From now on you can use a Google Now style voice search on your chrome browser. It is now available in the latest Chrome stable version for the desktop, and all you have to do is get the new update by taking the following steps:

• Launch your Chrome browser and open the settings.
• Click on Help and after a few seconds you will be prompted to relaunch Chrome.
• After you restart Chrome, just head to Google and click the microphone icon in the search box.
• You will have to give permission for Google to use your microphone (look for the bar on top), depending on your privacy settings.
• Then you speak.

Testing it out, we can tell you this isn’t as “fancy” as was shown off at Google I/O. More than likely this is just the beginning, and a more advanced form of the search will arrive a bit down the road.

Have you started using voice search? What do you think of the changes?

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Microsoft is pretty well known for its “Scroogled” campaign which pokes at Google’s potential privacy concerns. In the latest ‘leaked’ video Microsoft even directly parodied Google’s own commercials to show how Google allegedly tracks you everywhere (video posted below).

The big question is, how innocent is Microsoft here? According to Ars Technica and security researcher Ashkan Soltani, they are possibly guilty of similar privacy concerns with Skype. Apparently Skype messages are sent through a server before reaching the person you are talking to – in other words, they could potentially be read or scanned by Microsoft.

We can’t say for sure if Microsoft is really scanning/reading messages or if they are, whether it is just for security (checking for links with malware, etc) – but accoring to Professor Matt Green at John Hopkins the problem is about perception.

“The problem right now is that there’s a mismatch between the privacy people expect and what Microsoft is actually delivering. Even if Microsoft is only scanning links for ‘good’ purposes, say detecting malicious URLs, this indicates that they can intercept some of your text messages. And that means they could potentially intercept a lot more of them.”

The idea is that Microsoft should be clearer of their own privacy policies, though again we can’t confirm or deny that Microsoft really is scanning/reading said messages.

Personally, I don’t like the idea of being spied on through the net, but I’ve come to realize that privacy online is more of an illusion than anything and I wouldn’t put it past any company to ‘spy’ on our messages, emails, and browsing history – at the very least to serve us ads.

What do you think, would it surprise you if Microsoft is scanning Skype messages? Does it concern you? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

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The post Could Microsoft be Reading/Scanning Your Skype Messages? appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

While Google Glass is a leader in its field, it lacks on one thing: attraction and applicability to that of sports and athletes.  While it is water resistant, it is not the toughest of products and probably wouldn’t hold up to someone dripping sweat for long periods of time.  Recon Instruments saw the obvious hole in the market and developed the Jet.  The Jet is a pair of sport sunglasses with an integrated Android powered display that has an endless amount of possibilities.

Recon, previously known for its MOD ski goggle inserts, takes the idea one step further and applies the same technology to a sporting pair of shades with a list of supped up features.  They also added a huge amount of connectivity options and sensors, it comes with WiFi, Bluetooth, an accelerometer, thermometer, GPS and most exciting, ANT+.  These features will allow the shades to gather data from different capturing sources such as heart rate monitors, cycling power and cadence.

Strava users will be chomping at the bit to get this technology with the ability to get real-time displays of everything they desire.  Engaget tried a pair of prototypes and described the glasses as a bit flimsy and stating they had a difficult time seeing the display.  But keep in mind this was a pre-production prototype and I’m sure they will work out some of the bugs and finalize a marketable product.  The removable battery is said to have a projected life of six hours, way more than I would need to get winded!

The Recon Instruments Jet is set to ship by the end of the year and we have no official release of expected price, though some speculation it will cost around $500 — give or take a hundred or so.  Seems a bit steep, but those that already spend thousands on their bikes and gear will have no problem dropping that much for the real-time applications and training possibilities.

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The post Recon Instruments Create Android Powered Sunglasses appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Haven’t heard of Jolla? This Finnish startup has long been working towards the mission of refreshing the MeeGo mobile operating system and creating a phone of their own to run it. Now it’s official, the company has announced their first phone, aptly named the Jolla.

The new phone will feature a 4.5-inch display, a dual-core processor, an 8MP camera and a removable battery. There is also 16GB storage and a microSD slot. What really makes the phone special though isn’t the specs, it is the MeeGo-based OS, Sailfish. This unique OS will certainly set the Jolla apart from other phones on the market.

You have to wonder though, does that also mean you will be isolated when it comes to apps? The good news is that the phone will actually be Android app compliant, meaning that you won’t be left out when it comes to great apps. Whether or not that means full Google Play store support or some obscure Android app store – that remains unseen.

There are still a lot of “unknowns” for the Jolla phone and its Sailfish OS, but it certainly a unique project and its great to see companies out there in the mobile world that aren’t afraid to do something new and different, even if it makes their product decisively niche-targeted.

Interested in learning more about the Jolla, or even getting your hands on the phone? You can now pre-order the phone from the company, starting today. The phone is expected to cost around $500 and release towards the end of the year. Even more interesting is the pre-order process, which has different amounts you can spend with different reward levels – similar to Kickstarter rewards.

What do you think of Jolla, worth considering or are you better off with a similarly priced mobile device running a more established mobile OS?

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The post The First Phone From Jolla Now Up For Pre-Order, Runs Sailfish OS appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Today’s smartphones offer multi-core configurations, tons of RAM and are considerably more powerful than the PCs of late 90s and early 2000s. Unfortunately, they are also very expensive.

You look around and see tablets coming in at ridiculously cheap prices with mainstream brands going as low as around $150-$200, and lesser known brands hitting sub-$150 pricing. Wish the same could be said for phones? It can, as seen with the new ThL W100, a quad-core smartphone with an extremely affordable $170 price tag.

The catch with the W100 is that it is designed for the Chinese market, though getting in shipped internationally isn’t all that hard, just check out reputable sites like Chinavasion. As for the actual specs, the ThL W100 has a 4.5-inch display with a 960 x 540 resolution, a 1.2GHz MTK6589 quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8MP rear cam, 5MP front cam and comes with Android 4.2 (with Google Play support).

The phone also has tons of sensors (proximity, light, etc), microSD, dual-SIM support, Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi and support for 2G 850/900/1800/1900MHz and 3G 850/2100MHz. Probably the biggest downside for the handset is it only has 4GB internal storage. Luckily, the phone has microSD and has a special settings option that allows you to designate the external storage as the default write location.

The phone isn’t perfect, but for those of us looking for quad-core performance and reasonably high-end features without signing a contract, this could be a perfect way to do it without spending a fortune. As for the brand? You might not know ThL, but it is actually quite popular in China, with over 340 retail locations. In other words, this isn’t some no-name operation that will disappear overnight.

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The post Quad-core Smartphone for Under $200? The Chinese ThL W100 Is Just That appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

While some of the early Glass Explorers are more tech enthusiasts than actual developers, it is still important to realize that the glasses are in fact targeted towards developers, and not true commercial use. Because of that, they have a few special rules that come with that high $1500 buying price.

Specifically you can’t resell, transfer, give or loan Google Glass out. That’s a bit harsh though, as you paid a lot for the Glasses – and you probably have a long list of folks that want to try it out. Luckily, Google has changed its stance on the whole “loaning” part of its Google Glasses policy.

Here’s what the newly revised FAQ says about loaning:

Can I loan Glass to someone else?

A: Yes. The philosophy of the Explorer Edition is “one device for one person,” but we understand that there are situations where you might want to loan the device to a family member, friend, or colleague. Please don’t sell, rent, or otherwise make a profit off the device. That’s not allowed, nor is it in the Explorer spirit.

In other words, you can now allow friends and family members to take Glass for an extended spin, days, weeks, whatever have you… as long as you aren’t charging any dough to them, that is.

What do you think of Google Glass, hope to someday soon get your hands on it, or is it merely a fad item that will see a loss of interest in time?

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The post Google Changes Its Mind on Loaning Out Google Glasses, Now Allows It appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The Nvidia’s Android powered handheld console, Shield, which we originally revealed in February of this year, has finally begun taking preorders today for its upcoming June release.  The original pre-order date was the 20^th of May, but apparently has been bumped up.  The device has a reasonable $349 price, and pre-orders can be made directly to Nvidia or from participating retailers such as Gamestop, Newegg and Canada Computer.

Shield will come with full Google Play access as well as a myriad of different add ons such as TwitchTV, Hulu Plus, TegraZone, Expendable: Rearmed and Sonic 4 Episode II THD.  Nvidia stated that growing buzz for the device was the reason for the bumped up pre-sale date.  More likely they wanted to space themselves a bit from Microsoft’s reveal of it’s new next gen Xbox on Tuesday the 21^st.  Either way, this device deserves a bit of it’s own time in the spotlight.

If you haven’t yet, check it out and get yours ordered today!

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It was expected by many that Google would announce the next version of Android (4.3 or 5.0), at their I/O conference. But that didn’t happen, and neither did they announce any new hardware. But, as rumored earlier, they have plans to bring out a new version of the Nexus 4 in the very near future and it will be running the new OS version.

It’s not a 32GB model that’s been talked about, but it will apparently be the same Nexus 4 that’s available now but with a white casing. The best thing is that the 16GB model will arrive running Android Jelly Bean 4.3 and the device will be released on the 10^th of June. There are no hints regarding the rumored LTE support, though that is expected to be available as well.

As for the next version of Android, nobody knows what all features it’s coming with, though many believe that it will only be a minor update. Head here if you are interested in taking a better look at the white Nexus 4.

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The post White Nexus 4 And Android 4.3 Jelly Bean Coming Next Month appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Friday is here, ladies and gents! That means it is time for yet another chapter of “Best of Apps of the Week” here at Mobile Mag. Unless this is your first rodeo, you should know the drill by now: I take a look at 5 Android and 5 iOS apps that were released during the week and are worth being showcased.

That’s about it, so let’s get started!

Best Apps of the Week – Android

Best Apps of the Week – iOS

Summing it all up….

That’s it for this week’s Best Apps list.

Did you agree with our picks, or did we live out a vital new app that you feel should have made the cut? Let us and other readers know about them through the comments below!

The post Best Apps of the Week (5/17): A Look at New Apps for iOS and Android appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

They are calling it the “tablet for the cooking enthusiast”. The Archos ChefPad is an Android 4.1 running tablet that is meant to be used in the kitchen, although no one is going to stop from using it in the garden or elsewhere.

The slate is coming with Chef Apps Zone which will filter through the Play Store to bring you cooking apps. The device features a 1.6GHz dual-core CPU and 1GB of RAM, which should be enough for your selection of apps to work fine, and a 9.7 inch 1024×768 screen.

With the 8GB of storage, you can add a lot of cooking related stuff including cooking lessons which will guide you through your cooking experiments via a pair of speakers. You can even save your own speeches about that special soup all thanks to the built-in mic and take snaps of your spicy salmon with the device’s 2MP cam, and maybe send your works to Gordon Ramsay.

And coming with the tablet is a waterproof silicone case and an adjustable stand which will be very useful while you are video chatting while cooking. The device will be available next month with a price tag of $210. Are you interested?

[Source]

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