Fitbit Public Preview adds food & water logging, more as app redesign comes to free users
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Nextbit Robin shipping to first 1,000 backers on February 16, rest by end of month
The Nextbit Robin is a beautifully designed Android phone with an interesting take on storage. The Kickstarter backed project will be shipping GSM units to its first thousand backers on February 16th, while the rest will receive their devices by the end of February.
No, Google’s Photos app isn’t uploading photos without you knowing it
Over the past day or so we’ve seen a number of reports across the web claiming that Google’s Photos app is uploading photos even after it’s been uninstalled. Of course the worry is that customers could be racking up huge cellular data overages from having it “switched on without them knowing it”. The truth is, having the Photos app installed or uninstalled makes no difference to whether or not your snaps are being uploaded to Google’s drive in the sky.
Google Drive for Android 2.2.23 brings ability to download/send multiple files at once
Google Drive for Android, the cloud storage service by Google, received an update yesterday that brings a helpful new improvement for those who rely on the service to access files across devices and share them with others.
Version 2.2.23, which hasn’t propagated completely in Google Play but can be pulled from APKMirror (click here), includes the ability to send and/or download multiple files at once. All you need to do to select multiple files is hold down on one file, and then a blue checkmark will appear indicating the file has been selected. After that just tap the checkmark for every file you want to include and the menu at the bottom of the screen will allow you to choose what you want to do with the selected files.
This should be useful for those who may have a lot of photos, music, and other files stored in Drive that they want to download to a new device, upload to a network like Tumblr, or whatever else. For reference, here’s what the previous version of Drive looked like when you selected multiple files:
No option to download or send the files is present when multiple photos are selected (the overflow menu doesn’t include them either). To do so you had to visit the info page of each file individually and send or download from there. A nice little update that avid Drive users will surely appreciate.
HTC One M9 announced in 4 colors, 20MP sapphire camera, more – available this month
One of the worst-kept tech secrets in recent memory, the HTC One M9 was finally announced today on stage by CEO Peter Chou at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. None of the specs were much of a surprise though the 20 megapixel sapphire camera and new configurable DotView cover will make some headlines. Under the hood is Qualcom’s new flagship 810 processor which HTC calls the fastest mobile processor in the world.
As for the appearance, I’m not sure I’m a fan of the Dual-Tone finish tweeted below but that beats the Pink version of the M9 IMHO.
[tweet https://twitter.com/htc/status/572052425693138944]
Me? I’ll skip the Sense 7 and will take a GPE if/when it comes out thank you very much.
Huge gallery and hands-on video below. We’ll have more HTC updates as they happen.
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Google bundling 1TB of Drive storage with the purchase of select Chromebooks
Chromebook’s are becoming a viable option for people with simple computing needs, and while the laptop alternative typically ships with limited local storage, Google often tosses in 100GB of cloud space from Google Drive for two years. But to sweeten the pot this holiday season, the search giant is turning the dial up quite a few notches and tossing in 1TB of Drive storage with the purchase of an eligible Chromebook.
Leaked screenshots reveal Android Lollipop and HTC Sense running on HTC One M8
A series of screenshots have surfaced on Twitter that appear to provide a first look at Android Lollipop overlaid with HTC Sense on the HTC One (M8). Given that HTC Sense uses a similar design language as Google, the custom skin does not make Android Lollipop look overly different compared to the stock version.
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Dropbox for Android users can now export files to SD cards
After several requests, Dropbox for Android users can now export files to their device’s SD card. This new feature will help keep important items like documents and photos accessible whenever offline or switching from one device to another.
OneDrive for Android updated with All Photos View and new file search features
Microsoft updated OneDrive for Android today with some new features that change the way users view photos saved to the company’s cloud storage service. Bringing the app up to speed with its counterparts, the software maker added All Photos View to its mobile application, along with some new search features that make it easier for business customers to locate specific files.
HTC Lock Screen now available at Google Play
Today, HTC continued its trend of separating its Sense software by releasing its homegrown lock screen to Google Play. The lone change for this quasi-app is listed as a “mechanism to prevent you from unintentionally triggering factory reset.” Compatible with newer HTC devices running Sense 6, this app has likely been added to the Play Store to help the company crank out faster updates for specific software.
Google Cloud Platform now offers developers 2 TB of storage for free through partner Panzura
Google has partnered with cloud storage startup Panzura to offer developers 2 TB of free storage for a full year, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. It’s the latest move in the continuing battle between competitors like Google and Amazon to dominate the cloud storage market.
The new plans are focused more on cloud app developers than end users, who will still want to rely on services like Google Drive or Dropbox for their own storage needs. However, for app developers looking for cloud solutions, Google’s new offer could provide a pretty decent starting point. Getting 2 TB of storage on Amazon, by comparison, would run at least $240 a year, while a similar setup on Microsoft’s cloud system would cost even more.
Microsoft’s OneDrive now matches Google Drive with 15GB of free storage
Microsoft is making notable improvements to its storage offerings for its OneDrive cloud-based service. The company is announcing today that OneDrive storage at the free tier will be more than doubled, Office 365 storage will see a major increase, and that there will be storage price drops across the board. Here are the three main announcements in more detail:
- Currently, OneDrive’s free tier includes 7GB of storage. This storage is accessible via the OneDrive apps on iOS, Android, Windows, and on the web, and much like Dropbox and the upcoming iCloud Drive, it can store files of all kinds. Now, this 7GB is moving to 15GB. Microsoft says it is making the switch to 15GB now that people store more files in the cloud and now that images and videos taken on smartphones consume much more space.
- A bigger shift is occurring on the Office 365 storage side. That service is moving from 20GB of storage to 1TB of storage per user. This 1TB tier costs the same $6.99 per month for an individual user or $9.99 for a 5 person family plan (which still provides 1TB per family member). This move from 20GB to 1TB is a significant boost, but it’s unlikely that most people even have ~1000GB worth of Office files to store. Office 365 keeps Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents in sync between the iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows, and web Office apps.
- For those customers who do not want an Office 365 subscription at the aforementioned prices, users can now tack on additional storage to a OneDrive account in increments of 100GB or 200GB. 100GB is $1.99/month and 200GB is $3.99/month. The change here is price decreases: 100GB used to cost $7.49 per month and 200GB previously was $11.49 each month.
These price changes automatically go into effect today for current users. The shift is notable because OneDrive’s free storage tier now matches Google’s 15GB Google Drive and other cloud services. OneDrive’s 100GB storage plan also now matches Google’s at $1.99 per month. Google also offers much larger storage plans than Microsoft, which can be seen below:
Google’s new cloud import tool makes third-party data transfers a whole lot easier
Whether you’re an average Joe backing up pictures of your family or a huge mega-corporation that regularly moves terabytes of data, cloud storage migration can be a bit of a pain. Aware of your plight, Google is developing a solution that will help enterprise customers move their precious information with less of a fuss. Today, the company announced a limited preview of its new cloud import tool, which makes it “faster, easier and cheaper” to import your cloud storage buckets through Google’s “high performance network.”
Box for Android updated with a refined UI and a snappy file previewer
Cloud storage provider Box announced an update for its Android app today that introduces a trove of new tweaks and features. Users of version 3.0 will be greeted by a simplified menu and an overhauled previewer that can handle over 100 file types without flinching. This means that PowerPoint presentation will load directly from within the cloud for fast access on your Android device. This spiffed up previewer also displays page thumbnails and lets you search text in any document. While Box’s new apps isn’t exactly a Drive killer, it may come in handy as a back-up plan if you often find yourself working with funky file types.
Red HTC One (M8) leaked, coming to Verizon soon
Given that the original HTC One (M7) was available in various colors, it only seems likely that its successor will also be offered in a variety of shades. Notorious Twitter leaker @evleaks has leaked a picture of the HTC One (M8) in a new red color. The device will reportedly be a Verizon exclusive, as evident by the Verizon and 4G LTE branding on the back.
The back of the device is entirely red, with the exception of the branding, camera, and a few black accents. Unlike the red Nexus 5, the front of the device is also red, aside from a small black bezel around the display.
Other than the new red color, the device has the same Sense 6 overlay, Duo Camera, BoomSound speakers, and unibody design. We wouldn’t expect to wait too long for an official announcement from Verizon and/or HTC.
HTC adds key Sense apps to Play Store to make updating easier
After months of leaks, HTC just unveiled the new One (M8) on stage in New York City, and with it comes a bit of software news, as well. Overnight, HTC added all of its key Sense apps to the Play Store in order to make updating them easier. Motorola also did this with the Moto X and it has turned out to be a big success.
Having each individual app on the Play Store means that HTC can quickly and easily push updates without having to issue a full OTA device update, which requires carrier approval. And as we are all well aware of, it can take awhile for carriers to approve updates. HTC can now release updates just as any third-party developer would.
HTC has added the following apps to the Play Store: BlinkFeed, Gallery, SenseTV, Service Pack, and a companion app for their Fetch accessory.
Play Store links: BlinkFeed | Service Pack | Gallery | SenseTV | Fetch
“All New HTC One” detailed in 12-minute hands-on video ahead of official announcement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivOspWGlMdk
Rumors of HTC’s upcoming flagship have been around for a while now, especially now that Samsung’s Galaxy S5 has been announced. HTC has an event scheduled for March 25th, but that hasn’t stopped numerous pictures of the device from being leaked, including a clear press shot of the device in gold. Now, a kid from Schaumburg, IL has posted an exhaustive 12-minute hands-on video with the device, nearly three weeks ahead of the phone’s official unveil.
The video doesn’t show a lot that we didn’t already know. We do get to see the latest version of HTC Sense in great detail. The kid calls it Sense 6.6, which doesn’t seem very logical, as it is expected to be Sense 6.0. The video also shows the welcomed addition of a microSD card. Most notably, there are now two rear cameras, as expected, while the power button has been moved to the top right and the headphone jack to the bottom. The camera interface has also been greatly simplified with a focus on speed. There are six shooting modes, as well, including: Camera, Video, Selfie, Zoe, 360 Panorama, and Dual Capture.
HTC is set to officially unveil the device on March 25th, but in the meantime, checkout the video up above and let us know if you notice anything neat. Full gallery of images below:
Amazon offering 50GB of free Cloud Drive storage with select Android phones
This isn’t by any means the first time we’ve seen a cloud storage provider offer up a special offer, in fact it seems like the cool thing to do these days. With that in mind, it’s worth noting that Amazon is throwing its hat into the proverbial free cloud storage offer with 50GB of storage with the purchase of over 100 carrier-branded Android smartphones.
Sprint announces the arrival of the One Max this Friday, November 15th
Sprint just hit the airwaves with a short press release confirming the arrival of the HTC One Max for this Friday, November 15th. The device will hit Sprint shelves for $249.99 with new line or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement or $25.00 per month with Sprint’s One Up early upgrade plan. The One Max features a 5.9″ 1080p display, 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor, LTE, Android 4.3 with HTC Sense, 2GB RAM and 32GB of internal memory.
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Is this next year’s HTC flagship handset? Claimed M8 photos leak
The photographic qualities leave a lot to be desired, but if the Chinese forum Baidu is to be believed, this is the casing for HTC’s successor to the HTC One, codenamed the M8 (the HTC One was codenamed M7).
The hole above the camera is believed to be for a fingerprint sensor, already found in the HTC One Max. The rumor mill says the specs will be a Snapdragon 800 CPU with 3GB of RAM. Generally-reliable source @evleaks says it will be the first handset to run Sense 6.0 …
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HTC One Max officially announced – with neat spin on fingerprint sensor
HTC’s take on Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 – the HTC One Max – has finally been officially announced by HTC after long-running rumors.
HTC, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today announced the HTC One max, a super-sized smartphone that brings the award-winning design, functionality and performance of the HTC One to fans of larger handsets. A new Fingerprint Scan feature takes convenience to a new level while acclaimed features including HTC BlinkFeed™, HTC Zoe™ and HTC BoomSound™, combined with the new HTC Sense 5.5, which are all enhanced to continue to deliver the best overall smartphone experience, now on a larger screen.
Most of the specs are as per the rumors we’ve reported over the last few months, including the almost non-existent bezel, 5.9″ full HD1080p display, 3300mAH battery, (optional) capacitive stylus and fingerprint scanner. The fingerprint sensor unlocks the phone, of course, but also has a neat feature where you can assign a different app to each finger, switching on the device with that app loaded.
The CPU is, however, less powerful than rumored. Everyone had been expecting a Snapdragon 800 processor running at 2.3GHz, but instead the Max has the same 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 chip as the phone on which it’s based, the HTC One …
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Sense 5.5 screenshots leak, show new camera modes, toggle to turn off BlinkFeed
One of the biggest changes HTC introduced with its Sense 5.0 software was BlinkFeed, which the company touted as a “personal live stream right on the home screen.” The feature was either loved or hated by many customers and reviewers, and it looks like HTC will be accommodating those who hate it with the upcoming Sense 5.5 update. Android Revolution HD has gotten ahold of several supposed screenshots of HTC’s Sense 5.5 update and if they are to be believed, there will now be a toggle on the homescreen to turn BlinkFeed on or off.
Also believed to be coming in Sense 5.5 are some new camera features. The leaked screenshots show two new shooting modes: Panorama+ and Dual Capture. It’s not entirely clear what these two modes will offer, but I imagine that Dual Capture will allow you to take pictures with the front and rear facing shooters at the same time, similar to what Samsung already offers.
Aside from those changes, Sense 5.5 doesn’t appear to be all that different from 5.0, with the task switcher showing bigger preview windows and some new emojis being available.
HTC is expected to release the HTC One Max next week, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Sense 5.5 come along with it.
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HTC’s woes continue with arrests and alleged Chinese government conspiracy
HTC’s former VP of Product Design Thomas Chien (photo: HTC blog)
Taiwanese company HTC has not been having a happy time of late. Senior departures, including its COO; a halving of market share since 2011; former UK execs setting up a rival company; disappointing Q2 financials; and the possibility of the first ever loss in the company’s history in Q3.
But the latest saga in the company’s troubles read more like the plot of a soap opera than real-life. First, several of HTC’s former lead designers were arrested last week on suspicion of fraudulent expenses claims and leaking of trade secrets. Now Engadget reports that one of those arrested, ex-VP of Product Design Thomas Chien, may have been involved in a conspiracy with a Chinese municipal government to use both the trade secrets are purloined cash to create a rival smartphone company in China …
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Google launches server-side encryption for Cloud Storage at no charge to developers
Google announced today on its Cloud Platform Blog that the data stored in its Cloud Storage platform will now be automatically encrypted before written to disk at no additional charge to developers. Google said the process will not involve any input or configuration from developers and that the new encryption will cause “no visible performance impact”:
We manages the cryptographic keys on your behalf using the same hardened key management systems that Google uses for our own encrypted data, including strict key access controls and auditing. Each Cloud Storage object’s data and metadata is encrypted with a unique key under the 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES-128), and the per-object key itself is encrypted with a unique key associated with the object owner. These keys are additionally encrypted by one of a regularly rotated set of master keys.
Google noted that developers will still be able to encrypt data using their own methods and manage their own decryption keys, but from now on Google will free developers from the effort and cost associated with doing so. The new server-side encryption is active starting today for new data written to the platform, and Google says it will work with both new objects or for overwriting existing objects. It also said that “older objects will be migrated and encrypted in the coming months.”
In July, reports claimed that Google was also readying server-side encryption for files stored in its consumer-facing Drive cloud storage service.
Google combines free storage across Gmail, Drive and +Photos, 15GB for consumers, 30GB for Apps
A nice little pre-I/O surprise today from Google: Everyone who uses Gmail, G+ Photos and Google Drive now gets 15GB of free space across all three platforms instead of the previous 10 GB for Gmail and another 5 GB for Drive and Google+ Photos. That’s a lot of combined space
We’ll also be making updates to the Google Drive storage page, so you can better understand how you’re using storage space. Simply hover over the pie chart to see a breakdown of your storage use across Drive, Gmail, and Google+ Photos. And if you need more storage, this is your place to upgrade, with plans starting at $4.99/month for 100 GB.
Pro tip: This change means you’re no longer limited to a 25 GB upgrade in Gmail—any additional storage you purchase now applies there, too.
These changes to Google Drive storage will roll out over the next couple of weeks. Google Apps users will also be getting shared storage, so visit the enterprise blog to learn more.
Enterprise users get 30GB between the three platforms.
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