Chance Miller

There’s no doubting that CyanogenMod is one of the most well-known custom ROMs available, with it being available for a plethora of new and old devices. Last month, the CyanogenMod team announced that it had raised $7 million in funding and was looking into a direct-to-consumer route for installing the ROM. Today, Cyanogen Inc. has announced (via Droid Life) the CyanogenMod Installer. This app, available on Google Play now, allows users to install the custom ROM incredibly easily.

Once the app is downloaded to one of the compatible devices (list here), it will pair to companion computer software in order to perform the ROM flash. All the user must do is plug their device into the computer and simply hit “start.” The process will wipe everything from the device and install the latest CyanogenMod build. Both the app and computer software are free to download.

As far as device compatibility goes, Cyanogen says that it “will continue to work on supporting additional devices beyond the initial set,” but that for the moment, the software supports “the majority of flagship models currently on the market.”

This is an incredible feat for a company that only received funding last month. CyanogenMod Installer will allow for people who are not technologically-inclined to easily install the latest version of Android to their device.

You can download the app from the Play Store now, and the computer software from Cyanogen’s website.

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It’s no secret that Google thinks big when it comes to crazy, innovative technologies, and that appears to be just what the company is doing with its latest patent filing (via The Register). Google’s Motorola Mobility division, a year ago, filed for a patent relating to a temporary neck tattoo that can serve as a lie detector and includes a built-in microphone. It’s an incredibly out-there concept. Essentially, Motorola says you will be able to apply the tattoo with a sticky substance to your neck and wirelessly connect it to a mobile device.

The patent application suggests a couple of potential use cases. For one, Google points out that it could be used by security personnel that work undercover or in noisy environments. The application reads:

Mobile communication devices are often operated in noisy environments. For example, large stadiums, busy streets, restaurants, and emergency situations can be extremely loud and include varying frequencies of acoustic noise. Communication can reasonably be improved and even enhanced with a method and system for reducing the acoustic noise in such environments and contexts.

Google also suggests that it could be used in conjunction with a lie detector to tell when a user is speaking falsely, based on skin response.

Optionally, the electronic skin tattoo 200 can further include a galvanic skin response detector to detect skin resistance of a user. It is contemplated that a user that may be nervous or engaging in speaking falsehoods may exhibit different galvanic skin response than a more confident, truth telling individual.

Obviously this Google neck tattoo is still in the early stages of development, but it does raise some interesting questions as to what else Google is secretly working on. 
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Last week, Google began rolling out the XE11 update to Glass Explorers, touting a host of new features, such as new voice commands, directions home, and much more. Oddly unannounced, however, was support for Google Play Music. As first discovered by Phandroid, Glass users who wish to enjoy their music with the device can side load the Play Music APK and control it via voice controls. Once the app is loaded, simply say “OK Glass, listen to,” then the name of a song, artist, album, or playlist. A card will then pop up with results and allow you to specify what to play. A new card also stays pinned for further music control, including Play, Stop, Skip, Rewind, and volume control.

The music plays through the device’s bone conduction speaker, which means quality might not be the best, but that should improve with the upcoming hardware revision of Glass with a built-in earpiece.

Instructions to side load the APK are relatively simple, though do involve some basic ADB usage:

1. Download the latest Google Play Music APK here.
2. Go to Glass Settings > Device Info and turn on debug mode. Connect Glass to your computer.
3. Using the Android SDK, issue the command “adb install FILENAME.APK“, where “FILENAME” is the APK’s actual filename on your computer.
4. Enjoy the tunes!

If this odd post from a Google employee is to believed, the company has been working on this feature for the past several months and plans to officially announce it soon.

Google today has released Chrome 32 beta for Windows, Mac, and PC. The update includes several new features. Arguably the biggest, however, is the ability to track down which tab is the one playing a video and/or making sound. This feature was rumored way back in February, but only now is it making its way to the Chrome beta channel. In Chrome 32, tabs that are playing sound will now show a small speaker icon. Chrome has been doing this for YouTube videos since August, but it will now work with any site. Tabs that are using a webcam or microphone will also now display icons, as will tabs that are being cast to a TV with a Chromecast.

Also new in Chrome 32 beta is a new design for Windows 8 Metro, the automatic blocking of malware files, and a plethora of stability and performance improvements.

• Tab indicators for sound, webcam and casting
• A different look for Win8 Metro mode
• Automatically blocking malware files
• A number of new apps/extension APIs
• Lots of under the hood changes for stability and performance

You can download Chrome beta to give these features a try. The update should be released in the main channel early next year.

When Google Glass originally launched, there were many people who were incredibly eager to get their hands on it, but were not able to because they didn’t attend Google I/O. People who did attend the conference saw this as a huge opportunity for profit and tried to list their Glass units on eBay and other sites. Google quickly put a stop to this, claiming it was against its terms of service and that it would disable any Glass units that unofficially changed owners.

Today, however, Google has changed this policy (via Engadget). While it’s still technically against the terms of service to sell Glass, Google says that has no plans to disable anymore devices.

Q. Is it OK for Explorers to try and sell their devices online? Will you disable the devices if they do this?

A: The Explorer program is about taking Glass out in the world and seeing what’s possible with the technology. We hope our Explorers are excited to do just that. While it’s against our terms of service to sell your device, we don’t plan on disabling any Explorer’s device.

Google also recently started giving current Explorers three invites to hand out to other people interested in the product. It’s clear that the company is now trying to get Glass to as many people as possible before a full-on consumer launch. 
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2zpKBS9pL-o

Google today released a new Opinion Rewards app for Android (via Droid Life). The app allows users to take a survey and receive a small Google Play credit in exchange. Each survey is no longer than 10 questions. Google says that users will be able to take about one survey a week and that they will be notified via a push notification when they are eligible to take another survey. Survey topics will vary, but will all be relatively simple. 

 About once a week you’ll get a notification on your phone that a short and relevant survey is ready for you. Questions will range from, “Which logo is best?” and “Which promotion is most compelling?” to “When do you plan on traveling next?”

It’s unclear how much Google will pay for each survey, but in the video demonstrating the app, both surveys payout just $1.00 and Google notes that not every survey will payout anything. The credit is immediately applied to the Google Wallet account of whoever took the survey and can be used towards any content in the Play Store.

Opinion Rewards is available in the Play Store now. Though, unfortunately, it is only open to those located in the United States.  

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With Android 4.4 KitKat finally officially announced, many users now begin the agonizing process of waiting for their device to receive the update. As we are all well aware off, it can take a long time for Android updates to make their way to the majority of users. Things have started to improve recently, however, and with the release of Android 4.4, several manufacturers have already announced their upgrade plans. Here’s a running list of devices already confirmed to get the udpate along with release dates:
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Continuing its flood of announcements today, Google has announced cases for the new Nexus 5, as well as a wireless charging pad for the Nexus 7 and Nexus 5. With the Nexus 4 last year, Google introduced a circular “puck” shaped charger, but this time around, the company has completely revamped the charger.

The wireless charging pad (via The Verge) has a square design and is wider on the top than on the bottom. While the 2012 wireless charger had a sticky, rubber-coated top, this one has a glossy top. Finally, the wireless charger also has a built-in magnet in order to help your device stick to it. Both the Nexus 7 and Nexus 5 have magnets built in, so they will both work seamlessly with this charger.

Google also today introduced two cases for the Nexus 5. The LG QuickCover is similar to the flip covers designed by Samsung. It covers both the back and front of your device and allows you unlock your phone by just opening the front cover. The Quick Cover is listed as “coming soon” on Google Play and will run $49.99 and be available in black and white.

The bumper case for the Nexus 5 is pretty basic and protects the back and sides of your device. It too is listed as “coming soon” on Google Play and will run $34.99 and be available in black, grey, red, and yellow. 
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Canadian carrier WIND Mobile has just posted a pre-registration form on its Facebook page for the still unannounced Nexus 5 (via MobileSyrup). The carrier touts the device as the “smart, new phone made to capture the moments that matter.” The registration page is lacking any concrete availability information, though it does list detailed specifications.

The carrier says that the Nexus 5 will feature a 4.95-inch 1080p display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It will pack a 1.3MP front-facing camera, as well as an 8MP rear-shooter. The device will be powered by a Snapdragon 800 processor paired with 2GB of RAM. As you would expect, it will also run the latest 4.4 KitKat version of Android and be available in 8GB and 16GB variants.

• Screen: 4.95-inch 1920×1080 display (445 ppi) Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• Cameras: 1.3MP front facing 8MP rear facing OIS
• Weight: 130 grams
• Dimensions: 69.17 x 137.84 x 8.59 mm
• Operating System: OS Android 4.4, KitKat
• Processor: 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor
• Wi-Fi (2.4G/5G) 802.11 a/b/g/n/ncNFC (Android Beam) / Bluetooth 4.0
• Storage / Memory / Ram: 16GB or 32GB internal storage 2GB RAM
• Ports & Connectors: microUSB, SlimPort enabled, 3.5mm stereo audio jack, Dual microphones, Ceramic power and volume buttons

Yesterday, an image of the Nexus 5 in white was leaked, along with a supposed launch date of November 1st. Earlier this month, the device even appeared on Google Play in a 16GB variant, priced at $349.
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In a post on Google+,  Google has just announced a new revision of Glass that will be available to all current Explorers later this year. The company says that the hardware update will be designed to work with future lines of shades and prescription frames. The new version of Glass will also include a mono earbud.

Anyone who purchased Glass before October 28th will have the opportunity to exchange their original unit for a new, revised model. You will be able to switch colors at this time, as well. Google says it plans to notify Glass Explorers with the next steps to upgrade sometime in November. Once the program opens, users will have 60 days to register for an exchange. It’s unclear if the trade-in will be entirely free, or if a fee will apply.

In addition to the new revision of Glass, Google reiterated the fact that it is further expanding the Explorer program. As we noted earlier this month, current Explorers now have the ability to invite up to three friends to the program, who can then purchase Glass and have it shipped to their home.

Glass is expected to be available to the public sometime in 2014. 
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Keeping with the trend of being the company’s “fastest selling smartphone ever”, Samsung has just announced that the Galaxy S4 has sold 40 million units world-wide.

Samsung CEO JK Shin revealed this data earlier today while speaking to Korean media regarding speculation that the Galaxy S4 had not sold as well as Samsung had originally expected. The device has been on the market for about six months now, and within the first month, the device had shipped 10 million units worldwide.

For comparison’s sake, the Galaxy S3 had shipped 30 million units after just six months on the market. So despite some speculation that the Galaxy S4 was too similar to its successor to sell at the same rate, the device is clearly doing just fine.

One thing worth noting is that it’s somewhat unclear as to whether JK Shin is referring to sales or shipments of the device. Should it be the latter of those, then Samsung has not actually sold 40 million Galaxy S4 units to customers, but rather shipped them to retailers to sell. 
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While from the outside, the most recent YouTube update looked rather minor, Android Police has done some deep digging and discovered a couple of very interesting tidbits regarding future features coming to the app. First off, the APK file makes several hints at background audio support. This means that you will be able to start a video within the YouTube app and navigate to another app and not have your content disrupted. Currently, leaving the YouTube app makes your video automatically pause. Android Police notes that the feature should work when the device’s screen is off, as well.

Within the YouTube app now, the settings option for background audio is hidden, but Android Police managed to reveal the options for a very brief period of time. Regarding the upcoming offline feature, the APK teardown also revealed some of the dialogue messages users will be presented with, though they’re all pretty standard.

Background audio support will be huge for listening to music via YouTube, in addition to other things, such as podcasts and videos. It’s unclear when the feature will launch, but between this and offline video support, YouTube for Android is about to get a lot more useful.
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We’ve heard a lot about the upcoming Nexus 5 over the past couple of weeks, and now we have some  supposed press renders of the device, courtesy of Mobile Syrup. The press images show what appears to be the Nexus 5 for Canadian carrier Telus.  In terms of design, the images don’t show too much that we didn’t already know. You can see that the volume rocker is located on the left hand side of the device, while the power button is on the right. Above the display is a circular speaker, in addition to the front-facing camera.

The renders do, however, give us a very clear look at the Android 4.4 Kit Kat home screen design and layout. The notification bar is now transparent and all of the icons are white, while the dock is much simpler and houses  camera, Chrome, Hangouts, and Phone shortcuts.

While missing in this image, Android 4.4 is also expected to introduce a transparent app drawer, meaning that you will see your wallpaper instead of a black background. Also new are dots to indicate the amount of home screens you have set up, similar to what we’ve seen on iOS for years.

The Nexus 5 is expected to be unveiled later this month, and according to several reports, will cost $299 and $399 for 16GB and 32GB of storage, respectively. 
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSY18ZJVQcU

Google is set announce its earnings for the third quarter of 2013 in less than an hour, and ahead of its call with investors, the company has posted a live stream of the call on YouTube. Last quarter, Google reported $14.11 billion in revenue, which was up 19 percent year over year. The number was, however, lower than the $14.45 billion that Wall Street was expecting.

This quarter, analysts are expecting revenue of $14.82 billion, up from $11.33 billion in the third quarter of last year. Analysts expect a net income of $3.5 billion, or $10.35 per share, up from the $3 billion, or $9.03 per share, year over year.

We’ll have all of Google’s announcements when they are made, which is slated to happen at 4:30 ET.
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Over the past few weeks, everyone has been heavily focused on the forthcoming KitKat update and Nexus 5, but Android Police has obtained screenshots of something that should be rolling out to everyone soon. According to the site, Google is currently in the process of redesigning the Play Store, yet again. The changes will keep up with what Google has been doing to its other apps.

The biggest user-interface change comes with the new slide-out navigation panel, which is commonly referred to as “hamburger-style” navigation. In the current version of the Play Store, all of the options are put into a single menu in the upper right corner. With this Play Store update, the menu options will be reduced to just settings and help, while everything will move to the navigation panel.

• Store home
• My apps, My movies & TV, etc., (varies depending on what section of the Play Store you are in)
• Shop (only appears at certain times)
• My wishlist
• Redeem

As far as release timeframe goes, Android Police expects the update to go live with Android 4.4 at the very minimum, but notes that it may go out earlier. It will compatible with all versions of Android back to Froyo. The blog also notes that the design is a work in progress and may very well change several times before release. 
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Archos has just announced the successor to its GamePad portable gaming device, originally released last Winter. The GamePad 2 improves on original in about every way possible and is better suited to handle modern games. The device features a 7-inch, 1280 x 800 IPS display and a quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor paired with 2GB of RAM. Archos also touts that it has improved the control sensitivity in the GamePad 2, as well as the battery life.

The GamePad 2 will come pre-loaded with both Asphalt 8: Airborne and Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour.  The device will be available in two storage capacities: 8GB and 16GB, and will have a microSD card slot that supports up to 64GB of more storage, as well as apps2SD to allow you to save games to the card.

“Following the success of the GamePad 1, we knew that we could take the gaming-tablet concept further. With our GamePad 2 we have included an HD  screen, better controls, a larger battery and a faster processor,” said Loic Poirier ARCHOS CEO, “We’re excited to be working with a leading games company like Gameloft to pre-install two visually stunning titles for an amazing gaming experience.”

The GamePad 2 will be available in Europe by the end of October for €180 and will come to the United States for $200 sometime in Q4. Check out our hands-on with the original GamePad after the break:
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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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Two months after the initial launch of the device, Google has just released its official flip cases for the 2013 Nexus 7. The cases are available in four colors: red, white, black, and blue. Google touts that this is the first case “designed by Google specifically for the Nexus 7” and is made to fit the “exact specifications” of your device.

The flip cases feature a built in stand with positions for typing, as well as watching a video/participating in a Hangout. Finally, on the edge of the case is a tiny Google-colored flag to remind you that the case fits perfectly.

The cases run $49.99, which is certainly steep, but they appear to be rather high quality.  Keep in mind, however, that there are plenty of cases on Amazon for under $10 that may be just as sturdy. 
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