Tag Archives: launcher

Samsung’s S Launcher puts the Start menu back in Windows 8

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Samsung's S Launcher puts the Start menu back in Windows 8

You know those fresh new Series 7 all-in-ones Samsung outed in the wee hours of this morning? Well, it turns out that while those desktops will be running Windows 8, Mashable discovered that they've got a little something extra added to Microsoft's stock OS: a Start Menu. Called the S Launcher, it's a widget that replaces that tried and true Start button the folks in Redmond saw fit to eliminate in Win8. As you might expect, it grants access to settings, files and programs in one convenient window, and making additions to the widget is a drag-and-drop affair. So, all you folks having fits about the Start button's disappearance, fear not, Samsung's got the software to soothe your troubled mind.

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Samsung's S Launcher puts the Start menu back in Windows 8 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 12:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceMashable  | Email this | Comments

Morpheus lander crashes, burns and explodes in untethered flight test, NASA remains optimistic (video)

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Morpheus lander crashes, burns and explodes in untethered flight test, NASA remains optimistic

As noisy as we found Project Morpheus' tethered flight test, its untethered follow-up was far, far louder. Yesterday, the experimental lander suffered a hardware component failure, which NASA says "prevented it from maintaining stable flight." This caused it to crash into the ground and well, explode. On the upside, the space agency says that these kinds of failures were anticipated, stating that they are a normal part of the development process and will be used to build better systems moving forward. You didn't think Curiosity made its touchdown on Mars without learning from a few mistakes, did you? Click onwards to check out the test -- and its aftermath -- in 5, 4, 3, 2, er...

Continue reading Morpheus lander crashes, burns and explodes in untethered flight test, NASA remains optimistic (video)

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Morpheus lander crashes, burns and explodes in untethered flight test, NASA remains optimistic (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Aug 2012 07:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNASA, YouTube (toastforbrekkie)  | Email this | Comments

NASA’s Morpheus lander detects hazards, noisily passes tethered flight test (video)

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Morpheus lander gets demoed,

While it's not landing on Mars any time soon, NASA took a breather from Curiosity's adventures to showcase the Morpheus Lander. The prototype went through its first (tethered) flight test at the Kennedy Space Center just before the weekend, showcasing its methane-powered rocket system. It's this rocket setup which could make the Morpheus Lander a strong candidate for future landings. It's both safer than rocket fuel and NASA suggests that methane gas discarded from the International Space Station could be enough to top up the lander's fuel tanks without necessitating a visit back to Earth. Morpheus' built-in guidance system also reduces the amount of input needed from mission control -- the pod has been practicing hard on its own hazard field near the Space Center. After passing the test with its training wheels on, the first free flight descent has been tentatively penned in for later today. Crank the volume low -- it gets loud -- and watch Morpheus test those right rockets after the break.

Continue reading NASA's Morpheus lander detects hazards, noisily passes tethered flight test (video)

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NASA's Morpheus lander detects hazards, noisily passes tethered flight test (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 10:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmag  |  sourceMorpheus Lander blog  | Email this | Comments

NASA’s Morpheus lander detects hazards, noisily passes tethered flight test (video)

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Morpheus lander gets demoed,

While it's not landing on Mars any time soon, NASA took a breather from Curiosity's adventures to showcase the Morpheus Lander. The prototype went through its first (tethered) flight test at the Kennedy Space Center just before the weekend, showcasing its methane-powered rocket system. It's this rocket setup which could make the Morpheus Lander a strong candidate for future landings. It's both safer than rocket fuel and NASA suggests that methane gas discarded from the International Space Station could be enough to top up the lander's fuel tanks without necessitating a visit back to Earth. Morpheus' built-in guidance system also reduces the amount of input needed from mission control -- the pod has been practicing hard on its own hazard field near the Space Center. After passing the test with its training wheels on, the first free flight descent has been tentatively penned in for later today. Crank the volume low -- it gets loud -- and watch Morpheus test those right rockets after the break.

Continue reading NASA's Morpheus lander detects hazards, noisily passes tethered flight test (video)

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NASA's Morpheus lander detects hazards, noisily passes tethered flight test (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 10:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Gizmag  |  sourceMorpheus Lander blog  | Email this | Comments

Chameleon Android launcher appears, pre-orderers and Kickstarter backers get beta access soon

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After a false start to its Kickstarter funding, the Chameleon launcher project for Android is finally arriving -- at least in beta form. It's currently ready for install from Google Play by anyone with an Android tablet running 3.2 or higher, however to actually unlock the software you'll need to have your account authorized on its servers . For the moment that's restricted to a VIP list of early testers to bash on its core systems as well as the included HTML5 widgets. The beta for Kickstarter backers and pre-orderers will be staggered to let the company test its activation system, so if you haven't been switched on yet it shouldn't be too long of a wait. If you've hopped over the velvet rope, let us know how the new experience is running on your slate, those stuck on the outside looking in can catch a quick demo video embedded after the break, as well as hit the company's website to register for access and progress updates.

Continue reading Chameleon Android launcher appears, pre-orderers and Kickstarter backers get beta access soon

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Chameleon Android launcher appears, pre-orderers and Kickstarter backers get beta access soon originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 23:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceGoogle Play, Chameleon Launcher beta  | Email this | Comments

Claystone Launcher 2.0 for Android makes its debut, we go hands-on (video)

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Claystone Launcher 20 for Android makes its debut, we go handson

You're likely familiar with many of the heavyweights in the Android launcher world such as Apex, GO and Nova, but if you've yet to delve into the world of Claystone, you're really missing out. The free launcher brings centralized access to apps, contacts, Facebook feeds and news, and for those so inclined, Amazon's app and video stores. Unlike most launchers, which place an emphasis on numerous home screens positioned in a row, Claystone presents all of its content on one screen that you scroll through vertically. Individual sections such as contacts, Facebook posts and news stories are presented as cards that you can flip through. At the very bottom, you'll find a familiar arrangement of permanent shortcuts to the phone, email, messaging and camera apps.

New to Claystone 2.0 is the tandem launcher, which allows users to quickly switch back and forth between the Claystone environment and another launcher with a single press of the home button. While this may come off as a bit schizophrenic, the tandem launcher is particularly helpful in Claystone's current state, as it takes an inappropriate amount of time to scroll through the 3 x 3 grid of application icons on the home screen. Unfortunately, users of HTC's latest smartphones will need to contend with a non-functional settings button, which is an unnecessary eyesore that hogs screen real estate.

There are many features about Claystone 2.0 that we genuinely like, and it's certainly worth checking out for yourself. Unfortunately, Claystone still feels more akin to a proof-of-concept rather than a fully functional launcher. For example, while we genuinely dig the ability to quickly view news stories, the feeds aren't customizable. Instead, you'll find news streams from Google that cover a set list of interests: business, entertainment, science / tech, sports and top stories. Also, while Facebook integration is a nice touch, we'd like to see a similar treatment for Twitter. Finally, if Claystone is to compete head-on with other launchers, it'll need to integrate content such as weather, calendar events and email messages into the main interface. Given the current card layout, we imagine that each of these elements -- and more -- could be integrated quite intuitively. In the meantime, be sure to check out our preview after the break.

Continue reading Claystone Launcher 2.0 for Android makes its debut, we go hands-on (video)

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Claystone Launcher 2.0 for Android makes its debut, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 20:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceClaystone Launcher 2.0 (Google Play)  | Email this | Comments

Nexus Q hacked to launch apps, gets remote control web app

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Nexus Q hacked to launch apps, gets remote control web app

So, that first round of Nexus Q hacks? Impressive in terms of turn around time, not so much when functionality is your primary metric. But, a couple of weeks with the gorgeous, if questionably useful device, has started to produce some truly exciting results. The one that has our tinkering fingers itching most, puts a launcher and apps right at your finger tips... well, mouse pointer. The hack is hardly for the meek but, if you're already in possession of a Nexus Q, we're sure pushing a few .apks via adb won't unsettle you too much. The solution is far from perfect, but the Android foundation is able to recognize keyboards and mice it seems without issue. What really makes this a great hack, of course, is the ability to install apps like Netflix and Angry Birds finally freeing the Q from its arguably artificial shackles. If you're looking for something a little less involved (and decidedly less cool) there's also QRemote, an .apk you can push to your Q that lets you control it via a web browser. It doesn't expose any additional functionality, but at least it lets you skip tracks from your PC or other non-Jelly Bean device. You can see both in action after the break, and all the relevant files and accompanying instructions live at the source links.

Continue reading Nexus Q hacked to launch apps, gets remote control web app

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Nexus Q hacked to launch apps, gets remote control web app originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceXDA Developers Forum, bliny.net  | Email this | Comments

MIUI reaches Google Play as MiHome Launcher, gives that Xiaomi look

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MIUI reaches Google Play as MiHome Launcher, gives that Xiaomi look

Xiaomi's MIUI interface for Android has been available to load up for some time, but unless you were willing to flash your firmware, you might as well have just imported one of the company's phones instead. Now, however, getting much of that heavily customized (if slightly familiar) layer is as quick as heading over to Google Play. Dedicated versions are available both for Android 2.3 and 4.0 that provide the same core navigation as well MIUI Locker to replace the current lock screen. It won't quite replicate the experience of the real deal, but it will certainly be the most trouble-free.

MIUI reaches Google Play as MiHome Launcher, gives that Xiaomi look originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 22:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Droid Pup, Droid Life  |  sourceGoogle Play (Android 4.0), (Android 2.3)  | Email this | Comments

Chameleon adaptive Android home screen returns to view, Kickstarter

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Chameleon adaptive Android home screen returns to view, Kickstarter

For three days, Chameleon lived up to its name, disappearing from the web as quickly as it arrived. The Android home screen's Kickstarter page spent most of this week offline, after the Amazon Payments account holder departed the company, leaving Chameleon without any way to collect on its pledges. Fortunately, the project has now returned, and is already more than a third of the way through to its $30,000 funding goal. And, as an apology of sorts for the inconvenience, new backers (or re-backers) of five dollars or more will receive five "bonus" Chameleon backgrounds. Regardless of whether this modest offer or the launcher's potential is responsible for the seemingly considerable interest, the project is back up and running -- this time though the July 4th deadline, we hope. Jump past the break and hit up our source link to make your pledge.

[Thanks, Scott]

Chameleon adaptive Android home screen returns to view, Kickstarter originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 14:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceKickstarter  | Email this | Comments

Chameleon Android homescreen cancels Kickstarter funding due to account mix-up, new project coming soon

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If you fell in love with Teknision's contextual Android skin, we've got some news that might break your heart. The Chameleon homescreen's Kickstarter project has been unceremoniously canceled, as its Amazon payments account-holder has left the company. With no easy way to transfer over $50,000 of earmarked money, the makers were left with no choice but to reboot the project. A new project is set to go live later this week, so hold on to those investment dollars. Anyone who pledged funds to the first project won't be charged, but they will have to restate their interest on the new project page.

Chameleon Android homescreen cancels Kickstarter funding due to account mix-up, new project coming soon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jun 2012 10:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android Police  |  sourceKickstarter  | Email this | Comments