, rather than HTC's like-it-or-loathe it Sense UI.
HTC plans to officially announce the phone on March 25 at a media event although, thanks to innumerable leaks, it looks like there'll be little left to announce.
The launch of Oppo's eagerly-anticipated Find 7 smartphone isn't until March 19, but the first official shots of the device have apparently shown up prematurely on a design awards website.
A press render of the Oppo 7 appeared (since removed) on the Red Dot 21 website showing the device in all its glory and seemingly confirming some of the headline specs.
Within the product description, the site lists the 2650 x 1440 (2K!) display we already knew about, the presence of a 13-megapixel camera, 4G LTE connectivity and a Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor.
The page also claims the phone has a ridge-less, seamless design with metal sides and glass on the front and rear. It also speaks of a "breath light" at the bottom of the phone for notifications.
As well as the 2K version, Oppo this week confirmed the Find 7 will have a 1080p cousin. With that in mind it's possible that 50-megapixel camera could show up in an alternate version.
We'll find out for sure when the device is officially revealed later this month.
Spend more than three minutes with any Android fanboy, and you'll quickly learn that the real beauty of Google's operating system lies in the potential to customise it.
Any problem can be solved by downloading enough apps. Nowhere is that more true than for Android's homescreen – so we've rounded up the best alternative Android launchers for your modding pleasure.
On an Android phone, the launcher is the app responsible for the home screen, the app 'grid', and launching the aforementioned apps. Phones generally come with either the stock Google launcher, or more commonly, a launcher whacked on top by a hardware manufacturer like Samsung.
But, if you don't get on with your phone's default launcher, installing a new one just takes a quick visit to the Google Play Store.
1. Google Now Launcher
Google's very own stock Android launcher is now up for grabs – but just because it's the Android standard, doesn't mean it's boring. For your money (well, actually, it's free), you get easy access to Google Now, button-free voice controls, and enough transparent window-bars to make you think you're back in Windows Vista.
It's compatible straight out of the box with all Nexus and Google Play Edition devices, and two minutes with a computer will get it running on all Android 4.x handsets. Just be careful what you say around it – the Big G's always listening, probably.
2. Nova Launcher
Nova and Apex (below) are the two standout Android launchers – both strike an excellent balance between having enough features to customise things, without bogging you down with unfeasibly long options lists and 17 levels of sub-menu hell.
Nova's arguably the better of the two, with a few more options available in the free version (there is also a Prime version), and slightly better performance – but really, we're splitting tiny Android hairs trying to find a difference between the two.
3. Apex
Apex Launcher, just like Nova, blends smooth performance and ease-of-use with a good level of customisation to create a genuinely appealing alternative to most standard Android launchers.
Standout features on Apex include a superb tablet mode (finally allowing Nexus 7 owners to rotate the home screen); and the Pro version has the fantastic Apex Notifier service, which pushes notifications to a widget on your home screen. (Although, Notifier requires running an extra app in the background, which is a small drain on battery life.) Once again, the Pro version does cost money, so it's worth downloading the free version first.
4. Launcher Pro
Launcher Pro is aimed at users with phones that are yet to taste the frozen goodness of Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, and are still stuck with Gingerbread.
Although it lacks some of the bells and whistles of its more advanced stablemates, Launcher Pro is a solid upgrade from the stock launcher, with much faster scrolling and more customisation options, and even some sleek tricks like unlimited widget resizing in the full-fat, paid-for version.
5. Buzz Launcher
Buzz Launcher packs the standard set of customisation options, but with a killer advantage: a user-created library of thousands of themes and widgets you can browse, download and tinker with. Whereas other launchers feel like masterpieces of efficiency – trying to find you the app you want, with minimum hassle – Buzz is all about the aesthetics.
There are certainly more powerful launchers out there, but if you're all about matching the colour of your shoelaces to your cravat (and don't have an iPhone), then this is probably the launcher for you.
6. Action Launcher Pro
YouTube : www.youtube.com/embed/_Aj-PRdU7xA
Action Launcher has some nifty, unique features – stuff like a quick-access set of shortcuts (all customisable, of course), special gestures for launching apps from within folders, and a cool one-touch method of creating widgets from apps.
