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Monday, 13 January 2014

App for Google Glass keeps you awake behind the wheel

You might remember Cecilia Abadie. She was the Google Glass wearer who was ticketed by a policeman for wearing her connected shades while driving. There is a law in most states that prevents a driver from looking at a television monitor while behind the wheel, although we should point out that Ms, Abadie was speeding, which is why she was pulled over in the first place.

Obviously, lawmakers are concerned that driving while wearing Google Glass is distracting to the driver. After all, it is hard to keep your eyes on the road when you're watching a YouTube video on Glass while you're driving. But this doesn't mean that Google Glass can't save a driver's life. Take DriveSafe. This is a new app for Google Glass that uses the internal sensors inside the specs to determine if you've fallen asleep while driving.
Right now, because DriveSafe is not available from the Google MyGlass app, it has to be sideloaded. It is well worth doing. You start up the program by saying "Ok Google, keep me awake". From that moment on, if the app senses that you are falling asleep, there is an audio and visual alert that is designed to be jarring in order to wake you. The app can even give you directions to the next rest stop where you can, well, rest.
Considering that a 2010 AAA report showed that 41% of the drivers in the U.S. admitted to have fallen asleep while behind the wheel, DriveSafe could be the perfect solution. That is as long as the Police don't keep writing you tickets for wearing Google Glass.

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Motorola makes another attempt to rollout Android 4.4 for the DROID MAXX and ULTRA

     Motorola's first attempt at pushing out the Android 4.4 KitKat update for its new line of Verizon DROIDs came about one month ago. The rollout began on December 19th; and over the next week, Motorola was hit by a number of reports that the update was actually bricking user devices, but it seems that the issues are fixed, because the rollout is beginning anew.

The update was apparently pulled at the end of December, although there was never official confirmation from Motorola about that. This morning there were new reports that the Motorola DROID MAXX and the DROID ULTRA are both once again getting the update, which is coming through as build 19.5.3. That is the same exact build number as the first update, but we would assume that Motorola has fixed the issue with this one. 
As we detailed when the update first rolled out, the Android 4.4 update will bring improved camera quality, Emoji support, the KitKat immersive mode, improved FitBit compatibility, and a number of updated apps like Verizon Mobile Security, Google Photos, Motorola Assist, and more.
source: Droid Life
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Sony Xperia Z2 tipped for February launch with 5.2-inch display

Sony will announce the next-generation Xperia Z2 at Mobile World Congress in February, according toAndroidSaS. It's not clear how reliable of a source the publication is for Sony news, but it was given a retweet by EvLeaks on Twitter, who is an often correct when it comes to the latest in mobile.
AndroidSaS reports the Xperia Z2 will feature a 5.2-inch 2560x1440 pixel display, 20.7-megapixel camera, and a 3700mAh battery. The design of the Xperia Z2 is said to be water resistant and super slim, bringing a refresh to the already sleek Xperia Z1.
The screen is the obvious standout here, reaching a 2K resolution. Right now, it sounds like the Xperia Z2 will have the best screen on the market, unless Samsung pulls out the punches with its Galaxy S5 smartphone set to launch in April.
Tipster EvLeaks said earlier this month the Sony Xperia Z1, codename Sirius, will sport a 5.2-inch display and Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor (MSM8974AB SoC). He also posted that it will be available through Verizon in the US. There is no word on UK availability yet.
Pocket-lint will be live from Mobile World Congress 2014 to bring you the latest. 
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Use iOS 7.1 beta 3 to delete unwanted OTA updates and save yourself a cool 1GB

How would you like to recover 1GB of storage space on your Apple iPhone or Apple iPad? You might not need the extra storage now, but you will probably be happy to know that it is there if you need it. To recover the extra storage, what you are doing is deleting unwanted OTA updates. It might seem hard to believe, but the first OTA update for iOS came with an update in November 2011 to fix a battery problem on iOS 5.0.1.But we digress. With iOS 7.1 beta 3, iPhone and iPad users have the ability to remove OTA updates that are collecting dust in your device. To delete those unwanted files, open the Settings application on your home screen. Tap on General > Usage. Look for Storage and tap on iOS 7.1 beta 3. Then, tap on Delete Updateand you are finished. You just opened up about 1GB of storage space. Keep in mind that this is available on a beta version of iOS and the feature might not make it to the final version of  iOS 7.1.  

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Oculus Rift VR Crystal Cove Prototype Hands On


First off, I’m not a hard core gamer. But that didn’t stop me from eagerly anticipating my hands on with the Oculus Rift’s Crystal Cove prototype.  New to this iteration – Oculus has only released a Dev kit to date – is the inclusion of OLED screens and a body tracking camera that works in tandem with an array of LED sensors scattered across the face of the mask. The result, which I can’t truly speak to in the most technical means due to my lack of experience with the product, is a more immersive experience thanks to reduced motion blur and the ability to track not only the direction you’re looking, but where your body is.  So lean forward and you can view things up close – the first Oculus couldn’t and can’t (for now) do this.
Strapping on the Oculus VR is something akin to wearing night vision goggles.  Or so one would assume.  Honestly, there isn’t a wide number of examples that draw parallel to the experience.  Nevertheless, it was comfortable despite the added weight placed on the forward portion of my head.
After our friendly OC Rift tech dude adjusted the centering and activated something called low persistence - this reduces motion blur during head movement by only showing the correct image every other frame – it effectively capitalizes on the persistence of vision to give you a crisper image. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my glasses with me, so things were still a bit blurry.  Oculus says you can still wear your glasses with the headset, though you’ll likely need the frameless or thin framed types to make the situation copesetic.
However, despite my poor eye sight, the experience, to put it mildly, was, and is, very compelling.  The game in demo was EVE Valkyrie (teaser trailer below), a spaceship dog fighting game that, from my understanding, was specifically developed with the Oculus Rift in mind.  Before I was jettisoned from the mothership, I was able to lean forward and in great detail and accuracy, examine the interior of my cockpit, which included two screens and the surrounding windows.   Once I lifted off the challenge began.  At first I failed miserably.  A second go around and was able to succeed with a respectable score.Oculus Rift was quick to point out that the Crystal Cove prototype is just that.  The OLED screens are likely far too expensive, at least for now, to bring it to market at the goaled $300 price tag.  But nor did they entirely exclude it as a possibility, because, and as they said, the OC Rift is largely sourced using smartphone parts, as were the OLED screens.  It’s obvious that they’ve still got some minor tweaks to fully solidify the tech behind the positional tracking and low persistence.  But there is no disputing the VR headset’s awesomeness, and that’s coming from a non-gamer.


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Xperia Z2, aka 'Sirius' leaked. Possible MWC debut

Rumor has it that the follow up to Sony's popular Xperia Z1 will be outed at this year's Mobile Word Congress and it'll be called the Xperia Z2.
Codenamed 'Sirius', the Z2 is purported to have a 5.2" display with an impressive 2560 x 1440 resolution. It's also rumored to have a 20.7 megapixel camera, a huge 3700 mAh battery, an extremely slim profile, and a water resistant body. The Z1 successor will also sport the Mobile Bravia Engine 3.

As far as rumors go, this one's pretty rock solid. EVleaks retweeted the information, and the specs seem right in line with what an updated Z1 would most likely have. There's no information on chipset or RAM, but when we hear anything, we'll pass it along to you.
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HP said to be staging a comeback with affordable smartphones

      Hewlett-Packard (HP) is staging a comeback with its own line of smartphones, but those devices will not be awe-inspiring top-shelf devices. Instead, HP is now said to be working on low-cost devices built with budget customers in mind, according to DigiTimes. The company is allegedly focusing exclusively on affordable devices priced at around $250 off contract, and the plan is to sell them in emerging markets. We’ve already heard similar rumors not too long ago, and now DigiTimes reiterates it once again.

It also adds the interesting detail that one of the first of those allegedly upcoming affordable HP smartphones will have a 5 to 5.7 inch display, and run on an Intel chip. Moreover, it will feature an ordinary design that will allegedly be hard to distinguish from what white-box Chinese phone makers use, except for the HP brand logo. Software-wise, expectations are that the forthcoming HP phones will run on Android, but without many unique features.
It might be a coincidence, but that’s the same exact strategy that HP is using to sell its tablets - it offers devices at bottom low prices, and has no one flagship to drive sales. 
In order to achieve profitability - something that’s notoriously hard to do with affordable devices - HP is actually relying on tight control and optimizations of its supply chain in China. Nonetheless, it will be an uphill battle for HP. After all, that’s exactly what its Asian rivals like Lenovo, Acer and Asus are best at. Will it succeed? Only time will tell, but we’ll keep a close eye on the company.

 Source:Gsmarena.com
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LG D830 smartphone seen running Android 4.4 KitKat. Could this be the LG G Pro 2?

LG appears to have an Android 4.4 KitKat smartphone on its way to the public, under the name LG D830. Could this be the G Pro 2?
The device has appeared using a Chrome 30 browser at HTMLTest, and the impressive score suggests it's a high-end handset. The D830 managed to get 503 out of 555 in its test.
That speed sits nicely with the 1080 x 1920 resolution display and LTE connectivity that the rumour mill has already suggested. With MWC at the end of February and LG due to release a new flagship this could be the LG G Pro 2 that we're seeing in testing.
Other handset codes spotted by PhoneArena in the test include the LG LS740, LG D410, LG D320, and LG MS323.
But for now there have been no photos leaked, hence the LG G2 photo. Expect more leaks to come soon ahead of MWC 2014 in February.

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Some Samsung Galaxy S5 specs reportedly confirmed. New Galaxy S5 Mini and S5 Zoom might join the flagship

Is Samsung’s new Galaxy S5 going to be announced in March? We can’t know for sure, but, according to a recent report, the South Korean company does indeed plan to unveil its new flagship Android smartphone in mid-March. Until then, it appears that some specs of the S5 have been confirmed. 

SamMobile received word from an “insider” that the Galaxy S5 would come with a Quad HD (1,440 x 2,560 pixels) display - just as previously rumored. The screen will likely measure 5.25 inches. On the back, the S5 will reportedly have a 16MP camera (perhaps with optical image stabilization, but that's not confirmed). As in the case of older Galaxies, two processors will be used for the Galaxy S5, depending on model: a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805, and an eight-core Samsung Exynos 6. 

Design-wise, the Galaxy S5 should have a plastic version, as well as a metal version. SamMobile is a Dutch website, so it revealed the prices of both versions in Euro: around €650 for the plastic one, and around €800 for the metal handset. In the US, we assume the prices will be around $650 and around $800, respectively. 

Naturally, the Galaxy S5 should run Android 4.4 KitKat, but it’s not clear if Samsung’s new Magazine UX will be on top of it (probably yes). The amount of RAM, internal memory, battery, the presence or absence of a fingerprint scanner - all these are still mysteries for now. 

In addition to launching the Galaxy S5, it’s said that Samsung prepares the release of a Galaxy S5 Mini and a Galaxy S5 Zoom. Yep, it looks like the South Korean company is sticking to its S4 strategy from last year, when we had an S4 Mini and an S4 Zoom. Both the S5 Mini and S5 Zoom should run Android 4.4 KitKat, featuring Super AMOLED displays (unknown size and resolution). The S5 Mini could be announced in May, while the camera-centric S5 Zoom might be introduced in June. 

As always, although “confirmed” was used in this post, nothing is truly confirmed until a product is officially announced. So things may change. We'll definitely let you know when (and if) they do.
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Pivothead SMART Glasses Live Up To Their Name

It’s not a secret that the future of video recording is perched on your nose. Even if Google Glass never really takes off, the hands-free form factor and high-quality video you can get with video glasses makes it highly appealing to journalists and filmmakers. And Pivothead has decided to build modular glasses just for them.
Glasses That Go To Pieces
A Solid Camera On Their Own
Facecamera

The SMART Glasses’ best feature is the ports on either end of the stems. They’re designed to let you swap in different modules to achieve different effects. One of the modules, for example, is designed to livestream video, so if you want to cover the news, or show off what’s going on in real time, you just fire up the glasses. There’s a computing module that adds a bunch of sensors and a rudimentary computing function. And, naturally, there’s a battery to get extended life. Needless to say, there’s only two at a time, but hey, they’re all useful.
Besides that, the SMART Glasses are just a solid little video camera on their own. The footage is shot in 1080p, of course, and can be stored onboard in the 16GB of memory, which can, of course, be expanded courtesy of a microSD slot. Instead of using an in-eye system, a series of LEDs embedded in the frame tell you what’s going on, whether you’re recording, and where your battery level happens to be. It’s not revolutionary, but if you need video handy, this will fit the bill.
You won’t have to wait long to try out Pivothead’s new glasses; they’ve finished a funding campaign quite successfully and are targeting April for a release date. The price is pretty much in line with what you might expect: You’ll be paying $630 to get the glasses and all three of the attachable modules.

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55” Vizio Smart TV $448, Fitbit One workout & sleep tracker, Sony NEX-3NL IL camera sale

Want a big Smart TV but don’t want to pay top dollar for it? Today you can pick up a refurbished 55-inch Vizio E550i-A0 120Hz Smart LED TV for $448. That makes the lowest ever price we’ve seen on this model by over $200. Looks like some folks might’ve gotten sets damaged during shipping, but you can always opt for store pickup instead.
If you want to hold yourself accountable to New Years fitness resolutions, the Fitbit One will track your workouts and sleep for $85 after coupon. A full 96% of buyers would recommend it to a friend, and it was Amazon’s “Best-selling health & personal care item” for 2013.
And today Amazon’s selling the Sony NEX-3NL interchangeable lens digital camera for $290 shipped. Billed as the world’s smallest and lightest IL camera, the NEX-3NL is at the lowest price we’ve ever seen by $39. It’s also currently the number one seller in the Compact System Cameras category.
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HTC Denmark says One X+ won't get Android 4.4 KitKat

HTC has already updated its One flagship with Android 4.4 KitKat and is working to bring the update to its One mini and One Max siblings. Many of the loyal HTC users were waiting on confirmation whether or not some of the previous One droids will be getting the same treatment.
Even though there is nothing official from HTC's HQ, HTC Denmark spilled the beans on the company's plans for the HTC One X+. An HTC rep has responded to a question over Twitter concerning the KitKat update for One X+:
"We can confirm the HTC One X+ will remain on the current software version, Android 4.2.2 and Sense 5."
This means no Android 4.3 Jelly Bean or 4.4 KitKat for the HTC One X+. And if the One X+ isn't getting newer Android versions, then One X and One S users should probably abandon all hope too.
                    Source:Gsmarena.com
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Atheer One smart glasses connect to Android smartphones and support 3D content



Google Google started the smart glasses wave with Google Glass. Those glasses are in the hands of a few developers and end users around the country and have proven to be interesting devices. The downside to Google Glass is that the wearable computing product is not what most of us would consider affordable.A product is on crowd sourced funding site Indiegogo called the Atheer One from Atheer Labs. The Atheer One is a set of glasses that the user wears that supports gesture interaction. The Indiegogo campaign for the Atheer One has two products including the Atheer Dev Kit and the Atheer One.

The dev kit will ship in early 2014, assuming no issues are run into during production. The Atheer One will ship in late 2014. The glasses are an accessory for an Android phone and are connected through a micro-USB port. The glasses show an image that looks like a 26-inch HD screen from 50cm away. They also support 3D content with see through 3D stereo displays. The Atheer Dev kit has a pair of 5MP stereo cameras while the Atheer One will have 8MP stereo cameras. The images you see can be controlled in the air via gestures and since the Android phone controls the show, all Android apps will work with the glasses. The lenses are see through allowing the virtual display to be overlaid on the world around you. The dev kit features a Snapdragon processor, HDMI, USB, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS. The dev kit has a slightly smaller display that looks like a 15-inch screen from 50cm away from your face. The Atheer One is currently available on the Indiegogo page for pre-order for $500. The Dev kit version starts at $1000. The project was seeking $100,000 and has raised $123,718 with 19 days to go.

SOURCE: Indiegogo
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OWC PS4 HDD upgrade kit gives you more space for content

Sony has been doing very well with its PS4 game console. The company sold a huge numberof units and by early December of 2013, Sony reported 2.1 million units sold. The companycouldhave sold even more if supply had been able to keep up with demand.One of the nice things about the PS4 is that the HDD is easily accessible and uses a standard laptop style drive inside. That means that the drive is easy to replace with a larger unit to give more storage space for content. Other World Computing, known as OWC, announced last week that it had a slick little PS4 HDD upgrade kit that comes with all the items you need to upgrade your console.One of the nice things about the PS4 is that the HDD is easily accessible and uses a standard laptop style drive inside. That means that the drive is easy to replace with a larger unit to give more storage space for content. Other World Computing, known as OWC, announced last week that it had a slick little PS4 HDD upgrade kit that comes with all the items you need to upgrade your console.Not only do the drives used in the upgrade kits give more storage space to users, the drives are also faster giving the PS4 a performance boost. The HDD upgrade kits come in 1TB and 1.5TB capacity. OWC also has two SSD upgrade options to add storage space and improve performance.The SSD upgrades are offered in 240GB and 480GB versions. The 1TB HDD upgrade is $99 with the 1.5TB version selling for $149.99. The 240GB SSD upgrade is $219 with the 480GB version selling for $399. The kits include the drive, a screwdriver, flash drive for PS4 data download, and instructions.
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Acer Tab 7 is a new ultra-cheap Android Jelly Bean tablet

The tablet seen above is called Acer Tab 7, and is the Taiwanese company’s latest cheap Android slate. It’s even cheaper than the Iconia A1-830, which was unveiled by Acer at CES 2014 and should hit shelves for only $149.99.

Unveiled in China, the Acer Tab 7 is a tad smaller than the Iconia A1-830, as its display only measures 7 inches, not 7.9 inches. The pixel resolution is also lower: 600 x 1024. The new tablet runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, weighs 289 grams, it’s 9.9m-thin, and looks decent for a budget device. The rest of its features include: a seemingly old dual-core 1.5GHz ARM Cortex A9 processor (probably made by MediaTek), 1GB of RAM, 1.9MP rear camera, VGA front-facing camera, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, Micro USB, Micro HDMI, MicroSD card slot, 8GB of internal memory, and a 3,000 mAh battery. 

Chinese retailer JD is already selling the Acer Tab 7 for about $99. We don’t know if Acer is planning to release the new tablet in other markets - but it might, seeing how ultra-cheap slates from well-known companies are gaining ground (Samsung, for example, is supposed to launch a $130 Galaxy Tab 3 Lite in the near future).

source: JD (translated) via Blog of Mobile 
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Fujifilm X-E2 review

In comes the X-E2 with its faster autofocus, improved sensor and larger, higher-resolution LCD screen, among other minor tweaks. Even if that’s not necessarily enough to get upgraders on board, it ought to align the latest model with the current standard. Is it enough to beat the competition and has Fujifilm got a CSC winner on its hands in the X-E2?

Hey good lookin’

Blink and you’ll miss it - the X-E2 is built around the same shell as its predecessor. That means an awesome looking, retro-style physique that’s built like a tank. It’s sturdy, reassuringly weighty and we’re big fans of that silver-topped look.There are, of course, subtle differences to spot - most of which are functional. The name badge has changed, while there’s an extra stop available on the stiffer-to-adjust +/-3EV exposure compensation dial and a new 1/180th sec flash sync speed on the shutter dial. We still found it a bit too easy to knock that comp dial by accident though, which is annoying - you'll need to check the dial each time the camera is extracted from a bag.
Furthermore the function (Fn) button on top defaults to activate Wi-Fi for sharing and there's a second function (Fn2) button to the rear. The Fn2 button has, in turn, moved the autofocus (AF) button onto the d-pad's down key by displacement. Small but essential changes, even if we’re nonplussed about Wi-Fi’s presence.
Look closer and you'll also notice that the rear LCD has been upgraded to a 3-inch, 1.04m-dot version. That's a big jump compared to the X-E1's 2.8-inch 640k-dot offering and it can really be seen in the flesh, so to speak. Far, far more detail on offer.
The viewfinder remains unchanged in physical terms, but the 0.5-inch electronic panel, complete with 2.36m-dot resolution, can now deliver a faster refresh rate. It’s just as brilliant as it was in its predecessor for the most part, and we’ve used it indoors and out where even in low-light we’ve found there to be little lag or ghosting. The faster refresh rate isn't always active from what we understand from speaking with Fujifilm, it deploys such action when low light will benefit from it.

Performance pro?

In use it’s that hands-on approach to layout that gives the Fujifilm range a point of difference compared to most CSCs. Take, for example, the lenses which, to date, all come with physical aperture rings. There’s a certain wonderment to clicking between those f/stops, as small a thing as that may sound. We're big fans of the layout, although the position the aperture ring lies on the 18-55mm lens used for this review does feel as though it's tucked in towards the camera's body more than we would like - it's not difficult to use, just not as elegant as it could be compared to what we're used to.
The menu layout may also take a little getting used to, but once you’re on board it feels natural. We like the amount of customisation that’s available, where a single press of the "Q" button on the rear will open up a grid of adjustable options. Simply use the rear thumbwheel to toggle through them. No touchscreen ability for hands-on use might be a moan for some, but we prefer the idea of keeping it grease-free and fingerprint clear.

Image quality

Just like its predecessor, the X-E2’s image quality is its most attractive prospect. The X-E1 was good, the X-E2 is just as good. Arguably it's even better - although the jump between sensors (the same as from the Fujifilm X100 to the X100S model, if you happen to be a big Fujifilm fan) is a subtle push forward that's tricky to see by eye.

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Onewheel skateboard is the self-propelled future of transport

Imagine skateboarding along without taking your feet off the board, while seemingly floating above the ground. That's what Kickstarter project Onewheel, which was launched at CES, aims to offer. And it's for everyone, including non-skaters.
Before you judge this board by its base, this thing is powerful. Onewheel is driven by a 500W direct drive brushless motor in the hub of that wheel Batman would be proud to ride. That's as much power as many electric bikes manage to eek out, all through one wheel.
So how can you move forward without controls or removing your feet? Like a Segway the Onewheel uses clever gyroscopics to detect your lean and responds by delivering power. Lean forward: go forward, simple - brilliant.
The Onewheel makers say this is easy to ride so even if you've never been on a board of any kind before you'll pick this up right away. And once you do you'll be flying along at 12mph. Thanks to the 48V lithium battery you should be able to keep going for between four and six miles depending on the terrain. Then you'll need to carry the 11kg or hope the remaining journey is downhill.
The Onewheel has already hit its Kickstarter target and sold out of the early $1200 price. There are a few left at $1300 at the time this article was published. Check back for our review once we get a unit in the UK for testing.
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Android users with the need for speed might be interested in UC Browser

Last month, we passed along the word of an update for the Windows Phone version of UC Browser. Now, the Android version has received an update that is supposed to make the already fast third party browser, work even faster. UC Web, the developers behind the multiple-award winning app, says that the latest update quickens speeds by 15% on 3G and Wi-Fi connections.

How is this improvement in speed achieved? Is it some sort of black magic or witchcraft? Nah, the bump in speed is credited to the use of algorithms that make the browser more efficient in dealing with data retrieval and storage. And the update also brings some new features like the Web Applications Center which allows users to add web apps to the browser. And the new Image Viewer lets you create a photo album effect using all of the pictures on the webpage you're currently viewing.

The UC Browser now has a widget for quick access to the "rich services" on the browser, right from your home page. The update also includes the usual performance improvements and adds support for more regional languages. It's all just a free download away from the Google Play Store.

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