New Android Wear update for Moto 360 reportedly improves battery life

Owners of the Moto 360 wearable will be happy to know that a new system update for Android Wear (Build #KGW42R update, bringing Android Wear to version 1.0.1.1448224), supposedly improves overall battery life for the Moto 360. Streamlining processes for the light sensor and bluetooth connectivity, the update aims to fix one of the more dissapointing aspects of what still remains to be the most interesting wearable device under Android Wear. Have you updated yet? Any improvements overall?

Source: Androidpit

Full-screen ads might make their way to your smartphone soon

Whether you like it or not, more ads are making their way to your mobile devices. Google is creating new ad units to lure in big names to advertise on their mobile platform. Out of the four new looks, three are full screen ads and some are interstitial ads that would take over your screen in between “logical break points” while you use the app. There would even be video and interactive elements. Basically, commercials are coming to your phones.

Source: Inside AdWords | Via: Engadget

BlackBerry plans to give us weird devices yearly

If you thought the Passport was the end of BlackBerry’s experimentation with oddly-shaped devices, then you’re wrong. Ron Louks, president of BlackBerry’s Devices division, said they intend to introduce one “unconventional device” per year.

“When it comes to design and being a little bit disruptive, we want that ‘wow’ factor,” Louks said. And he also revealed that they are working on another unusual device but he is not spilling the details about that just yet.

Source: Reuters | Via: Engadget

HP shooting for the low end of the notebook market with new $199 notebooks

We're at an interesting place right now with Windows 8.1-based systems. Many users and potential buyers seem to be waiting out until the next revision (Windows 9, Codenamed 'Treshold') becomes available. Many of the recent hybrids, convertibles and ultrabooks have failed to gain much traction. Trying a different tact, it seems manufacturers like HP are going the Chromebook route. That is, offering cheap hardware to help push the OS. Revealed today is the colourful consumer focused US $199 HP Stream notebook that's geared to compete with similarly affordable Chromebooks. Interesting features include fanless design, 8-hour battery life and an HD screen.

Featuring modest Intel Celeron processors, an 11.5-inch non-touch display and 32GB of SSD memory. Each of these new-age netbooks will get access to a year subscription of Office 365, 1 Terabyte of OneDrive storage plus a $25 Microsoft Store gift certificate. The Stream notebooks accompany low-cost Stream tablets that offer Windows 8.1 functionalty starting at $150. No Canadian availability or pricing has been released but these will likely find their way to our shores for the holiday season.