Modification will help Google Now speak your language

Google Now may aim to be a smart helper for Android users but its abilities are severely hampered thanks to the lack of support for a ton of languages. The ingenious folks over at XDA-Developers have found a partial way out of this problem for now. 

By partially modifying the Google Now app, Sletmo from the XDA-Developers forum has managed to support alternate languages now. “It is no secret that we are an international community here at XDA,” the post on the website reads.  “With users living in practically every country on earth, it should come as no surprise that not everyone’s first language is English. However, not every first party Android app retains full functionality when used on other system languages”

Using this workaround will let Google Now on your phone give you information in just about any language - even in your native tongue, a feature that is sorely missed in the service. 

Mind you, you will need a rooted phone to be able to use this feature. Secondly, this is a modded version of Google Now so you shouldn’t be going around installing updates for the app, or you might end up breaking functionality

The app will pretty much work with any language Android supports which is a great thing. Hopefully, this will be a wake up call for Google to see just how necessary a multilingual Google Now is for the wide variety of global users.

Google Play Music may finally come to iOS this month

Google is dedicated to bringing its services to platforms like iOS too and this is one step by the company towards that direction. Word is that the Internet giant will be releasing a native iOS app for Google Play Music and All Access later this month. 

According to a report by engadget, sources have let it slip that the company is already testing a native Google Music iOS application internally. Google has currently invited its employees to take part in the internal testing at the moment but there still seem to be some bugs that need squashing before the application is released to the general public.

Previously Google had shut its doors on iOS users since it needed Flash to enforce DRM restrictions set in place by Music labels that Apple was unable to comply with. This had forced users of iOS to make do with unofficial iOS applications as well as the limited web application previously. Now it looks like Google is close to alleviating iOS users’ pain of wanting to use the official Google Play Music application. 

Google first introduced Google Play Music’s All Access service back during its I/O conference earlier this year. The streaming service was to make its way to iOS in “the coming weeks” but failed to come to Apple’s operating system then. The time has finally here, it would seem. 

Currently, Google Play Music and All Access is available  in 19 countries  around the world and is available for about $10 a month, allowing users to listen to music on demand and upload tracks from their personal library as well as letting them build custom stations. The move to hurry with the iOS version of the app could have come even as Apple has released its I tunes Radio service with the iOS 7 OS. While it’s only available in the US currently, Google might want to scamper to find users in the iOS ecosystem before iTunes Radio turns into fierce competition.

Sony launches the ultra-portable and power packed GTK-N1BT

Sony India has launched its powerful, stylish and multi-functional 1BOX audio, GTK-N1BT, which comes with 100W power and unimaginable sound pressure beyond its size. The wireless music playback via Bluetooth and one-touch listening via NFC is some of the key highlights of the product. It has a horizontal/vertical 2-way flexible layout. 

With as many as 4 modes of connectivity USB (Play & iPhone/iPod over USB)/FM/Audio IN(stereo mini)/Bluetooth/NFC the new Sony GTK-N1BT is an apt speaker unit if you are looking for a one stop speaker solution for in-house music playback. Also with its absolutely trendy and portable form factor it is probably the best candidate available for on-the-go speaker solutions. It defintely look like a good speaker up for grab. 

The newly launched GTK-N1BT is priced at Rs 16990 and is available across all Sony centers and major electronic stores across India.

Celkon launches Rahman-inspired AR45 smartphone

Celkon has launched a new smartphone called the RahmanIshq AR45. If you are wondering what the hell is up with that name, Celkon says this is the first AR Rehman-themed smartphone. True to its name, this one is a music-centric phone with dual stereo speakers and a Class K amplifier. It is priced at Rs 7,999 and will be available sometime later this month. 

The RahmanIshq sports a 4.5-inch display. It runs on Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 and also gets a proprietary UI layer from Celkon. Under the hood, one will find a 1.2GHz dual-core Cortex-A7 processor coupled with 512MB RAM. It also gets a 5-megapixel rear camera with the Smile Capture feature.

On the connectivity front, the RahmanIshq AR45 supports 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and microUSB. It offers 4GB internal memory supported by the Shake and Transfer technology. The device is fuelled by a 2,000mAh battery, which sounds plenty given the specs.

Let's take a quick look at the key specs again:

• 4.5-inch display with qHD (960 x 548) resolution
• 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth
• 5 megapixel rear camera
• 4GB on-board storage

In addition, the RahmanIshq phone will also have a special tune composed by the Oscar-winner himself, which will also be featured in promos for the phone. At the launch, Rahman was mroe than happy to share his thoughts on how technology helps popularise all kidns of music. "I always believe that technology is very important in the world of music. RahmanIshq stands testimony to this and is a concept dedicated to spreading awareness of how technology needs to blend seamlessly with music," a company statement quoted Rahman as saying.

New leaked image shows Nexus 5 vividly

Leaks surrounding the much awaited Nexus 5 keep popping up. A new post on MacRumours now offers what could be the clearest look we have had at the next Nexus phone. While an earlier leak showed off most of the internal specifications expected, the new image shows a slate-gray device. While responding to questions in other posts on the forum thread, the source said that the handset’s back cover offers a feel that is similar to the Nexus 7. The author also said that the display of the new smartphone is only “ok”.

The device was first heard about last month, when a Google employee was caught with a new Nexus device  while showing off the company’s new android  4.4 OS . Since then, we have managed to get more than enough informaton to paint a pretty clear picture about the device. Chief among the information leaked out is the strong possibility of the Nexus 5 supporting LTE bands. While there is no real way to validate the authenticity of the image, it should be noted that the image does seem to line up with the information we have so far about the rumoured device. If the information leaked is valid, though, it is highly possible that we will be seeing Google’s next Nexus sooner rather than later.

From what is know so far , it looks like the device will be 131.9mm tall and 68.2mm wide. Contrary to earlier reports, the current source now states that the device will come with a 4.96-inch screen. The device is also said to come with a Snapdragon 800 SoC as well as 2GB of RAM. The model is also slated to come with 16GB of internal memory. It has also been indicated that the new Nexus phone will run on Android 4.4. KitKat. 

On the camera front, the handset should come with an 8-megapixel primary camera. There doesn’t seem to be word on image stabilisation, though. Also expected is a 1.2-megapixel front camera. In terms of connectivity, all the usual suspects should be seen like Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC as well as GPS connectivity. The handset should also come with wireless charging built in. Rounding up the speculated features is a 2,300mAh battery. While there is no official word on the release date or price, information about a possible October 31 launch date has been circulating for a while now.

Google opens vending machines for Android games in Japan

In the geek-world, Japan is primarily famous for three things—anime, weird games and vending machines. Google wants to turn the third one for its new marketing strategy. According to Engadget, the company has started new vending machines in Japan which lets users buy Android games. The company has announced three Google Play vending machines that will sell 18 gaming titles. These games are a mix of free-to-play titles as well as paid ones.

To use the machine, users require an NFC-capable Android smartphone that runs on at least Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Users just have to keep the phone on a tray below the giant screen and the vending machine opens up an NFC-powered pairing with the smartphone. The giant screen is touch-enabled, so users just have to tap on the game they want, and an animation "drops" the game into the smartphone. The vending machine apparently looks identical to the typical vending machines we see for drinks like Coke.

Trying out a Google app through the vending machine also gives users a free "present", which is dropped down into the vending tray when the download is complete.

If a user wants to try out the machine, but doesn't have any Android device, they can just use the on-site Nexus 4 to try it out. Sadly enough, however, they won't get to keep the smartphone. Google employees will be around the machines to help users and keep the machines running. The vending machines are currently located outside the Parco department store in the Shibuya district of Tokyo.