Shoto photo app launches on Android and iOS

A new app is launching in the UK today that uses a combination of location and phonebook details to automatically create albums of all the photos taken together by a group of friends at a given place and time.

Known as Shoto, the aim of the app is to solve the problem of never getting to see the photos that other people have taken an event, like a wedding or a office party. However, it also includes privacy controls that let the user select which people at the event get to see their pictures.

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Latest mobile phones 2013: hottest handsets reviewed

In the ever-changing mobile market, it can be hard to keep pace with the latest mobile phones. That's why we've put together this hub for our latest mobile phone reviews and hands on: to give you the ideal jumping-on point for choosing the best handset for you out of the most current models around.

We cover a plethora of brands, including Apple, HTC, Nokia, Samsung and Blackberry, and operating systems, such as Android, iOS and Windows Phone 8, so you should find something that piques your interest here.

In short, if you're seeking a new mobile phone, this is a great place to start.

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Oculus Rift Is Coming to Android—iOS Still Waiting Read more: Oculus Rift Comes to Android - Popular Mechanics Follow us: @PopMech on Twitter | popularmechanics on Facebook Visit us at PopularMechanics.com

Oculus Rift, the massively Kickstarted virtual reality headset and PopMech Breakthrough Award Winner, is going mobile with Android compatibility. Chief executive officer Brendan Iribe announced the integration yesterday during the GamesBeat 2013 conference in Redwood, Calif. 

The mobile Rift headset will be much lighter than its PC-tethered counterpart, and the team announced that it hopes to launch both sets next year. The company's blog also says that Oculus Android development kits are already running. Games will most likely be created around or modified for the device, and Oculus demos like the VR Cinema 3D will allow users to watch movies unrestricted by cables. 

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LG challenges Samsung with the G Flex curved screen smartphone

It looks like LG and Samsung are at it again. Both companies were vying for our attention at CES 2013 with simultaneous "world's first" curved OLED television announcements. LG consistently led in the race to the consumer space, and looked liked being first to move the screen format onto smartphones with the announcement earlier this month of its plans to mass produce flexible OLED phone displays. Samsung had other ideas, however, and the Galaxy Round was launched just a few days later. LG has now caught up with the forthcoming release of its slightly larger G Flex smartphone, featuring a curved display that follows the contour of the face.
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BlackBerry removes queue for app, video and voice calls due in future

BlackBerry Messenger for Android and iPhone will have voice and video  calling in the future, according to a company executive. The extra communication options for the app comes at the same time as the phone manufacturer removes the queue from the app, allowing anyone that has downloaded it access without having to wait any longer.
Speaking to CBC, executive vice president of BBM for BlackBerry Andrew Bocking advised that the voice and video chatting, already used on BlackBerry devices, will reach the iOS and Android versions "within months." As for how to earn money from BBM, Bocking advised that it is "definitely a free service," though "we have other ideas on how to monetize that service." It is thought that it could receive revenues through BBM Channels, a social networking feature that would allow users to follow others on the service, much like Twitter, with advertising providing BlackBerry some revenue.
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Nvidia Shield embraces Android games by the thousands

Nvidia has opened its Shield gaming device up to the universe of Android games, adding console support to thousands of games originally designed for touch screens.
The Santa Clara, Calif., graphics chipmaker said the Shield "Gamepad Mapper" allows users to create their own custom controls for thousands of games in the Google Play store, or users can use Nvidia's default profiles -- automatically downloaded from the cloud -- that are available for hundreds of top touch-based Android games. The new titles with Shield controller compatibility include NBA Jam and Angry Birds.
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20 best Android apps this week

Plants vs. Zombies 2 is swinging onto Android devices

It's time for our weekly roundup of brand new and notable apps for Android smartphones and tablets.
It covers apps and games, with the prices referring to the initial download: so (Free) may mean (Freemium) in some cases. The equivalent iOS roundup will be published later in the day.
For now, read on for this week's Android selection (and when you've finished, check out previous Best Android apps posts).
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Next Android mobile software version dubbed ‘KitKat’

Google on Tuesday said the next version of Android will be called “KitKat” in keeping with its penchant for giving tasty names to its software for powering mobile devices.
“Since these devices make our lives so sweet, each Android version is named after a dessert,” the California-based technology titan said in a blog post.chocolate
“As everyone finds it difficult to stay away from chocolate we decided to name the next vertion of Android after one of our favorite chocolate treats.”
The list of Android software names over the years includes Cupcake, Donut, Ice Cream Sandwich, and Jelly Bean.

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Android, the world's most popular mobile platform

Android powers hundreds of millions of mobile devices in more than 190 countries around the world. It's the largest installed base of any mobile platform and growing fast—every day another million users power up their Android devices for the first time and start looking for apps, games, and other digital content.

Android gives you a world-class platform for c apps and games for Android users everywhere, as well as an open marketplace for distributing to them instantly.
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Locket Launches A Developer Toolkit That Lets App Publishers Push Ads To Android Lockscreens

Locket, the Android app that pays you (in tiny amounts) just for unlocking your smartphone, is today launching a toolkit for app developers that will allow them to publish their own content to users’ lock screens. That means when users see ads for apps on their phone’s screen, they can open up the app itself with just a swipe, similar to how a push notification works.
Launched this summer, Locket is an early mover in the U.S. market to bring the concept of lockscreen ads to Android users. The company competes with the likes of Seoul, South Korea-based LatteScreen, which only recently began targeting the American audience with its existing product. But Locket is already seeing some traction stateside – it recently hired Charity Sabater, formerly of Candy Crush-maker King, to lead sales, and says that it has grown its footprint to roughly 300,000 users since launching just a few months ago.
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BlackBerry Claims BBM Is Still Coming To Android And iPhone, But Has Given No Timeline

Amid dire financial results and an oddly-timed smartphone launch, BlackBerry’s big BBM for iPhone and Android launch seemed lost in a murky grey purgatory with little chance of escape with each passing minute its release was held up. The app made it to some lucky New Zealand and Australian App Store users, but BlackBerry halted the rollout when a leaked Android .apk set its servers on fire. Today, it finally provided an update on the state of the balked launch – sort of.

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