Monday, 30 June 2014

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans


Moto X+1 specs posted on Brazilian retailer’s site, 5.2-inch display among other hardware listed

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 04:55 PM PDT

Motorola Moto X DSC00701

It’s probably not the strongest of “leaks” we’ve seen, but a Brazilian retailer has posted what they believe are some of the hardware specs from the upcoming Motorola Moto X+1. A phone still shrouded in mystery, Motorola’s done a pretty good job at keeping this thing under wraps. But as we saw back with Moto E, for whatever reason Brazil seems to get the scoops on Motorola devices.

The phone’s listing page — which is still very much “under construction” — actually has notes for the webmaster to go in and add additional information that reads, “Write a description as shipped by the manufacturer in email 45789.” It then goes on to list the following specs:

  • 5.2-inch 1080p display
  • Android 4.4.4 KitKat
  • Snapdragon 800 processor
  • 12MP rear / 5MP front facing cameras
  • 32GB internal storage (with micro SD card slot up to 128GB)
  • 2GB RAM
  • 2,900mAh battery (26 hours of mixed usage)
  • Water resistance

The biggest question is whether they got the information through official sources, or just made their best guess. Given they’re Bookstore that also sells electronics, your guess is as good as ours. When it comes to leaks and rumors, we’re taking this one with the smallest grain of salt.

Livaria Logos Bookstore

Google Play Music 5.6 rolling out, limits account sharing to 5 phones, adds menu tweaks

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 03:58 PM PDT

Google Play Music 5.6 DSC06067

Google has yet to update the changelog on the Google Play Music listing on the Play Store, but there’s some new surprises arriving in their latest update that could cause some concern. Rolling out to Android devices starting today, Play Music 5.6 adds a few new design tweaks (sorry, no Material design just yet), while making a few changes to the number of devices you can have authorized on your account.

According to some sources, only 5 phones can now be added to a single account, where GPM previously didn’t discriminate between tablets, smartphones, or otherwise — they’re are now all categorized for the most part. There’s also a slightly redesigned sidebar menu with “Downloaded Only” toggle, account switcher, and support for the few Android TVs currently available. You can download the update via the Play Store, or 3rd party link below. Cheers.

Download on MediaFire: Google Play Music 5.6

Android L vs Ice Cream Sandwich: Google Design shows off all new Roboto font [DOWNLOAD]

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 02:05 PM PDT

roboto comparison KitKat vs Android L

While not the kinda “graphy” that gets most people’s engines purring, there are few things in life we enjoy more than some good ‘ol typography. For Android L, Google decided to clean up the Roboto font we all love so much and saw introduced back in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

A few moments ago, Matias Duarte and friends took to the new Google Design Google+ page to show us the subtle difference coming to the typeface in Android L. While the differences aren’t anything too major (although Google says it’s been “extensively refined”), Google promises the font will look even better on the big screen (Android TV), the small screen (smartphones and tablets), and the really small screen (Android Wear smartwatches). You’ll notice a Roboto that’s a bit more round and wide, with the K R caps seeing the biggest changes.

Not shown in the comparison are the italics and numbers which also received some love, but if you’d like to check it out for yourself, you can download the all new Roboto font here. Enjoy.

Blek is a puzzler unlike anything you’ve ever played, now available for Android

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 12:49 PM PDT

Blek-Screen-03

For every GPU straining, graphically intensive action game out there, it seems smaller game studios have really been thinking outside the box when it comes to games on our mobile devices. One such game is Blek, all new to the Google Play Store. After causing a bit of a sensation on iOS, it’s finally arriving for our Androids.

Blek reviews

Simple yet complex, Blek is more of a puzzler, but one unlike anything you’ve ever played. Players will have to draw lines through colored dots, while avoiding black dots. Lines drawn will be replayed — and repeated — to solve puzzles and although seemingly easy at first, things really start heating up just as you’re getting into the swing of things.

The game has been lauded by countless online game critics and can be downloaded for only $3 on Google Play where it’s already received a 100% 5-star rating (just wait until entitled ART fanboys get wind of it).

Best Android apps from June 2014

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 12:26 PM PDT

JUNE

The first month of summer is already coming to a close. Can you believe it? In the past month there was tons of Android news, but also new Android apps. If you’re busy enjoying the summer weather you may have missed a few of the best apps that launched this month. We have compiled a list of the biggest and best apps to launch in June. Grab a lemonade and check it out. You might find a few new apps to try.

Previous months: MarchAprilMay

1Password

1pass

1Password has had an Android app for a long time. Unfortunately it received very few updates. It became so outdated that they released a brand new version instead of updating the old one. Now you can manage all of your passwords in the safety of this handy app. The old clunky version can finally be ditched for good.

Android L Keyboard

Android L wallpaper

Google introduced a brand new design with the announcement of Android L. Every inch of the OS has been touched with the brush of “Material Design.” When Android gets a face-lift the first response of users is “WHEN CAN I GET THIS?!” The ever-resourceful Android devs have ripped the new keyboard from Android L and made it available in the Play Store.

BrightNest

brightnest

If you own a home you know how many things need constant attention. There is cleaning, up-keep, repairs, groceries, and more. Keeping track of it all can be a real hassle. BrightNest helps you keep your place in tip-top shape with handy reminders and suggestions. Think of it like your own personal edition of Lifehacker.

Copy Bubble

copy

Bubbles are all the rage these days. Link Bubble kicked off the trend by allowing users to load a webpage in the background. A bubble “pops” open full screen when the page is fully loaded. Copy Bubble is a new app that takes this idea to the clipboard. A bubble floats on the edge of the display with a history of things you have copied. Simply open the bubble and choose what to paste.

Echo

Echo

Echo is a lockscreen replacement that organizes notifications into groups. That alone makes reading notifications much easier, but it also allows you to snooze or dismiss them in groups. Echo puts all of your notifications into five groups: priority, work, social, media, and other. Tapping on a group will expand it so you can see all the notifications.

Google Email

Google Email app

Google released the stock email app that comes on Nexus devices to the Play Store. This app has the same interface as the Gmail app, but it can be used with most email services. If you aren’t a Gmail user, or have other email accounts, you can use this app to keep up with your mail. There are plenty of email apps available, but this one is nice and simple.

Heads Up Notifications

Heads Up notifications

The Android L developer preview went live this month for Nexus users to try. Included in the preview is a new notification style called “Heads-Up.” This feature allows you to see notifications while using full screen apps. Heads Up! brings this functionality to the Play Store for all 4.3+ devices.

Nike+ Fuelband

fuelband nike

Nike has finally given tons of FuelBand owners what they've been waiting more than two years for: a companion app for Android. The app was exclusive to iOS up to this point, something which we thought was thanks to Nike and Apple's tight relationship. But it seems Nike has finally stopped making excuses as the official FuelBand app is sitting in the Google Play Store.

Oyster

oyster

If you can buy it there is probably a subscription service for it. Movies, beer, snacks, razors, and now books. Oyster has been called the “Netflix of books” for allowing users to read as much as they’d like for a monthly fee. For $10 you can read 500,000+ books with their new Android app. Time to get those reading glasses out.

Parrot Flower

flower

If you’re into gardening and flowers you may have heard of the Parrot Flower Power. This sensor goes into your flowers and sends data to smart devices about the needs of your plant. It can tell you to water your plant or move it into sunlight. The new Android app gives you access to all of this data so your plants will live long and healthy lives.

Prime Music

amazon prime music carousel

Amazon launched a music streaming service for Prime subscribers this month. The service, simply called Prime Music, is trying to compete with the likes of Spotify, Rdio, and Beats Music. Current Prime subscribers get access to over a million songs for free, others can get access with a free 30-day trial. The Android app gives you access to all of this.

Ready

ready

Most people nowadays don’t use their phone for making calls. It’s easy to forget that the #1 function of a smartphone is to make and receive calls. Ready aims to make these forgotten features look beautiful. It has a completely reimagined caller screen, contact list, and handy post-call shortcuts. To try it out on your phone sign up for the Google testing community.

Sleep Cycle

sleepcycle

Popular iOS alarm app “Sleep Cycle” finally made its arrival on Android this month. This app tries to wake people up at the optimal time instead of the typical jarring alarm. Simple choose a 30 minute window to be woke up, set your phone on your bed, and let Sleep Cycle track your sleep. Obviously this works best when you aren’t sharing a bed.

Slingshot

Facebook Slingshot

Facebook loves messaging apps. They have their own messaging service, WhatsApp, and now a brand new app called “Slingshot.” This new app is by far the strangest. You can send a slingshot (a photo) to your friends, but the key component of the app is viewing the photos. In order to see a received slingshot you must also send a slingshot. It’s unlike any app you’ve used.

Swiftkey

swiftkey 5

One of the biggest updates this month was for a popular keyboard called SwiftKey. We’re sure you are all well aware of this awesome keyboard replacement. It predicts the words you want to type with remarkable accuracy. The one thing that prevented some people from using SwiftKey was the cost, but now it is completely free forever. Go get it!

Yahoo Aviate

Yahoo Aviate

There are plenty of launchers in the Google Play Store, but one of the more unique ones is Aviate by Yahoo. This launcher changes throughout the day, and depending on where you are, to provide useful information and apps. It also organizes all of your apps into categories for easy access. This month Aviate left beta and is now available to all.

YouTube Creator Studio

creator

Google released an app specifically for YouTube creators this month. It’s called “Creator Studio,” and it gives powerful tools to people with YouTube channels. Some of the things you can do include check analytics, likes, comments, and more without a PC. There are also tools for allowing you to edit videos. If you do a lot of uploading to YouTube this is a must-have app.

Previous months: MarchApril, May

What were your favorite apps from June? Did we miss any great apps? Let us know!

 

LG joins the Open Automotive Alliance to help car OEMs create better connected experiences

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 12:22 PM PDT

Android Auto Open Automotive Alliance

LG has just officially announced their involvement in the Open Automotive Alliance. The new group — which focuses on bringing smart connected experiences to the road — mostly consists of auto manufacturers, but it’s not weird to see a company like LG in the mix. Not only will LG’s own collection of smartphones, tablets and smartwatches help enable Google’s Android Auto future, but they also have a pretty nice audio business that features a car audio fork.

LG’s AVN (audio, visual and navigation) platform will look to add to the smart services already available in many cars, as well as interface seamlessly with Android Auto cars like the ones revealed at this past Google I/O. LG didn’t go into tremendous detail about what they’ll be doing and who they’ll be doing it with, but we imagine they’re already deep in the brewing process with at least a few different car OEMs. Let’s hope we hear more before the year turns.

Square Enix brings ‘The World Ends With You’ to Android, one of the better (and more expensive) RPGs on Google Play

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 11:07 AM PDT

The World Ends With You Android 4

With all of last week devoted almost entirely to covering Google I/O and the developments therein, it’s easy to see how a few, non-IO things could have slipped through the cracks. Take Square Enix’s latest title to hit the Play Store: The World Ends With You.

Portable gaming enthusiasts will no doubt remember this as one of the better — and more unique — takes on the RPG genre when it debuted on the Nintendo DS back in 2008. Since then, the game has gotten a facelift courtesy of flashy new HD befitting of our modern mobile devices. Although it’s a bit pricey at $18, the game has already garnered 90 out of 114 5-star reviews on Google Play, with the original Nintendo DS version receiving 78% 5-star rating on Amazon (where it still retails for $34).

Now, we’re not saying this game is for everyone.  We’re sure its steep price tag has already sent more than a few of you reaching for the door — but Square Enix fans should know what they’re getting. There’s no question The World Ends With You is a solid entry to the RPG genre, one that is severely lacking on our Android devices. You can find links to this wonderful game below where, if nothing else, you can bookmark it for the next time you come across a Google Play gift card.

The World Ends With You Android 2 The World Ends With You Android 1 The World Ends With You Android 3 The World Ends With You Android 5

Orkut, QuickOffice have officially received the axe from Google’s roster

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 11:00 AM PDT

A couple of services and apps have been added to Google’s chopping block. Both of these aren’t quite that surprising, though it always does make us take a step back when it happens.

First up is QuickOffice which we figured would be happening any day now. Google revealed at IO that they would be adding Slides editing to their Google Docs for Android app and that native document editing would be customary from here on out. That means QuickOffice quickly became redundant and there was no longer any need for its presence. Expect it to be whisked away from the Google Play Store in a matter of weeks.

quickoffice pro

On the other hand is Orkut, a long-standing social network that just hasn’t been able to catch on. Orkut was Google’s first social network, though its huge Brazilian community caused them to repurpose it more for the locals of the 2014 World Cup’s home. Engineering director Paulo Golgher had this to say in a farewell letter:

Ten years ago, Orkut was Google's first foray into social networking. Built as a "20 percent" project, Orkut communities started conversations, and forged connections, that had never existed before. Orkut helped shape life online before people really knew what "social networking" was.

Over the past decade, YouTube, Blogger and Google+ have taken off, with communities springing up in every corner of the world. Because the growth of these communities has outpaced Orkut’s growth, we’ve decided to bid Orkut farewell (or, tchau). We’ll be focusing our energy and resources on making these other social platforms as amazing as possible for everyone who uses them.

 

Fast forward many years later, of course, and Google+ has completely drenched any chances of Orkut being useful for Google’s long-term plans. It’s not that the site wasn’t good, but it just didn’t do anything special — not then, and certainly not now. Those affected will likely be urged to find a new home on Google+ and for the rest of us, well, the world will just keep on turning.

The service will stay in-tact until September 30th of this year to give folks to transition. You’ll be able to get all your content using Google Takeout for up to two years after it sunsets. Google also mentioned they will be making the content posted to the social network’s vast communities public for anyone to stumble upon, though don’t expect any new content from the moment the blinds are shut.

Rooted users can now get the Android L navigation bar with this Xposed module

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 08:45 AM PDT

android l nav bars stitched

Want the Android L soft navigation bar (on-screen buttons) for your device without Android L? You’re in luck… well, so long as you’re rooted and have a properly functioning installation of the Xposed Framework, anyway.

XDA user Prithvee has created a .APK file that will allow you to give your phone a bit of Android L flavor with a few simple clicks. Simply install the .APK file, enable the module inside Xposed Framework, and restart your phone for good measure. Voila — you have what you see above.

Many folks expressed distaste with the newly styled navigation buttons. I personally share that sentiment — I think it looks a bit toyish and takes away from that “grown-up” feel Android has developed. But we all have our own tastes, and if this is right up your alley then be sure to grab it ahead of getting the real deal itself.

Leaked HTC update roadmap gives insight to plans for Android 4.4.4, Android L

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 07:46 AM PDT

HTC logo misc

It’s not uncommon for OEMs to begin talking about their plans to upgrade phones to the latest versions of Android soon after they’re unveiled. Unfortunately many OEMs are not yet ready to go public with their plans, but HTC’s have leaked courtesy of the handiwork of one XDA member. So what’s their roadmap looking like?

Starting with the most exciting — Android L — it appears they have intentions to offer it for most of their top smartphones from the past two years as they have all been marked with the “evaluation” stamp. Their tentative timeline for the upgrade to be available is between October and December. Why so late? Well, Android L is only in developer preview status right now.

HTC-Update-roadmap

 

The images you see being flashed to a couple of Nexus devices (see our Android L hands-on) aren’t meant to be stable or ready for prime time. We don’t expect to see a full release of Android L until this fall, and HTC’s expected timeline falls right within our expectations of seeing the update no later than a few months after being available.

Of course, evaluation means just that — they’re not ready to hard commit to plans to bringing Android L to all of these devices, though we’re sure top dogs like the HTC One M8, HTC One M7 and HTC One Max have a high chance of receiving the goods.

Moving on to the Android 4.4.4 front, HTC has confirmed plans to bring it to the HTC One M8 and M7 between July and August. Those devices were also on Android 4.4.3′s radar, but HTC might be skipping it to go straight to 4.4.4. As for the dual-SIM HTC One M8 variant, the HTC One Mini 2, and the HTC One E8? We should be expecting 4.4.4 for those between August and September. Enlarge the image above for the full roadmap if you’re interested.

T-Mobile LG G3 presales begin for $598 ahead of July 16th launch date

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 06:34 AM PDT

LG-G3-Hero

T-Mobile has announced that they’re now accepting pre-orders for their version of the LG G3. The device is going for $598 off-contract, which would mean you’d be paying about $25 per month assuming T-Mobile offers it for $0 down through their installment payment plan. Furthermore, T-Mobile confirmed that the device would be launching on store shelves July 16th, so we’re only over a couple of short weeks out of seeing one of the few Quad HD smartphones land in the United States.

The LG G3 was heralded as being not only LG’ best phone yet, but also one of the best Android smartphones available period. LG’s improved build quality, refined user interface and key features like KnockOn all contribute toward a smartphone worth its cost. You can read all about its good (and the few bad) bits in our LG G3 review. The specs aren’t shoddy, either — here’s what to expect alongside the aforementioned 5.5-inch 2560 x 1440 display:

  • 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor
  • 2GB of RAM, 16GB storage
  • 13-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization, laser-assisted autofocus, 2.1-megapixel front camera
  • 16GB storage and microSD card slot with up to 128GB
  • 3000mAh battery
  • Android 4.4.2
  • WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, 4G LTE, FM Radio
  • DLNA and Miracast
  • Metallic Black, Silk White, Gold Shine colors
  • 146.3 x 74.6 x 9.1mm

Doesn’t sound bad for under $600. You can head right here to pre-order one from Magenta if you’re interested.

Deal: Get $20 off LG’s ChromeBase computer from Amazon

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 05:48 AM PDT

lg chromebase

Looking for a new desktop all-in-one that doesn’t break the bank? LG’s ChromeBase is already a decent deal in that regard, but it got a bit better with a sale Amazon’s put on. You can get $20 off its typical cost, bringing us from  $349.99 to $329.99. $20 might no be the steep eye-opener that pushes you over the edge, but it’s still worth considering a purchase if you need a desk-bound all-in-one without many frills.

The ChromeBase features Intel’s Celeron 2955U processor clocked at 1.4GHz, and also features 2GB of RAM, a 22-inch 1080p display, 16GB of flash storage, 3x USB 2.0 ports, 1X USB 3.0 port, and 802.11 a/b/g WiFi. It weights a whopping 9.5 pounds, though that’s expected for a device that’s not meant to be carried on your back or in your lap. Last we checked the ChromeBase came with the standard 100GB of Google Drive storage space for two years if that 16GB isn’t enough for you.

Chrome is bound to become a very viable operating system despite its roots as a browser-based platform. Many apps are beginning to incorporate offline modes, and Google announced forthcoming functionality that allows Android apps to run natively on Chrome OS. It certainly wouldn’t be a bad purchase for your average student, light user or anyone who doesn’t need to do any heavy lifting.

Google: OEMs forbidden from customizing Android Auto, Wear and TV

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 05:29 AM PDT

Moto-369-pic7

Google has largely allowed OEMs to take Android and do with it what they will for smartphones and tablets, but things could be changing in a big way for the rest of the devices now officially supported by Android. According to Ars Technica, Google has confirmed that they will not allow OEMs to make deep changes to Android Wear, Android Auto and Android TV devices.

OEMs will be able to provide a collection of their own pre-installed apps, custom watch faces and other features that don’t require much deep scrubbing of the Android framework, but they won’t be able to get down and dirty and change the core of it. Google’s official reasoning? Here’s the gist of it according to Google engineering director David Burke:

The UI is more part of the product in this case. We want to just have a very consistent user experience, so if you have one TV in one room and another TV in another room and they both say Android TV, we want them to work the same and look the same. The device manufacturers can brand it, and they might have services that they want to include with it, but otherwise it should be the same.

We imagine it’s about a bit more than that. These platforms are all still very new for Google. They might be built on Android (which has matured greatly since its commercial debut in 2008), but we likely aren’t anywhere near maturity for its new home on these new classes of devices. Google’s surely going to have many updates to issue as they continue to refine these new platforms, and they won’t want early users to have to wait forever for them.

android-tv-pic

That’s just a hunch, though, and there’s no telling if Google is ever going to loosen up on these restrictions. You might be asking yourself why Google would do this if Android is supposed to be open source. Well, their Google Now platform isn’t. Google Play isn’t. Many of their services aren’t.

What’s truly “free” and “open source” is the Android Open Source Project, and OEMs (or even a lone independent developer) are free to use that however they please. But if they want to play in the new sandboxes introduced at Google IO last week they’ll have to accept Google’s new rules. All for the better I’d say.

Gizmo's Freeware: Updated: Probably the Best Free Security List in the World

Gizmo's Freeware: Updated: Probably the Best Free Security List in the World

Link to Gizmo's Freeware: Top selections

Updated: Probably the Best Free Security List in the World

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 03:19 AM PDT

Yes it has been updated again! In fact twice this month. This remarkable article contains the web's most comprehensive list of free security-related programs or web applications for Windows XP and later Windows PC-based operating systems.

Every time I browse this list I find something new to help me protect my PC and I'm sure you will too.


http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/probably-best-free-security-list-world.htm

Updated: Best Free Download Manager

Posted: 29 Jun 2014 05:09 AM PDT

Everyone downloads a lot of stuff from the internet. Be it softwares, videos, music, documents, images, you fill your hard drive with all of this. To track and manage all these downloads is a daunting task, and having a clean workspace to organize all these downloadable content is the need of the hour. This is where a download manager comes to the rescue, also accelerating your downloads all the way.


http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-download-manager.htm

Saturday, 28 June 2014

Android Phone Fans

Android Phone Fans


Android L’s ‘Heads up’ notifications now available for any Android 4.3+ device [DOWNLOAD]

Posted: 28 Jun 2014 10:25 AM PDT

Heads Up notifications

Hey, all you non-Nexus elite. If the Android L Developer Preview (which arrived exclusively for the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7) got you feeling down in the dumps with all its glitz and glamor, don’t worry. It appears that many Android devs are working ’round the clock to bring some of those flashy features introduced in Android L — like the all new Heads Up notifications — to our “filthy casual” Android devices.

Fresh out the Google Play Store is “Heads Up! notifications” by Woodblock Without Co.. The developer announced the availability of the app over on XDA (where it can be previewed/downloaded for free) and as the name suggests, Heads Up! brings Android L type Heads Up notifications to any device running Android 4.3+ — Android L not required. This app is not only great for themers who like to hide the notification/status bar using 3rd party launchers, but also for times when your phone goes into full screen media mode (like watching a movie or playing a game).

In fact, the best part about the app is all the many filtering options it provides. You can whitelist only specific apps, or filter out “silent” heads-up notifications and/or ongoing ones. There’s even an option to only display heads-up notifications while in fullscreen mode.

Heads Up! is only a buck on Google Play, but if you’d like to try before you buy, you can always download straight from the developer via XDA here.

Android Wallpaper: Vintage Style

Posted: 28 Jun 2014 09:00 AM PDT

android wallpaper vintage

See past editions of Android Wallpaper

Hey man, it’s time to get your groove on with some fab vintage wallpapers. Can you dig it? Everything comes back in style eventually. What used to be considered tacky wallpaper patterns are now showing up again as “retro” or “vintage.” Well, we’re also victims of the vintage fad. These old patterns just make great wallpaper on phones, tablets, and PCs. We can’t help it.

We have selected five bodacious HD wallpapers that should look great on any device you own. To get one of these on your device simply tap or click the download link underneath each image. On the next page you can right-click or long-press to save the image to your device. We hope you enjoy these wallpapers as much as we do. It’s the next best thing to hopping in a time machine. Enjoy!

Push new Android Wallpaper to your Android device with this IFTTT recipe.

Cool Blue

vintage blueDownload (2560 x 1600)

Retro Music

retro-music-devices-pattern

Download (2560 x 1600)

Plaid Greyscale

Patterns_textures_backgrounds_plaid_greyscale_2560x1600

Download (2560 x 1600)

Faded Blue

blue-pattern_00252482

Download (2560 x 1600)

Toy Clouds

toy clouds

Download (2560 x 1600)

 

Android L’s Material keyboard now available on Google Play [DOWNLOAD]

Posted: 27 Jun 2014 08:20 PM PDT

Android L wallpaper

Google’s early Android L Developer Preview is nowhere near daily driving status (broken apps… broken apps everywhere), but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t a few goodies to be found inside. Earlier today, we posted a veritable smorgasbord of L goodies, including Google’s all new Material redesigned keyboard. Given it’s one of the few apps in Android L rocking Google’s new Material design, it’s probably the most lusted over by Android users not willing (or able to) flash the experimental release.

The apk extracted from the Android L system dump was made available on XDA, but there a few hoops Android users had to jump through to get it up and running. One of those was uninstallation of the regular Google Keyboard (if installed). If sideloading isn’t your cup of tea, some new folks are making the app available via the Google Play Store where it is now available for free as “Android L Keyboard.”

But just like the XDA supplied apk, this too will require users to jump into the keyboard’s settings, selecting the “Advanced settings” option, then choosing “Material” under “Color scheme.” After that, you should be up and running with the cleanest keyboard this side of Fleksy, and 1 step closer to getting a true Material experience on your Android.

Reflecting on Google I/O 2014: From our Android community to Android everywhere

Posted: 27 Jun 2014 07:49 PM PDT

io2014-stage1

Being what some would call a bit of a fanboy, making the pilgrimage to Google's annual developer conference was nothing short of a dream come true. I sit here in the cabin of this airplane, unable to relax and unable to close my eyes like unlike many other passengers during our journey across the country. The truth is, even though Google I/O 2014 has come and gone, the best is yet to come. And that's what's truly exciting. Before we talk about the future, let's revisit and reflect on not only the events, but the experiences over the past few days.

Google provides live streaming for countless sessions as well as their highly anticipated keynote presentation for all to watch and listen to from anywhere in the world. Yes, the keynote is where we learn all of the juicy details about Google's upcoming products and services, but as I mentioned, you can get that at home.

For me, the true experience of Google I/O comes from the relationships built and social aspect of the conference. Attending Google I/O allowed me to meet some truly amazing people from the Android community that I've wanted to meet for years. From big bad famous Googlers, to ex-Googlers, to Android bloggers, and all sorts of friends from far and wide that I've only known on Google+ for the past 3 years. Being able to finally meet and hang out with so many of these amazing people made the past few days just truly awesome (Queue everything is awesome music.)

After parties and social aside, Google taught us this year that Android is everywhere and it's going to get even better as time goes on.

Android One is going to provide low cost phones to remote places of the world where having a capable smartphone is sometimes out of the question. Google has well over a billion Android devices out there right now. The next billion consumers are ready to join the Android ecosystem.

With Android Auto, Google will ultimately make the roads safer by removing some of our technological distractions while we're on the road. Google's success with the smartphone market is now being applied to the automobile industry. The connected car is here, now let's unify the experience.

As for Android TV, Google is really putting the brand into the product this time around. Android TV will provide a rich and unified entertainment experience for the living room. Chromecast is here to stay if you're interested in streaming content, however if you're into gaming and apps, you'll want something a bit more powerful. Android TV is the answer.

Android Wear aims to show the ever expanding wearables space just exactly how Google plans to shape the wearable computer industry. Being able to seamlessly integrate your wearable device into your current platform and ecosystem is very rewarding. In fact, in just two days time I've come to love my LG G Watch more than Google Glass, which I've had for a year. This could also be the fact that my Glass only lasts 1-2 hours before dying, but that's a story for another time.

The Android L preview is not only gorgeous (sorry, fanboy remember?), but it brings about many changes to Android that makes the experience easier for consumers. However, the real point here is that Google took a pointer from Apple and released a developer preview months in advance, giving developers time to ready their applications and services. This will result in a more stable final release as well as (fingers crossed) more applications using the new design language, resulting in apps not looking out of place when it comes to matching the new style.

The future of Android and Google's new plans to unify all of their platforms in design as well as integration show us that the future is going to provide stellar user experiences when Android reaches it's final form. We'll no longer think of Android Auto, Android TV, Android Wear, or any other facet of Android. We'll just think of Android as one large platform spanning across various devices and gadgets. A platform to unify all of the things.

Lastly, I'd like to thank our Rob and Steve for making Google I/O so enjoyable and an experience I'll never forget. Here's to the future of Android with Phandroid and Google I/O 2015.