Have you ever wondered what precisely is in your favourite brand of printer ink, shampoo, paint, or toilet cleaner? Or maybe you want to be able to find a brand of shampoo that doesn't contain a particular ingredient to which you're sensitive. Or perhaps you want to know all about Acetophenone.
If you're in the US, you probably know that there's a web site which contains all of this information. Presumably (forgive me here, but I'm not based in the US) because it's a legal requirement for manufacturers of household products to submit their data to this official government site. If you're not in the US, and you've always wondered what goes into paint or antiperspirant or dog shampoo, now's your chance to find out by browsing this fascinating site.
Obviously this website is USA oriented, so be aware that some formulations of products for the US market may not be precisely the same worldwide. But it's still an interesting and educational resource.
As shipments for the LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live start to arrive this week, new smartwatch owners are going to be chomping at the bit to get the most out of Android Wear. We’re going to add Wear Aware to our upcoming list of must have applications for your wrist.
Wear Aware acts as a smartphone leash, notifying you whenever your phone gets out of range and loses Bluetooth connectivity. When this occurs, your wrist will immediately begin vibrating, buzzing, and the display on your smartwatch will turn bright red letting you know that you forgot your precious phone. This is the very first release of the app, so expect bugs and there’s also bound to be room for improvement.
It’s worth mentioning that this functionality isn’t meant to replace Google’s Android Device Manager for finding lost phones. If you’re in the habit of walking away from your phone or leaving your phone behind as you go about your day, this app is for you.
When it comes to Android, the ability to customize and make your device truly yours is one of the top bragging rights of our beloved mobile platform and a large part of the entire Android experience. Seeing as many Android enthusiasts hold this feature in such high regard, you’ll be happy to know that you can now install custom watch faces on your Android Wear smartwatch. The first one to hit Google Play is Byte Me Software’s Binary Watch Face for Android Wear and as the name suggests, it’s a binary clock for your wrist.
Binary Watch Face provides a simple binary display for your smartwatch, helping you earn a few geek points and impress your friends all while being able to read the time in binary format. The companion app, which is installed on your phone, allows you to customize the watch face dot color, adding an extra bit of personalization to your wrist wear. If reading binary isn’t your thing, Byte Me Software has provided an easy guide explaining exactly what the columns of flashing dots on your wrist mean. (Thank you.)
Daniel Ward of Byte Me Software has also published his code over on GitHub, so that other developers can take a crack at Android Wear watch face customization. As orders start to arrive this week for the LG G Watch and the Samsung Gear Live, the market for custom watch faces is about to explode on Google Play. We can’t wait.
This weeks wallpaper is an amazing shot of fireworks over the harbor in Sydney, Australia. The great colors and sharp focus make me wish I was there. :) Icons do quite well with this wallpaper except in the very brightest areas.
Here in the United States we are currently halfway through a holiday weekend. Across the country people are gathering together to watch parades, blow up fireworks, and eat junk food. All of this is in celebration of our great country. The colors red, white, and blue will be shown prominently this weekend. Your mobile devices should also be decked out in American colors.
If you’re looking for a way to show patriotism, we have some great wallpapers for you. Below you will find five HD wallpapers that should look great on any device. To get one of these on your phone, tablet, or PC simply tap or click the download link underneath each image. On the next page you can right-click or long-press to save the image to your device. Have fun, eat some junk food, have a few drinks, and be safe! Go USA!
Push new Android Wallpaper to your Android device with this IFTTT recipe.
We have an exciting bit of news to share in a quick email blast today, and it even includes a new contest! Just in case you didn't notice already, the site has undergone a remodel! Over the last couple of days we upgraded the forum software. This new software is more advanced, more user friendly and more secure. It also happens to be much more mobile friendly! Our main thread on the upgrade can be found here:
We've also taken the liberty of upgrading the website's skin. It's much cleaner, fresher and more up to date than ever before, yet the basic flavor/feel of the site is the same. For the most part, this changeover will be seamless and will simply add on several cool new features without taking too much away. Please be patient with us as we clean things up and work out any of the kinks.
To celebrate this new makeover, we even have a contest for you guys. To go with the new coat of paint, we want to freshen up our logo. Who is better to help us do that than our very own members? We are giving away an Amazon TV (or equivalent Amazon gift card award) to the ultimate winner of the contest, plus we will use the winner's logo! Here is the thread with all the details on the contest
We look forward to constantly improving the site for you. Thank you for making DroidForums the ultimate destination for Android related discussions and entertainment!
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XP user, I am talking to you. In April 2014, your favorite operating system stopped being officially supported by Microsoft. Now, there's no reason for panic, but this is a good opportunity to start considering alternatives. Without going into too many details, the free and exciting option is to try Linux.
Indeed, today, we will demonstrate how to dual-boot an existing Windows XP installation with the latest edition of Linux Mint, a highly popular Linux distribution, while retaining all the important user data you have. Naturally, this is somewhat of an advanced topic, so you might need to invest a little time reading, but overall, the exercise should be worth the effort. In the end, you will have a fully functional dual-boot setup for all your needs, with XP on one end and a modern, stylish Linux Mint 17 Qiana on the other. Let's rock.
What an exciting time to be alive. Google I/O was like Christmas for Android fans everywhere, summer is in full swing, and this weekend we celebrate the 18th anniversary of Will Smith's triumphant defeat of extraterrestrial invaders hellbent on conquering earth. Before we get to jiving and imbibing, let's take a look at what sort of discussion this joyous time has kicked up over at Android Forums, shall we?
Are you buying Android Wear?
The question is straightforward on the surface, but the answer is multifaceted — and we're not speaking simply of the plentiful custom watch faces Android Wear users will have the option to deploy. It's easy to buy into Google's smartwatch platform, but which to actually buy? Do you go with the square form factor of the LG G Watch or Samsung Gear Live, both currently on sale and shipping next week, or do you hold out for the circular face of the Moto 360? It's all part of the discussion happening now at Android Forums. If you are considering an Android Wear device, do yourself a favor and check it out now.
Galaxy Tab S or iPad Air?
While it's hard for Android fans to admit, a tablet with a legitimate shot at going head-to-head with Apple's iPad has been a long time coming. With the Galaxy Tab S, consumers now have a slightly trickier decision when deciding on their next tablet purchase. Priced identically and offering features like a gorgeous Super AMOLED display, member Chicago64 is wondering whether the Tab S is truly a better buy than the iPad Air. The early responses might surprise you.
Google told us plenty about Android L at Google I/O. What they did not tell us was what dessert (or candy brand, if KitKat is any indication) would come to represent the next version of their mobile platform. We know it starts with L, and the popular consensus is Android Lollipop. A vigilant Android Forums user has another idea. What if the L stands for Lava Cake?
Three cheers for the red, white, and blue. On this weeks special Fourth of July edition of the Mobile Roar podcast we continue to examine the impact of last week's big Google I/O announcements, particularly what soon-to-be-released Android Wear devices mean for the future of the platform. We also talk Google's Songza acquisition, the T-Mobile cramming scandal, and fireworks safety. Thanks for watching/listening!
Every year on the 4th day of July in America we celebrate the independence of our country. We do this with parades, carnival games, volleyball tournaments, junk food, cook-outs, adult beverages, and fireworks. It’s a lot of fun. If you're looking to celebrate, but don't know what to do, check out these 5 apps below. They will help you feel patriotic and have a good time. Enjoy!
Depending one where you live, there can be a lot going on for the 4th of July. Circle is a great app for helping you find things to do. Just pick an activity, such as friends, concerts, or hiking, and see local results. You can also spin the circle and find random things to do. Don’t just sit around on your computer all day. Get out and enjoy the holiday!
Cookouts are a big part of the 4th of July. When you’re grilling for a bunch of people it can be easy to burn the food. Don’t let a single hot dog or burger turn to the dark side. Grill Simple provides USDA recommended cooking temperatures, times and tips for a variety of meats, vegetables and fruit. It’s the perfect companion for your grill.
What goes great with some grilled food? An ice-cold adult beverage, if you are of age of course. Cocktail Flow is an awesome app that will help you whip up a drink with whatever you have on hand. Simply select what you have in your liquor cabinet and let Cocktail Flow do the work. There is even a special holiday section for 4th of July-themed drinks.
If grilling and drinking aren’t your thing we have the perfect game for the 4th of July. There is nothing more patriotic than a hero named Captain America. The Winter Soldier game allows you to play as Cap himself in MMO-style action. Save the country from the Winter Soldier and other enemies by ordering your troops to attack. Saving the country on the 4th of July is pretty important.
Last, but not least, is Fireworks! These beautiful flying explosives have been a staple of Independence Day since way back in 1777. Most people will be able to simply look out a window to see, or at least hear, fireworks going off tonight. If you prefer a more localized approach you can download this app and play with your very own fireworks show.
We hope you all have a fun and safe 4th of July! Go USA!
“We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on, we’re going to survive. Today we celebrate our independence day!”
Here in the United States, when we see “4th of July” we know it’s not just another day. Today is the day we celebrate the Declaration of Independence, a document that made this country possible. How do we celebrate? The way we celebrate a lot of special occasions: food, parades, fireworks, and beverages. Today, however, you will see a lot more American flags flying high.
To all of our American readers we wish you a Happy 4th of July! Grab some candy at a parade, eat some grilled food, have a beverage or two, enjoy some fireworks, and be thankful to live in this country. The United States is certainly not a perfect country, but on days like today that doesn’t seem to matter so much. USA! USA! USA!
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Modern versions of Windows (from XP onwards) maintain a series of so-called event log files which keep track of everything the operating system does. Whenever there's an error, this gets recorded as an entry in the event log. As does pretty much everything else you do, too. Therefore, if you're troubleshooting a computer, or you simply want to learn about all the things that go on in the background, a browse through the event logs can be very revealing.
Trouble is, the event log viewing feature built into Windows isn't particularly helpful or pretty. Which is why it's useful to come across a nice alternative.
Event Log Explorer is, as the name suggests, a program to let you browse and search your PC's event logs. It runs on Windows XP and above, and is malware-free according to Web of Trust and VirusTotal. It's a 3.4 MB download and, despite the name works perfectly under more recent operating systems. Including Windows 8.1 in my case.
The program is quite expensive to buy, as it's aimed at large companies. However, it's free for personal use on up to 3 computers. So it's definitely worth a download.
Earlier this week we got a sneak peak at what could be the front panels from the upcoming Sony Xperia Z3 and Sony Xperia Z3 Compact. Other than it’s large bezels, the images didn’t reveal much. And while it seems crazy for some to think that Sony could already be looking to release a Sony Xperia Z2 followup, there was really nothing indicating the phone would launch anytime soon.
Be that as it may, we were definitely intrigued at the idea of a Sony Xperia Z2 with updated hardware, (even if the Z2′s specs are more than adequate at present). Yesterday, XDA developer DooMLoRD tweeted out a screen shot allegedly taken from the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact, along with some of the device’s specs. Let’s just say there may be a market for what Sony’s cooking up. Here’s what we could be looking at:
Although the screenshot shows Android 4.4.2, we have no reason to believe the phone could at least ship, or immediately be updated to Android 4.4.4 which recently began rolling out to a number of Xperia Z devices. Although consumers normally have to compromise in areas like performance when looking for a smaller Android device, this Z3 doesn’t seem to sacrifice much.
Still up in the air is the battery size or display resolution, but if everything checks out, it’s looking like this could be my next phone (providing it ever comes to the US). With the current trend of Android smartphones growing larger and larger every year, personally, I had given up hope that an OEM would ever release a smaller device with flagship specs. C’mon, Sony. Do it for me.
There’s a good chance that, by now, most of you have received the Google Search app’s new ability to enable the “Ok Google” hotword detection everywhere on your Android device, even while it’s sleeping (as long as it’s charging). It’s a super useful feature and one that, up until now, only the Motorola Moto X was able to pull off (although, the X still has the benefit of always listening, even when not charging.
Because not everyone has received this new feature in their Google Search apps (something to do with a per-account basis), we though this latest tip might come in use for some of you. Apparently, a user on Reddit discovered the craziest trick to get the system-wide “Ok Google everywhere” up and running on his device: simply search for that term in Google Search. After that, you should be able to jump into your Google Settings and select Google Settings > Search & Now > Voice > "Ok Google" Detection and check "From any screen" to enable Hotword Detection from any app (even the lockscreen).
While we haven’t been able to confirm if the trick works (all our devices received the functionality earlier this week), we’ve seen reports from Android users reporting success. Again, it’s not full proof, just one more hoop you can jump through if you want this new killer feature on your Android before the 4th of July weekend. Good luck!
Nokia’s on a mission to let developers know how easy it is to publish apps to the Nokia Apps Store with a very eye-opening contest. Dubbed the Xtreme Coding Challenge, they’ve invited developers to publish apps in extreme conditions.
The developer in their first highlight jumped off the side of a mountain in Rio De Janeiro with a 3G-equipped laptop strapped to his chest and ended up publishing an app within 6 minutes, all before he landed. The fact that he didn’t have any experience gliding is even more ridiculous to think about. Of course, he wasn’t responsible for actually steering himself while doing all this as the paragliding instructor attached to his back likely handled all that, but impressive nonetheless.
Nokia’s decision to skip the Google Play Store in favor of their own marketplace for Nokia X devices has left them in the dust in terms of readily available apps, so it’s no wonder they have to go to these measures to get the attention of developers. We’re not sure any sane developer will ever need the ability to publish apps within 6 minutes while they’re gliding in mid-air, but it’s nice to know that it can be done. Take a quick peek above.
The LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live have both received a new OTA upgrade today, bringing us up to version KMV78V on both fronts. The update came without a changelog, and we can’t seem to find any noticeable differences compared to the previous firmware.
It’s entirely possible that the update is just doing some light housecleaning (your typical round of bug fixes and performance improvements) ahead of the device’s public availability next week, though we’ll keep digging to make sure Google didn’t tuck something away.
It’s been awhile since we seen Samsung take a jab at iPhone users. Samsung’s original smear campaign began with the Korean manufacturer’s first “Next Big Thing” ad spots, targeting blind consumers waiting in line for another incremental release of the new iPhone. Backed by a huge multimillion dollar budget, the ads were everywhere and seemingly effective too. Despite playing it safe in terms of design and build materials, we watched as Samsung further dominated the smartphone market with their onslaught of Galaxy devices.
Today, Samsung is back and right where we like them: poking fun at iPhone users in their latest video, “Wall Huggers.” That’s what Samsung is calling all those sad little iPhone users desperately clinging to their wall sockets, looking for any available current to charge their depleting iPhones. Samsung goes on to show off their Ultra Power saving mode and the fact that, unlike many phones on their market, their Galaxy line features removable batteries for quickly swapping out with a spare. While the same fate could befall even Android users it’s only in recent flagships we’ve seen OEMs get serious about battery life.
Yet another feather in Samsung’s cap, the ad effectively showcases one area in which the Samsung Galaxy S5 excels above all others. Even though the Galaxy S5 is far from perfect, battery life is a huge selling point as more consumers begin relying on smartphones for all their computing needs. Gotta give it to Samsung, they sure know how to drive a point home. Check out their latest video below.
Sprint customers wondering when they’ll finally be invited to the LG G3 party will love today’s news. The Now Network has announced July 18th availability for LG’s 2014 flagship, meaning there are only a short couple of weeks before you’re able to walk away with one for $0 down and $25 per month for 24 months (if you’re “well-qualified,” of course).
Don’t want to wait that long to secure an order? Pre-sales will begin July 11th. You’ll also be entitled to some rewards cards if you happen to buy your device through official Sprint channels, including their retail stores, website or over the phone within a few weeks’ time:
$150 Reward Card – purchase July 11 through July 24 and register by Aug. 7
$100 Reward Card – purchase July 25 through Aug. 14 and register by Aug. 28
Sprint’s version of the LG G3 is equipped with their Sprint Spark LTE radios to give you access to the company’s faster and more reliable data network, though it should be pretty much the same as the phone we reviewed not long ago. Highlights of the LG G3 include a 5.5-inch 2560 x 1440 display, Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 13 megapixel OIS camera with laser-assisted autofocus and more. Let us know if you’ll be picking one of these up when they finally land.
The wonderful thing about rumors is that they tell us about forthcoming products and developments well before they happen, giving us insight into the market and helping us make informed decisions based on what we expect to see down the line. The bad thing? They aren’t to be fully trusted, and that fact was reiterated in the latest hoaxing episode.
Yesterday, we ran a couple of stories based on rumors from reputable leakster @evleaks. The first was that OnePlus was working on a tablet, with the second being a leaked set of specs for the rumored HTC Volantis tablet (5GB of RAM should have given off a red flag for that one). We’d go into more detail here, but there’s no need — the rumors are flat out false.
Yesterday was not a good day. I got hoaxed 2x. First was OnePlus. Second was Volantis. 14-yr-old posing as a Google engineer. Embarrassing.
And that’s all that needs to be said. Time to move on, folks. If anything, let this serve as a reminder that rumors are to be taken with the smallest of grains of salt, sand and whatever other minerals come to mind, because as I always like to say — nothing is official until it’s official.
That’s nothing that’s going to make a boardroom jump for joy, but we’re sure they’ll be happy to get good news and a quarter in the black after a long streak of doom and gloom (they lost $64 million last quarter).
It will take a more pointed approach for HTC going forward to make sure they don’t fizzle out before year’s end. Namely, the company’s efforts to bring more mid-range and entry-level options back to key markets in Europe and North America will have to step up in a big way.
Google has announced that they have completed the rollout of Google Play Services 5.0 which should bring exciting new features for developers and users alike. Here is the short version of everything that’s new in case you need a quick refresher:
Android Wearable Services API: necessary for Android Wear functionality.
Dynamic security provider API
Google Play Games: Quests and Save Game API. Quests allow you to give players timed challenges that they can complete for recognition or in-game rewards, while the Save Game Snapshot API enables cloud game saving so players can pick up where they left off no matter which device they use.
App Indexing API: used to allow developers to enable deeper search results in applications, as well as enabling deep pages within their apps to show up within Google.
Google Cast SDK: now includes closed caption support in Chromecast.
Google Drive API: adds ability to sort results of a query, create folders while offline and select any MIME type in the file picker.
Google Wallet: “Save to Wallet” functionality allows users to easily save offers, coupons and loyalty cards from within an app to your Google Wallet account. Google Wallet can now remind you to scan your loyalty card whenever they detect you at one of the business you have an offer with. Finally, Instant Buy now supports split tenders so you can defer the rest of your payment to a debit or credit card in case your Wallet balance doesn’t have enough funds.
This release also enables the “OK, Google” hotword functionality from within any screen on your phone. Some folks might still not be able to access this option in Google Now as that is controlled by a server-side switch instead of an app update, but it shouldn’t be long before Google starts enabling it for everyone (I only just received the feature this morning). Enjoy!
If you’re in the market for a decent gaming tablet that can be docked into a cradle with dedicated controls for getting your digital mayhem on, Wikipad wants to hook you up. They’re taking 20% off the WikiPad tablet, bringing its price from $199 down to a cool $159 with free shipping.
Adding even more to the value is the new partnership between WikiPad and the folks at OnLive, the online game-streaming service that lets you play console quality games without needing the hardware to run it natively. With it, you’ll get a free month of OnLive’s PlayPack subscription that gives you access to over 250 games to stream to your tablet. That typically costs $9.95 per month so it’s not a bad way to trial their service.
They’re also throwing in a month of their CloudLift service (now worth $7.95 after a timely price drop) that allows you to stream select games you already own on Steam and other gaming marketplaces. CloudLift lets you play natively while you’re at home, and will easily serve up your goods over the internet whenever you need to trek away. Cloud saves sync automatically with your Steam account so you can easily pick up where you left off.
Wondering what the WikiPad is packing to handle all this gaming goodness? Here’s a look at its now-modest spec sheet:
7-inch HD display
16GB of internal storage (microSD up to 32GB)
NVIDIA Tegra 3 chipset
2-megapixel front camera
GPS w/ GLONASS
Decide you want in on this deal? Just head here and use coupon code E3WIKIPAD to get all the aforementioned discounts and bonuses. It might not be the most powerful tablet around these days but it sure sounds like a pretty good value if this is something you’ve been eyeing.
We’ve been following Klinker Apps’ work for quite sometime now. Makers of EvolveSMS, Sliding Messaging and more, developer Luke Klinker took to his Google+ page this evening to showcase his latest work. Turns out, he’s been hard at work redesigning his popular Twitter app, Talon, using Android L’s new Material guidelines.
The animation heavy app isn’t exactly ready for prime time (even if it was, Google wont allow developers to publish Android L apps in the Play Store during the preview period) and it’s only available for devices running the Android L Developer Preview. You’ll notice a handy floating “+” compose button in the corner and although we can’t show it off in pictures, the app features a plethora of animations unique to Android L’s Material design (click on the expanded tweet view to see what we mean, you wont regret it).
Klinker was kind enough to provide a direct download link to the newly updated app as a — you guessed it — early preview of what’s to come. With that in mind, he’s not looking for bug reports or feedback of any kind. At least not yet. This is merely a way for everyone can see and feel the beautify that is Matias Duarte’s Material design in action. Download link provided below.
Circle – Events, Concerts More
Grill Simple
Cocktail Flow
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Fireworks!
