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Latest Gear Live Videos
Motorola Xoom tablet receives Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich update
Posted by John Ball Categories: Google, Handhelds, Software,
Motorola announced on Wednesday that its Xoom tablets are going to finally receive the Ice Cream Sandwich update that so many have been waiting for. For those of you who do not know, Ice Cream Sandwich is the latest version of Android (currently Android 4.0.3). The update will be applied over the air, assuming you are connected to a Wi-Fi network, immediately. The update will give Xoom tablet users more functionality, including voice capabilities and faster browser rendering. This update will also make the Xoom one of the first tablets to adopt the Ice Cream Sandwich update.
Gallery: Motorola Xoom tablet receives Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich update
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iBooks Author allows you to create and publish books for the iPad
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Software, Videos,
Alongside the release of iBooks Textbooks this morning, Apple has also released an app called iBooks Author. Available for free on the Mac App Store, iBooks Author is a tool that allows anyone to create a textbook, storybook, or any other kind of book with relative ease. These books aren't just text either--you can add videos, 3D objects, photo galleries, web widgets, and more. Once you're satisfied with your book, you can then export it for personal use, or publish it to the iBookstore for sale or as a free download. Check out the video above for a full rundown of how it all works.
Gallery: iBooks Author allows you to create and publish books for the iPad
With the Kindle Fire being one of the biggest tablets to rival the iPad this holiday season, it is no surprise that we are seeing an update so soon into the New Year. The Kindle Fire update 6.2.2 brings full screen browsing to the Silk broser, as well as a handful of performance tweaks to the Amazon device. Of course, as it is with all software updates, some minor bugs in the software were also fixed. If you are one of the many that have rooted their Fire, you might also want to note that your increased user ability will be taken away. This update can be applied over the air or by visiting the official Kindle Fire site to manually download the update right now, and if you don't have one, you can pick up the Kindle Fire for $199.
Gallery: Kindle Fire 6.2.2 firmware update brings full-screen Silk browsing, optimizations
OnStar API introduced, encourages partners to create apps atop its data
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: CES, CES 2012, Corporate News, Software, Transportation,
Here at CES 2012, OnStar has just announced their own closed API that will allow developers to tap into OnStar data for use in their own apps. They've also made it known that its first partner on the API front will be RelayRides, a social network that allows anyone to rent out their own vehicle when they aren't in use. This means that you can log in to the RelayRides app, and it will utilize OnStar services to find which cars are available, where they are, and will then allow you to book the car, and even unlock the doors and start it up, all using the smartphones app. Vehicle owners will be able to set their rates and times.
This is just the beginning of the potential of what we should expect from developers as it pertains to OnStar data. More partners will be announced soon, and developers are encouraged to sign up for access, which you can do by emailing developers@onstar.com.
Click to continue reading OnStar API introduced, encourages partners to create apps atop its data
Gallery: OnStar API introduced, encourages partners to create apps atop its data
Download iOS 5.1 beta 3 9B5141a now!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software,
Apple has just added another iOS 5 beta update to its Dev Center, and today developers can go and grab iOS 5.1 beta 3. If you are already running iOS 5.1 beta, you can just do an OTA update and be done with it. If not, you'll need to download the update and connect to iTunes to install the beta. You can now grab iOS 5.1 beta 9B5141a for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, alongside Xcode 4.3 Developer Preview 7 for Lion (4E71d.)
Gallery: Download iOS 5.1 beta 3 9B5141a now!
ASUS set to start Android 4.0 rollout for Transformer Prime on January 12
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Google, Handhelds, Software,
We've gotta hand it to ASUS for being quick about updating the Transformer Prime to the latest release of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The company has said on its Facebook page that it will begin the Android 4.0 rollout to Transformer Prime owners on January 12, just over a week from now. When compared to how some of the other companies out there are being all slow about the Ice Cream Sandwich update on their devices, ASUS is looking like one of the few Android device makers that cares enough about its userbase to put Android 4.0 on the fast track.
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Gallery: ASUS set to start Android 4.0 rollout for Transformer Prime on January 12
Top 10 most read Gear Live stories of 2011
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Wearables, Features, Internet, Mods / Hacks, Software,
Sure, we've given you a list of our top 10 most popular stories of 2011, but we figured we'd go a bit more broad than that. We also thought it would be interesting to give you a look at the top ten most read stories on this site this year, period, regardless of what year they were posted. We must say, we're just as surprised as you are at what did (and didn't) make the list! For example, you guys seem to really like Monster's Beats by Dr. Dre audio line. Here we go:
- ColorWare now offering custom-painted Beats by Dr. Dre Studio headphones
- Limited Edition white Beats by Dr. Dre headphones hands-on: You can't deny that Monster has a hit on their hands with the Beats by Dr. Dre line of headphones.
- SLEEPTRACKER Watch review: This one focuses on a watch that tracks your sleep data and aims to wake you up when you are in your lightest phase of sleep. The result is that you wake up feeling more rested, and more refreshed.
- Exclusive: Pink Beats by Dr. Dre Charles Hamilton customs
- iOS 5 review
- Yes, Steve Jobs is back at Apple Campus
- iPhone 3G vs iPod touch 2G in pictures: Odd that an image gallery featuring the iPhone and iPod touch from two years ago made our top ten list, but there it is!
- Modify your Xbox without a mod chip: This one comes as no surprise--there are a lot of modders out there.
- White iPhone 4 vs. black iPhone 4 comparison
- Exclusive: Red Beats by Dr. Dre LeBron James customs
Any surprises? We've also compiled a list of the stories that have dropped out of the top ten between 2010 and 2011, which you can check out after the jump, and don't miss the ten most popular Gear Live videos of 2011 either!
Click to continue reading Top 10 most read Gear Live stories of 2011
Gallery: Top 10 most read Gear Live stories of 2011
Top 10 Gear Live stories of 2011
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Editorial, Features, Google, Handhelds, Mods / Hacks, Software, Videos,
We've come to the end of another year, and as we wave goodbye to 2011, we figured it was only fitting that we share the most popular stories published on Gear Live this year, as determined by our readers (we've also got the top ten most read stories regardless of publish date, as well as the ten most popular Gear Live videos of 2011!) These are the ten stories that were read the most, and when you consider that fact, it's pretty surprising to see what made the list. Let's kick it off with our most read story of the year:
Giveaway: Apple iPad 2 32 GB!:
The iPad 2 certainly got a lot of attention this year, and our iPad 2 giveaway served as our most popular post out of them all for 2011.
Click to continue reading Top 10 Gear Live stories of 2011
Gallery: Top 10 Gear Live stories of 2011
Put Siri on your iPad, iPhone 4, iPod touch with Spire jailbreak hack
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Mods / Hacks, Software,
One of the key differences between the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S is the availability of Siri on the newer smartphone. There have been a few hacks and allegedly legal options that put Siri on older versions of the iPhone, but nothing officially sanctioned by Apple.
The latest Siri workaround comes from iOS hackers Grant Paul, known as chpwn, and Ryan Petrich. In a recent blog post, the duo unveiled Spire, which is a "new tool for installing Siri on previously unsupported, but jailbroken, devices," Paul said. As you might recall, an iOS 5 jailbreak was just released.
The 100MB download is available via Cydia and it will add Siri to any device running iOS 5.
If that sounds a bit too good to be true, though, it is. Actually getting Siri to work on a device other than the iPhone 4S will require some technical know-how.
Click to continue reading Put Siri on your iPad, iPhone 4, iPod touch with Spire jailbreak hack
Gallery: Put Siri on your iPad, iPhone 4, iPod touch with Spire jailbreak hack
Kindle Fire Hack: Run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Google, Handhelds, Mods / Hacks, Software,
If you've got a Kindle Fire and have been waiting for the opportunity to to install a full-on version of Android, you may want to look into the newest hack that's just been released that allows you to install Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on the Amazon tablet. Yep, you read that right - thanks to an early Ice Cream Sandwich port based on CyanogenMod 9 that was put together by JackpotClavin, you can turn your Kindle Fire into a real Android tablet, with some caveats, as you'd probably expect.
Click to continue reading Kindle Fire Hack: Run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
