Android Phone Fans |
- Alleged Sony Xperia Z2 shown off in 12-minute long walkthrough [VIDEO]
- Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet breaks cover in new leaks
- Whoopi Goldberg is the Nexus 5′s unlikeliest of spokespersons, puts it to the test live on air
- Flappy Bird could find a new home with San Francisco based OneClick Studios [VIDEO]
- Samsung Galaxy S5′s fingerprint scanning home button detailed in new report
- Latest round of leaked HTC M8 images show new metallic finish
- Don’t be this girl: Hide porn from your Android phone’s browser history
- Google setting a dangerous precedent by potentially blocking Flappy Bird clones?
| Alleged Sony Xperia Z2 shown off in 12-minute long walkthrough [VIDEO] Posted: 17 Feb 2014 06:23 PM PST We’ve been hearing whisperings about Sony’s follow up to the Sony Xperia Z1, better known by its codename: the Sony “Sirius.” Today, we have what appears to be our first “Sirius” look at the device (see what I did there?) after YouTube user Rimas Flyil got his hands on the Sony D6503 (allegedly the Z2) and uploaded a detailed 12-minute walkthrough video. In the video, Rimas explores all the ins and outs of the device — and in complete silence because sometimes you don’t need a commentary when showing a phone off. The device looks largely similar to Sony’s previous offerings, running Android 4.4.2 KitKat and coming equipped with software features such as the built-in “Glove mode” for using the device with gloves on, Simple Home mode for the elderlies, tap-to-wake (similar to the LG G2), and the ability to toggle notifications for individual apps (a la iOS). The video also shows off Sony’s camera app which contains a plethora of shooting modes and features, and has the ability to video in 4K thanks to the 20.7MP camera (and beefy processor, no doubt). Check out the video below for yourself and before you come to any conclusions, remember that this is listed as a prototype running an extremely early KitKat build. We’re sure we’ll be providing you with our own hands-on during Mobile World Congress, so be on the look out. |
| Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet breaks cover in new leaks Posted: 17 Feb 2014 05:20 PM PST We got our first hands-on look at the original Sony Xperia Tablet Z during last year’s Mobile World Congress, so it’d only make sense that Sony would be planning to show off a followup during this year’s show. The upcoming Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet has broken its cover in a variety of leaks today, showcased on Twitter, first tastefully by @gadgetleaks using large bright red watermarks, then followed by @evleaks with his typical more tasteful watermark. Just judging from the leaks, it looks like the device will once again be dangerously thin, coming in at 6.4mm. Yikes. Other specs include:
While noting has been made official quite yet, we expect to learn more about the Z2 Tablet — along with the rumored Sony Xperia Z2 (smartphone) — during Mobile World Congress 2014 kicking off next week. How exciting! |
| Whoopi Goldberg is the Nexus 5′s unlikeliest of spokespersons, puts it to the test live on air Posted: 17 Feb 2014 04:11 PM PST In perhaps what could be Google’s most unlikely of spokespersons, comes Sister Act star Whoopi Goldberg straight out of left field. The story actually starts late last week when Whoopi took to Twitter to announce her new found love interest: the red Nexus 5 “Google Phone.” As some pointed out, the tweet was actually sent using her iPhone but to be fair, Whoopi never said that the Nexus 5 was her new daily driver, only that she was learning the “ins & outs” of the smartphone. Fast forward to today where live on The View, Whoopi Goldberg showed off her favorite tech gadgets in a new segment called “The Latest Stuff.” The list was, for the most part a snoozefest, featuring everything from a phone sanitizer (what’s wrong with household Windex?), headphones, portable speaker, Polaroid camera, organizational board, and finally — drum roll, please — the newly released red Nexus 5 “powered by Android.” Watching Goldberg talk about the phone was almost endearing (like watching your grandma talk about her iPad), but the real moment of truth came when, she put the phone’s voice commands to the test. Have to admit, I was holding my breath. But the Nexus 5 didn’t falter, perfectly answering the query, “Who is Whoopi Goldberg?” by accurately speaking back all her info to the praise of live tv audience. We suppose the best part came when Whoopi announced that everyone in the audience would be receiving all the gadgets featured — including the red Nexus 5 — for free. Can’t say we’ve seen any Nexus 5 ads running on daytime television, so this might be the device’s 15 minutes of fame in the mainstream. Baby steps, folks. |
| Flappy Bird could find a new home with San Francisco based OneClick Studios [VIDEO] Posted: 17 Feb 2014 02:59 PM PST Original Flappy Bird developer Dong Nguyen may have taken the game off of the market, but we may not have heard the last of it. Dong’s abandonment of the game is technically an abandonment of the trademark, according to several opportunistic entrepreneurs. We’ve recently discovered new trademark filings from seven hopeful entities looking to become the new owners of Dong’s now-defunct IP, one of whom is already looking to act on the USPTO’s “intent of use” clause by reintroducing “Flappy Bird” as a mobile game:
The owner who seems to believe they have the best shot is adore kv, who is doing business under the name OneClick Studios. They’re a three-man show based out of San Francisco who are actually pretty far along in bringing back the game that had everyone going crazy. OneClick is joined by just one other applicant who filed for the “Flappy Bird” mark on February 9th, the other being a group comprised of Neal Blaak and Alexander Prevoteau. Both parties’ trademark applications cover the realm of mobile and computer gaming. They’re beat by only one other application — filed February 4th — but that particular applicant only filed for the rights to the name as it pertains to clothing, apparel and accessories. What does all that mean? OneClick, which we’re told was formed just one week ago, seems to have a better chance at getting the go ahead on making a mobile Flappy Bird game (that is actually named Flappy Bird) than anyone else. It’ll all be a lot easier said than done, though. Flappy Bird on the verge of a glorious return?We were able to track down the owner of OneClick — Mark Li — and get his thoughts on why he believes his company will eventually be named the owners of the Flappy Bird trademark. According to him, their filing under USPTO section 1b (intent of use in commerce), plus early movement on trying to get their rendition of Flappy Bird into the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store, gives them a pretty high chance of being awarded the mark over any of their competitors. Yes, you read that right: OneClick already has their own version of Flappy Bird fully developed and ready to go. In fact, we’ve already played with it — you can find our quick hands-on video above. There’s nothing amazingly new here that you haven’t already seen. Long story short? It’s Flappy Bird, except a bit more sharp, polished and fluid than even the original was. It’s in sharp contrast to the other quick-ditch clones we’ve seen flood Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store in the last couple of weeks, with most clones being embarrassingly choppy and nowhere near as enjoyable as the original. OneClick’s version of Flappy Bird is one of the very few that breaks that stereotype. The Android version even implements Google Play Games services for tracking achievements and leaderboards. OneClick will look to monetize the game using ads, which will allow them to offer the game as a free download and potentially get tons of addicts back on board.     The game is on the verge of being launched, with only the approval processes by Google and Apple holding them back from going live. Unfortunately for them, though, that’s where things get a lot more tricky. Shaky road back to the Play StoreIn case you haven’t heard, Google and Apple seem to be blocking games with the word “Flappy” or “Flappy Bird” in their name on the grounds of trademark and/or intellectual property infringement, likely to refrain from confusing those who frequent the app marketplaces looking for Dong’s original game. But with a fully functional trademark possibly waiting to be awarded to them, OneClick feels they should eventually be able to coast by the gates of both Apple and Google’s guards. Still, OneClick concedes that Apple and Google have final say in what goes into their own stores, so they are prepared to make the changes necessary to get the game approved should it come down to that (including potentially changing the name, which they fear would severely devalue the trademark). They’ve already prepared to appeal to both Apple and Google in the event that their game is shunned.     There are other areas of concern that deal directly with the trademark, too. What happens if Dong decides he wants back in? Well, he’d definitely have the ability to claim ownership of the trademark considering his game was the basis for all this madness. His potential return would throw a pretty nifty wrench into the plans of OneClick or anyone else hoping to hop on this train, though he doesn’t have nearly as much leverage as he would have had if he didn’t completely abandon the IP in the first place. Still, it would be up to the USPTO and the courts to figure all of that out in legal proceedings that would be sure to follow any claim, meaning the future isn’t totally certain for OneClick from here on out. What if it doesn’t work?That’s one of the first questions we had when we came across all this, and OneClick was quite frank about it all — they’d like to make more games, if possible. Flappy Bird doesn’t have to be their end-all be-all cash cow, as even if they are awarded full rights to the trademark and granted entrance into Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store, they would use the success to explore bigger and better things. There is doubt surrounding OneClick’s future should this fail to pan out, however, as any further development on original titles would likely be fueled by the money they’re hoping this game will bring in. As simple as the game may be, OneClick says their name came from the principal that “a game does not have to be conceptually complex to be fun and successful.” Long story short, they’re right. Flappy Bird is a very big deal, whether you’re sick of hearing about it or not. And as it stands, any success they hope to have does rest on the hinges of something as weak as a name change. Money Making Clones: $100/hourWhile none of the clones in the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store were making nearly as much as Dong Nguyen’s original, data from one developer shows that some were making money hand-over-first. One such scenario comes from Flatty Bird, whose developer revealed to Phandroid that the game was making over $100 per day at one point. Matters took a turn for the worse when Google asked the developer to take the game down on grounds of copyright infringement, even after he’d changed the assets in the game to be completely original. Whether it was right for Google to claim copyright law for a game mechanic is another story on its own, but the real unfortunate news for the developer is that Flatty Bird is now only bringing in as little as $20 per day (which isn’t nearly enough to live on, last we checked). It’s an unfortunate side effect of Google’s latest actions, but they’re really not concerned with morality issues when it comes to protecting people from infringement, as well as protecting the integrity of their store. We imagine OneClick Studios would be at an even greater disadvantage if Google ultimately decides to block them from the Play Store. Where do you stand?That OneClick Studios was formed on the back of a game they didn’t originally create doesn’t spell well for their future in the event that things don’t go as planned, but they wouldn’t be very good entrepreneurs if they didn’t at least try. You can bet our eyes will remain peeled in the days and weeks to come as OneClick looks to have both their game and trademark approved. How do you feel about all of it? Would you be excited to see Flappy Bird make its return to the Google Play Store even if it isn’t Dong Nguyen’s original creation? Has the Flappy Bird phenomenon already run its course in your eyes? Do you even care? You can drop a poll in the vote below, and expand on your thoughts using the comments section where others are sure to congregate for some healthy discussion. |
| Samsung Galaxy S5′s fingerprint scanning home button detailed in new report Posted: 17 Feb 2014 02:36 PM PST Samsung’s inclusion of fingerprint reading hardware and software for their next flagship Galaxy device have been up and down like a Flappy Bird. With rumors since back in December, at one point it was even whispered that Samsung might attempt to 1-up the competition (read: the Apple iPhone 5s) going with a retina scanner for added security. For whatever reason, Samsung would later forgo this security method, returning once again to the more easily doable fingerprint reading hardware. It was towards the tail end of January, @evleaks seemingly confirmed the move after showcasing a leaked app for the Galaxy S5 titled “FingerprintService.apk.” New and improved home button Even though the security feature wasn’t specifically mentioned in a purported leaked image of the Galaxy S5′s packaging, a new report out of SamMobile is not only further confirming a fingerprint scanner for the S5, but providing some details about how it will work. Because Samsung’s typically longer/thinner shaped home buttons didn’t seem well suited for a fingerprint scanner, it was suggested that Sammy would build the scanner into the phone’s display. Not the case. Yes, the home button will be making a return in the Galaxy S5 (along with the other hardware buttons) only it will be enhanced with fingerprint reading capabilities. How will it work? Like we mentioned before, the long shape of Samsung’s home buttons means it will scan you fingerprint differently than the iPhone 5s. Apparently, users will need to swipe their finger from bottom to top, and at a slow enough speed for the device to register it. Samsung hopes to make this easy by showing you your fingerprint as it’s being scanned in real-time. Because the scanner is sensitive to moisture, your finger will need to be nice and dry in order to avoid an error message. Hmmmm… it’s already sounding a bit finicky. Extra security The Galaxy S5 will be able to store a total of 8 fingerprints which can be assigned to app shortcuts or launch various tasks. Samsung is even providing a new “Personal Folder” used for locking up specific apps inside. To unlock, simply scan your the assigned finger, and you’ll have access (pattern or PIN unlock can also be used). You can even register a specific finger to unlock the device in “Private Mode,” which should come in handy when handing the phone off to a friend or family member for making a quick call. Fingerprints can also be registered to a Samsung account where they can later be used system wide, like when logging into websites. Tie this into the Google Play Store and you got yourself a winner here, Samsung. More coming soon… SamMobile mentions that they purposely didn’t want to leak any images of the software, in hopes of not spoiling the big reveal come February 24th in Barcelona. Of course, Phandroid will be in attendance for the big show during our Mobile World Congress coverage next week, so stay tuned. |
| Latest round of leaked HTC M8 images show new metallic finish Posted: 17 Feb 2014 12:19 PM PST Samsung already announced their big reveal date for their upcoming flagship during next week’s Mobile World Congress. And where Samsung has been doing a bang-up job at keeping the Galaxy S5 behind their curtain, rival OEM HTC hasn’t been so lucky. We’ve been waiting for an official word on when HTC plans to reveal their big follow-up to the HTC One — the HTC M8 — but in the meantime, the device has been making numerous appearances in leaks. Although, we’ll admit, a good majority of were likely fakes/hoaxes, this latest leak’s authenticity is pretty much undeniable. What you’re looking at are some purported images captured of the HTC M8 in the wild, allegedly take by a Google+ user. You’ll notice the device appears very similar to appearance to the most recent leak giving us a clear view of the front, only now we have a clear look at the back. You’ll notice the device has much more curved corners, and what appears to be a slightly polished, more metallic finish than the current HTC One (M7). We know not everyone is going to agree with this new move, but if it provides for better grip, we’ll adjust. Some users on Reddit seem convinced that this could in fact be the HTC M8 Mini given the size of the speaker holes and skinnier aspect ratio but it’s tough to tell. Of course, we’ll need further confirmation but when holding our current HTC One in the same manner as the pics, reveals a phone that’s largely the same size (this M8 appears to be slightly taller). If you needed further confirmation that the above images are real, HTC evangelist, Shen Ye, was able to vouch for them, also confirming a single detail about the upcoming HTC M8: the device’s rumored micro SD card slot. Now that’s some change many Android users could get used to. What do you guys think about this latest leak? Have it set in your heart that the HTC M8 will be your next smartphone, or are you holding off judgment until we see what Samsung unveils? [via NowhereElse] |
| Don’t be this girl: Hide porn from your Android phone’s browser history Posted: 17 Feb 2014 08:37 AM PST You might want to think twice the next time you’re feeling a bit aroused and want to check some porn sites out on the go, or you could end up like the young, unfortunate catalyst for what has quickly become a very embarrassing joke. A story from WGN-TV in Chicago was originally meant to show Illinois students how to get juvenile offenses expunged from their records, but a screen grab by the ever-observant folks at Reddit showed a slip-up big enough to make any face red. The phone of the person demoing the process showed a link to PornHub in their browser history, one of the most popular websites for watching the steamy stuff online. It was only visible for a second, but that was just long enough to make at least one person take notice (and the story blew up big enough to make WGN wipe it from existence). PornHub caught the story alright, and thought it necessary to remind their fans to clean up the trash the next time they intend to show their phones to someone (especially if that someone is holding a camera to record footage set to broadcast on TVs across Illinois):
Yes, we thought that intro was worth quite the chuckle, as well. The letter went on to list instructions for clearing your phone’s browsing history, though they only offered up instructions for those on both Android and iPhone. Things get a bit more sticky (no pun intended… well, never mind) for those of us on Android. There’s no single browser to post instructions for, though we can start with Google Chrome considering it’s now the default browser in the latest versions of Android. Clear browsing data in Chrome for AndroidYou’ll be surprised by how easy this process is, and you likely won’t forget it the next time you need to clear the cobwebs and skeletons out of your phone’s closet before letting someone else get their hands on it. Here’s a quick list of instructions:
And that should do it. Head back to your history and your phone should be clear of any unwanted browsing data. Using incognito mode in Chrome for AndroidClearing browsing history is not always the most convenient way to clean up after yourself, so be sure to consider using the Chrome browser’s “incognito” mode the next time you want to visit these types of websites. Incognito mode will refuse to store any history, cookies or cache for as long as you’re browsing in that mode, so you won’t have to worry about it popping up at unfortunate moments the next time you’re typing in a search term or site address. It’s worth noting that this does not stop people from snooping on network activity if they have that capability, so you’ll want to avoid visiting any unsavory sites if you suspect your workplace or school is monitoring traffic. Other Android browsers with privacy featuresOf course, Google Chrome is not the only browser out there looking out for your privacy. Here are a few other options we know to have private browsing modes if you aren’t using Chrome (or if your stock browser doesn’t have these features):
In case you have already done naughty things inside these browsers, these apps have all the same browser history clearing functions you’d expect. It’s different for each one, so be sure to poke around your app’s settings menu to find what you’re looking for. Other tips for keeping your data privateIf none of that is enough, we have a few other key tips to take heed to in order to make sure your sensitive browsing data (or data of any kind) is kept out of view:
Keep all of this in mind, and you should be able to go on without having to worry about someone getting a whiff of what you like to indulge in behind closed doors. Any other tips or apps we didn’t cover? Let us know in the comments below! |
| Google setting a dangerous precedent by potentially blocking Flappy Bird clones? Posted: 17 Feb 2014 05:53 AM PST Game developers the world over must have really lost their you-know-what when they heard about Dong Nguyen, Vietnamese developer, raking in $50,000 a day on the insanely popular (yet extremely simple) Flappy Bird. Upon its swift exit from the digital marketplaces of the world, tons of clones hit the Google Play Store to try and ride one of the biggest tidal wave fads in mobile history. But it doesn’t look like Google will let clones of the addictive game take over its apps repository as easily as the original took over many others’ lives. Developers have been revealing that Google is possibly beginning to reject any new game submissions with the word “Flappy” in the title, which is one good place to start if you’re looking to curb a ridiculous trend. Not only that, but Google is also reportedly blocking any game that looks to take on the Flappy Bird formula, even if the developer’s app doesn’t make mention of the game it’s ripping off. Developer Ken Carpenter revealed as much, saying Google considered his app — Flappy Dragon — “spam,” and used that as basis for rejecting it from Google Play. Google alerted Carpenter that they detected an attempt to “leverage a popular app.” (We’re not sure if it means anything, but Ken’s renamed “Derpy Dragon” game was successfully resubmitted and is still sitting in the Google Play Store as of the time of this writing.) We wouldn’t be inclined to disagree with the notion that there’s no room for spam apps in the Google Play Store, but you have to wonder if this would set a dangerous precedent for the Google Play Store. Openness and acceptance have long been key components of the Android Market / Google Play Store’s makeup, and was always one of the few big differences that made developer atmosphere on Android shine compared to Apple’s walled garden. For what it’s worth, Google has at least allowed existing apps to stay in the Google Play Store, so those who were “in before the lock” seem to be safe. It also seems Google doesn’t have any issue with them being clones, just that they don’t use “Flappy” or “Flappy Bird” in the tile. Anything could change, though, and we’ll be looking to see if any other developers are affected in the hours or days to come. We’re not sure how we’d feel if Google ever deemed it necessary to turn the Play Store into the same walled garden that the bitten fruit company handles, though we’re going to go out on a limb and say that the Mountain View company isn’t looking to make a habit of this. Sure, we all hate endless clones, ripoff apps and other nonsense that tends to plague an open market place like Google Play, but we’d be even sicker if its current identity was compromised. Let’s just hope this is a one-time deal to help handle the latest anomaly to sweep the mobile world since, well, since Android itself became a hit. We’ll be reaching out to Google to see if we can get more information about their latest action toward developers hoping to cash in on all this nonsense. In the meantime, be sure to tell us how you feel about all of it in the comments section below. [via TechCrunch] |
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