Review: Parrot Asteroid SMART

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla 

The advent of the connected car is upon us. Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Open Automotive Alliance are both major platforms that integrate existing smartphone technology with in-car entertainment, navigation, Internet access and even applications.

While Apple and Google’s play for motoring meets mobile is only starting to take shape, Parrot’s been a long time proponent of melding smartphone technology and apps with existing cars. I had the opportunity to exchange my 2003 VW Jetta’s stock sound system (an 8 speaker setup with a 200w Monsoon amplifier) with the latest Parrot Asteroid Smart.

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Samsung introduces Galaxy S5 Mini in Russia

You know how Samsung is prone to releasing multiple variants of its devices. Well, there is now a new version of the Galaxy S5 that debuted in Russia. The Galaxy S5 Mini has most of the features of the flagship device but with slightly lower hardware specs. You will get a 1.4GHz quad-core processor, 16GB internal memory, 1.5GB RAM, 8MP rear camera and 2.1MP front camera, 4.5-inch Super AMOLED display, and a 2100mAh battery. Yes, it still carries Android 4.4 and has the sensors and modes of the Galaxy S5 including power-saving mode, water-resistance, heart rate monitor, support for Samsung wearables, and fingerprint scanner. There is no word yet though if this device is making its way out of Russia.

Source: Gizmodo

Vine starts taking note of loop counts, revamps Home and Activity feeds

Prolific and good Vine users might get more traffic with the new feature introduced. Vine is now tracking the loop count of a video across its platforms (mobile and Web). Some videos might have the “+” attached to its loop counts because that means the videos had been looped before April 3 (when they started tracking Vine loops).

Vine has also redesigned the Home Feed for Android and iOS to make it easier to like and comment as well as see videos from edge-to-edge. They have also retouched the Activity feed so you can see the separation between New and Older Activity. It also lets you know if your Vines surpass certain milestones like 25 or 100 likes.

Google Play editions of HTC One M8 and M7 get Android 4.4.4 upgrade

Good news for owners of the Google Play editions of HTC One M8 and M7! It would seem the latest version of Android KitKat has begun rolling out to your devices. Don’t expect any user interface changes or the like though because Android 4.4.4 is for the backend of your device. It says it improves performance, security, and stability.

Source: Android Central