Android Phone Fans |
- Spigen now listing cases for upcoming HTC One 2 (2014)
- Google app updates for Wednesday: Maps, Search, Translate, Chromecast, and more
- Oops: YouTube updated on Google Play, contains Dogfood settings meant for internal testing
- Play it once, and Threes! will become your new favorite puzzle game – now available for Android [DOWNLOAD]
- Google Wallet update brings package tracking and notifications
- Angry Birds Epic flips the script with a turn-based RPG (who saw that coming?)
- All new HTC One 2014 shows up on eBay, gets snatched up for just $500
- Here is why the Samsung ISOCELL CMOS sensor in the Galaxy S5 is so awesome [VIDEO]
- Official Fiverr for Android app now serving up $5 gigs
- Could Google’s purchase of Bluetooth game controller maker signify interest in gaming?
- Tons more info about the All New HTC One leaked
- S&P 501: Google stock split changes the Standard
- OnePlus One to use hands-free voice activation ala Moto X
- Casts Against Civility is a Cards Against Humanity Chromecast game now available on the Google Play Store
| Spigen now listing cases for upcoming HTC One 2 (2014) Posted: 12 Mar 2014 06:37 PM PDT
Wouldn’t call this a “leak” as much as it could be Spigen simply jumping the gun. The 3rd party case maker has gone ahead and thrown up some images of the upcoming HTC One 2 (HTC One 2014), housed snuggly inside their Slime Armor case. The cases come in a variety of metallic colors — silver, gold, black, green, and navy blue — retailing for $25. According to Spigen, these new cases wont be in stock until “mid-April,” possibly cluing us into the device’s expected release timing. Check it out for yourselves via the link below.      Thanks, Tito! [Spigen] |
| Google app updates for Wednesday: Maps, Search, Translate, Chromecast, and more Posted: 12 Mar 2014 06:06 PM PDT
It’s another crazy “Google Wednesday” in the Play Store. This is the day Google typically pushes out updates to a handful of their apps on Google Play, and we wait patiently with our forks and knives. So, what’s on the menu for today? Well, for the most part, relatively minor updates, a few we’ve already covered in earlier posts from today. Bug fixes are always a given, but here are a few other tidbits you can expect to find in these new Google app updates…
And that just about concludes all the Google updates for Wednesday (at the time of writing). If you guys find anything new, feel free to shout ‘em out below. Until next Wednesday! Thanks, Sam and everyone else for the tips! |
| Oops: YouTube updated on Google Play, contains Dogfood settings meant for internal testing Posted: 12 Mar 2014 04:05 PM PDT
The YouTube app was just updated in the PlayStore to version 5.5.26-DOGFOOD. While we’re sniffing around for changes, it appears that Google may have unintentionally published a Dogfood version of their app — a term used to describe apps still being internally tested by Google devs.
Aside from the cute little bone icon in the upper left corner (instead of YouTube’s trademark play icon), there’s now a strange new Dogfood setting with ExoPlayer options inside. Not sure what it all means, but it’s kinda cool. We’d say watch out for the update, but we imagine it wont be long before the update is pulled from Google Play and replaced with the normal version. Anyone else get it? UPDATE: Looks like there are some small UI changes throughout the app, pretty minor. Large cards have been replaced by smaller ones in the videos and playlists tabs in user channels. This makes it much easier to see more info on a single page, without scrolling needlessly through hundreds of cards (wish they had an option to condense these cards throughout the entire app). Playlists are also displayed in the sidebar menu, without needing to first click the old “Playlists” button.
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| Posted: 12 Mar 2014 03:27 PM PDT
If you need a break from blasting the faces off of zombies, or tackling alien civilizations in other galaxies, you might be inclined to check out “a tiny game” called Threes!. After dominating users’ lives on iOS, the hit game is now finally available on Android. Don’t let the name fool you, if you know even remedial addition, you’ll do fine in Threes. The game gives you a small board in which you must shuffle around numbers — first by adding 1s with 2′s, then by matching anything above 3. The higher the numbers go, the bigger your score will be when the board fills up and the game ends.
The game doesn’t just feature addictive gameplay, but has loads of personality as well. Some of the number blocks even have their own names (#48 is Torbus), and talk while you swipe them around the board. Oh, and Threes soundtrack is so great, the developers even made it available for download for true fans. You can find the game on Google Play for only $2 where it has been discounted a whopping 33.3333333333% off for a limited time. Spare a little change from all those Google Play gift cards you accrued over the holidays and check it out. You’ll be glad you did. Download on Google Play: Threes! |
| Google Wallet update brings package tracking and notifications Posted: 12 Mar 2014 01:36 PM PDT
Despite the obvious convenience, there are still a good amount of people in the world that still avoid shopping for goods online. One of the big reasons? The stress and uncertainty that comes with online ordering. Never knowing where in the world your package is, where it’s headed, or when it’s going to arrive — it’s simply not a good time for everyone. Google is looking to take away some of the frustrations that come with online shopping, by introducing Orders, coming soon to your Google Wallet app. With Orders, Google Wallet will automatically track online orders (by finding receipts sent through Gmail), sending notifications about your package’s status, as well as view past orders. Not only will this help make people’s lives less worrisome, but it’ll bring a little more traffic to Google’s Wallet application. If you’re living in the US and rocking an Android device with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and above, expect an update to your Google Wallet app this week. Everyone else… Guess there’s always Google Now?
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| Angry Birds Epic flips the script with a turn-based RPG (who saw that coming?) Posted: 12 Mar 2014 12:25 PM PDT
Can’t say we saw this coming (or did we?). Often criticized for beating a dead horse with the same tired gameplay that made them famous, we had a good feeling Rovio was planning to introduce something a bit different for their upcoming Angry Birds sequel.
After spotting the feathered fowl donning medieval attire in a recent teaser video, it’s now confirmed that the next Angry Birds title — officially revealed as Angry Birds Epic — will feature turn-based combat in the vein of RPG greats like Final Fantasy. It looks like Rovio will make crafting weapons and items a big focus of Epic’s gameplay, making it obvious to see how they plan on monetizing the game, with resources that can be purchased with either in-game currency or real money. The game is set to soft launch this week in Australia and Canada, leaving the rest of the world left licking their lips. I mean, c’mon, you guys. That screeshot doesn’t look hella cool to anyone else? No word on when we can expect a global rollout, but let’s hope we wont have to wait for too much longer. [Kotaku] |
| All new HTC One 2014 shows up on eBay, gets snatched up for just $500 Posted: 12 Mar 2014 11:28 AM PDT
When it rains, it pours. That’s exactly what seems to be happening with “the all new” HTC One 2014 today after numerous leaks have begun springing up from the woodwork. The latest leak is a bit more unexpected, with the Verizon Wireless version HTC One 2014 allegedly popping up on eBay. The phone was quickly snatched up by one lucky opportunist for just $500. Nuts.
The listing was able to provide us with our first ever real look at the packaging, with the back of the box listing off the some specs and hardware features we can expect when the phone officially hits store shelves later this year. It also confirms that the phone might in fact simply be called “HTC One,” with HTC using “all new” for marketing purposes (guess we’ll stick with HTC One 2014 then). For those that are finding the text on the box a little difficult to read, here’s what it’s listing off:
Have to say, we’re a little jealous we didn’t get to the phone first. We’d have gladly paid $500 for a chance at owning this device early. Looking like this thing is nearly all but official now. Anyone happy with what they’re seeing so far? |
| Here is why the Samsung ISOCELL CMOS sensor in the Galaxy S5 is so awesome [VIDEO] Posted: 12 Mar 2014 09:58 AM PDT ) Samsung’s new 16 megapixel camera in the Samsung Galaxy S5 can capture photos with more pixels compared to the 13 megapixel sensor in the Galaxy S4, but what has the South Korean company done to improve overall performance? The answer is their ISOCELL CMOS technology, which introduces several new breakthroughs in mobile photography that enables DSLR-like photo quality in a sensor thin enough for a phone. Truth be told, the person presenting the technology in this video throws a ton of terms that may go over a lot of people’s heads, but if you see the type of photos they say you can produce as a result of all that, that’s all you’ll need to know to get excited about the device’s camera sensor. You’ll be able to see the samples Samsung provided in the gallery below.         Of note is the sensor’s ability to capture lowlight photos with great clarity and quality. Of course, we can’t speak to these claims ourselves without having had a chance to test the device, but you can bet we’ll be looking to do that once the Samsung Galaxy S5 hits the market. Watch the quick presentation above. |
| Official Fiverr for Android app now serving up $5 gigs Posted: 12 Mar 2014 09:36 AM PDT Fiverr, one of the most exciting new freelance communities out there, has finally made their Android app available for download. Fiverr is a service that touts itself on featuring jobs from freelancers for as little as $5. Whether you need a quick sketch of a character or some help with your math homework, freelancers on Fiverr offer affordable packages for everyday people who are looking for people to perform odd job services for them here and there. Of course, anyone who uses Fiverr knows that $5 won’t actually get you much more than the bare minimum, with most people offering the full suite of their services for additional, optional add-on prices. The Android app is simple — it gives you quick and easy access to all the different gigs listed in all the different categories featured on Fiverr, ranging from people sharing cooking tips to someone being able to help you out with complex app development.
You also have built-in search, as well as push notifications for those who need to be on the ball when it comes to responding to inquiries from users looking to hire them. It’s simple, it’s free, and it’s sitting in the Google Play Store. Give it a whirl and see if you can’t find someone to help you take care of that one thing you’ve been putting off for some very affordable prices. [via Fiverr] |
| Could Google’s purchase of Bluetooth game controller maker signify interest in gaming? Posted: 12 Mar 2014 07:50 AM PDT
It seems we can’t go more than a week without hearing about Google purchasing up more companies (not that that’s a bad thing, of course). The latest acquisition by the tech giant in Mountain View seems to be Green Throttle Games, with Google confirming to PandoDaily that the purchase was made a short while ago. So who are they? Green Throttle Games is a small company responsible for a pair of Bluetooth gaming controllers that can be used with any device that is HID-controller compliant. The company also maintained an app called Arena that highlighted many of the games that could be used with their controllers, though the company curiously ended support for Arena back in November. Terms of the deal weren’t fully disclosed, however we do know Google took a particular interest in the company’s parts and labor sector, and brought along the project’s co-founders for some exciting new venture. The question: what new venture could that turn out to be? There are a few different things Google could be thinking about doing here:
All eyes will definitely be on Google leading up to this year’s Game Developers’ Conference, which will be kicking off next week. We will certainly be looking on to see if Google (or any other big companies rumored to be entering the gaming arena) has anything to announce. |
| Tons more info about the All New HTC One leaked Posted: 12 Mar 2014 06:45 AM PDT
Yesterday, we learned a bit more about the all new HTC One thanks to some leaked advertising materials by one of the carriers planning to sell it. Namely, we learned that the device’s dual cameras would enable 3D effects, better lowlight performance and post-processed focusing. Even more has leaked today, though. Actually, a lot more has leaked. An entire sales guide for the all new HTC One gives us several new details on the phone, with the document meant to guide salespersons in their attempt to get the device into consumers’ hands. Here are the quick highlights in case you’re curious:
There was more to be had within the document, though many of the features discussed — such as HTC Zoe and BlinkFeed — were on the HTC One and don’t seem to have many new capabilities (at least, not according to this particular document). More solid expectations of the device’s specs have started to formulate within the past few weeks, with the HTC One said to be coming with a 5-inch 1080p HD display, a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 801 processor, and a 2,600mAh battery. Much like the Samsung Galaxy S5, this follow-up to HTC’s 2013 flagship doesn’t sound like a significant jump in terms of sheer horsepower. That said, it should still turn out to be quite the looker, and its hardware should carry it well into the rest of 2014 and beyond. We should know all the details come March 25th when HTC is expected to unveil this thing for the world to see. [via GSMArena] |
| S&P 501: Google stock split changes the Standard Posted: 12 Mar 2014 05:48 AM PDT Standard & Poor’s, who manage the S&P 500 among other things, will officially have 501 stocks in their index as of June 20th. The change in standard comes from a change in heart: the S&P initially planned to dump one of Google’s stocks following a long awaited (and yet to happen) stock split, sticking to their policy of a one stock per company index, but they’ve changed their mind. That’s right… pretty soon Google will have two stocks in the S&P 500. The index won’t change its name, maintaining that they still represent only 500 companies, but the move sets an interesting precedent.
Google’s stock split was initially announced in 2012, not ironically the year its market cap surpassed that of rival Microsoft. The move – designed to keep power in the hands of founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page – will culminate on April 20th and we’ll be watching the market for movement. Wondering the difference between this new Google stock and the existing shares?
Class B stocks were initially introduced for the same reason the Class C stocks are now being introduced: to dilute outstanding stockholder voting power, allowing Sergey, Larry, and other Google execs to retain a voting majority despite now owning a minority of shares. It should be noted that when employees sell or transfer ownership of their Class B stocks, they revert to Class A stocks:
The upcoming split will make many price sensitive investors very happy. Whereas now you would have to shell out over $1,000 big ones for a single share of Google Class A Stock, Google Class C Stock will likely be closer to $600 when they’re made available. But don’t be fooled: the value gets split too. When Stock Indexes start bending their rules for your company, to keep you in their company, you know you’re doing something right. Google isn’t the only 800 pound gorilla in the tech industry, but did they just become the 801 pound gorilla? |
| OnePlus One to use hands-free voice activation ala Moto X Posted: 12 Mar 2014 05:29 AM PDT
Another day, another bit of OnePlus One info revealed. This time, the company has revealed an interesting, and significant, software feature they’ll be looking to introduce in conjunction with the CyanogenMod team.The feature would allow you to initiate voice commands without touching your phone, even while it’s locked. While this feat has already been accomplished by Motorola with their Moto X and the latest stable of DROID phones, this would be the first time we’ve seen another OEM introduce something similar without the super-duper-special Moto X8 Computing System (a Snapdragon S4-based configuration). OnePlus seems to suggest Qualcomm has built this low-powered capability into the Snapdragon 800 that will be used in the OnePlus One, and they’ve worked with the CyanogenMod team to get it up and running in their custom version of the firmware. They only have one problem — they need your help coming up with the hot word! The company is running a poll on their website allowing users to vote on which hot word to use to wake the phone up. “OK, OnePlus” seems to be the preferred option by a few hundred miles with 74.4% of the votes, but other options include “Wake up, OnePlus” and “Alakazam.” We’re guessing the key is to find something short, yet distinguished. Cool, yet not too quirky. It seems like the community already has their mind made up, but you can head here to vote if you feel like seeing if you can move the needle. And before you wonder whether or not this feature will ever make its way to the normal CyanogenMod build, we wouldn’t hold our breath. This feature seems to rely on very specific hardware optimization, and we’d be surprised if the CyanogenMod team felt comfortable enough to introduce it to a crop of users who don’t have the necessary components without inducing extreme battery drain. All the more reason to buy the OnePlus One, we suppose. We’ll be patiently awaiting the next bit of news to come out about this exciting phone. In the meantime, be sure to catch up on everything else we’ve already learned if you haven’t already. [via OnePlus] |
| Posted: 11 Mar 2014 08:57 PM PDT
Cards Against Humanity is a party game, that brings hilarity, just the right amount of immaturity, sometimes a little awkwardness, and tons of fun to any adult party. A new Android app dubbed Casts Against Civility aims to bring the popular party game to largest screen in your house, thanks to Chromecast. Just like the regular Cards Against Humanity game, the objective of this Chromecast game is to respond to a question or statement that has certain words or a phrase hidden by playing one of ten cards available in your hand. Almost Mad Libs style, it’s generally accepted to make completely horrible combinations to appease the ‘Card Czar’. You’ll need at least two people to play, however it’s much, much more fun with 3 or more players. To get started, everyone playing will need to have the app on their phone or tablet and connected to the same WiFi network. After launching the app, you’ll want to go into settings and assign a player name. Next, just tap the familiar Cast button and choose your Chromecast. The Card Czar is automatically chosen and assigned to read the black card on TV to the rest of the group. All players are given 10 cards on their devices and must choose one to play by tapping on the card. Remember, choose an answer that you feel the Card Czar will like…or hate the most. The Card Czar then chooses their favorite submission and ‘Awesome’ points are awarded to the winner.     Cards Against Humanity games tend to last a long time and we’re sure Casts Against Civility will follow suit. If you’re going to organize a Chromecast game night, it’s probably going to be a smart move to have your friends bring along their phone chargers just in case. Casts Against Civility is currently in the beta stage, however stable enough to play and available on the Google Play Store. Check out the official beta community on Google+ to submit feedback or give suggestions. Happy casting! |
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