Xiaomi Unveils MIUI 6 Android UI That Looks a Lot Like iOS 7

Xiaomi, as promised at the Mi 4 smartphone's launch, unveiled the next version of its MIUI user interface, MIUI 6, on Saturday at an event in Beijing, China.

MIUI 6, the new smartphone UI for Android-based Xiaomi devices, comes with major design refresh and also brings a slew of new features. Notably, the Mi 4 runs MIUI 6 out-of-the-box.

The company, also referred to as 'China's Apple', defined the new Android skin as "the best MIUI ever." However, as numerous industry pundits have pointed out, the new MIUI version noticeably takes a lot of design inspiration from Apple's iOS 7 and the newly announced iOS 8 smartphone and tablet operating systems.

The Chinese handset maker announced that the MIUI 6 is currently in beta testing with over 1,000 beta testers; though the number is likely to grow up to 10,000 people by Friday.

The company announced that the MIUI 6 developer version will be open to the public by September and will be rolled out to as 'final upgrade' to select Xiaomi handsets by October. 

The Xiaomi will begin testing MIUI 6 on the Mi 2, Mi 2S, Mi 2A, Redmi 1S, and Redmi Note by the end of this year, and updates for these devices can be expected to be rolled-out by next year.

Some of highlight features that the MIUI 6 brings is a brand new design (in what the company calls 'Content is essence' philosophy) with flat app icons. The company said at the launch, "MIUI believes that content is the essence, and has put that belief in the design of MIUI 6."

"MIUI 6 supports moving apps by holding on the app and switch screens. It has the most convenient icons organizing method, supports batch organize and delete icons," added the company.

MIUI 6 also brings a revamped camera app that will allow swipe down to switch between front and back camera, swipe left to launch menu panel, and swipe right to launch filters. The company has also re-worked the lockscreen notifications on MIUI 6, which will now appear as folded by default.

The new Android OS customisation adds a global search function feature that will allow users to place the search box anywhere on home screen, and even locate apps via it. Some other additions on the MIUI 6 include new Linux kernel and RAM optimisation techniques; new power-saving features to adjust the standby time of the device; 10GB free Mi Cloud storage space for storing images, contacts, messages, call logs and more, and the redesigned Mail app.

In addition to the iOS-styled flat icons and lockscreen notification on the MIUI 6, some of the app icons on the new MIUI appear to come straight from iOS 7 or iOS 8, like the calendar, compass, timer, and calculator.

What do you think of the new Xiaomi MIUI 6? Does it look like iOS 7? Let us know via the comments.

Source: NDTV

Sony’s Xperia M2 Aqua is a Waterproof Phone for Cheap

 

Sony just announced the latest addition to its Xperia lineup with the M2 Aqua, a water-resistant variant of its sleek mid-range Xperia M2. The new handset offers the same middle-of-the-road hardware and industrial design as the original M2, but adds the waterproof coating that’s helped the company carve out a niche in the smartphone market.

Just like the the Xperia M2, this water-resistant variant comes equipped with a 4.8-inch qHD display, a Snapdragon 400 processor clocked at 1.2 GHz, a 2300mAh battery, an 8-megapixel rear camera with a dedicated camera button and LTE capability. There’s no official word on software, though we’re guessing it runs Android 4.4 with a bit of Sony’s own stuff on top, including battery-saving Stamina Mode.

The Xperia M2 Aqua is set to launch this fall in Europe, South America and Asia, where it will probably cost a little more than the $300 Xperia M2. Unfortunately there’s no plan to ship the device to U.S. stores any time soon, though you’ll probably still be able to find one through a third-party reseller online. If you’re willing to pay a bit more, it might be worth waiting for the rumored Xperia Z3, which we have on good authority will be available from at least one American carrier when it hits the market.

Source: TechnoBuffalo

BBM Drops its Beta Tag and Goes Public on Windows Phone

BlackBerry Messenger is now officially available on Windows Phone after more than a month of beta testing. The app provides access to almost all of the BBM features you know and love, including groups, multi-person chats, and broadcast messages.

BBM for Windows Phone is unique in that it has its own clean and colorful user interface specifically designed to fit Microsoft’s smartphone platform. In comparison, BBM for Android and iOS was designed to look as identical to the BlackBerry 10 version of possible.

There are some downsides to the Windows Phone release, however, such as a lack of BBM Channels, no voice or video calling, and no Glympse integration. BlackBerry will be working to add these features in later, however, and the basic BBM functionality is still here.

In addition to standard one-on-one chats, you can enjoy multi-person conversations; the ability to send photos, voice notes, and your location; broadcast messaging; and BBM Groups, which lets you organize your contacts into categories like family, friends, and colleagues.

If you’ve been using the BBM beta release on Windows Phone, you should find the public version loads faster and is more responsive overall. It also fixes an issue for Spanish-speaking users that sometimes caused the app to load in English instead.

If you haven’t installed BBM on your Windows Phone device yet, you can find it in the Windows Phone app store now by following the link below.

Download BBM from Windows Phone Appstore

Source: TechnoBuffalo

How to Jailbreak iOS 7.1.2 using Pangu

Apple just released iOS 7.1.2 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch for bug fixes and security updates.

The good news is that iOS 7.1.2 can be jailbroken using Pangu out of the box, so jailbreakers can safely update your iOS device to iOS 7.1.2, and use Pangu to jailbreak it.

Some important points before you proceed:

1. Please note Pangu is an untethered jailbreak for iOS 7.1, iOS 7.1.1 and iOS 7.1.2.

Pangu supports following iOS 7.1 – iOS 7.1.2 devices:

• iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPhone 4
• iPad Air, iPad 4, iPad 3, iPad 2
• iPad mini, Retina iPad mini
• iPod touch 5G

   

2. Please disable the passcode as the jailbreak may fail, if the passcode is enabled (Settings -> General -> Passcode Lock On -> Turn Passcode Off).

3. Take a backup of your device using iTunes or iCloud before proceeding.

4. Please ensure you’ve updated iTunes to the latest version.

5. Please note that jailbreaking your iOS device may void your warranty and hence proceed with caution and at your own risk.

Step 1: Download the latest version of Pangu jailbreak for Mac or Windows

Pangu 1.1.0
 

Windows version –  [Official, Mirror]
Mac version – [Official, Mirror]
 

Pangu 1.0.0 [Windows]

Or from official website http://pangu.io/

Step 2:

Mac users: Double click on the Pangu dmg file you just downloaded to mount it.

Windows users: Launch the Pangu exe file as an Administrator. Right Click on the Pangu exe and select the “Run as Administrator” option.

Step 3: You should be presented with a screen like the one seen below. Click on the black Jailbreak button.

Step 4: Follow the on-screen instructions. The app will ask you at one point to set your iOS device to June 2nd. To do this, go to Settings -> General -> Date & Time.

Step 5: After you change the date, it should restart the process and install the Pangu app on your iOS device.

Step 6: Tap on the Pangu app on the Home screen of your device when prompted to continue with the jailbreak process. You will get a warning message, which will ask you whether you are “sure you want to open the Application “Pangu” from Developer “iPhone Distribution: Hefei Bo Fang communication technology co., LTD?”. Tap on the Continue button to continue with the jailbreak process.

Step 7: Wait for your device to reboot several times. After a few minutes you should see that you have Cydia on your home screen and you’ll be ready to start installing tweaks on iOS 7.1.2. You can also revert back to set the time automatically via the Settings app.

Source: iPhoneHack

 

iOS 7 Jailbreak: iOS 7.1 Hacker Says Pangu Jailbreak Contains ‘Malware from China’

The jailbreak–released by Pangu–was tested on the update, and it can be used via both Mac or Windows.

However, Pangu was slammed by another hacker, jailbreaker Stefan Esser, who said the Chinese team stole some of his ideas and exploits. He described them as “thieves” and said the jailbreak contains “malware from China.”

Pangu’s tool provides an untethered jailbreak and was apparently overlooked by Apple during its most recent update.

“Yesterday’s iOS 7 update featured relatively minor tweaks and big fixes, but one of the more surprising things about it is what it didn’t address; It appears that the Pangu jailbreak tool — which can provide an untethered jailbreak using either a Windows or Mac computer — was not on Apple’s “To Destroy” list for the most recent update, as the software works on iOS 7.1.2 just as it did on 7.1.1,” says a report from Tuaw.com.

Jailbreaking allows Apple users to modify the iOS to install apps that aren’t permitted via the Apple Store. Apple isn’t fond of the practice and has tried to clamp down on it.

The Pangu jailbreak was released just a few weeks ago after a number of hackers attempted to crack the iOS 7.

It was originally written in Chinese but now it’s in English. The first release also prompted users to download the app store called 25PP, but that’s disabled for English users.

“Like the Evasi0n jailbreak for iOS 7, using Pangu is pretty straightforward once you download the tool. One weird thing you need for the jailbreak to work is to adjust your device’s internal date in Settings to June 2nd and turn off the ‘Set Automatically’ option. The tool will walk you through the process as you jailbreak,” says Cult of Mac.

The Evasi0n jailbreak does not work on iOS 7.0.6 or later.

Source: Epoch Times

Google Acquires Songza

Google has reached a deal to acquire Songza, the playlist site it had been rumored to be scouting for several weeks. Financial terms weren’t revealed, but a source with knowledge of the situation said the price was substantially higher than the $15 million figure reported by the New York Post in early June.

Songza employs about 50 music curators, who program playlists designed for moods, activities, times of day, or even weather in the listener’s area -- say, “Southern Soul Barbecue” or “Black Tie Bump ‘N Grind.” Google plans to hire all of Songza’s staff, and leave the Songza.com web site intact for now.

Google plans to incorporate Songza’s playlists into its Google Play Music All Access subscription service, enhancing its radio function. Google Play already has some human-curated playlists, but largely relies on algorithms for much of its radio-style programming. Songza may also be integrated into a paid YouTube service, which Google acknowledged it is readying.

“Over the coming months, we’ll explore ways to bring what you love about Songza to Google Play Music,” Google said in a statement announcing the deal. “We'll also look for opportunities to bring their great work to the music experience on YouTube and other Google products.”

“No immediate changes to Songza are planned, other than making it faster, smarter, and even more fun to use,” Songza said in a separate statement.

Expert-curated playlists were a differentiating factor for Beats Music, the service Apple acquired along with the Beats Electronics headphone business in a $3 billion deal announced in May. Beats allows users to fill in the blanks of a sentence describing a type of music they’d like to hear in their present circumstances -- “I’m on a boat and feel like celebrating with my family to R&B” -- and generates an appropriate playlist.

Songza began in 2010 as Songza Sets, a discovery-oriented product within MP3 store Amie Street. Its founding team sold Amie Street to Amazon the same year, and focused on Songza instead. Amazon invested in both Songza and Amie Street.

The deal gives a payday to company management and investors, including two prominent music-business figures: Scooter Braun and Troy Carter, the managers of Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga, respectively. Songza raised about $6.7 million during its lifespan.

A Google executive, VP of retail sales John McAteer, invested in the company as part of a 2012 convertible note worth $1.5 million. Songza most recently closed a $4.7 million round in September 2013, with investors including Metamorphic Ventures, Deep Fork Capital, Lerer Ventures, William Morris Endeavor, and author Gary Vaynerchuk, as well as Braun and Carter. Other prior investors include former NBA star Baron Davis, artist manager Julius Erving Jr., 24/7 Real Media co-founder Geoff Judge, and 1-800 Flowers.

Although Amazon added music to its Prime service last month, including a number of playlists, none of them came from Songza, according to CEO Elias Roman. The executive did not reply to requests for comment about today’s deal.

Amie Street acquired the original Songza, a search engine that located and streamed music files found on the web, in 2008. Designed by user interface expert, Mozilla designer and serial entrepreneur Aza Raskin, Songza derived its moniker from its creator’s name.

Although the windily named Google Play Music All Access was described in a March report from IFPI as “the fastest-growing [music] subscription service in 2013,” its market share remains very small compared with Spotify’s 10 million paying users worldwide. Google Play Music All Access has a library of 25 million songs, is available in 28 countries, and gives users a locker to store up to 20,000 of their own songs that can be played from various devices.

Google also made a bid for 8tracks, a site that hosts user-generated playlists, last fall. A source closer to that company told Billboard last month that a proposed deal was an “acquire-hire” arrangement, in which 8tracks’ staff would be at least as important to the buyer as its playlists and technology. But the profitable 8tracks chose to remain independent, the source said, due to factors beyond the deal’s proposed price.

Source: Billboard

Google releases Android L preview source for Nexus devices

Google has published some of the source code for the Android L developer preview, giving devs a bigger taste of what's in store for its successor to KitKat.

Google has published Android L code on Android Open Source Project for the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7 (all versions between 2012 and 2013), and the Nexus 10.

The move expands on last week's release of Android L firmware for developers to begin flashing the new OS to Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 wi-fi 2013 edition devices.

Developers have been poking around in the new system ever since, exploring some of the significant changes Google announced at its recent I/O conference, such as Material Design, Android's new user interface scheme that redesigns how it displays notifications, settings, the lock screen, and navigation bar. It's also introducing the cards concept from Google Now to Android apps for displaying key information.

It's still only a week or so since Google announced Android L, and while the company is going to lengths to showcase the new OS to developers, Google hasn't released everything just yet. As Android Police notes, the code doesn't include binary packages or kernel source, which means that stock AOSP builds — such as those used by custom ROM developers — won't be possible yet.

However, the list of hardware the source code has been released for is being taken as solid evidence that at least these recent Nexus devices will receive Android L when it's released, expected to be this autumn.

While it's too early to say which non-Nexus devices will get Android L, a leaked HTC road map suggests it is on the cards for the company's flagship HTC One M8 and M7.

One of the most anticipated features that Android L is said to bring comes in the form Google's power-saving plan for Android devices, called Project Volta, also flagged at I/O.

Battery life is a concern for everyone with a smartphone, and Google's answer to the problem is Battery Saver mode and a new Battery Historian UI. Similar to Samsung's S5 ultra power saving mode, Battery Saver winds down background and screen processes to conserve charge. A test run of what's available in the preview firmware by Ars Technica suggests Volta could deliver around 30 percent more battery life.

The other big change is the move from the Dalvik to the 64-bit ART runtime, which Google promises will double performance, and with improved efficiency, should lighten the load on the battery.

Source: ZDNet