Hound for Android: Free voice search app from the makers of SoundHound

SoundHound Inc, makers of the SoundHound, have just unleashed the Hound; a new, stripped down of its song-identifying app.

Hound operates on a Shazam-like basis, only instead of searching for a song by placing the phone next to a speaker all searches are generated by voice commands. You simply tap the button, speak the name of the song or artist (or both) and the Hound will have a go at searching for your track.

While not ideal for finding out what’s playing on the radio (a la Shazam) it is a good way of searching for a specific song that you want to buy on the go.

Hound also it links up nicely with the Amazon MP3 and YouTube apps. So if you’ve just watched that episode of Glee, you can fire up Hound and simply say “The Chain by Fleetwood Mac”, and there’ll be little Amazon and YouTube links to click on at the bottom of the screen.

In a sense, it’s basically a tool that allows you to voice search for MP3s on Amazon and videos on YouTube. But one that works quickly and looks good. Plus it’s free so if you just like the idea of having voice search for your musical needs, then the Hound is for you.

The full version of SoundHound is a little more advanced and comes in free (ad-supported) and paid (no ads) editions (SoundHound Infinity).

As well as offering the voice activated search, SoundHound allows you to a hum, whistle or sing a tune into your phone’s mic and it’ll do the best to find the track for you. It’s effectiveness depends on your ability to whislte/how tone defa your singing is, but it’s pretty genius and works most of the time.

You can also search for songs with SoundHound by holding in up to a speaker in the manner of Shazam and (whisper it) Sony Ericsson’s Track ID.

While SoundHound is available for both iPhones and Android devices, Hound is currently and Android-only deal.

Miro 4.0 Launches With Android Media and App Syncing

The open source media player Miro just unveiled version 4.0 of its product, which includes media syncing for Android handsets and tablets. The software also makes it possible to buy Android apps from Google’s Android Market and Amazon’s Android app store. It’s easily the biggest update yet for Miro, which delivers an open-source alternative to iTunes for the Android ecosystem and a direct challenge to other contenders like DoubleTwist.

The new update also includes a home sharing feature that makes it possible to play any Miro library content on any computer in the home network. The software uses the iTunes DAAP protocol to facilitate this kind of networking, which means Miro shares will also be available to any other DAAP client and play media from other DAAP servers, including network attached storage (NAS) drives in your home network.

Another notable feature is the inclusion of the Miro Video Converter, making it possible to convert any video file to make it playable on most handsets and other devices. And finally, Miro continues to include a BitTorrent client to download media from various torrent sites.

Miro is published by the non-profit Participatory Culture Foundation as an open-source project, and it has been trying to compete with iTunes and other media players for a long time. The makers of Miro told me in March they’ve been clocking about two million active users per month and a total of five million downloads of the application over the last year.

The Participatory Culture Foundation has long pushed to empower independent content makers to find new audiences online, which has been reflected in Miro as well. The software includes a media guide that showcases audio and video podcasts. This is the first time Miro has actively embraced mobile devices.

The new update squarely focuses on Android, but the makers of Miro aren’t ignoring iOS entirely: They’ve been working on a Miro app for the iPad, which should be available in about three weeks, according to Participatory Culture Foundation Co-Founder Nicholas Reville.

Samsung Galaxy Gingerbread update – what it means for your phone

Samsung has confirmed that the much delayed Gingerbread update is set to hit its Galaxy range at the end of this month. But what exactly will the new OS version do for your Galaxy S or Galaxy Tab device?

Better UI

Android 2.3 brings with it a number of tweaks and improvements to the Android interface. Admittedly, not all of these will be noticeable on the Samsung Galaxy range owing to the presence of the company’s own custom UI, but the should be some clear improvements nonetheless.

As well as improved navigation, there’ll be an improved copy and paste function for text. Pressing and holding on a word will allow you to copy that word, while you will also be able to manually adjust the parameters of your copied text by “dragging a set of bounding arrows to new positions,” as the Android Developers blog puts it.

Unfortunately, we probably won’t see the improved Android 2.3 keyboard on Galaxy devices, because Samsung tends to go with its own solution. However, it’s certainly not a bad keyboard in its own right, and there are plenty of fine alternatives on the Android Market anyway.

Improved performance

Arguably the biggest improvements in Gingerbread, however, relate to general performance. According to Samsung, “multimedia content now has a lower CPU consumption rate, while support for more powerful 3D Graphics enables an enhanced mobile gaming experience.”

This was certainly borne out when an early build of the 2.3 update for Galaxy devices leaked out back in April. Sites like GSMArena took the opportunity to run some benchmark tests, and found that graphical performance on the Galaxy S was significantly improved when running on 2.3.

It’s not just the CPU and GPU performance that will be improved by the 2.3 update, either. According to the Android Developers blog, Android 2.3 “takes a more active role in managing apps that are keeping the device awake for too long or that are consuming CPU while running in the background.” The result is not only a freeing up of more processing power, but an increase in battery life into the bargain.

When can we catch the Gingerbread, man?

All these subtle improvements and more (see below) will be winging their way to a Samsung Galaxy device near you over the coming weeks. According to Samsung, “the upgrade path will begin with Galaxy S in the UK from late May,” but will be dependent on each network’s own software approval process. After the last false start on Samsung’s part, operators will doubtless want to be extra sure that this update is exactly right.

When the update does turn up, you’ll only be able to access it through Samsung’s Kies desktop program, so be sure to have it installed and up to date.

A lot of attention has been created by this 2.3 update for the Galaxy range, but it’s easy to see why. A new OS serves to freshen up an older device and makes it feel like new. In this case, it will also turn your Galaxy device into a better, faster unit.

Xperia Arc, Play get Android update

Sony Ericsson rolls out first update for Xperia play and Xperia arc fixes bugs, adds Facebook Inside and updates the core system to Android version 2.3.3.

Sony Ericsson has officially announced the launch of its first update for the users of Xperia Play and Xperia Arc smartphones, which will now be upgraded to Android Gingerbread version 2.3.3.

Besides, they will also get the recently launched feature 'Facebook inside Xperia' that was introduced during the launch of the new range of Xperia Mini's. The feature allows users to share, like and connect on Facebook in a faster and easier way that is not possible through an application or through website.

The feature works side-by-side with TimeScape user interface that track various social networking websites for contacts of the user and brings it all to a single place. The Facebook for Android app is also available on the phone that delivers faster and more accurate results related to the contacts.

The operating system upgrade has been made with the feedback received from various users around the globe. The update brings along list of fixes and optimisations along with the new operating system that includes, better touch interface, battery usage optimisation, Wi-Fi and software stability. Last but not the least, it also improves the high definition video recording performance on the Xperia Arc.

The update is available in some countries for now but is expected to be rolled out globally very soon. The software update will be available for update over the air and through the PC software as well. In case of India it will be through the use of computer only.

Google Maps 5.5 for Android Fixes things and Adds Features

Google Maps on Android is possibly the most used version of the google maps and google is not leaving it behind. F

Check-ins and ratings have now been added to the Places page within the Maps application.

New check-in and rating buttons added to Place pages. The below Post from the Google Mobile Blog demonstrates the new features.

Now when you open a Place page from your mobile device, you can check in to places withGoogle Latitude or submit a rating or review by clicking on two new buttons at the top of the listing.

This past week I had the chance to explore the Computer History Museum during my visit to San Francisco from across the pond in London. Once nearby, I could quickly open the museum’s Place page and check in.

When I was ready to leave and head to lunch, in a few seconds I could go back to the Place page and rate the museum – which certainly earned the 5 star rating it received from me.

Update home and work address for your Latitude Location History

Last month we released the Location History dashboard for Latitude which estimates how much time you spend at home, work, and everywhere else. If your home or work address changes, or you’d rather set a different address to represent ‘home’ and ‘work,’ you can now edit these addresses within Latitude.

Change home/work location from Location History dashboard

View the redesigned transit station pages

It’s been about two years since we added transit directions in Google Maps for Android. Since then, we’ve increased the coverage from 250 cities to more than 440 and counting – the most recent being Washington, D.C. To make it easier to plan your transit route, we updated the transit station pages in this release to better organize the information you need.

Each page now includes a list of upcoming scheduled departures for different lines, all the transit lines serving the station, and links to nearby transit stations.

Download Google Maps 5.5 for Android here to try out the new check-in and rating buttons, update your Latitude Location History home/work address, check out a transit station in a nearby city, or just make sure you have the latest version of Google Maps for Android. This update requires an Android OS 1.6+ device anywhere Google Maps is currently available.

Video: How to play Tegra games without Tegra

Nvidia's Tegra is truly one tricked-out processor that supports some of the latest and greatestAndroid games. But what if you wanted to play next-gen titles on older, non-Tegra hardware?

Of course, buying a new smartphone or tablet would be the best option, but well, times are kind of rough and not everyone can afford to spring for fresh gear.

Fortunately, XDA-Dev members have coded an intermediary OpenGL driver which can be used to play (some) Tegra-specific games on non-Tegra Android devices.

Known as Chainfire3D, the driver sits between your apps and the graphics drivers, and can intercept and/or change commands between the two. It also boasts some built-in functions, and can be further extended with plugins to provide extra functionality.

Obviously, not all Tegra games work on every Android device with Chainfire 3D - and you still have to configure whatever you download correctly after using the "fix market settings" feature. 

But hey, if you don’t want to shell out the cash for a new device and have the time, you just might want to give Chainfire3D a try here.

Note: Chainfire3D is not compatible with Android Honeycomb.

[Via XDA-Devs & Android Police]

Strange Console Lets You Play Android Games On Your TV

Say you really like Angry Birds. Like really. And you want to play it at home on a big screen. How would you go about doing that? Putting your phone in a projector? Dropping your phone in a fish tank to refract the screen? Or getting one of these decidedly odd consoles that run Android natively and include full joysticks and A/V out?

The Evo 2 console has a Samsung processor, “Nvidia graphics,” Wi-Fi, and a joystick remote. Plans are in the works for motion controllers and the device supports optical audio and HDMI. It costs $149 for the dev-kit or you can pre-order this bit of vaporware for $15. Like many famous consoles of yore, however, I think this thing will end up being more a Phantom than an Android-Style XBox.

Product Page

New Android EVO 2 Console Offer Gamers Premium Android Games Free

It’s Your Social Connection, Your Media Storage Device, and Game App Console

Media Advisory

ANNISTON, Ala./May 25, 2011 — Today, the Envizions Computer Entertainment Corporation announced that its new Android-based game console EVO 2 will be available this fall in the U.S. with goals of an international release with availability in certain locations of Europe. EVO 2 earlier adopters can pre-order the system at http://store.envizionsinc.com from the Envizions online store.

The new EVO 2 console will retail for $249 and include an EVO TV remote, EVO game controller and HDMI cable. Specifications include a Samsung 1.2 GHZ processor, DDR2-512MB, and support modified Android 2.2 operating system. The EVO 2 dimensions are 170mm (L) 111mm (W) 30mm (T)

EVO 2 is the first Android gaming console that will offer users real time gaming playlist and social friend connections. Gamers will also have the opportunity to earn points to purchase premium Android games free with EVO tokens. The system will ship equip with game cloud storage and Envizions new Qquip SMS blogging reward service. To ensure that the EVO 2 system surpasses expectations, Envizions plans to add motion 3D sensor capabilities toward the end of fourth quarter in 2011 and developers can start testing the software via website download in two weeks. EVO 2 will incorporate the core software components of Envizions’ beta EVO Smart Console released in 2009.

EVO 2 is an open console and gamers can modify any part of the system. New updates and upgrades will be released periodically after the system launch.

Android developers can get the free EVO hardware SDK today from the Envizions store with a required annual $149 software support fee per unit. Developer fees and royalties are waived for the first 1000 developers.”Game development for EVO 2 is cheaper for developers so they have the opportunity to create games on a platform that will increase their return on investment. Developers can also submit pre-existing Android games”, stated Derrick Samuels the CEO and Founder of Envizions.

And last, the EVO 2 is the first crowd source and social participation console. Envizions will let customers participate in the design roadmap of the console by means of Twitter, FaceBook and the new EVO 2 website. The community can vote on the system’s first launch location and the appearance of the console in terms of color, package design, and product image.

Five best free audio players on Android

Applications that improve your music listening experience.

The stock media player in your Android smartphone offers basic functionality, which is good for a basic music listener but it will never satisfy a music enthusiast. Today smartphone manufacturers are trying to add better and better audio related hardware in their smartphones in order to turn them into perfect all in one devices.

Smartphones offer much more functionality compared to feature phones, and with3G networks spreading across India at a faster pace, data accessibility using smartphones has increased multi fold: 3G networks have given way to extremely fast data transfer speeds for video and audio streaming etc.

In terms of multimedia and entertainment, smartphones are preferred to media players because they offer more functionality than the average media player does, but as mentioned earlier, the stock players on Android are good enough for a basic job. For more fussy listeners there are better apps available from the Android store. Here we have the five best free audio player applications available on Android Market that will definitely amplify your music listening experience:

Double Twist player

Ever wonder how much time an average person spends syncing his playlists and songs on his PC, phone and other devices? Double Twist helps save that time by allowing users to sync their mobile phones or Android devices with the music stored on their computer over the air without any wires.

This application recognizes the audio files on your computer, from among which the user can select the sync list for the device and once the application is started on the smartphone, all data is synced using wireless connections or WiFi. The application also allows Mac users to sync Android devices using iTunes.

TuneWiki

It often happens that we do not understand the lyrics of a song while listening to it, especially when the song is not in our mother tongue. There are also times when we want to quote from a song we like. Here's where TuneWiki comes to the rescue. Apart from being just a media player TuneWiki also displays live lyrics with the song being played.

With lyrics translated in over 40 languages, the TuneWiki player can search for lyrics to over 2.5 million songs. All the user needs is an active internet connection along with an updated song library. Now just go ahead and listen to your tune and sing along with it.

Mort Player

What is the use of putting songs in different folders when your audio player cannot understand the way you have segregated the music and still plays it on the basis of the artist or album? If you are also suffering from the same problem then shift to Mort Player, which remembers folders and displays songs based on their location regardless of the artist tag.

Now there's no need to struggle through the playlist for finding that favourite song, which you forgot and are now unable to locate. Just go to the folder you saved it in and start jamming.

Mood Agent

The Mood Agent application is a smart audio player that identifies different types of music and recommends songs based on the listener's mood. Users do not need to tag music to any particular mood. This the app does automatically. The user does need to choose his mood from among a list of options though.

Users are free to use this application to play selected tracks if they do not want to use the song suggestion feature. First-time users will need to have both patience and an active internet connection as Mood Agent will catalog the music library and will share info with its online servers, which in turn tag the songs for different moods.

btunes

The btunes application is unique due to its simple design, which is based on the iTunes player on iPhone with bigger, easy to access buttons for almost every function.

So if you also love the way this app looks, or want to jazz up your audio player iTunes style, look no further.