Nokia dabbles with Android in their leaked Normandy device

I always wondered what a Nokia Android device would be like and based on some recent leaks of the Normandy inteface, we get a clearer idea and look at the alternate reality where Android runs on Nokia hardware.

Looking very much like a simplified Lumia device, these Normandy renders show what looks to be a visual mashup of Windows Phone and Android but with a heavy Nokia flavour (that's a good thing). Now that Microsoft owns Nokia, it is unlikely that we'll ever know what this device would have been like or where it would fit in the hierarchy of Android devices. Still, it's always fun to think of what could have been.

Source: @evleaks via Phandroid

SwiftKey sets its eyes and keys on car entertainment and navigation

SwiftKey changed the way many of us interact with their smartphones by making tapping and typing a thing of the past. The company has smartly decided to broaden its horizon by applying all it learned in mobile to car entertainment and navigation systems. SwiftKey has partnered with in-car entertainment manufacturer Clarion for their AX1 Android-powered touchscreen car stereo system coming to market in Asia this year. This makes it possible for passengers and parked driver to quickly enter navigation information, run searches and manage entertainment. Since The AX1 also includes a web browser for surfing, email and apps access, having a smart input method makes a whole lot of sense. Can the carputer be far behind?

Source: TechCrunch

Sony reveals future interactive user interface

Sony CEO Kaz Hirai demonstrated a new interface the company has dubbed as Life Space UX, which aims to bring home and technology together. The first manifestation of it comes in the form of the Ultra Short Throw Project coming out this summer. It turns any wall or flat surface into an interactive touch-screen or a viewing screen for entertainment purposes.

The Verge reports that Hirai showed off what the technology can offer with windows acting as screens or vice versa. "Imagine being an avid surfer and having the perfect wall-sized window to see the world's most vivid surf spots in real time on your television," he said.

Qualcomm announces Snapdragon chip for 4K TVs

The latest crop of smart televisions, particularly of the 4K Ultra HD variety, have all the latest video technology crammed into beautiful form factors. However, there is much left to do in terms of user interface and online integration. Qualcomm aims to boost the browsing and app capabilities of the UHD sets with Snapdragon 802 quad-core SoC to help with 4K content playback and application multi-tasking and operation. It even comes with Hollywood Quality Video processing engine designed to upscale 1080p videos to near 4K image quality.

Engadget reports some of the more technical specs including quad-core Krait 1.8GHz CPU; Adreno 330 GPU; AllJoyn integration; two-stream, dual-band 802.11ac; and Snapdragon Studio Access content protection.