dimanche 7 août 2016

Crowdfunding project of the week: the COWAROBOT R1 is a suitcase that follows you

cowa-2

It's Sunday! We are ready for a new week, but must first give you our featured crowdfunding project. In this article series we highlight some of the hottest crowdfunding campaigns from websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Shall we jump right in?

Other featured campaigns:

A couple weeks ago we talked about the Modobag, a suitcase you can ride around. But not everyone needs that kind of thrill, right? Sometimes you just want to worry about your emails when going through an airport. This is when the COWAROBOT R1 suitcase comes into play. This thing can literally follow you around. But it does so in a very smart way we haven't seen before.

cowa-3

Previous attempts at making robotic luggage bags have been made, but they all seem pretty wonky. The COWAROBOT R1 aims to be a much more refined product. It will try to follow by your side and stay within your line of sight, as well as your hand's reach. Its powerful motors allow it to travel at up to 4.5 miles per hour, while its battery will last for about 12.5 miles. That's a long run!

But that is not quite the coolest part. It uses a technology named "CO-EYE", which includes a set of sonar and cliff detection sensors. This system allows the unit to detect obstacles and drops (such as stairs); the suitcase will then effectively avoid them. Or you could go manual by simply touching the handle, which will make the powered tires go inside the bag.

cowa

The COWAROBOT R1 is controlled with two things: the included bracelet and the official smartphone app. The bracelet has a few functions. For starters, it is what the suitcase follows, so you want to make sure you have it at all times. It's also possible to activate the "find me" function, lock/unlock bag compartments and get notifications. And because the bag comes with an integrated GPS, it can be easily located through the app.

Sounds like a traveler's dream come true, right? I would still prefer the fun ride the Modobag offers, but the COWAROBOT R1 is definitely a treat, right? It's surprisingly not too expensive. You can sign up for one for as low as $449 if you back the Indiegogo project right now. Who is getting one?

Check out the COWAROBOT R1 on Indiegogo

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10 best education apps for Android

khan academy best education apps for android
Mobile technology can help you get a lot done. It's one of the most revolutionary productivity tools of all time, but it doesn't end there. You can use your smartphones and tablets to help teach yourself new skills and learn new things. Here are the best education apps for Android!

Coursera

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Coursera is one of many education apps that offer a range of courses on a variety of topics. Officially, you can find courses in computer science, data science, business, STEM, foreign language, and art. You can find other subjects as well. The platform boasts over 1000 courses, most of which have video lectures and tutorials. Courses come both free and paid so you can likely find something that fits your budget no matter what it is. The app is still a work in progress, but it is cross-platform so you can use it on your computer as well.

Download now on Google Play!

Google Play Books

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Google Play Books has come a long way since it first came out and now it's one of the best education apps out there. The subject matter that you can purchase ranges from fantasy and fiction to non-fiction, comics, and virtually any other genre you can think of. There is also a wide selection of educational books, text books, guidebooks, and other literature of educational value. Because of this, Google Play Books is an invaluable resource that is definitely worth looking into.

Download now on Google Play!

Khan Academy

[Price: Free]
Khan Academy is another education platform that offers a variety of classes and courses to people. It currently boasts over 10,000 instructional videos and they're all completely free. Khan Academy deals with more typical education, such as mathematics, economics, history, science, and more. It's especially good for people who need to brush up on the more basic stuff before continuing on to more complex topics. As we mentioned, the courses are completely free and it's a great overall resource.

Download now on Google Play!
khan academy best education apps for android

Memrise

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Memrise is a language learning app and it's one of the most successful ones out there. Their method involves teaching you a new language in bite-sized chunks to make it easier not unlike other popular apps like Duolingo. The app also contains games as well as goals that help encourage you to keep going. The big feature is that Memrise boasts over 100 languages that you can learn. The classes are all free with an optional pro subscription that includes more tools to help you learn even faster.

Download now on Google Play!

SoloLearn

[Price: Free]
SoloLearn is a development studio that produces all kinds of education apps. Their specialization is in computer programming and because of this, all of their apps teach you computer code. There are a range of languages available, including Python, Java, C++, HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript, SQL, and even Swift. All of the apps are completely free and each one has stellar user reviews. If you're into computer programming at all, you should look into these.

Download now on Google Play!

TED

[Price: Free]
TED, the platform responsible for the famous TED Talks, is one of the more unique education apps. For those who don't know, TED Talks are lectures by experts in industry that discuss various topics in-depth. The subjects are vast and include everything from body language to sexuality, medicine, technology, psychology and more. They're intended for audiences that already have interests in a specific field, but there are over 2000 talks for you to choose from. It also has the TED Radio Hour podcast as well as a feature for custom playlists. It is entirely free.

Download now on Google Play!
ted best education apps for android

Udacity

[Price: Free]
Udacity is one of those edcuation apps that has seemed to spawn a world all its own. You've likely heard phrases like "nanodegrees" before and Udacity is one of the places that offers those kinds of things. The company also frequently makes the news for having courses from industry leaders like Google, Facebook, and others. The courses generally cost money, but they also seem to be of a higher standard than most. The courses here aren't for the feint of heart.

Download now on Google Play!

Udemy

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Udemy was one of the first education apps on mobile to offer up the courses-style of teaching. It currently boasts over 32,000 courses in total that range from science and technology to cooking and foreign language. Some of the other topics include business, marketing, entrepreneurship, design, health and fitness, music, photography, and there are even courses to help you learn software. The courses range greatly in terms of quality of content and you can find courses that are both free and paid. The app is pretty decent and carries most of the features of the official website as well.

Download now on Google Play!

Wolfram Alpha

[Price: $2.99]
Wolfram Alpha is one of the more unique education apps. It essentially taps into a variety of stats and knowledge that you can browse through and use for your day to day activities. Some of the stuff you can find there includes a wealth of mathematics, statistics, data analysis, physics, chemistry, information about materials, engineering, astronomy, and many, many others. This is definitely meant for those engaged with academics as an aide for learning. In some instances, it'll even solve math problems and show you the step-by-step instructions. For $2.99, it's a steal.

Download now on Google Play!
Wolfram Alpha best education apps for android

YouTube

[Price: Free]
YouTube is among the best education apps out there. There are YouTube channels dedicated to teaching individuals all sorts of skills from cooking to chemistry, physics to fan repair, and everything else that you can think of. When people want to find tutorials on how to change the oil in their car or how to install a screen door, they're probably going to end up on YouTube. It can also successfully augment any of the other education apps on this list. Your device should have it pre-installed and if it doesn't, then you should definitely download it.

Download now on Google Play!

Related best app lists:

If we missed any of the best education apps for Android, tell us about them in the comments!To see our complete list of best app lists, click here.

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5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week! – Android Apps Weekly

Welcome to the 152nd episode of Android Apps Weekly! Here are the headlines from the last week:

SwiftKey had a bit of a problem this last week. There was a data leak in their servers and this caused people to have words, emails, and phrases that were recommended that they didn't recognize. Typically, it was strange email addresses and words in foreign languages. Because of this, SwiftKey has stopped their cloud syncing service until they can get it straightened out.
A report earlier this week indicated that there were around 200 million Yahoo accounts that were for sale. A hacker named Peace_of_mind put up the accounts in their store on the dark web. They are asking for 3 Bitcoins (just under $2000) for the whole collection. According to Motherboard, some of the accounts are active and some are disabled or inactive. Either way, if you have a Yahoo account, you should change your password now.
Cheetah Mobile has finished up a deal where it purchased News Republic for $57 million. News Republic, for those who don't know, is an HTC Blinkfeed partner and they have a really good news app. This has come in the wake of a number of other moves, such as releasing BADLAND 2. Tons of people use Cheetah Mobile apps, but the company's reputation is less than stellar. That makes us wonder what they have in store for News Republic.
Google Play is having a massive game sale this week. Final Fantasy VI, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath and Munch's Oddysee, Minecraft: Story Mode, Lara Croft Go, and many others are up for grabs. Each game is on sale for a varying amount with savings occasionally reaching over 50%. Most of these are really good games that are definitely worth checking out.
Google's new Nexus Launcher leaked this last week and the APK has been floating around all week. It does things a little different like getting rid of the app drawer icon in favor of a much more minimal arrow. You can also quickly access Google Now with a new Google Tab widget. It is coming with its fair share of bugs, but that's mostly because it's meant to be installed as a system app. You can check it out, but don't be surprised if some features don't work.

For even more Android apps and games news, including the latest Pokemon Go news, don't forget to check out this week's newsletter by clicking here! If you want the newsletter sent straight to your email every week, fill out the form below and you'll officially be signed up! For even faster updates, check out the Android Authority app!

BlackBerry Hub+ Services

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
BlackBerry Hub+ Services may seem familiar to anyone who has used a BlackBerry Priv. That's because it is the same Hub that's available there. Because of their new focus on software, BlackBerry has decided to release the app to everyone that wants it no matter which Android device you run. It has quick links to other BlackBerry apps, like its texting app and its calendar app for you to get quickly. The Hub actually just manages the data from all of these other apps so if you want to use the Hub, you'll pretty much have to use the other apps as well. If that sounds like something you want to do, you can get the app for free right now.

Download now on Google Play!
blackberry hub android apps weekly

Verne: The Himalayas

[Price: Free]
Verne: The Himalayas is an adorable little app where you can explore The Himalayan mountains with a yeti named Verne. Basically, this is a 3D Google Maps view of the mountains with some added elements superimposed on top to provide additional info. You'll explore the mountains and the app will talk to you about certain points and why they're significant. You can also hang glide, go sledding, and explore the mountains in other ways. It's a fun little experience and you could learn a thing or two as well.

Download now on Google Play!
verne android apps weekly

Mobius Final Fantasy

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Mobius Final Fantasy was released this week and it's something a little different for the long-running franchise. You'll be playing as a guy who has lost his memory and you'll enlist the help of friends to find it. It features better graphics and mechanics than we're used to seeing in Freemium games and the grandeur in-game cut scenes are a lot of fun to watch. Aside from that, this is a combat-based game with a card collecting system as well as a job system. It's worth a shot, especially if you're a fan of the series.

Download now on Google Play!

Dropbox Paper Beta

[Price: Free]
Dropbox Paper Beta is the latest app out of the cloud-storage company. It is a note-taking app that seems to live between Google Keep and Google Drive when it comes to functionality. Users will be able to create notes and documents, comment on those documents, and reply to comments. People can invite others to the app to collaborate on documents as well. The app is in beta which means there are some bugs here and there and it's far from complete. Still, it's free if you want to try it out.

Download now on Google Play!
dropbox paper beta android apps weekly

NBC Olympics

[Price: Free]
The Olympic Games in Rio are in full swing and you may want to keep up on what's going on. NBC is covering the event and their official app for the Olympics is out now. Unfortunately, the app could be better and it is suffering from some long load times and an inconsistent interface. However, it is the best app to find this information in a centralized area. Realistically, any good sports app should have decent coverage as well just in case you want another option. That said, if you want something that is specifically for the Olympics, this is the app to try.

Download now on Google Play!
nbc olympics android apps weekly

Related best app lists:

If we missed any great Android apps news, tell us about them in the comments! Click here to see a list of our best Android apps and games lists!

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10 best note taking apps for Android

Google Keep best note taking apps for android
One of the many great things about having a smartphone is the ability to take notes. Gone are the days where inspirations were lost because you couldn't find a notebook and you now carry your grocery list in your pocket all day, every day. Of course, you'll want the right app for that job so lets take a look at the best note taking apps for Android!

ColorNote

[Price: Free]
First on our list is ColorNotes. This is a simple note taking application that allows you to create text notes, lists, and more. Its namesake feature is the ability to change the background color of notes to help you stay organized, a feature it had long before Google Keep came out. Some other features include calendar support, backup support to both internal and cloud storage, some task reminder features, and more. ColorNote also has to-do list features as well. Best of all, it's completely free.

Download now on Google Play!
ColorNote best note taking apps for android

Evernote

[Price: Free / $34.99 per year / $69.99 per year]
Evernote is pretty much the upper tier when it comes to note taking apps. It is loaded with features of all kinds, including various note types, notebook support, organizational features, collaboration features, note sharing, and, of course, cross-platform support. During 2016, it neutered its free offering so it's not quite as robust as it used to be. There are also two optional subscriptions that add a variety of features as well as cloud space to store your notes. It's still really good, but it's not the paradigm-altering app that it used to be.

Download now on Google Play!

FiiNote

[Price: Free]
FiiNote is from the same developers who did FreeNote which used to be on this list many years ago. FiiNote is a fun little note taking application that provides a more authentic experience. It comes with a grid background along with stylus/drawing support so you can type notes, write them, or draw them if you want. You can also add images, video, and voice if you want to. It's free to use and comes with a decent set of features for those looking for a hybrid note taking experience. It's also really good for doodling or sketching things.

Download now on Google Play!
fiinote best note taking apps for android

Google Keep

[Price: Free]
Google's note taking app is called Google Keep and it's one that you'll hear a lot of people recommend. It uses a very colorful, Material Design-inspired interface that both looks great and is highly functional. Notes show up as cards that you can quickly scroll through and select. The app is integrated with Google Drive, allows for voice and photo to be added to notes, and you can even share notes and set reminders. It's a good note taking app that has just enough features to be super useful but not so many that it's bloated. It also has Android Wear support if you need that.

Download now on Google Play!

LectureNotes

[Price: Free demo / $3.59]
LectureNoteswas one of the first really good note taking apps and remains one of the best today. This one isn't so much geared toward general note taking as it is geared toward things like academia and professional use. It was one of the earliest apps to include stylus support and continues to be one of the best with that feature now. It has support for OneNote and Evernote along with PDF support, audio and video recording capabilities (for recording lectures or meetings), and a lot more. It's a seriously good app, but we do recommend you try out the free trial before buying the full version.

Download now on Google Play!

Check out: The best Android apps, ever!102

Material Notes

[Price: Free]
Material Notes feels like one of those note taking apps that was created to take advantage of the Material Design craze. Thankfully, it's also a pretty good app for taking notes. It features a design and layout similar to Google Keep with colored notes laid out in a card-style interface. Unlike Google Keep, this app doesn't take things much further. There is a widget if you need those and you have the ability to export and import notes in case you need to do that. Otherwise, what we're looking at here is a very simple note taking app that just gets the job done without any additional bells and whistles. It's also completely free.

Download now on Google Play!
material notes best note taking apps for android

Omni Notes

[Price: Free]
Omni Notes is another very simple note taking app with a Material Design interface. This one uses a vertical card layout that is both easy to scroll through and easy to keep track of. It also has the ability to merge, sort, and search through your notes for better organization and discovery. On top of that, it has DashClock support, widgets, and a sketch-note mode where you can draw and doodle if you want to. It's a free app that has enough features to be competitive, but not so many that it's bloated.

Download now on Google Play!
omni notes best note taking apps for android

OneNote

[Price: Free]
Microsoft's OneNote is Microsoft's foray into the note taking apps genre. It's integrated into OneDrive similar to how Google Keep is integrated into Google Drive. It has a bunch of features including organization features, cross-platform support, widgets, Android Wear support, collaboration features, and support for voice, text, and photo additions to notes. It's fairly powerful and a must-have application if you use Microsoft's series of productivity apps. The only caveat is that it's one of the more bloated note taking apps, so those looking for something more minimal may need to look elsewhere.

Download now on Google Play!

Simplenote

[Price: Free]
Simplenote, as the name implies, is one of the more simple note taking apps. It intentionally removes a lot of the features you'd see in other apps in favor of speed and to help keep the app lightweight. Unlike other minimal note taking apps, it does have some other features. It offers syncing between your devices and also an organization system that works off of tags and pins so you can quickly find the notes you're looking for. It features a little bit of Material Design to bring it all together. All of it is also totally free.

Download now on Google Play!
simplenote best note taking apps for android

SomNote

[Price: Free with in-app purchases]
Last and certainly not least on our list is SomNote. This note taking application has quite a few features and caters more to long-form note taking rather than simple things like grocery lists or reminders. It has a folder system for easy organization, a locking mechanism to keep things secure, and theming options. There is also a syncing feature so you can go back and forth between devices. You'll likely want an app like this if you're keeping a diary or journal, are writing down ideas for things like articles or novels, or even keeping track of projects. It's a good, solid app that does what it says it does.

Download now on Google Play!
SomNote best note taking apps for android

Related best app lists:

If we missed any of the best note taking apps for Android, tell us about them in the comments!To see our complete list of best app lists, click here.

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Must read: top 10 Android stories

samsung galaxy note 7 hands on aa second batch-13

This week we got to meet the new Galaxy Note 7, got a glimpse of the new Nexus launcher, and learned the first details about the LG V20!

Who wants to win a Galaxy S7 Edge?

The Galaxy S7 Edge is one of our top smartphone recommendations. Here's how you can win one.

10 Android stories we handpicked for you

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 specs, price, release date and everything else you should know The much awaited Galaxy Note 7 is official, and you can learn all the essential details right here.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 hands-on What is like to use the new Galaxy Note 7? Has Samsung finally perfected smartphone design? How about the software? All that, and more, in our Note 7 hands-on.

Galaxy Note 7 vs Galaxy Note 5 first look: the difference a year makes One year – and a lot of refinement – separate the Note 7 and the Note 5. If you're still on the fence about updating, this post will help you make a decision.

Where are smartphones made? It's not just China. The supply chain of the smartphone industry spans the world. People in dozens of countries work together to make your beloved flagship a reality. Here's a glimpse of how it works.

This company you aren't paying attention to is kind of trying to take over the world LeEco just bought Vizio, but its ambitions are much bigger: nothing less than world domination.

Best Kickstarters of the month – July 2016 Get up to speed with the most interesting and most innovative indie projects that are being crowdfunded right now.

Download the new Google Nexus launcher APK here You don't need to wait to taste the future of the Nexus experience. Try the Nexus launcher right now.

The LG V20 will launch on September 6 in San Francisco It's official: the V20 is coming on September 6. Will it save LG's year? Or will it flop just like the G5?

Lenovo Vibe K5 Note vs the competition The new Vibe K5 Note is bound to be very popular, but how does it fare against its biggest competitors?

How to extend your Android's battery life We could all need some extra battery life. Here's how to get the most out of your phone's battery.

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Pokémon Go expands to 15 more countries in Asia and Oceania

pokemon-go-red

My fellow Pokémon trainers in parts of Asia and Oceania, Niantic's immensely popular game is now live in 15 more regions, and your country could be one of them!

If you are currently in Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or Palau, Pokémon Go is now officially available in your country.

With over 100 million downloads, this augmented reality game has been expanding across the globe (albeit not fast enough for most fans): just in time for the Olympics, it made its debut in South America in Brazil and will continue to roll out in Central and South America.

Niantic had already revealed its plans to roll out Pokémon Go in Asia, but as you might have noticed, three major Asian countries are still devoid of some Pokémon fun: China, India, and South Korea. But why?

India's smartphone sales are skyrocketing, so it's a little puzzling that Niantic hasn't yet launched its iconic game there, but the country's sheer population of 1.2 billion may pose a problem for its servers.

As for China and South Korea, it should be needless to say that these two countries are a huge gaming market. According to App Annie's recent data, Chinese smartphone users now spend more money on games on iOS than their American counterparts.

However, as Niantic previously pointed out, regulations and security issues regarding Google Maps – on which the mega-hit mobile game heavily depends – are making the launch slightly more complicated for these two countries.

Google's map information system in Korea is limited due to security concerns over North Korea. In China, however, it is technically possible, but difficult to introduce due to the many hurdles, or should I say regulations we'd have to clear to get it to users.

That doesn't really seem to matter, however, as Chinese Pokémon enthusiasts are going to great lengths to join in on the fun: from downloading knock-off apps to faking their GPS location to America, there are various – and often creative – workarounds.

As for South Korea, Pokémon Go is available in very limited areas, most likely from a glitch. Bus and train tickets to these cities have been completely sold out, and these cities have seen their tourism revenue double.

Is your country among the 15 newly added countries for Pokémon Go? If you're in China, India, or South Korea, will you be waiting for the official launch of Pokémon Go?

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Here are the videos you don’t want to miss this week – August 7, 2016

Samsung-Galaxy-Note-7-backpack-battery-case-AA-(8-of-8)

We are keeping busy making the best videos we can, but you also have your responsibilities and can't always be on the lookout for new videos. This is why we highlight the hottest ones for you every weekend.

This week's biggest news is easily the Samsung Galaxy Note 7's launch. We have all kinds of content on the new phablet, so keep reading to find out everything about it. We also took a look at the Xiaomi Redmi Pro, the Nexus Launcher and the best Kickstarter campaigns of the month.

There's a lot to watch, so let's get started!

In the news

Want a good summary of what's been going on this week? Jayce and Joe Hindy make sure to keep you updated with the the android and app news of the week. Phones are exploding and new apps are hitting the Google Play Store, so let's get you updated on everything.

Top Kickstarters of July 2016

Every beginning of the month Krystal Lora gives us a roundup of the top Kickstarters of the month. It's time for July's gems to be featured. This month we are taking a look at a pillow that screams at you when you oversleep. Furthermore, there is a device that turns your Android smartphone into a laptop.

Best Kickstarters of the month – July 2016

Samsung Galaxy Note 7

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is definitely the next big thing, as well as being all the hype this week. Android fans will often say Samsung's true flagships are Note smartphones. They tend to come later in the year, which also means they boast better hardware and improved features. This year's Note model come with enough surprises, including an iris scanner, a killer design, great hardware and more.

We have the works here, including hands-on, feature explanations and even comparisons. Shall we dive in?

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 hands-on

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 hands-on

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 features explained

Note-worthy: Taking a closer look at the new S Pen

Galaxy Note 7 iris scanner feature focus

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 comparisons

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 5

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Galaxy S7 Edge

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Nexus 6P

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs iPhone 6s Plus

Oh, and there's a new Gear VR!

Samsung Gear VR (2016) hands-on

Xiaomi Redmi Pro Launched – What you need to know

Xiaomi is known for its powerful, yet super affordable devices. This time around they have launched the Xiaomi Redmi Pro seems to offer a great experience for a price that starts at RMB 1499 (~$225). It has a full aluminum body, giving it the build quality you need for a good beating. In addition, its specs are well above average for the price, including a MediaTek Helio X processor, 4 GB of RAM and 64-128 GB of internal storage.

Xiaomi Redmi Pro launched – Everything you need to know

Nexus Launcher hands-on

Ever wondered what the 2016 Nexus devices will tout in terms of software? Well, it looks very different. And while it may not look like much, there's a bunch of funky stuff going on. For starters, the app drawer is gone. Yeah… crazy right? Let Kris Carlon tell you all about it. By the way, you can install this launcher right now!

Download the new Google Nexus launcher APK here

What's your favorite video this week? Let us know in the comments!

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