Android Phone Fans |
- Have a Nexus 5? Official CyanogenMod cases now available
- Motorola Contextual Services update now available, yet another Moto app arriving on Google Play
- Verizon Galaxy S3 now receiving Android 4.3 update, brings a slew of improvements including Galaxy Gear support
- VSCO Cam adds 5 new Preset packs, here’s a quick preview
- LG G Pro Lite to be the first Android device to come with BBM preinstalled
- SwiftKey gets a surprise winter holiday themed update
- Winkfeed is an RSS reader for Google Glass
- Dolphin Zero aims to be the Snapchat of browsers by shredding every piece of data
- T-Mobile CEO John Legere teases UnCarrier 4.0 on Twitter; what’s in store this time?
- Judge Issues Preliminary Injunction on NSA metadata collection, but what does that mean?
- Google Play Movies comes to a healthy helping of new countries
- Dropbox update adds support for creating and managing shared folders, in-app Pro upgrade
- Golden HTC One now available in the UK
- Dead Trigger 2 gets “the big update,” adds nearly double the game content
| Have a Nexus 5? Official CyanogenMod cases now available Posted: 18 Dec 2013 06:25 PM PST
CyanogenMod fans rejoice. If you happen to have a Nexus 5, you can now get your official CyanogenMod case from none other than Cruzerlite. The Cruzerlite official CM cases are made of TPU, which is more cut and tear resistant than what you’ll find in a rubber case. TPU cases are abrasion resistant, have a high degree of transparency, are fairly stiff, but remain flexible. The official CM cases come in teal, clear, smoke, and black; colors you’d expect from the CM Team and were designed buy CM community member Asher Simonds. To get a little more Cid in your life, you can order these cases for your Nexus 5 from Cruzerlite’s official online store: Teal, Clear, Smoke, and Black. Enjoy CM fans! Source: +CyanogenMod |
| Motorola Contextual Services update now available, yet another Moto app arriving on Google Play Posted: 18 Dec 2013 06:19 PM PST
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been seeing Motorola release more and more of their applications in the Google Play Store. Apps like the stock Motorola camera, Touchless Control, and Motorola Assist to name a few — all core apps made available in the Play Store as a way of sidestepping carriers and their infamously slow update processes. Today, Motorola Contextual Services adds to the list, acting as a sort of Google Play Services only exclusively for Motorola devices. The brains behind device features like Touchless Control or Motorola Assist, Motorola warns that uninstalling the app could break functionality of the apps that rely on Contextual Services for sleep and driving detection, or meeting times. Take note. In the update, now available on Google Play, Motorola Contextual Services adds “Bluetooth driving detection” to Driving Assist for the Motorola Moto X, Motorola DROID Ultra, Motorola DROID Maxx, and Motorola DROID Mini. Have at it, folks.
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| Posted: 18 Dec 2013 05:11 PM PST
Samsung’s been busy these past few weeks rolling out Android 4.3 across their huge product portfolio, spanning across multiple carriers and regions. There’s definitely been some bumps along the way, but it’s just one of the problems OEMs face when it comes to supporting legacy devices with Androids updates that roll out just about every other month. Earlier today we told you about the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 2 receiving its Android 4.3 update, and now it’s time for Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy S3 to jump on the Jelly Bean bandwagon.
Verizon S3′s can expect build VRUCML1 to hit any minute now, with benefits that include compatibility with the Samsung Galaxy Gear, support for apps to SD support and TRIM, as well as heap of bug fixes. Updates are always a ton of fun (except when they’re not) so try and back up what you can prior to updating. Heck, even a fresh factory reset never hurts. The Verizon Galaxy S3 joins the ranks of the T-Mobile Galaxy S3, the Galaxy S3 LTE, Galaxy S3 on Sprint and US Cellular and finally the AT&T version — all of which have received their updates to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean in the past few weeks. To check if your update is available, hop into your Settings > About Device > Software Update > Check for Updates – or head here for further update instructions. Godspeed. |
| VSCO Cam adds 5 new Preset packs, here’s a quick preview Posted: 18 Dec 2013 03:11 PM PST
In before the holiday weekend is VSCO Cam with 5 all new “Preset” (filter) packs making their way to their newly launched Android app. The app offers a minimalist UI and more filters than you can shake a stick at, perfect for budding Android photographers looking to add a little flare to their photos.     Click for larger image view First up, are 4 packs (each containing 3 filters) now available for purchase via the in-app storefront. All these packs — and the filters therein — can be previewed in the above gallery for those who want to know what they’re getting themselves into. Each filter pack can be purchased individually for $1 each, or altogether as part of their “Contemporary Collection” for $3. That’s a whopping savings of about a single dollar, but we suppose every little bit counts.
Also new is the “Legacy Collection”, a $2 Preset pack featuring 10 discontinued filters from the original iOS app. Unfortunately, the previously mentioned Contemporary Collection excludes these the Presets from the Legacy Collection which, we might add, is only available for a limited time. Thanks, VSCO. That means if you’re looking to pick up all the new Presets/filters, you’re gonna be spending upwards of $5 for all 22 (but really, nobody is twisting your arm).
For those keeping count, there were originally 38 Presets (filters) on top of the free 10 when the app first launched on Android a little over 2 weeks ago. This officially brings the grand total of Presets up to 70 (including the 10 free) for the truly dedicated, a number we’re sure will attain after receiving a few Google Play gift cards this Christmas. Check out the gallery (up top) for a preview of all the new VSCO Cam Preset packs. This way you get a better idea of what you’re getting yourself into. Oh, and if you haven’t tried it yet, you can download VSCO Cam free From the Play Store via the link below.
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| LG G Pro Lite to be the first Android device to come with BBM preinstalled Posted: 18 Dec 2013 01:04 PM PST
After news that BBM would soon come pre-installed on a variety of Android devices, today we finally know who was first in line. Announced in a press release this afternoon, BlackBerry has revealed that they’ll be teaming up with LG to include BBM preloaded on some of their devices, starting with the LG G Pro Lite.
From the wording in the press release, it appears that the prebundling of BBM for the G Pro Lite is only delegated to select markets, those like Africa, the Middle East, and Indonesia. With LG all aboard the BlackBerry train, just don’t be surprised if you find BBM in your next LG device. BlackBerry also mentioned the app will remain free on the Google Play Store, where they plan to release future updates to include support for BBM Channels, BBM Voice Calling, and BBM Video calling. |
| SwiftKey gets a surprise winter holiday themed update Posted: 18 Dec 2013 11:53 AM PST
Fresh off the Google Play Store is SwiftKey with a festive new update to one of the best Android keyboards on the market. Aside from introducing a more streamlined installer and patching up a few bugs, SwiftKey is introducing an fun winter-esque theme for the holidays dubbed “Ice”. Once selected in the options, you’ll notice glossy blue keys with little snow caps on them. But the theme isn’t just static. SwiftKey went all out with key popups in the shape of snowflakes and gestures swipes that create little snow storms, even dropping snow that builds up along the bottom of the keyboard. Super impressive.
The best part about the update is that it’s available via official channels (Google Play) and for those testing their experimental emoji/number row beta. You can grab the official version via the Play Store link below, or directly download the new beta here.
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| Winkfeed is an RSS reader for Google Glass Posted: 18 Dec 2013 11:39 AM PST If you can’t stand to be away from your news feed for any amount of time throughout any given day — and you just happen to own a ridiculously expensive pair of Google Glass — we’ve got the perfect app to show you. It’s Winkfeed, the latest app by Winklogic that will serve up all the latest news from the sites you love to follow (such as Phandroid).
So just how comprehensive of an experience can a Google Glass RSS reader provide? A pretty darn good one, according to the following list of features:
It’d be a whole lot better if we could add our own sources or hook up to a service like Feedly.
Winkfeed can be activated using the MyGlass app on your Android device or the website, so be sure to head in there and give it a whirl if you’ve been waiting on something like this. Let’s hope this is just an early beginning to truly great things. PS: don’t forget to subscribe to Phandroid once you’re locked and loaded! You’ll find us under the Technology category. ;)
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| Dolphin Zero aims to be the Snapchat of browsers by shredding every piece of data Posted: 18 Dec 2013 09:58 AM PST Dolphin has announced a new browser that they hope will assuage the privacy fears of paranoid people everywhere. Dolphin Zero is the name, and it’s being described as a “Snapchat of browsers,” of sorts. In an age where secret data collection is becoming the norm, Dolphin wanted folks to have a solution that would shred every piece of data they could without fear of leaving a trace.
Here’s a list of just a few of the things Dolphin Zero will look to scrub clean from your device’s slate:
The browser will also come with support for do-not-track requests built-in, and will feature DuckDuckGo — a privacy-based search engine — as the default search engine. ”We are excited to be the default search engine in Dolphin Zero," said Gabriel Weinberg, CEO and founder of DuckDuckGo. "It is encouraging to see companies like Dolphin making privacy a primary focus, and I’m glad DuckDuckGo can be a part of it". Dolphin Zero is already sitting in the Google Play Store for free, so get on over there and give it a try if you’re looking for something that has your back against all the prying eyes of the digital world today. |
| T-Mobile CEO John Legere teases UnCarrier 4.0 on Twitter; what’s in store this time? Posted: 18 Dec 2013 07:59 AM PST UnCarrier has been the absolute most interesting string of carrier news to follow in the past year. T-Mobile has made tons of great blockbuster announcements, from unlimited international roaming to their early upgrade program dubbed T-Mobile Jump. Now, a new wave of announcements is set to take place at some point in the near future, according to their own CEO.
John Legere posted the following Tweet on his personal account this morning: Everything about this Tweet is interesting. The Happy New Year wish seems to indicate the announcement — being billed as UnCarrier 4 — will happen at some point right after the calendar turns. CES, perhaps? One can only hope so. And what’s with the #Randall hashtag there at the end? Is he calling out AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson with that one? Or are the two going to be working together for the first time since T-Mobile and AT&T’s acquisition deal was blocked by the US government? The possibilities are endless, and endlessly exciting. You can bet Magenta will have our attention in the weeks to come.
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| Judge Issues Preliminary Injunction on NSA metadata collection, but what does that mean? Posted: 18 Dec 2013 07:21 AM PST News just came out that Judge Leon, District Judge in the federal district court for the District of Columbia, issued a preliminary injunction on NSA data collection. All 68 pages of the opinion can be read here.
Some sites have come out stating that the NSA has been enjoined, or that NSA data collection is illegal, etc. It’s important people understand what happened in this case. The NSA has not been enjoined and their wiretapping has certainly not been declared unconstitutional. So what does this actually mean? What happened was the district court issued a preliminary injunction that was suspended pending the appeal to the DC Circuit Court. Further, the merits of the constitutionality of it were never touched. For a brief discussion on what this actually means for anyone concerned about privacy and NSA wiretapping (and it’s kind of depressing), be sure to read on. It’s extremely important to note that a PRELIMINARY injunction is not a PERMANENT injunction. A preliminary injunction has to meet certain elements:
All the preliminary injunction does is stop the behavior while the case is fully litigated. As noted in the opinion, the preliminary injunction was granted based on the pleadings and a hearing. The case was, under no circumstances, litigated. What’s going to happen from here? What federal courts allow is interlocutory appeals. An interlocutory appeal means that, under 28 USC 1292, an appeals court can hear an interlocutory order and rule on it without the case being fully litigated. In contrast, here in New York, appellate courts will only hear appeals once the entire case is litigated, i.e. no interlocutory appeals. It is important to note that a preliminary injunction is not ruling on the merits of the case and an appeal of the injunction does not begin to touch the merits. The appellate ruling is more of a procedural one, meaning where the elements of the preliminary injunction met. What this case has done (thus far) is a district court (lowest level of federal courts with no binding precedential value) has acknowledged that there is Article III standing to hear this case, and that there are enough merits to the case to warrant a preliminary injunction. This has not declared anything unconstitutional — in fact, it doesn’t touch the issue other than saying it’s “likely” unconstitutional. The preliminary injunction stops the behavior, but it gives the chance for the government to argue, during the actual litigation of the case, that it is in fact constitutional. Further, because the order is immediately appealable, until the appellate court rules on the preliminary injunction (remember the elements above, key to which are no remedy at law and likelihood of success on the merits) it has absolutely no legal value. Moreover, the appellate court isn’t ruling on the actual law, they’re ruling on whether the elements of a preliminary injunction have been met. Also, I’d imagine that the government will appeal the standing issue as well. There is hope yet All that being said, I do believe this is a step in the right direction as it has now led to a federal court acknowledging that this behavior may be unconstitutional (though, under 30 years of Supreme Court precedent, that argument is still admittedly iffy). This may not be the sensationalist type of news that everyone wants to hear regarding the constitutionality of NSA data collection. It is, however, legally and technically correct. As was said in Futurama (and it’s no less true in the legal system): technically correct is the best kind of correct. |
| Google Play Movies comes to a healthy helping of new countries Posted: 18 Dec 2013 06:14 AM PST It’s no secret that Google has a reputation for shunning many different countries when it comes to new apps and services. Tons of folks are still waiting for the likes of Google Play Music and Google Play Magazines. They’ve taken a good step forward today, though, by bringing Google Play Movies to about a dozen new countries.
I know you’re eager to find out what those countries are, so look no further than the list straight ahead:
Of course, there’s the “TV” side of Google Play Movies and TV now being represented here. Those countries are still being left in the dark in regards to that, with only the United States, United Kingdom and Japan getting in on episodic fun. Regardless, this is a good first step toward getting more and more countries hooked up with more and more Google services as time rolls by. Be sure to heck out their collection of content by visiting the Google Play Store. |
| Dropbox update adds support for creating and managing shared folders, in-app Pro upgrade Posted: 18 Dec 2013 05:56 AM PST
Sharing folders has been one of the sore spots of the mobile Dropbox experience since the app has launched on Android, but those spots have been healed with the latest upgrade. We’re looking at version 2.3.12, and it brings the ability to create new shared folders, as well as the ability to invite contacts to view / edit existing shared folders. Dropbox has also added more refined settings for managing your shared folders, giving you even more reason to ditch the browser whenever you need to do some heavy lifting while mobile. Topping all of that up is the ability to upgrade to a Pro membership using in-app purchases. We’re not sure what sort of dire situation you’d need to be in to upgrade to Pro through the mobile app, but the option is there should the need ever arise. |
| Golden HTC One now available in the UK Posted: 18 Dec 2013 05:42 AM PST It didn’t take long for HTC to give in to all the “unofficial” and “limited” golden HTC One devices swirling about. The company announced their own golden rendition of the smartphone not too long ago, with its effect being a lot more subtle and muted than the actual gold-plated smartphone. If you were waiting on this new color option to launch you’ll be happy to know that it’s now available.
You’ll have to be in the UK as far as we can see, because we’ve only seen the likes of Carphone Warehouse putting it up for sale today. You’ll be able to grab it from mobile retailer for free with tariffs starting at £29 for 24 months. You can get even cheaper tariffs, though you’ll have to shell out some dough for the actual smartphone itself. Aside from the “premium” color scheme of this offering, the HTC One Gold is pretty much identical to the original in every other aspect. It might have been a while since you’ve seen the specs, so here they are again in case you need them:
There are a ton of routes to go in terms of tariffs and carriers, so be sure to check out all your options over at Carphone Warehouse’s website. Call your local store to see if you can get a look at this thing in person before committing to taking one home. |
| Dead Trigger 2 gets “the big update,” adds nearly double the game content Posted: 18 Dec 2013 05:06 AM PST If you have yet to get tired of shooting zombies in the head with the biggest shotgun you can find, we have some good news for you. Dead Trigger 2 has gotten “the big one” — that is, it’s gotten one of its biggest upgrades ever, and it’s just in time for Christmas.
Madfinger Games tells us this update will bring us almost double the game’s current content, which means you’ll have a whole new smorgasbord of things to tackle and keep you busy over the holiday break. Here’s a quick list of everything you can expect:
What’s more is that Madfinger will be celebrating their award-winning holiday season with 1.5 times more free in-game gold between December 24th and 26th, and again between December 31st and January 2nd. The company is even updating the original Dead Trigger to optimize it for devices with higher resolutions, so that blunt trauma blood spatter is represented at the highest of quality. This update should be huge, so you shouldn’t be heading to the Google Play Store before enabling WiFi. Taken care of that? Then there’s nothing stopping you from zombie mayhem because this download is absolutely free. Have at it! |
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