Android Phone Fans |
- Video Voyager brings location based video sharing to Google Glass
- CyanogenMod Installer now available for Mac OSX in beta form
- It’s live! Download Final Fantasy VI on Google Play for $16
- Heads up: You can now star contacts directly from the Gmail app
- Early HTC One prototype blows its cover nearly a year later
- Official RoboCop game now available on Google Play
- Blackphone vows to put privacy ahead of everything else using custom version of Android
- Google Chrome update brings data compression and home-screen shortcuts
- AT&T HTC One X+ Android 4.2.2 update landing by the end of this week
- HP Slate6 VoiceTab and Slate7 VoiceTab announced for India
- Samsung Galaxy Card could be NFC-driven Google Wallet competitor
- LG G2 Android 4.4 KitKat update could begin late January; here’s a quick video of it
| Video Voyager brings location based video sharing to Google Glass Posted: 15 Jan 2014 05:28 PM PST
Ever since the Google Glass Mirror API went live a few months back, we’ve watched as more and more Glassware (Google Glass apps) found themselves available in the official web portal. The latest of which is Video Voyager, a new video sharing service that allows users to take video of their favorite spots — eateries, amusement parks, etc. — and upload the videos to share with others.
As much of a discovery tool as it is a sharing one, once Video Voyager is enabled on your headset, traveling to the general vicinity of where someone uploaded a video will trigger a notification from your Glass. This will allow you to view their video directly from your Glass headset, making it a great way to discover new places to eat, local nightlife, or anything in between. What’s more, you can even watch videos in your area (or one you’re traveling to) using your desktop web browser by visiting the Video Voyager site here. Sure there’s not many videos at the moment, but we expect that to pick up as more and more users get their faces on Glass. |
| CyanogenMod Installer now available for Mac OSX in beta form Posted: 15 Jan 2014 03:54 PM PST
Cyanogen Inc. changed the game when they announced the release of the user-friendly CyanogenMod Installer. A desktop application that allowed for the quick and easy installation of the CyanogenMod custom ROM, it was a godsend for those looking to root their Android devices but didn’t want to risk bricking said device because of lack of know-how, or otherwise. For many, this easy to use installer was a privilege reserved only for those with Windows-based PCs but today, all of that changes with the official beta release of CyanogenMod Installer for Mac OSX. Simply connect your compatible device (full list linked below) and the CM Installer handles the rest for you. Keep in mind that in most cases, this will void your Android device’s warranty, and in all case wipe all your data clean. For more info on the CyanogenMod Installer, hit up their Wiki page here where you can find a FAQ, as well as a full list of compatible devices. Just be careful, it is still in beta after all. [CyanogenMod Installer | Download: CyanogenMod Installer for Mac OSX] |
| It’s live! Download Final Fantasy VI on Google Play for $16 Posted: 15 Jan 2014 02:43 PM PST
We told you about Square Enix’s plans to release the smartphone remake of Final Fantasy VI onto Google Play today, but aside from Europe, we weren’t sure on global availability. Well, guess what just dropped onto the Play Store? Yes, folks. It looks like Final Fantasy VI is now available for all, providing you’re die-hard enough to drop $16 on it. Also, we’re hearing reports that the game isn’t playing well with ART ( Nexus 5/KitKat devices) or Xposed (root users). So if you plan on playing, you might want to disable those first. Have at it!
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| Heads up: You can now star contacts directly from the Gmail app Posted: 15 Jan 2014 02:17 PM PST
It’s a small change that seems to have crept its way into the latest Gmail update. Posted today to the official Gmail Google+ account was a neat little tip for starring contacts directly from inside the Gmail app. Simply click on the face of the sender while an email is open, and you’ll now be able to pull up that contact’s card and star them. Contacts that are starred from Gmail will then show up in People app. Quick, painless, and easy. [Google+] |
| Early HTC One prototype blows its cover nearly a year later Posted: 15 Jan 2014 01:38 PM PST
As we near the inevitable sequel of last year’s HTC One (who’s 1st birthday is only a few short months away) the boys at Engadget are giving us a rare look at a prototype version of the device, the HTC One that wasn’t. You might remember just before the HTC One was made official, a few versions — much like this one — were leaked out onto the net.
Featuring a soft touch finish and more edgy corners, the design was very reminiscent of the HTC 8X, HTC’s then Windows Phone. We have doubts that this was even a later prototype, having got our hands on an even later version during HTC’s One event in New York last year. The version we saw looked more like the HTC DROID DNA/Butterfly S, featuring dual-front facing speakers on an unmarked, glossy plastic shell.
While not mind blowing, it’s sometimes fun to take a look at the process that goes into designing our favorite devices. What do you guys think? Did HTC change the One for the better? Can’t wait to see what they have planned for the next version ( HTC M8). |
| Official RoboCop game now available on Google Play Posted: 15 Jan 2014 12:29 PM PST
What good would a Hollywood blockbuster be without an officially licensed video game? The movie isn’t set to hit theaters until February 12th, but you can crawl into Murphy’s suit right now guns blazing, helping to rid future Detroit of crime and corruption. More or less a prequel to the movie, you take Alex Murphy through a variety of training simulations as he and his team attempt to gain funding for the budding “RoboCop project.” Using an RPG-like upgrade system, money gained for completing missions is used to purchase bigger and better weapons — and there are a lot of upgrades.
Gameplay is fairly simple, giving the player a variety of ways to take out enemies. Murphy automatically fires on enemies when the cursor is dragged over them, and using special abilities like “scan,” players can look for weak points, or even disarm baddies in non-violent fashion. Where RoboCop’s duck-and-cover system starts off pretty easy, it quickly gets more intense as levels progress. Later enemies can shoot through cover, which means players will need quick reflexes to keep moving to new cover in order to avoid being blown to bits.
Graphics look crisp and clean, and frame rates remained smooth on our Nexus 5. We also found cloud games saves via Google+ sign-in was a nice touch, allowing players to invest time (and money) into RoboCop without fear of losing their progress down the road. RoboCop is a freemium title from Glu Mobile meaning you wont have to buy it for a dollar, but that comes with the usual caveats (dealing with separate in-game currencies). But for us, we simply see that as a challenge. You can download RoboCop via the Play Store link below.
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| Blackphone vows to put privacy ahead of everything else using custom version of Android Posted: 15 Jan 2014 11:49 AM PST An interesting new phone has found its way out of the shadows and into the light. It’s called the Blackphone, and its creators — a joint effort between Geeksphone and Silent Circle — hopes it’ll change mobile privacy for the better. Blackphone aims to “prioritizes the user’s privacy and control, without any hooks to carriers or vendors.” They’ll do it using a custom version of Android that they call PrivatOS, which will apparently have a framework built-in for securing everything about your mobile communications. Here’s a quick summary of things it’ll be able to do for you:
Blackphone vows to give power back to the user. While they aren’t specific on how any of this will be done, we’re told we should be learning more about it at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month. For what it’s worth, they say the phone will be just as powerful and capable as the top smartphones from major manufacturers. We won’t take their word for it just yet, but they definitely have our attention from this point forward. Blackphone is something that is sure to turn the heads of many in a time where more and more folks are conscious about their basic rights to privacy. With the likes of the NSA potentially monitoring communications using backdoor protocols and advanced surveillance techniques, privacy buffs everywhere will have to seriously consider the proposition Blackphone is making. They’re hoping the video you see above will convince you, so go ahead and give it a quick viewing and see how you feel about it. [via Blackphone] |
| Google Chrome update brings data compression and home-screen shortcuts Posted: 15 Jan 2014 10:39 AM PST
Big new update for you in the Google Play Store today, folks. Google Chrome is finally getting the data compression feature that has been in beta for quite some time, giving folks access to their favorite sites for less overall data. The money and bandwidth you’ll save loading each individual page might not be dramatic, but that stuff tends to add up. The setting is off by default, so you’ll have to travel to Settings > Bandwidth management > Reduce data usage within the app. Google says this will also automatically enable a safe browsing mode, which is designed to protect you from malicious websites. Google also added a new feature that’ll allow you to easily place a shortcut to any webpage on your home-screen. Simply go to the toolbar menu and select the “add to homescreen” option while you’re on the page you want to bookmark, and you’ll have immediate access to that site without having to open Chrome and fumble through menus and keyboards. The upgrade should be rolling out through the Google Play Store at some point starting today, though Google is likely rolling it out to everyone in stages. Be sure to check your device to see if it’s ready to be pulled down. Otherwise, sit back and wait for your Play Store app to notify you of its arrival.
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| AT&T HTC One X+ Android 4.2.2 update landing by the end of this week Posted: 15 Jan 2014 09:27 AM PST
Heads up, HTC One X+ owners on AT&T: the American carrier has approved the upgrade to Android 4.2.2 (and HTC Sense 5) as of yesterday. That news was made clear by HTC’s executive director of product manager Mo Versi, who was even confident enough to give folks an ETA for the update to begin rolling out:
Unfortunately, the good news ends there. Earlier this week, HTC confirmed that the HTC One X and HTC One X+ would not be upgraded past Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, meaning dreams of Android 4.3 or Android 4.4 were definitely shattered. It’s sad, but the devices are a bit old at this point, and HTC is about to be on their second generation of devices (the rumored HTC M8 launching later this year) since they’ve been available. Of course, those who are handy with a root procedure or two shouldn’t have much trouble getting onto newer versions of Android if they really want it. But if you’re not that person, you’ll probably want to look into your upgrade options and settle for grabbing yourself a new smartphone soon. We’ll be looking out for word on when the OTA rollout actually begins. |
| HP Slate6 VoiceTab and Slate7 VoiceTab announced for India Posted: 15 Jan 2014 08:27 AM PST
It looks like HP isn’t interested in using the “phablet” name for their latest devices set for launch in India. They have announced the HP Slate6 VoiceTab and the HP Slate7 VoiceTab, a pair of tablet-esque devices that have the capability to make phone calls. HP didn’t drop much info on these two over-sized telephones just yet, but we do know that they’ll have quad-core processors. We also know that they’ll be competitively priced for folks not looking to spend a fortune for their next smartphone / tablet / whatever these things want to be. We see a need in India that we can meet," Said VP of consumer devices Ron Coughlin. "Consumers are looking for a way to consolidate devices. We think there's an opportunity to enter a growing market where there's an unmet need.”
The 6-inch device is said to come in at around $250, while the 7-incher will be $200. It’s odd that the bigger device will be cheaper, but we certainly aren’t complaining. We’ll be looking for more details from HP, but in the meantime let us know if you’d get down with these devices by dropping a comment down below.
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| Samsung Galaxy Card could be NFC-driven Google Wallet competitor Posted: 15 Jan 2014 07:14 AM PST Samsung has been known to rival the top players, including Google themselves, with competing services, devices and platforms. Samsung’s Media Hub as well as their voice command app S Voice come to mind in a hurry. Who’s to say they wouldn’t eventually want to branch out into mobile payments to rival the likes of Google Wallet or ISIS? We could be getting that in the form of the “Samsung Galaxy Card,” a name that has recently been trademarked by Samsung over at the USPTO. At first glance, it sounds like it could be something similar to Google’s play to be at the forefront of mobile payments known as the Google Wallet Card. It’s a pre-paid credit card that will debit money for purchases straight from your Google Wallet account. It’s not crazy to suggest Samsung would be looking to introduce something similar.
It wasn’t long ago that Samsung flashed signs of wanting to go their own way in the mobile payments world, with the OEM striking a deal with Visa to preload Visa’s PayWave tap-to-pay software on their NFC-equipped devices back in 2013. It’d be yet another move in a long string of them that sees Samsung slowly trying to free itself from dependency on Google and Android. While the company has never come out and said it, Samsung feels like they’re big enough to build and maintain their own ecosystem and compete with the likes of Apple for mobile dominance. Samsung has been among the happiest of the go-lucky when it comes to putting NFC in their smartphones, so we imagine they will eventually want to do more with that technology than simply allow users to beam pictures and sell Samsung TecTile NFC tags. Throughout all this speculation, it’s imperative to remember that Samsung typically reserves the “Galaxy” name for Android devices, not services or other tech. The Samsung Galaxy Card could turn out to be something completely different than what our imagination has cooked up. We’ll just have to wait and see how all of this shapes up at some point in the future. Samsung’s always busy with tons of different projects as they look to innovate in everything they do, so we weren’t surprised that they also took time to file a smorgasbord of other trademarks. Here’s a quick list of all of them:
At this point, we wouldn’t scoff at the idea that they’re just pulling random names out of a hat. We’d love to hear from you, so chime in below and let us know what you think the Samsung Galaxy Card might be (alongside all the other aforementioned names Samsung is taking care to protect). |
| LG G2 Android 4.4 KitKat update could begin late January; here’s a quick video of it Posted: 15 Jan 2014 05:16 AM PST With Samsung beginning to upgrade their devices to Android 4.4 KitKat and HTC expected to do the same at some point soon, those in the LG camp were probably beginning to wonder when the upgrade would come out to the LG G2. Thankfully, LG Saudi Arabia has shed some much needed light on that timeline. Folks in that region are in line to get it starting at the end of this month, according to the company’s Twitter page (though the post has since been deleted). South Korean users have already gotten it, though they are often first in line for everything considering that’s LG’s home turf. We imagine they won’t be the one and only region to be enjoying it, so it’s probably safe to assume LG will start rolling it out in other regions to unlocked handsets from that time. Nothing’s certain, though, so don’t put too much stock into that. You should note that LG only ever promised to bring KitKat by the end of Q1, so even if they don’t make it to other regions in time they won’t necessarily be breaking that promise. Android 4.4 KitKat will bring all of the usual improvements, such as Immersive Mode (full screen), the ability to switch between default messengers, and more, but LG’s custom user interface doesn’t seem to have changed much. You can see said changes in the video above. Most noticeable is a slightly different status bar, but LG’s custom user interface remains largely the same as it was in Jelly Bean. You can see if all for yourself in the embedded video, but be warned — it might make the wait for the OTA even harder. [via GSMArena] |
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