Google Boosts Speech Features of Google Glass

Following today’s update, Google Glass users will be able to watch videos, and even stay abreast of the latest traffic and email alerts, using the device’s new Google Now cards system.

The update, which should start appearing for Google Glass users today and take a few days to reach every Glass owner, allows users to monitor the latest sports scores, traffic conditions and weather conditions from their Google Glass device.

These new cards are powered by a Google Glass-centric version of Google Now, the application that allows Android and iPhone users to get the latest event, weather and other information directly from Google.

According to today’s press release, users will also be to get reminders for hotel reservations, event tickets and movie time information that is sent to their Gmail account.

Google Glass features a premium design with a titanium band, bond conduction tech and more.

That’s not all that’s in the update either. Users are also getting access to a new set of voice features on Glass, with Google noting that “[Users] can now add voice commands from other services to the main menu. To kick things off, we’re introducing two new voice commands: ‘Post an update’ (first supported by Path), and ‘Take a note’ (first supported by Evernote).”

Google will add more voice commands to Google Glass over time, and the company does note that users can expect more services to arrive on the device at some point in the future. No doubt, that’s good news for users who aren’t already using Path but already have Facebook and Twitter accounts that they’d like to use with the device.

Unfortunately, there’s still no way for users to get their hands on a Google Glass device outside of the Google Glass Explorer program. Today’s update is just the latest in a series of upgrades that have brought new features to Google Glass in the last few months.

Read: Google Glass Coming to Stores By End of 2013 for Less Than $1500

Previous updates have added wireless streaming capabilities and its very own version of Google Chrome.

Google is expected to ship a different version of Google Glass meant for average users sometime this year, though the company itself hasn’t detailed any concrete plans for a wider launch just yet.

iTunes Dazzles With Steep Discounts on Blockbuster Movie Bundles

For a limited time Apple is offering a movie promotion that features entire collections of some of the most beloved movie franchises of the last decade, for as little as $9.99.

For a limited time users can pick up entire movie collections from the iTunes Video store to own. The Movie Bundle assortment includesThe Lord of the Rings, The Bourne Collection, Harry Potter Complete Series, X-Men Quadrilogy, Alvin and the Chipmunks Triple Pack, Star Trek Movies 1-10, Spider-Man Trilogy, Austin Powers Collection, Lethal Weapon Movie Collection, Teenage Mutant Turtles 1-3, The Matrix Trilogy, Jurassic Park, Scar Face + Casino, Underworld, Charlie Angel’s, Ice Age Triple Pack, Night at the Museum, and The Godfather.

Apple isn’t detailing how long the sale will last, but it certainly is a huge deal for Apple users who are fans of those franchises being offered. For fans of the Harry Potter series, that’s every movie at the cost of just $1.20 per title.

The iTunes Movie Bundle Sale is a perfect manifestation of the things that continue to elude competitors like Google Play and Microsoft’s Xbox. While those two companies have continued to focus on their core experiences — the operating system — Apple has continued to offer the most well stocked, best digital content experience of any company. It’s one of the reasons why Apple continues to perform well given the onslaught of more feature rich, cheaper alternatives to their devices.

For example, the iTunes Store continues to be the only media store that offers music, music videos, television shows, movies, books and podcasts all in one place, and on multiple devices. While Apple tends to use this content as lock-in, the benefits to the user are clear. The iTunes Store simply makes it easier to buy and use all the entertainment and applications you want, on as many form factors as possible.

For its part Harry Potter is actually on sale in the Google Play Store as well, however those users are limited to $1.99 rentals. iTunes bundle purchasers will own those movies, and be able to stream them to any Apple device, at any time or download them for offline viewing.

iPhone 5S Release Nears, Best iPhone Trade in Prices Arrive Next Week

The iPhone 5S announcement is as good as confirmed for September 10th, and in true Apple fashion the iPhone 5S release date could take place just 10 days later on September 20th.

While there are still almost 40 days until the expected iPhone 5S release date, the best time to trade in an iPhone 4, iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 for top dollar is fast approaching. Buyers should lock in an iPhone trade in price between September 19th and September 23rd to get the best price.

The best iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S trade-in values are actually several weeks before the Apple announcement. As we approach September 10th, the iPhone 5 trade-in value could drop as much as 10-15%.

This information comes from NextWorth, who tracked the average selling price for the iPhone on eBay for the months leading up to the iPhone 5 announcement last year, and found the overall value of any iPhone is set to drop. The chart below shows this decline.

iPhone trade-in values will likely drop 10-20% in the next several weeks.

“There is a predictable 15-20 percent value decline seen across all older iPhone models in the six-week period surrounding the new iPhone launch,” Jeff Trachsel, CMO of NextWorth said in a statement to Gotta Be Mobile. Trachsel suggests looking into quotes for the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 right now.

In the next two to three weeks iPhone trade-in prices will drop, enough that it could mean the difference between paying nothing out-of-pocket for the iPhone 5S and pulling cash out of your wallet.

The iPhone 5S release approaches, and within a week prices for the old iPhone will start to drop.

Users need to trade in the iPhone 5 or iPhone 4S early to get the best value, which means it is definitely time to start considering where to trade-in an iPhone or when to sell.

For most users it is too early to trade in, even though it means taking a 10% hit on the iPhone 5 trade in price, but within the next 7-10 days, users can lock in a great trade in value and keep their iPhone until the iPhone 5S release date arrives.

NextWorth extended it’s 21 day price-lock to 30 days, and competitor Gazelle also offers a 30 day price-lock. Users can take advantage of these offers to lock in a iPhone trade in quote at a high price and keep using the iPhone. Amazon is another popular iPhone trade-in service, but they only offer a 7 day price lock.

Any of these iPhone trade-in services will cover shipping and there is no obligation to send the iPhone in, so it’s in your best interest to lock in a price, even if you are on the fence when it comes to buying an iPhone 5S. NextWorth shares the following trade in prices which are subject to change and will vary based on condition. It’s a good idea to compare prices before locking in.

iPhone 5 Trade In Prices

• iPhone 5 16GB – AT&T – $314
• iPhone 5 32GB – AT&T – $316
• iPhone 5 64GB – AT&T – $410
• iPhone 5 16GB – Verizon – $314
• iPhone 5 32GB – Verizon – $315
• iPhone 5 64GB – Verizon – $370

iPhone 4S Trade In Prices

• iPhone 4S 16GB - AT&T – $210
• iPhone 4S 32GB - AT&T – $214
• iPhone 4S 64GB - AT&T – $245
• iPhone 4S 16GB - Verizon – $170
• iPhone 4S 32GB - Verizon – $171
• iPhone 4S 64GB - Verizon – $205
• iPhone 4S 16GB - Sprint – $170
• iPhone 4S 32GB - Sprint – $171
• iPhone 4S 64GB – Sprint – $205
• iPhone 4S 16GB – T-Mobile- $171

The iPhone trade in prices will drop soon.

iPhone 4 Trade In Prices

• iPhone 4 8GB - AT&T – $135
• iPhone 4 16GB - AT&T – $137
• iPhone 4 32GB - AT&T – $140
• iPhone 4 16GB - Verizon – $71
• iPhone 4 32GB - Verizon – $73

iPhone 3GS Trade In Values

• iPhone 3GS 16GB – $32
• iPhone 3GS 32GB - $33

Even if the iPhone is damaged with a crack or marks, it is still worth something, and could help pay for a new iPhone.

iPhone 5S Rumors

The iPhone 5S will likely look like the iPhone 5 with a 4-inch Retina Display and the familiar two-tone aluminum and glass design, but inside we could see new features.

At this point we expect an Apple A7 processor that could help Apple deliver better battery life and a new camera sensor that could help deliver better low-light photos. Parts point to a dual-LED flash that could help deliver a more natural flash.

The video above highlights the iPhone 5S rumors in under four minutes, which will help you understand what to expect in September.

Additionally we also anticipate an iPhone 5S fingerprint reader in the home button that could make the iPhone more secure, by letting users log in with a fingerprint.

$300 LG Nexus 5 Poses Serious Threat to iPhone 5C

Though LG executives had seemingly denied that the company is working on the successor to the current Nexus 4, LG is once again back in the spotlight with a Nexus 5 rumor. The co-developed Google Android smartphone would have updated specs to keep it competitive in the smartphone space, but the device’s killer features according to the latest speculations would be that the Nexus 5 may cost as little as $299, or the same price as the Nexus 4 sold today.

LG’s denial doesn’t mean that the company isn’t interested in a future partnership with Google.

Next Nexus smartphone rumored to be based on LG G2 flagship design

For consumers and developers interested in a pure Google Nexus experience, this means that you’ll be getting a lot of Android for your money in terms of hardware specs. With a specs sheet that rivals today’s high-end Android phones, like the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4, the rumored LG Nexus 5 and its price tag will give you some of the finest, albeit not the best, specs for the money. It would also mean that the Nexus partnership with LG, if this latest rumor is accurate, would allow Google to undercut its own hardware division run by Motorola Mobility; the Moto X by Google’s Motorola sells for $575 to $629 without a carrier service agreement, depending on storage configuration.

The LG Nexus 4 retails currently for $299 for an 8 GB variant with no expandable storage and $349 for a 16 GB model. It’s unclear if the LG Nexus 5 would come with a micro SDXC card slot to add more memory. Storage may continue to be a problem for the Nexus line with no removable storage card slot, especially given the 1080p display would allow higher resolution graphics in apps and the 13-megapixel camera would mean each photo captured will be a little bit larger in size.

Though the design of the LG Nexus 5 is said to be borrowed from LG’s recently announced G2 flagship, there will be some variations in specs.

For one, the G2 features the top shelf Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor whereas the G2 may make due with the Snapdragon 600 processor. This isn’t shabby at all given that the Snapdragon 600 would still be more powerful than the Snapdragon S4 Pro found on the recently updated Nexus 7 tablet made by Asus for 2013 and the chipset is the same powerful CPU that’s powering the Galaxy S4 and HTC One in the U.S. market.

The G2 will also feature a full HD 1080p display, matching the high-end screens of Samsung and HTC and besting the Moto X’s 720p HD display.

SlashGear is listing the full specs of the phone as:

• 5.2-inch display
• 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core SoC
• Internal storage: 16, 32GB
• 2GB RAM
• Multi-mode modified carrier support*
• 3000mAh battery
• 13 megapixel camera
• 5.5 inches tall x 2.8 inches wide x UNKNOWN THICKNESS

Given that LG is investing in its camera experience with the LG G2, a Nexus 5 based on the G2′s optical image stabilized camera may be a huge win for consumers looking to take photos in low light.

It’s unclear if LTE will be part of the equation for 2013. The faster 4G mobile broadband networking protocol was noticeably absent from the Nexus 4, leading many to bemoan the smartphone. However, given Asus was able to implent a tri-band LTE radio that’s compatible with three of the four largest U.S. carriers on the 2013 Nexus 7 tablet, an unlocked Nexus 5 that would use the same radio/modem and could be unlocked to operate on AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile US, and Verizon Wireless would be a huge win for consumers who may be commitment-phobic.

Coupled with the low asking price unlocked, the device may be perfect for contract-less plans on T-Mobile’s Jump program, AT&T’s Next, and Verizon’s Edge plans, neither of which offer device subsidies for a contract-free existence.

An LG Nexus 5 rumor may bear some credence given that LG has stated that it won’t be offering aGoogle Play Edition of its LG G2 flagship. If the company is making a Nexus 5 based on the LG G2, it may not want to confuse customers whereas Samsung, HTC, and Motorola all are offering Google Play Edition variants of their flagship Galaxy S4, One, and Moto X respectively. Sony is the other manufacturer without a Google Play Edition phone at this time.

At the announcement event for the LG G2, LG stated that the phone would be headed to all four major networks in the U.S.

In addition to LG, Motorola Mobility was also recently rumored to be a front-runner in building Google’s Nexus 5. The Nexus 5, along with the next generation Android Key Lime Pie OS, colloquially referred to as Android 5.0, are expected to be unveiled this fall, offering some competition to Apple’s rumored iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C debuts.

Swiss-Made Smartwatch with 41-Megapixel Zeiss Camera Makes the Lumia 1020 Seem Like a Bargain!

If you’re not ready to switch to Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 platform to take advantage of the stellar 41-megapixel camera on the Nokia Lumia 1020, you may want to consider this Swiss-made smartwatch made by Hyetis. The Hyetis Crossbow smartwatch is able to pair with Apple’s iOS-powered iPhone, any number of Android smartphones, and devices loaded with Windows Phone 8 and features a camera sensor with 41 megapixels of resolving power and Zeiss optics. However, to pair Hyetis’ camera-powered smartwatch to your current smartphone ecosystem will be a huge cost as Swiss craftsmanship doesn’t come cheap. The Crossbow is expected to retail for $1200.

The Crossbow is one of the few watches that would work with Windows Phone 8 at this time.

This is much higher than the $300 on-contract price that AT&T Mobility is asking for the Lumia 1020. Even without signing a two-year agreement, the Lumia 1020 could be had for under $700 through various retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, and Microsoft’s retail stores.

The smartwatch appears to combine analog watch movements set on top of a digital circular display that could provide notifications. A funky retro steampunk-inspired design with a camera on top, the watch face itself is not unattractive and looks the part of its premium price tag. On paper, at least, the watch seems well built and looks a lot classier than current smartwatches like those from Pebble, Sony, and even the Italian-made i’m Watch.

“There’s no better way to share your feelings or ideas, than sharing all the informations regarding the moment you live. Crossbows wireless integrated communication management device allows you to manage WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC links,” the company boasts.

Currently, though, specs about the camera isn’t provided.

Nokia is boasting that it’s camera sensor size is larger than those found on traditional point-and-shoot cameras and significantly larger than the sensor area on smartphone cameras. This allows for more creative control and flexibility, including capturing images with shallow depth of field. Additionally, the Lumia range is well regarded for its low light performance, and in dark environments a Xenon flash is included. The Xenon flash is not present on the wrist-worn camera of the Crossbow.

It appears that Hyetis would provide developers an SDK to integrate their apps with the Crossbow.

Are you ready to ditch your classic Tag Heuer watch for a digitally-inspired Crossbow with a 41-megapixel sensor? If you are, preorders will begin soon and Hyetis will be taking your $1200 deposit on the smartwatch.

Apple, Google, LG, Samsung, and Microsoft are all rumored to be developing their own smartwatches. Samsung’s Galaxy Gear Smartwatch could debut as early as next month at the IFA show in Germany.