Android Phone Fans |
- T-Mobile HTC One M8 gets Extreme Power Saving Mode, One M7 gets Sense 6
- Apple and Motorola shake hands, agree to dismiss all patent lawsuits
- @evleaks: There is no Nexus 6, alludes to Android Silver debuting later this year?
- Google Translate is about to level-up with the acquisition of Word Lens
- Instagram does users a solid by killing off activity sharing to Facebook
- Unlocked HTC One M7 and HTC One M7 developer edition get Sense 6 update
- Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime and Google Play edition get Bluetooth certified
- Mobile Roar 45: Moto E & Empty Boxes
- Une Bobine review: the smartphone charger that thinks it’s a tripod
- Full Google IO 2014 schedule now available
- Titanfall app comes to Android — PC and Xbox 360 players not invited
- Refurbished Nexus 7 2013 hits eBay for just $150 [DEAL]
- Amazon begins offering Grand Theft Auto, Twitch and more for Fire TV and Kindle
- Samsung marketing reaches new heights — major airport terminal named “Samsung Galaxy S5″ for two weeks
| T-Mobile HTC One M8 gets Extreme Power Saving Mode, One M7 gets Sense 6 Posted: 16 May 2014 05:21 PM PDT
HTC fans on T-Mobile are in for a special treat. HTC has just confirmed that software updates for both the HTC One M8 and HTC One (M7) will be rolling out “shortly.” Jumping onto HTC’s software updates page shows Sense 6 in the “completed” stage for last year’s HTC One (M7). What about the HTC One M8? Well, the M8 is seeing that Extreme Power Saving Mode update we saw hit the AT&T version yesterday. Enjoy! |
| Apple and Motorola shake hands, agree to dismiss all patent lawsuits Posted: 16 May 2014 05:02 PM PDT
Hell dropped a few degrees this evening. After years of battling it out in the courtroom, Apple and Motorola Mobility have officially settled their patent lawsuits and here’s the craziest part: they didn’t even have to strike a cross licensing patent deal of any kind. The news comes to us by way of Reuters who reports that the two companies notified the federal appeals court in Washington, letting them know that they were both in agreement to dismiss their cases. In a joint statement, Apple and Motorola agreed to make amends saying:
Motorola and Apple were locked in a bitter patent battle that after being dismissed back in 2012, saw Apple getting another chance at a Motorola sales ban via a federal appeals court. Left to watch from the sidelines was Samsung who had no part in Apple and Motorola’s new found friendship. Guess there’s still hope.
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| @evleaks: There is no Nexus 6, alludes to Android Silver debuting later this year? Posted: 16 May 2014 03:25 PM PDT
After hints of the Nexus 6 and Nexus 8 turned up in Chromium code the other day, this newest rumor might come as a surprise to many of you. @evleaks, otherwise known as Evan Blass, dropped a bombshell of a tip this afternoon after tweeting that there will be not be Nexus 6 to follow up last year’s Nexus 5. You may remember rumors from earlier this year that said Google would be killing off the low-priced Nexus line, only to be followed up more recently by whisperings that Google was working with OEMs on a new project called Android Silver (think Google Play edition devices). @evleaks followed up Nexus farewell tweet with another mentioning there was a silver lining to the story. See what he did there? I guess the real news is that previous rumors stated the death of the Nexus line and Android Silver wouldn’t debut until next year. If @evleaks sources are correct, this would date Android Silver making its debut later this year without a Nexus to replace the Nexus 5. Of course, none of this was confirmed by the usual leaked images but as always when Mr. Leaks talks, the tech world listens. |
| Google Translate is about to level-up with the acquisition of Word Lens Posted: 16 May 2014 02:28 PM PDT
Word Lens is one of the those “wow the face off your tech-illiterate friends” apps that allows you to use your smartphone’s camera to translate real-world text into the language of your choosing in real-time. Needless to say, it was real awesome when it launched for Android back in July of 2012 and we were hyped to see the app recently make the transition onto Google Glass only a few weeks back. We’re not sure what took so long, but it Google’s attempt to scoop up every interesting technology in the world, Word Lens announced on their site that they’ve officially been acquired by Google. Developer Quest Visual says they’ll soon be incorporating their tech into Google Translate, hinting at a future update that will effectively level-up Google’s own service. As a going away present, Quest Visual is offering up Word Lens for free on Google Play (and the Apple App Store) along with all their language packs. You can watch Word Lens’ debut trailer — uploaded to YouTube nearly 3 years ago — down below. We wont even lie, we thought it was a hoax the first time we saw it in action. How time flies.
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| Instagram does users a solid by killing off activity sharing to Facebook Posted: 16 May 2014 01:28 PM PDT
Today, the folks at Instagram have done their users a solid by killing off activity sharing to Facebook. Once a way to let your grandma on Facebook know how much of a pervert you were, turns out the handy feature was littering timelines with photos of fetishes and everything else your weird uncle likes on Instagram. Although the changes were announced in the latest 5.0.11 update for iOS, we noticed the the usual prompt asking to share activity to Facebook didn’t appear on the Android version which was recently updated to 5.2.1 on May 11th. Previously, a popup with clever wording would appear just after signing into the app for the first time, asking if you’d like to share your “likes” to Facebook. This new level of privacy is sure to be welcomed from all IG’ers and we found it an interesting move considering it further separates Instagram as a social network all of its own, away from big brother Facebook. |
| Unlocked HTC One M7 and HTC One M7 developer edition get Sense 6 update Posted: 16 May 2014 12:07 PM PDT
Good news for those who owned HTC’s most vanilla versions of the HTC One M7 — those being the unlocked and developer edition models — the Sense 6 KitKat update is finally rolling out to you lot! All you’ll need to do is turn your WiFi signal on and trot over to the settings menu of your phone to pull it down over-the-air. Need a good look at what the upgrade will bring? It should be nearly identical to what’s found on the HTC One M8 save for obvious exclusions like UFOCUS and other depth camera-related features. As such, you might want to take a gander at our HTC One M8 review to get an idea of what you’re in store for. HTC has made it a point to not only be quick about upgrades, but also to be more transparent about the process. That’s why they revamped the software update section of their website to give us a closer look at where, exactly, they are in the process of upgrading some of their most popular phones. Be sure to check that out here if you’re curious to see what the status is for all their 2013 phones so far. Otherwise, ghoul huff! |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime and Google Play edition get Bluetooth certified Posted: 16 May 2014 11:22 AM PDT
Samsung can deny rumors of a higher-end Samsung Galaxy S5 all they want, but that hasn’t stopped leaks of the device from springing up all around the internets. This time, we have something a little more official and comes by way of the Bluetooth SIG. Turns out both the alleged Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime (SM-G906L) and the Samsung Galaxy S5 Google Play edition (SM-G900FG) has recently received their Bluetooth certification, the usual sign of an impending release. Other than model numbers, the Bluetooth documentation doesn’t reveal much. While we already know exactly what the Google Play edition S5 will offer — a mostly stock Android experience using Samsung’s hardware — the S5 Prime is still a bit of a mystery. According to rumors, the Prime will feature a QHD 2K display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor, and support LTE-A. Some believe this might be an exclusive model to South Korea where competition between Samsung and LG is fierce.
Guess all we can do now is wait for something more official, or more leaks. In the meantime, Samsung is hosting a press event on June 12th to talk about their new SAMOLED tablet line. I know I wasn’t too enthusiastic about the TouchWiz’d version of the Galaxy S5 for reasons, but my money is currently on that Google Play edition that already sorta popped up in the Play Store a few weeks back. We’ll be keeping an eye out. Bluetooth SIG (Samsung SM-G906L) | Bluetooth SIG (SM-G900FG) |
| Mobile Roar 45: Moto E & Empty Boxes Posted: 16 May 2014 11:02 AM PDT This week Motorola announced their brand new ultra-affordable Android phone, the Moto E. It received much fanfare, but what makes this device different from the dozens of other low-end phones on the market? The guys discuss that, OnePlus One contest winners receiving empty boxes, the iPhone 6 rumored screen resolution, Beats Music, and much more. Thanks for watching/listening! Top Stories
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| Une Bobine review: the smartphone charger that thinks it’s a tripod Posted: 16 May 2014 10:30 AM PDT
Fuse Chicken's Une Bobine is rather unique among smartphone charging cables. Its design serves several purposes at once, offering durable construction alongside the ability for the cable to double as a tripod and phone dock all at the same time. It sounds like a potentially zany idea, but is the end result just another forgettable gadget? The Une Bobine is a charging cable
The Une Bobine is, at it's core (literally), a charging cable. In that respect it works exactly as expected. Available for Android (MicroUSB) and iPhone (Lightning connector), it does the job of charging a device just fine. Connect one end to your phone and the other to a USB power supply and watch as your battery level goes up, up, up. What sets the Une Bobine apart is its design. This is perhaps the sturdiest cable you will come across. The internal charging cable is wrapped in a seemingly impenetrable flexible metal exterior. You can rest assured that dogs, cats, scissors, and any other manner of destruction will not easily befall this cable. The downside, of course, is that this metal wrap makes for a bulky result. The Une Bobine is most definitely one of the heaviest charging cables you will encounter. It packs down to a fairly portable size, but it's a far cry from tossing a traditional charging cable in your bag. The Une Bobine is a tripod, too
The Une Bobine's construction makes for an intriguing possibility. It can be bent into and retain shape, allowing for the cable to double as both a "dock" and a "tripod." This is an intentional feature, and perhaps the most enticing aspect of the Une Bobine. For the most part, it works as advertised, but as device's continue to increase in size the added weight isn't always friendly to the Une Bobine. As long as you establish a pretty firm base and create a center of balance, this is usually fine, but for larger device's like the Galaxy S5 things can become a bit precarious. Another thing to consider is the various locations that Android manufacturers place their device's USB ports. The Une Bobine works best with a device that features a charging point located at a central point below the display. The Bottom LineThe Une Bobine is an intriguing concept, and at about $20 ($10 for the "petite" version) isn't breaking the bank. For those looking for a simple solution for a tripod in combination with a durable charging cable, it might be worth a purchase. Folks may wish to hold off though. Fuse Chicken informs us that a new version of their charging cable is on the works, one that is designed to better fit the large variety of Android devices available on the market today.
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| Full Google IO 2014 schedule now available Posted: 16 May 2014 10:19 AM PDT
Headed to Google’s big developer show this summer? You may want to start planning out all your sessions, keynotes and meeting hours ahead of time. Thankfully Google has made all of that possible by releasing the full schedule for all to see. All of us will obviously be interested in the big day one keynote that should bring some exciting news regarding Android, Chrome OS, and anything else Google feels like talking about that day. Those in attendance will especially be excited to attend that keynote because they’ll likely be treated to some awesome freebies — at least a new device, if not more. We’re expecting Google to announce a new Nexus Tablet, which could be an 8-inch option manufactured by HTC. We could also be in-store for the renaissance of Google TV, which is rumored to be reintroduced as Android TV. All of it takes place starting June 25th in San Francisco, so be sure to bring a strong seat belt for what should be a very exhilarating ride. Peep the full schedule at the link ahead. |
| Titanfall app comes to Android — PC and Xbox 360 players not invited Posted: 16 May 2014 09:39 AM PDT
Titanfall’s big update and new maps are finally here, and it looks like EA wants to enhance that experience even more. The gaming giant has released a new companion app for Android that should add to your gigantic robot-blasting agenda. Upon downloading, you’ll be given access to exclusive lore regarding the game universe, characters, weapons and how this titan-infested future came to be. Beyond all that, you’ll get quick and easy access to all your stats, and when you connect the app to your Xbox One console while playing you can get a real-time map of everything going on around you. The map even features filters and points of interest that the in-game map doesn’t, so there’s a bit of incentive to downloading beyond just being able to see a bigger outline of the land.
Unfortunately the app isn’t compatible with the PC and Xbox 360 versions of Titanfall, which is why it’s been met with tons of 1-star reviews in Google Play already. We’ll be reaching out to EA to see if support is planned for those other platforms in the future. In the meantime, if you have an Xbox One and want to add to your Titanfall experience then be sure to give it a download for free over at Google Play. And I implore you to hop onto a WiFi connection — this is coming in at a hefty 612MB of additional installation data. [via Titanfall] |
| Refurbished Nexus 7 2013 hits eBay for just $150 [DEAL] Posted: 16 May 2014 07:51 AM PDT
If you’ve been looking for the perfect time to score a steal on the 2013 Nexus 7, this is it. Newegg on eBay has refurbished units of the tablet for just $150, which is a pretty decent discount of $80 off MSRP. That does come with the caveat of it being refurbished, but that doesn’t mean much in my experience. One could argue that the cost is worth the risk considering:
Convinced? It might not be the newest kid on the block (we’re expecting a refresh or an 8-inch replacement at Google I/O this year), but it is certainly still one viable piece of tech if you’re in the market for a smallish tablet. Head here if you’re in for one. |
| Amazon begins offering Grand Theft Auto, Twitch and more for Fire TV and Kindle Posted: 16 May 2014 06:17 AM PDT
The Amazon Fire TV has just gotten a lot more explosive with Amazon introducing a few big games for fans of mayhem. I’m talking about the Grand Theft Auto 3 trilogy, which includes Grand Theft Auto 3, Grand Theft Auto Vice City and Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. The former two are now available for $4.99 each, while San Andreas will run you $6.99. Amazon is also running a deal for San Andreas — buying it will net you 2,000 Amazon coins to use on content in the Amazon App Store. That’s a $20 value, so you could essentially get the first two games for free if you buy them in reverse order (or spend the credits on whatever else might interest you). Here’s what else is on tap in the Amazon Appstore for Fire TV in recent days:
All of it is waiting for your downloads and dollars, so head to the app store on your TV or Kindle Fire to grab it, or head to Amazon’s site using the links above. |
| Posted: 16 May 2014 05:16 AM PDT
We’ve always known Samsung’s marketing money knows no end when it comes to their mobile business, and now that fact has been validated by perhaps their biggest move yet. The company seems to have struck a two-week deal with Heathrow London Airport to rename “Terminal 5″ to “ Samsung Galaxy S5.” That’s right, folks — Samsung was able to get an entire airport wing named after their latest flagship smartphone. The deal will no doubt come with perks that will allow Samsung to advertise the wahoo out of the Samsung Galaxy S5 at every turn. We imagine they’ll also have their name plastered on charging stations, vending machines, signs, departure and arrival boards, and other airport hotspots where eyes might frequent. Other signage will point travelers to the Dixons Travel store to check the phone out for themselves. Not even Apple has gone this far in marketing. The company even said so themselves — they need to find some way to match Samsung’s marketing prowess. They certainly have the funds to do so, so it’ll be interesting to see if Samsung’s biggest competitor in mobile ever does anything like this. Other competitors — like HTC — will seemingly need to spend a few more dollars themselves if they ever want a snowball’s chance in hell at challenging Samsung’s throne (which they’ve already done by hiring top Samsung marketing brass in recent weeks). That sort of marketing is the reason why the Samsung line of smartphones is so big today, with nearly all smartphones from the Samsung Galaxy S line and Samsung Galaxy Note line being etched into the 10 million sales club to date. The Samsung Galaxy S5 has already achieved that mark in just 25 days, and has surpassed 11 million units in shipments last we checked. |
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