Minuum iOS update picks up new languages, advanced settings (Giveaway)

Update:Thanks to everyone who entered! Zikica-Stevens, Gary, and Alman-Najar, check your emails, because you’ve got some Minuum codes on their way. Show someone Minuum’s linear keyboard for the first time, and you’re bound to see some head-scratching. “That’s a keyboard? Where are all the buttons?” The design may be unlike anything many of us have come across before, but

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A final word from Taylor Martin

This article is my 628th piece of content (give or take) for Pocketnow. After somewhere over half a million words written (not including video scripts), it’s also my last.I have been sitting on my bed every night this week, staring at a blinking cursor and trying to figure out where to even begin. No goodbye is easy. I’ve been putting this one off, just like I’ve been avoiding the inevitable for the last three years.Before I get into all that, let me begin by saying ...

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HTC jumps on the quick-charging bandwagon with Rapid Charger 2.0

It’s no longer enough to demand phones with great battery life; in addition to handsets that last all day on a single charge, we want our phones to spring back to life in just a matter of minutes when we finally do plug them in for a charge. Motorola’s been using this type of ability as a selling point for some of its latest models, most notably with the just-launched Droid Turbo, which includes the company’s Turbo Charger right in the box. But it’s not just Motorola models that ...

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Phone hackers create super-roaming handsets by adding extra band support

Why is it so hard to make a phone that just works everywhere? There are only so many wireless standards, and so many frequency bands, so why isn’t there a phone that can do it all? Sure, we see some models that really make a good show of delivering a handset with broad international support, but the days of separate US and European versions of the same phones continue. But what if we told you that some of these seemingly restricted phones were secretly super-charged global roamers, just waiting to be ...

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Hot deals on the NYOP Game Design Bundle, wrap headphones, and more at the Pocketnow Deals Store

There are bargains galore at the Pocketnow Deals Store every single day.Today we highlight four such deals at prices that are pretty unbeatable. If these don’t happen to be your cup of tea, not to worry. There are tons more at the Pocketnow Deals Store.The Name Your Own Price Game Design BundleThe perfect opportunity to get into the video game development industry is here. The Name Your Own Price Game Design Bundle, available for a limited time at the ...

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Best Windows Phone Apps: Collaborate

There are plenty of whiteboard apps and web services available for collaboration and sharing, so what makes Collaborate one of the best Windows Phone apps? It’s simple, easy to use, and effective; and it’s from Microsoft Garage, which has quickly earned a reputation for developing cool and innovative software.

Collaborate for Windows Phone 8.1

Collaborate for Windows Phone 8.1

According to Microsoft, Collaborate “creates a frictionless way for you and a couple of colleagues to be able to do a brainstorm. Nobody has to photograph the whiteboard or jot down notes in email … It is a digitally authentic experience designed for sharing right from the start.”

This sharing app actually consists of two parts, a Windows Phone 8.1 app, and a Windows 8.1 app of the same name. As it stands, only the Windows 8.1 app can both host and join collaboration sessions, while the Windows Phone 8.1 app is limited to joining sessions. There are no Android or iOS versions as of publication.

While joined, Windows Phone users can call up photos and text blocks into a staging area, where they can then tap to send it to the “whiteboard” on the host’s computer. The host can then drag, resize, and rotate the content, and use a pen (should the Win 8.1 device support one) to ink and scribble notes.

Users can save staging areas for future sessions, while hosts can save .PNG files of old whiteboards.

Currently, joining sessions is done via six-digit alphanumeric code, though QR code support should arrive with a future update. As stated, it’s very simple, and designed for quick and impromptu collaboration. The app was just launched October 22, so it’s due for more features with future updates. Hosting sessions via the Windows Phone 8.1 app would be nice, as would Android and iOS compatibility.

Also, the app could benefit from greater Windows Phone 8.1 integration. Users can import images from the Photos app into the staging area, but that’s it, while Windows 8.1 users can import highlighted text and screenshots from other Windows 8.1 apps into Collaborate via the “Share” charm.

Sure, those are significant shortcomings. But that it’s from Microsoft Garage gives it a pedigree, and that it’s only a few weeks old as of writing this gives us hope that Collaborate will soon become the default whiteboard app for Windows users. It’s also free, so what do Windows Phone users have to lose?

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HTC RE camera hit with some delays as a release date lands

October’s been a surprisingly busy month for product launches this year, and as we get ready to call it a wrap and move onward to November, it feels appropriate to look back and check it with some of those new products as they get ready to make their retail debuts. One of the more unusual devices we saw announced was the RE camera from HTC, its screen-less handheld shooter. Pre-orders have opened by now on HTC’s own website as well as with retailer Best Buy, but no official release date has ...

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Amazon admits Fire Phone failings: “We didn’t get the price right”

Last week, Amazon shared its most recent financial data with investors, reporting a sizable quarterly loss that was in no way helped out by disappointing Fire Phone sales. In fact, unsold Fire Phone inventory was practically piling up in the company’s warehouses, a situation that cost Amazon to the tune of $170 million. Now Amazon’s Senior Vice President of Devices David Limp is speaking up about what went wrong with the Fire Phone, and he’s come to the same realization it seems like ...

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Motorola DROID Turbo vs Moto X 2014 (Video)

Just as happened last year, Motorola has two great phones available now on Verizon Wireless. The newly-announced DROID Turbo and Moto X both have their ups and downs, but which is the better overall pick for you to spend your hard-earned dollars on? Our DROID Turbo vs Moto X 2014 comparison video, embedded down below, will help you make the decision.On paper, there’s a pretty vast difference here – the camera’s megapixel count on the DROID Turbo smokes that of the Moto X, the Turbo’s processor is considerably more powerful, its display is superior as far as pixel ...

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Microsoft Band unboxing and first impressions (Video)

Microsoft surprised us all a bit by going official with its Band fitness tracker on Thursday, but we’ve now got one in hand and are ready to share with you the unboxing experience and our first impressions on the hardware, and Microsoft Health as well.To get a proper look at the Microsoft Band unboxing experience, you know where to go – but let’s talk launch-day promotions. By paying the $199 for the Band, you’ll also get a $5 Starbucks gift card (as part of the Starbucks/Microsoft Health partnership), and one free month of RunKeeper Elite, both things that can help you ...

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Samsung Galaxy A5 specs

Samsung, with the launch of new Galaxy A-series smartphones, may be getting serious in the premium-built smartphone race, but how do the phones themselves stack up? We’ve got in this post a thorough look at the Samsung Galaxy A5 specs, to help you decide if Samsung’s next is worth the buy… or a pass.Overall, the phone is pretty mid-range by today’s standards, but it holds its own and shouldn’t be too terrible a performer. The price point is also expected to be fairly competitive, so it’ll likely have that going for it, and the package itself ...

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Xiaomi sees meteoric rise to number three global smartphone OEM

There’s a big power shift going on right now in the smartphone market, as once-giants start to see their sales slip from between their fingers and previously second-string players step up to play with the big boys. New analyst reports on global smartphone shipments reveal some incredible growth from Xiaomi, blowing past the competition to land at the number three spot, behind only Samsung and Apple.Unsurprisingly, it’s sales in Asia that are driving Xiaomi’s success, where phones like the Mi4 ...

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HTC is making a mistake by not making the One M8 Eye broadly available

As is the case for most smartphones these days, the One M8′s time in the spotlight was very limited. Unlike the One M7, which won awards for all of 2013 (and even some in 2014), the One M8 is quickly fading into the background as competitors pile dozens of overpowered, chiseled pieces of art on shelves.Just look at the Oppo ...

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LG’s latest smartphone screen asks, “bezels? What bezels?”

This year has already brought us some smartphones with stupifingly tiny bezels, giving us phones that appear more like a screen floating in our hands than bulky handsets of yore; look no further than that surprisingly compelling Sharp Aquos Crystal. Other manufacturers are similarly interested in pushing boundaries (no pun intended) with bezels, working our way down to zero. The latest to share news of a component that hopes to make thick bezels a thing of the past is LG, with a 5.3-inch 1080p panel ...

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