Android Phone Fans |
- Wood-backed Moto X now available from Motomaker at a cool $100 premium
- HP Chromebook 11 chargers recalled after reports of some melting and posing a possible fire hazard
- Humble Bundle PC and Android 8 offers 6 cross-platform games for PC, Mac, Linux and Android
- Amazon phone rumors refuse to die
- Google Glass XE12 update lets you take pics with a wink – also introduces Hangouts, YouTube, and lots more
- Facebookers beware: video ads are coming
- Google Glass + guns = real life first-person shooter [VIDEO]
- AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 2 gets Android 4.3 I317UCUBMK6 update
- Angry Birds Star Wars receives its final upgrade; adds 30 new levels
- Google Zeitgeist 2013: the year’s most popular search terms and trends [VIDEO]
- AT&T signs unprecedented LTE roaming agreement with EE in the UK
- Sony Z Ultra Google Play edition gets Android 4.4.2, fixes critical bugs
- Samsung HomeSync update brings functionality to more Android devices
- Samsung GamePad is official – now available in Europe with other markets to follow
| Wood-backed Moto X now available from Motomaker at a cool $100 premium Posted: 17 Dec 2013 05:49 PM PST After Motorola teased their anticipated wooden Moto X back cover yesterday, the first in a series of wood-grained backs is now officially available via Motomaker. The all new natural “Bamboo” wood option can now custom fitted onto a Moto X but before you rush to pick one up for yourself, keep in mind it does come at a hefty premium. That’s right folks, at $100 on top of the normally priced Moto X, this one if for dedicated fans only. We rang up a 32GB Moto X in bamboo for a grand total of $650 off-contract and before taxes. For those looking to for a new 2-year agreement can pay a much more reasonable $250 on-contract. Of course, Motorola’s new financing offer is always available, but even then that’s a steep price to pay for a wooden phone. Especially when sequels to many popular handsets are just around the corner. What do you guys think? Any readers out there that have been waiting to jump on a wooden Moto X? Anyone actually going to do it? |
| HP Chromebook 11 chargers recalled after reports of some melting and posing a possible fire hazard Posted: 17 Dec 2013 04:50 PM PST It was barely a month after the release of the the ultra stylish HP Chromebook 11 that the laptop began disappearing from store shelves. While this is usually indicative of good sales or high demand, this wasn’t the case for the HP Chromebook 11. As it turns out, retailers were pulling the laptop after reports of faulty chargers affected a few owners. Today, the Consumer Products Safety Commission was finally able to confirm this information, stating that Google/HP received a total of 9 reports of chargers overheating and even melting, with 1 report of a charger causing a burn, and another causing damage to a pillow. While that may sound like a relatively small number, this was enough for Google and HP to officially issue a recall on all HP Chromebook 11 chargers sold with the laptop before December 1st (approximately 145,000 units). Owners have been instructed to stop using current chargers and get in touch with Google at (866) 628-1371 from 5 AM to 7 PM for a replacement. There’s also a handy web form you can fill out online here. If you’re leery about using your Chromebook 11 in the meantime, don’t worry, it was only the chargers that were faulty. In fact, Google recommends using any ‘ol standard smartphone or tablet micro USB charger you got lying around until a proper replacement can arrive. [via ChromeSpot | CPSC] |
| Humble Bundle PC and Android 8 offers 6 cross-platform games for PC, Mac, Linux and Android Posted: 17 Dec 2013 03:22 PM PST We know, many of you still reeling from the last Humble Bundle sale that took place only a few weeks ago, offering a handful of awesome Android titles on the cheap. Today, HB is back with a new cross-platform sale, letting gamers pay what they want for games that include PC, Mac, Linux and of course, Android. Proceeds go to help developers and/or charity and if you pay more than the average, you can unlock 2 additional titles — Hero Academy and Anomaly 2. The full list can be found below. Pay what you want for:
Pay more than the average to unlock:
Remember, the beauty in this is you’ll only be paying around $4 to unlock all the titles, which can then be downloaded to your PC, Mac, Linux and Android device. They get me every time. Link just after the trailer below. |
| Amazon phone rumors refuse to die Posted: 17 Dec 2013 01:23 PM PST Let me talk to you about this “Amazon phone rumor” thing real quick. It’s tiresome. It’s old. It just. Won’t. Die. They’ve been alive as long as the Amazon tablet rumors have, and we’ve seen multiple generations of that thing launch by now. But here we are again, once more pondering whether Amazon will look to enter the smartphone arena despite the online retailer attempting to deny it at every turn. DigiTimes says there’s still reason to believe Amazon is going to attempt to break through, with the company reportedly getting Primax to supply the camera sensors for this mystery smartphone. We still don’t have the slightest clue what this smartphone could end up like, as every report we hear makes it sound as if Amazon is in the very early stages of research and development. We do expect it to be a fork of the Fire OS, which itself is a fork of Android. This would give Amazon a unique smartphone user interface unlike anyone else’s, though it might be to the detriment of the open, customizable user experience Android users are known to love. Amazon will obviously want to tie in their own multimedia ecosystem such as Kindle Books, Instant Video and Amazon MP3, but at what expense? Will we be treated to more devices without access to the Google Play Store? And will these devices be subject to the “with offers” form of advertisement that recommends books and videos to buy on your lock screen? Those are questions that can only be answered once official details are ready, though you’ll have to forgive us if we aren’t willing to hold our breath waiting for said details to come to light. |
| Posted: 17 Dec 2013 12:58 PM PST We’re well into December and for many Google Glass Explorers, we were wondering what the hold up was regarding Google and their monthly software updates. Well, now we know why. Turns out this month’s update is one of the biggest yet for Google Glass, cramming a boatload of new features and Glassware into the tiny headset. Google Glass is finally iOS compatibleHighlighted in depth on the Google Glass support site, the XE12 update finally introduces iOS users to the MyGlass app (previously, an Android exclusive). It actually appeared earlier today on Apple’s App Store for a brief moment before being taken down, but we assume (or hope, rather), it will appear again shortly. Google Glass gets a lockscreen/removes Guest ModeAlso new in XE12 is — finally — a way to actually keep prying eyes away from sensitive data on your Glass with a screen lock. The screen lock will activate whenever Glass is powered down (then powered back up), or when removed from the head providing you have “Head-on detection” enabled in the settings. No word on how you go about unlocking a device with screen lock, but we imagine it would take a series of swipes using the touchpad. With the new screen lock, Google felt “Guest Mode” was no longer necessary, and have completely removed the feature in XE12. Apparently this was too hard for the Glass team to maintain, and it’s been done away with. The Glass team recommends using a demo Google account if you’re going to be passing around Glass with friends and family this holiday season. You can create one here. Glass now snaps pics with a winkIn a “controversial” new move, XE12 now gives Google Glass owners (only those with Glass v2) the ability to take photos with a simple wink. Yes, folks. A simple wink. Where it was somewhat obvious a Glasshole was taking your picture by pressing the shutter button on their headset or speaking aloud “Ok Glass, take a picture,” this can now be executed with a wink. Google calls it an “exploratory” new feature, and it’s one we’re anticipate media outlets will have a field day with, citing privacy concerns. (Sigh). New Glassware (apps)Google Play Music Google Play Music coming to Glass was an older development, but new for XE12 is the Play Music “Touch Menu”. Essentially this allows the user to swipe through playlists they’ve created, or select Play Music’s “My stations”, or fun new “I’m feeling lucky” radio station. Hangouts We’ve been waiting for Hangouts to make its way to Glass ever since its inception and XE12 finally delivers. After enabling Hangouts, in addition to making video calls (which has been implemented practically since day 1), you can also send and receive chats — along with photos! This feature alone makes Glass a much better communications device, as I’m always staying in touch with family and friends via Hangouts. Awesome. YouTube In previous updates, we’ve seen limited YouTube functionality. It was mainly only videos you can watch on the headset by searching. Neat, sure. But with XE12, we can now upload videos directly to our YouTube channels from Glass. Don’t worry, privacy settings are also selectable, allowing the user to choose either Public, Private, or Unlisted before uploading. Google Search cards A handful of more Google Search cards have been added in XE12 (but why not all of them?). Using the power of Google’s knowledge graph, Glass can now tell you how many calories are in a banana, or “how far to Brooklyn?” in which the answer is always the Beastie Boys’ classic, “No Sleep Til Brooklyn.” Other Lastly, Google has removed the “| Sent through Glass” signature when sending SMS messages. When speaking <140 character SMS message — every character counts. So how will your contacts know that you sent them an SMS using your $1,500 Google Glass headset? Don’t worry, you’ve already told them. Also new for XE12 is an overheating warning when the Glass unit gets too hot displaying the message “Glass must cool down to run smoothly.” Temperature increases often occur when recording or streaming too much video, during a video Hangout, or while charging and using the device normally. XE12 is currently rolling out to Google Glass headsets right now. Just make sure your Glass is connected to WiFi and charging to update as soon as XE12 is available for your device. Happy holidays. |
| Facebookers beware: video ads are coming Posted: 17 Dec 2013 11:32 AM PST Advertisers are constantly researching new ways to attract your attention and make money off of your eyeballs and ears. Android users have had their fair share of distasteful advertising practices in the past, with things like AirPush allowing developers to push advertisements outside of an app and into your notifications pane (though Google and others have done a solid job keeping much of this in check). But whatever you do in the context of your own app is fair game, and ad publishers know this. That’s why Facebook isn’t hesitating to let us know about their plans to bring video advertisements to your timeline on both desktop and mobile. How it’ll work It’s simple, really — scroll through your timeline, and you might come across a sponsored video. This video will look like any video your friend would post, except it’s an advertisement designed to make Facebook (and their partners) loads and loads of money. You’re probably wondering how big blue is planning to make this a non-obtrusive experience, especially for those of us on the mobile side of things. There are a couple of things they’ll be doing:
The implementation of this was definitely the most important factor for Facebook to get right, especially in an age where mobile bits and bytes are being offered at outrageous premiums. That said, those who are flat-out against this form of advertisement — whether it be due to principal or some other reason — will be saddened to know that there will be no way to disable them. (That’s unless, you consider deactivating your Facebook account and uninstalling the app as an effective way of disabling them). When is it coming? As early as this week, according to Facebook. A small number of folks will notice the new implementation with a marketing campaign for the film Divergent starting this week. Facebook didn’t mention how long this trial period would last, but we imagine it won’t take long for it to roll out to the rest of you if things go smoothly in the trial. This will be a touchy area for Facebook, though the company is no stranger to controversy. They navigated the waters with relative ease when they first decided to infuse Facebook with ads of any sort, and the well-documented privacy debacle with Instagram didn’t knock them off their pedestal. Whether this new stunt will be enough for a mass exodus remains to be seen, but we somehow doubt it. And we doubt any amount of shouting is going to get Facebook to change their minds. If you believe otherwise, though, be our guest and let your voice be heard in the comments section below. |
| Google Glass + guns = real life first-person shooter [VIDEO] Posted: 17 Dec 2013 10:47 AM PST Can’t say I’ve ever been much of a “gun guy”, but I certainly enjoy firing off a couple of rounds while in the comfort of my living room… you know, video games. Maybe that’s why this YouTube vid from a cheekflapperer struck a chord with me. In the video, Flapperer takes his Google Glass to the shooting range and the result is nothing short of what we’d imagine a first person shooter will look like on the PlayStation 6. Cheese n’ rice, that’s a lot of firepower… |
| AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 2 gets Android 4.3 I317UCUBMK6 update Posted: 17 Dec 2013 09:58 AM PST Samsung is continuing their round of Android 4.3 upgrades for folks on various phones across various carriers. This time, Note 2 owners under AT&T’s label join the ranks, with that particular group now enjoying the big Android 4.3 upgrade that brings a lot of big changes. The most notable change will no doubt be the added Galaxy Gear support, as well as new camera features and Samsung’s Knox security features. Samsung is also touting an updated Easy Mode, the Note 3 version of multi-window, improved Group Messaging support, a newly-preloaded Samsung Link app and more. This update — version I317UCUBMK6 – is going out over the air right now. All you’ll have to do to check for it is head to Settings > About device > Software update > Check for updates. You should be good to go from there as long as you have a solid WiFi connection and a nice charge in your battery. Have at it! |
| Angry Birds Star Wars receives its final upgrade; adds 30 new levels Posted: 17 Dec 2013 08:53 AM PST All Rovio games have to come to an end, and that point has come for Angry Birds Star Wars. The game developer has announced that the title has received its final upgrade. This one adds a whopping 30 new levels which consist of 15 space battles on a “Star Destroyer,” and another 15 on the Death Star. “Lard” Vader and the Emporer will star in the game’s final boss battles, with the former finally being unmasked for the world to see. Exciting stuff indeed. Of course, the end of the line for Angry Birds Star Wars doesn’t mean much as Rovio is already keeping the fun going with Angry Birds Star Wars 2 (Google Play link). Give that free download a go if you have yet to get enough of this whacky clash between two very different worlds. As for this upgrade, you can find it sitting in the Google Play Store right here. [via Rovio] |
| Google Zeitgeist 2013: the year’s most popular search terms and trends [VIDEO] Posted: 17 Dec 2013 07:58 AM PST While we tend to focus on Android, the operating system’s connection to Google has us interested in all things the big G is doing. That’s why we were excited to see what Google put together for Zeitgeist 2013, their annual look back at the world’s most popular search terms for that respective year. There are some obvious late-year trends, whether it’s the high profile deaths of Fast and Furious star Paul Walker and South African civil rights activist and former President Nelson Mandela, or the horror that went down in Boston earlier this year. The internet also got a bit curious about Bitcoin, the new digital currency that seems to be gaining more steam than anyone can fathom. Grand Theft Auto 5, Adrian Peterson, and George Zimmerman rounded the list out. Miley Cyrus and her twerk-happy affairs topped the list of people searched in 2013, with the likes of Drake, Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber and Beyonce following behind. I guess folks really love their pop superstar news. There’s a ton more to sink your teeth into over at the Google Zeitgeist site, so head over there if you’re curious about what the digital world has been thinking about this past year. The video above should satisfy your appetite if all you’re looking for is a quick bite. |
| AT&T signs unprecedented LTE roaming agreement with EE in the UK Posted: 17 Dec 2013 06:39 AM PST To say AT&T is knocking it out of the park when it comes to roaming agreements would be a vast understatement at this point. It was only a couple of weeks ago that the company announced an LTE roaming deal with Rogers in Canada, the first deal of that kind to ever be signed. Now, they’re going even further than north of the border. AT&T and EE have announced the first international roaming deal that will allow the former’s customers to hop on the latter’s LTE network when traveling abroad. EE controls the biggest 4G LTE market in the UK, with more than 160 markets being drenched in coverage (and more being added as the months tick by). EE also took this time to mention a couple of different juicy specifics:
We wouldn’t be surprised to see AT&T return the favor for EE customers traveling to the United States, but we’ll have to wait for further word from either of these companies before we figure out what, exactly, is going to happen. EE also made it sound as if AT&T won’t be the only player that’ll be doing business with. We don’t yet have a solid time frame for the fruits of this agreement to go live, but we’re sure either EE or AT&T will clue us in whenever the time is right. It’s starting to sound like those who frequent international land will want to keep AT&T in mind as a top option. |
| Sony Z Ultra Google Play edition gets Android 4.4.2, fixes critical bugs Posted: 17 Dec 2013 06:24 AM PST The Sony Z Ultra didn’t enter the Google Play Store with the most graceful of moves. Those who bought one were unlucky enough to find some very critical bugs that made it hard to enjoy the KitKat experience. For starters, a bug prevented users from uninstalling apps, which is a pretty big oversight that we absolutely can’t believe made it through quality assurance. Google Now also suffered from some pretty embarrassing issues, with its voice commands being wildly inconsistent. Finally, a couple of security bugs and an issue where clearing data wasn’t working were also present. But the Z Ultra’s Android 4.4.2 upgrade seems to be rolling out, and folks are reporting that those bugs have been obliterated into nonexistence. We’re hearing it’s going out over-the-air right now, but we don’t yet have a manual download. You’ll just have to cross your fingers and hope you can pull it down right now by heading to the Settings > About Phone menu. We imagine Google won’t want to take long to bring this one out to the masses considering the magnitude of the issues it fixes. If you’re a Sony Z Ultra user and you’ve been experiencing these issues, let us know how this update is treating you in the comments section below. [via XDA] |
| Samsung HomeSync update brings functionality to more Android devices Posted: 17 Dec 2013 05:47 AM PST Samsung HomeSync, the company’s media box that helps users enjoy and share their digital content with family, was a rather interesting device, but there was only one problem — you needed a Samsung phone to get the most out of it. That is no longer the case with a brand new upgrade sitting in the Google Play Store. The HomeSync is now compatible with tons more Android phones. For what it’s worth, we’re not seeing support for non-Samsung tablets and a couple of Motorola’s phones, but the news that Samsung has opened up to any other device at all is music to our ears. It’s a problem that’s still plaguing the company’s Galaxy Gear, which is only compatible with certain Android 4.3 devices of theirs. Samsung hasn’t ruled out the possibility of giving the Galaxy Gear the same treatment they’ve given the HomeSync, but it looks like it’ll be a while yet before we see that happen. Find the upgraded HomeSync app in the Google Play Store. [via Samsung] |
| Samsung GamePad is official – now available in Europe with other markets to follow Posted: 16 Dec 2013 08:18 PM PST After showing it off briefly during the Samsung Galaxy S4 announcement, Samsung is now ready to formally announce their upcoming Smartphone GamePad optimized for their Galaxy line of devices. Featuring a D-pad, 2 analog sticks, 4 buttons on the front, and 2 triggers — gamers can quickly pair up the controller to the Galaxy smartphone via NFC and Bluetooth 3.0. No word if they GamePad act as a normal Bluetooth controller on non-Galaxy devices, but the clever wording of the press release suggests as much. Samsung says the controller is built with a durable steel frame, and features a clamp to attach even the biggest of Galaxies to the controller (all the way up to 6.3-inches). For the truly hardcore gamers, it’s even possible to hookup their Galaxy device to the TV using an HDMI (or Samsung’s AllShare Screen Mirroring in compatible televisions) for a home console-like experience. Of course, you’ll need to find GamePad supported games if you’re looking for full compatibility. Samsung looks to make this as painless as possible with a”Play” button built into the controller instantly opens the Mobile Console app for the browsing and purchasing of GamePad supported games. There will be 35 games at launch, with titles that include:
Samsung was mum on pricing, but did mention the GamePad is only available for purchase in Europe at the moment, with additional markets will follow in the coming weeks. They better get crackin’, Christmas is just around the corner. |
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