Android Phone Fans |
- Nexus 5 gets Moto X-like Touchless Controls after Android developer taps into Snapdragon 800′s always-listening core
- Microsoft releases open source Office 365 SDK preview for Android
- T-Mobile US: more industry consolidation isn’t a question of if, but when
- Sony details Xperia Themes, says additional theme-able assets coming in future update
- ASUS Chromebox (Celeron) presales go up on Amazon, Newegg and Tiger Direct for $179
- T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 KitKat now available
- Angry Birds goes medieval in upcoming sequel – launching first in Canada and Australia [VIDEO]
- TWRP 2.7 brings extremely long list of new features and changes
- Google working on camera battery drain bug in Android 4.4.2; new details and quick fixes
- Chromecast sales revealed to be in the “millions” range on eve of expanded availability
- OnePlus One’s battery will be 3,100mAh, but with a catch; “mystery tech” teased
- Download these “All New HTC One” wallpapers and sounds (and watch the latest teaser video)
- Android chief says Google working on Wearable SDK, coming in two weeks
| Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:07 PM PDT A post on Google+ blew up after the developer of a popular custom ROM showed off a proof of concept where his Nexus 5 effectively mimicked the always listening “Touchless Control” function found in the Motorola Moto X. How exactly was this done, you ask? No witchcraft, just a little Android knowledge. Still in its early state, Guillaume Lesniak was able to tap into Qualcomm’s QDSP6V5 low-power DSP core found in the Snapdragon 800 processor. Because this is separate from the cores used for handling applications, in theory, this would have a minimal impact on battery life, keeping the main CPU in a sleep state as usual. Although Qualcomm has yet to release any of the Snapdragon 800′s always listening APIs to developers (we could never figure out exactly why), they sure had no problem boasting about this feature of their SoC. It’s a shame we haven’t really seen it in action, until now.
Because this is still very much “unofficial,” and the developer is attempting to avoid drama with Qualcomm’s legal department, he’s holding back from releasing any details on how it was done. For now, we can find solace in knowing that it has been accomplished (however buggy), and that there’s still a glimmer of hope this feature may find itself in a future version of the OmniROM custom Android software. Who knows, maybe Qualcomm is keeping their cards close to their chest for a future Nexus device, or even Android release. Why should the Moto X have all the fun? Thanks, Derek! [Google+] |
| Microsoft releases open source Office 365 SDK preview for Android Posted: 10 Mar 2014 05:59 PM PDT
Not sure if unexpected (or just refreshing?), but Microsoft has released an open source Office 365 SDK for Android. What does this mean? Well, now developers can start building Android apps using the SDK to pull data from Offiice 365. Everything from Exchange contacts, emails and calendar entries, to SharePoint lists, folders, and files, will be accessible from other apps, should the developer bake Office 365 compatibility into their apps. Right now, the SDK is available in developer preview, but interested devs can get a jump by heading over to github to learn more. Cheers. |
| T-Mobile US: more industry consolidation isn’t a question of if, but when Posted: 10 Mar 2014 04:44 PM PDT
If there was any question that T-Mobile was entertaining the idea of a Sprint merger, a recent statement by T-Mobile CFO Braxton Carter hints that it could be all but inevitable. Speaking openly during a telecom conference today, Carter said that in regard to his company’s future prospects for consolidation, it wasn’t a question of “if” but “when.” This echoes a similar statement Carter made last year, after T-Mobile purchased MetroPCS. And while the words “Sprint” never actually left his mouth, investors are now anticipating a Sprint merger is likely. You know, should US regulators give it the green light. Last week Deutsche Telekom — T-Mobile’s parent company — said it would be open to potential consolidation in the U.S. mobile market, but also mentioned that they were in no hurry to make such deal (they’ve always been open to merger talks in the past). According to them, T-Mobile has performing well enough to continue running by itself. But as Carter points out, “To take a third-scale national player that has the scale benefits with the right business model could be very competitively enhancing in the U.S..” In other words, AT&T and Verizon should probably be watching their backs. Something tells us they aren’t too worried. It was back in 2011 that the US Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission shot down AT&T’s proposed buyout of T-Mobile for a cool $39 billion, leaving AT&T walking away bruised and broken. Sounds they wouldn’t be too receptive of a Sprint/T-Mobile merger either. Carter goes onto say that the government can’t simply have its cake and eat it too. “If they think there really needs to be four players in this market on a nationwide basis, they are going to have to put some structural protections to ensure an adequate distribution of spectrum.” Sprint has been gunning for T-Mobile for years now. In 2010, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse went on the record about merger talks with T-Mobile. In 2011, talks of a merger once again began rearing their head, followed by a recent report last December saying Sprint would offer upwards of $20 billion to buy Sprint this year, but was still feeling things out. Like that persistent dude in the movie theater, Sprint really wants T-Mobile’s number. I guess John Legere never received the memo, T-Mobile’s off-the-wall CEO who continued blasting away at rival carriers on Twitter. In a recent tweet, Legere specifically calls out Sprint saying, “Remember when people actually liked @sprint? Yeah, me either.” It’s clear Sprint is going to need more than just Carly in tight leather to drawn in new customers. Upgrading their slow as molasses network would be a good start. [Reuters] |
| Sony details Xperia Themes, says additional theme-able assets coming in future update Posted: 10 Mar 2014 01:48 PM PDT
It was back towards the tail-end of December that Sony began updating many of their flagship devices to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. While that may not sound too exciting for those demanding nothing less than KitKat, Sony was able to bake in unique features to the Android build, introducing something many have been begging from OEMs for years now — native theme support. So, while Xperia themes aren’t necessarily anything new, it’s a feature that hasn’t been given much time in the spotlight (or that many even know about). To help get the word out, and explain a little more about their theme engine, Sony was able to take some time out on their official blog to interview Andreas Schön, one of the men responsible for bringing Xperia Themes to Sony’s smartphones and tablets. In the interview, Schon explains that, while there are currently 280 assets theme-able for Xperia devices running Android 4.3, Sony is planning on adding even more assets in a future software update. Sounds great. Right now, everything from the back/home/multitasking software buttons can be theme’d up, reaching all the way to check boxes, sliders, and buttons. As an example, we’ve included the Triflat Xperia theme for you to gawk over (above). Who knows, maybe this means someone will offer a “Google Experience” theme in the near future for those that prefer a stock Android look. We’ll keep our fingers crossed. Really, it’s a feature that should have gotten more publicity than it has. There are already a handful of Xperia Themes available in the Google Play Store, and for those of us that have yet to experience an Xperia device, probably didn’t know this amazing feature even existed. When it comes time for this blogger to choose his Android for the year, I’m going to be seriously considering the Sony Xperia Z2 (especially after getting some hands-on time with it at Mobile World Congress). It’s a shame more OEMs aren’t giving their users the choice Sony is now offering, but who knows what the future holds. |
| ASUS Chromebox (Celeron) presales go up on Amazon, Newegg and Tiger Direct for $179 Posted: 10 Mar 2014 01:03 PM PDT
Last week, little-known retailer SabrePC began listing the ASUS Chromebox for pre-sale, but it seems the company jumped the gun a bit as they took it down shortly afterward. It seems ASUS has given everyone the green light by now, though, as three leading online retailers have decided to list the device for pre-order:
Pricing seems quite standard across the board, though Newegg in particular considers their price to be a $20 discount, and there’s no telling if that discount will dissipate in due time. The $179 ASUS Chromebox will be powered by Intel’s Celeron 2955U processor, which is a 1.4GHz dual-core processor. There will be other models with Core i3 and Core i7 Haswell chips with 2GB or 4GB of RAM, though those will likely run you a pretty penny more (with the latter-most actually being available to business who purchase it as part of a larger package). Other specs of the Celeron-equipped Chromebox include 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage via SSD, Gigabit ethernet, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, 2x USB 3.0 ports, 1x 3.5mm headphone / microphone port, 2-in-1 SD/MMC port, and more. Of course, you’ll have to seek out your own keyboard and mouse, as well as a display if you don’t already have one. We’ll have to wait and see if performance on this thing can stand the test of time, but for $179 we imagine many people will take the plunge anyway. Be sure to check it out through the pre-order links above if you’re feeling particularly splurge-y today. [via Chromespot] |
| T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 KitKat now available Posted: 10 Mar 2014 11:41 AM PDT
Samsung Galaxy S4 users on T-Mobile are in store for a treat today, as the company has started rolling out the upgrade to Android 4.4.2. That brings us up to baseband version M919UVUFNB4, which doesn’t really bring us a whole lot of changes compared to the upgrade from Android 4.2 to 4.3. Alongside typical KitKat goodness, you’re also getting improved stability, a new camera shortcut on the lock screen, and an improved on-screen keyboard. Thankfully there are a couple of different options for grabbing this upgrade. You can opt to download it over-the-air, though that’s a hefty 388MB upgrade that you’ll want to make sure you’re on WiFi for. You’ll also want to have a good charge in your battery before attempting to pull it down — about 50% is good, if you can get it there. Otherwise, users can also opt to grab the upgrade through Samsung Kies. Note that you must be on fully stock firmware that isn’t rooted before being able to pull it down. Need full instructions? This page will get you situated. Report back and let us know how everything is going for you once you’ve taken the update for a good spin. [via T-Mobile, Thanks to everyone who sent this in!] |
| Angry Birds goes medieval in upcoming sequel – launching first in Canada and Australia [VIDEO] Posted: 10 Mar 2014 11:31 AM PDT
We’ve seen Angry Birds travel to Rio de Janeiro, we’ve float through space. We’ve even seen them race each other in go-karts, and battle the Republic in a galaxy far, far away. If you didn’t think there was anywhere else left for the birds to travel to, it appears Rovio might soon be sending them back into time. Over the weekend, Rovio uploaded a teaser video to their YouTube channel, showcasing knights armor with their trademark red bird inside. While there were little details provided in the teaser, a look back at a Rovio 2014 preview video from December shows this medieval version initially teased, but managed to fly under the radar for most. In the video, a variety of upcoming Angry Birds games being plastered on a wall as an aggressive Razor scooter skater does x-treme tricks. In one scene, an image of the birds outfitted as a wizard, knight (or viking?), and archer was revealed, leaving us to wonder if Rovio will stick to their tried-and-true slingshot formula, or go with something different altogether like an MMO RPG, tower defense, etc..
One could make the claim (as so many often do) that Rovio is simply beating a dead horse when it comes to their Angry Birds franchise, first they’d have to prove that Angry Birds is dead. Well, it isn’t. The games (in their vast many iterations) are still very much alive and well, topping the charts in the many different app stores you’ll find them available. There was no word on exactly when we can expect this new medieval version of Angry Birds to hit the Play Store. Rovio only mentioned that, similar to what we saw with Plants vs Zombies 2, a soft launch would begin first in Australia and Canada, followed later by other regions. We’ll keep you posted. |
| TWRP 2.7 brings extremely long list of new features and changes Posted: 10 Mar 2014 08:57 AM PDT
Rooters and ROMers beware: TWRP 2.7 is here, and it wants to eat your lunch. The custom touch-based recovery by TeamWin will do so with a multitude of new features, including new graphics rendering changes to make for a smoother user interface and experience, mouse support via USB OTG for folks whose displays might be broken, text wrap in the console output and more. Here’s the full list of changes we’re to look forward to:
Unfortunately, users of some older devices will find that their devices will no longer be fully supported. Namely, any device that can’t handle the newly-added SELinux support will be dropped from the team’s immediate radar. This is because SELinux support requires a phone that can handle an Android 4.1 or higher base to install any ROM built on Android 4.4 and higher. That doesn’t mean your device will never be able to install Android 4.4 KitKat ROMs through TWRP 2.7, but the team will need someone with one of these devices to help them with proper development and testing. An easy way to check if your phone supports SELinux is to open the terminal console. Supported phones will show “Full SELinux support,” while those which don’t, won’t. Simple, right? If you’re ready to take the plunge, be sure to head to TWRP’s website here and check to see if your device is on the list. If it is, download the appropriate files and follow the instructions closely. As always, you’re responsible for anything that happens to your device as a result of trying to install this custom recovery, and you also run the risk of voiding your warranty, so keep that in mind before proceeding. [via TWRP] |
| Google working on camera battery drain bug in Android 4.4.2; new details and quick fixes Posted: 10 Mar 2014 08:03 AM PDT
In case you haven’t heard, there’s a nasty bug plaguing those who are running Android 4.4.2. According to this lengthy issue tracker over at Google Code for issue #60058, a process called mm-qcamera-daemon — one of the processes controlling a device’s camera — can erroneously begin using up to 50% of your CPU’s power at any given time, and can also cause overheating issues. This directly affects battery life, with many users reporting that their devices’ run time is being cut by a significant amount of time whenever this bug rears its ugly head. Thankfully Google has recently acknowledged the bug and says they are looking into a fix. The bug doesn’t affect everyone 100% of the time, but one quick fix they’ve suggested is to simply reset the device — this should temporarily clear up any issues. Google also noticed that the latest versions of Skype has the tendency to randomly and periodically call on this process even when the app isn’t in use, something that could trigger the bug more often than usual. Google suggests uninstalling Skype in the meantime, though that’s obviously not a suitable “fix” for those who use the app on a daily basis. Some users have been able to steer clear of the bug by simply rebooting their device before bed every night, though we’re sure they wouldn’t mind Google getting a move on providing an official fix before too long. Unfortunately there’s no timeline for when they’ll get an upgrade out, but they have listed it as a high priority issue and are likely doing everything they can to get the fix out to everyone. They say they’ll likely need significant time for testing this and other bugs, and we’re sure they’re not dragging their feet considering how many different reports they’ve gotten. Another unfortunate detail is that Google can only promise that the bug will be addressed for Nexus devices. Any other device with Qualcomm-based camera processing chips will need to be addressed by their specific manufacturers, as not all of the devices use the same methods and code for their camera (despite them all using the same chip and process). So if you’re noticing this bug on your non-Nexus device, do yourself and others a favor and report it to the support team of your OEM. As for Nexus device owners, Google says they’re confident they’ve identified and fixed the bug, so no further reports are needed. |
| Chromecast sales revealed to be in the “millions” range on eve of expanded availability Posted: 10 Mar 2014 07:08 AM PDT
Ever since Google announced the $35 Chromecast media streaming dongle, the company has enjoyed great success. We figured sales were off the charts with early availability of the dongle being scarce throughout various retail outlets, but now we have a better idea of just how much buzz Google has been able to generate around this thing. According to Android and Chrome boss Sundar Pichai, Chromecast sales have crept into the “millions” range, though he wasn’t interested in giving us any exact figures. Either way, hitting over a million units is significant, and Google won’t want to slow down at this point. The company revealed at SXSW that they are working hard to bring the Chromecast to many more countries within the next few weeks. The device has only been available for US customers to this point, so it’ll be interesting to see just how successful this thing can be once more of the world gets their hands on it. Even crazier to think about is the fact that the Chromecast train is only just getting started. It wasn’t until recently that Google opened up the SDK to any and every developer willing and able to implement support, and we’ve seen many new apps introduce functionality as a result. It’s already blossomed into a very powerful and flexible multimedia beast, and we imagine things will get even better once more developers catch on. [via ReadWriteWeb] |
| OnePlus One’s battery will be 3,100mAh, but with a catch; “mystery tech” teased Posted: 10 Mar 2014 06:17 AM PDT
It’s a bit frustrating to get bits and pieces here and there about an exciting new phone, but that’s what we’ve been forced to deal with when it comes to the OnePlus One. Last we heard, the device would be coming with the trusty old Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor clocked at 2.3GHz. It’s a quad-core SoC that delivers great performance and very respectable battery life. And now we have first details about the battery. OnePlus has announced that the OnePlus One’s battery will have 3,100mAh in terms of capacity. We don’t know which technology they’re using, but we imagine it doesn’t make much of a difference to the end-user either way. We do know that the battery is not removable, though, which could make the OnePlus One a deal breaker for some. For what it’s worth, OnePlus says their decision to make the battery non-removable was tough, but not without its reasons. They say a removable battery would have meant needing to design the OnePlus One with a protective layer for the motherboard, which would force them to limit the battery size to around 2,500mAh. They feel the trade-off to get to 3,100mAh will be worth it, though, as they’ll be working with the CyanogenMod team to optimize the device as much as they can. The company’s front-runner Pete Lau ended the post teasing some sort of “mystery tech” that will “enhance and boost the user experience,” though they predictably left it with a cliffhanger ending and told us to stay tuned. Stay tuned, we shall. [via OnePlus] |
| Download these “All New HTC One” wallpapers and sounds (and watch the latest teaser video) Posted: 10 Mar 2014 05:43 AM PDT Hope you stamped your ticket for this All New HTC One hype train, because it’s about to be full steam ahead with the launch of the 2014 flagship looming. HTC has released another Technical Translations video, this time “not-telling” us about the next generation camera mounted onto the back of this thing. Of course, we should be saying “cameras,” as this device will have two rear sensors (which rumors say is for facilitating a new technique for post-snapshot focusing). The whacky video is above, and there are no surprises — they mention the all new HTC One in passing, but don’t actually reveal any details about the thing. We’ll have to wait until March 25th for all of that (though we learned over the weekend that there would be a cool flip case available for the device). In the meantime, we do get some actual, tangible goods from the all new HTC One itself. An XDA forum-goer has managed to get their hands on a pack of wallpapers and sounds from the all new HTC One, so you can get a small taste of what the device might feel like once it’s actually in your hands a bit later this year.         You can find 8 of our favorites from the package in the gallery above, though that’s only scratching the surface of the 18-file collection. You can download all the wallpapers with this convenient download right here. As for the sounds, all of them can be had in this 25MB package right here. Simply copy all the files and folders from the package to system/media/audio and merge them with all the other audio your device already provides. [via XDA-Developers] |
| Android chief says Google working on Wearable SDK, coming in two weeks Posted: 09 Mar 2014 08:31 PM PDT
Back in January, we learned that Google had been working on a Fitness SDK for Android. Reportedly, the Fitness API would allow applications to view and edit fitness data, fitness tracking, access health information, and more. Since then, we haven’t heard anything out of Mountain View. Today, Sundar Pichai, Google’s senior vice president of Android, Apps, and Chrome, announced at the SXSW conference in Austin, Texas, that Google will soon be launching an SDK for Android developers.
Pichai mentioned the tools will allow developers to harvest data from sensors embedded in smartwatches, smartbands, or even your jacket. With the SDK, Google plans to outline their stance on wearables and how they see the market evolving. Pichai also noted that Google wasn’t ready to announce a product yet, however that doesn’t mean they aren’t working on one, as previous reports have stated. It looks like we’ll learn a heck of a lot more in two weeks when the SDK is released and hopefully we’ll see a wearable from Google at IO in just a few months. Source: CNET |
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