Chance Miller

Earlier this afternoon, several eagle-eyed people noticed that an odd device dubbed “Chromecast” was listed on Google Play’s device list (via Droid-Life). Many people have since speculated that the device, which has now been removed from Google’s support site, is some sort of Chrome dongle for your TV. 

Droid-Life reported on something like this a few weeks ago, though that device was called the Chromekey. It’s unclear how, or if, the two devices are related, but it seems likely that they are in some fashion. Droid-Life’s source told it that the Chromekey could “cast” your Chrome browser from another device (computer, smartphone) to your big screen TV. 

Several people also interrogated Google support live chat with questions about the Chromecast device and were told that it’s a TV service that’s available “only in a few areas.” When asked how and where the device could be purchased, the Google support representative simply said that she is not sure. 

More than likely, we’ll hear something about the Chromecast and/or Chromekey at tomorrow’s Breakfast with Sundar event, as he is the head of Chrome and Android for Google.  
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Update: Android Police has also just tweeted an image of the device, with the retail box in the background.

What do we have here? Ohai there, Nexus: http://t.co/GHoBzqBsMx

— Android Police (@AndroidPolice) July 24, 2013

The second generation Nexus 7 has not been Google’s best kept secret by any means, with multiple leaks basically sharing everything there is to know about the device. Now, one lucky Reddit user has supposedly gotten their hands on the device ahead of Google’s expected July 24th unveil. Details are unfortunately very scarce, however, so there’s no way to know where the Reddit user got the tablet from. More than likely, it’s from some sort of brick and mortar store that got shipments in early.

The images show the exact device we saw last week from Android Central. The box design is nearly the same as the original model, with a portion of the tablet being shown to make a “7.”

We’ll be sure to keep an eye on the Reddit thread and update with any additional information…

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=8CHyOTOnSS4

Verizon has just released a new video teasing its new Droid MAXX, Droid Ultra, and Droid Mini devices announced this morning. The video, in typical Verizon/Motorola fashion, is very robot-like. The video teases that “WHEN IT MATTERS, DROID DOES.”

The moments that matter offer no time to pause or stop, no room for bulk or bloat, and no chance to refuel. In those moments, the new lineup of DROID phones delivers.

The DROID Ultra and MAXX will be available on August 20 and the Droid Mini on August 29, with pre-orders starting today. 
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In a continued barrage of Moto X news and rumors, Android Police has just published an extensive gallery of images showing what it believes is the camera interface and app that the device will feature. The interface is noticeably different from what we saw on the Google Play Edition devices, as well as all Android 4.2 devices.

Along the left hand side of the interface is a control wheel that allows you to adjust certain settings, such as the exposure, flash, focus, camera setting (HDR, video, etc) and more. It appears that you will be able to scroll the wheel around to see even more options. I’m not exactly a fan of this interface, as it’s not always clear what settings the icons are representing. It also looks like the device will be capable of slow motion video.
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Samsung has just unveiled a new Exynos 5 Octa system-on-a-chip (via Engadget) that promises 20 percent faster CPU performance and twice the graphics processing power of its predecessors. It’s unclear when we’ll start seeing this chip in Android devices, but theoretically we could see it in phones this fall, with the Galaxy Note III seeming like a likely candidate.

The Exynos 5 Octa packs four ARM Cortex-A15 cores clocked at 1.8GHz and four Cortex-A7s in the big.LITTLE configuration. Samsung is claiming that the new 5420 variant of its Exynos chips also offers improved memory bandwidth, coming in at 13.9GBps thanks to dual-channel LPDDR3 at 933MHz.

The new Exynos 5 Octa processor also features a memory bandwidth of 14.9 gigabytes per second paired with a dual-channel LPDDR3 at 933MHz, enabling an industry-leading fast data processing and support for full HD Wifi display. This new processor also incorporates a variety of full HD 60 frames per second video hardware codec engines for 1080p video recording and playback.

The Exynos 5420 is currently being sampled by Samsung’s partners and will enter mass production in August.

For the past few months, LG has been teasing the Optimus G successor like crazy. It announced in back in June that it would feature a Snapdragon 800 processor, and later scheduled an event for August 7th in New York. Since then, the company has officially announced that it will be called the LG G2, dropping the Optimus branding, and today, another invite for the same event has been sent out that teases rear facing buttons on the device.

We first saw the rear buttons in a set of leaked presentation slides, and have since seen them in very clear image and video. The device also features a glass back, much like the Nexus 4 and Optimus G.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=o4NwlACq3Ew

As much as people wish it would change, Google Fiber is only available to a select group of cities, which means that the rest of us are stuck with other alternatives, like Verizon FiOS. Today, Verizon has announced its fastest tier of FiOS to date, but it’s still not as fast, or cheap, as Google’s offerings. Dubbed Quantum, the plan offers theoretical download speeds of 500Mbps  and 100Mbps uploads. For comparison’s sake, Google Fiber offers one gigabit both up and down.

Where Verizon’s offerings really differ, however, are in price. FiOS Quantum requires that you have a “double play” package, which starts at a whopping $309.99 a month. For a “triple play” bundle, which in includes phone service, the price jumps to $329.99. Both those packages also require a two-year contract. Google Fiber, on the other hand, costs $70 a month for just internet, and $120 for internet and TV.

The 500Mbps/100Mbps plans are available “in parts” of every existing FiOS market, with Verizon looking to bring it to more places soon. 
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Notorious Twitter leaker @evleaks has just posted a press image of the next generation Nexus 7. The past week has been filled with leaks and information regarding the device, with the first clear shots of the device coming on the heels of Google announcing an event for July 24th.

The press image shows the rear facing camera, which reportedly is 5MP, as well as what appears to be stereo speakers. While it looks very similar to the original model, the device’s back has a different, non-texturized design to it.

As far as specs go, we currently expect the Nexus 7 2 to feature a 1.5GHz quad-core processor and a 7-inch display with a 1980 x 1200 resolution, as originally reported by KGI analyst Mingchi Kuo. 
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Rumors surrounding the Moto X Phone have been coming in at a crazy rate over the past few months, with information regarding design, customization, and more leaking. We’ve known for a while that the device is not meant to be high-end in terms of specs, and new information obtained by The Verge confirms that.

According to a “tipster who has used a CDMA variant of the phone,” it will feature a 1.7GHz Snapdragon MSM8960T processor, which is basically the same as a Snapdragon 600, but dual-core instead of quad-core. The device will also feature 2GB of RAM and a screen “in the vicinity” of 4.5-inches. Things get a tad questionable when it comes to the battery life, however, with The Verge’s source originally claiming that it had a measly 1500mAh battery, but later saying that figure might not be accurate, as it was reported by a software tool.
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Motorola has just sent out invites to an August 1st press event in New York (via Business Insider). The invite simply reads “Moto X,” so it seems pretty clear what the star of the show will be. You can even see the back of the device in the lower right corner of the image. It’s also worth noting that the X in “Moto X” is very similar to past Nexus devices, which shows some Google influence.

The X Phone hasn’t exactly been the best kept secret by Motorola. We’ve seen numerous leaked images and specs for it, with Google chairman Eric Schmidt even caught using the device in public. The X Phone is expected to be highly customizable and affordable. At the AllThingsD conference in May, Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside teased that it would be available on all major U.S. carriers and be manufactured in Texas. Yesterday, Motorola tweeted a picture teasing the USA manufacturing process.

As far as release dates go, we’ve seen documents suggesting an August 23rd launch for Verizon and an August 26th launch for U.S. Cellular, and now that we know when the event is being held, those dates seem pretty plausible.
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Virgin Mobile has announced that it is now carrying the LG Optimus F3 for $179.99 when purchased with its “Beyond Talk” plan, which runs $35 a month and includes unlimited data and messaging. 

The Optimus F3 is packing a 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 4G LTE capabilities and Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. It has a 4-inch IPS display that helps it keep a “user-friendly form factor.” The home button can also light up in various colors depending on any missed notifications you have, such as texts, calls, and more. Finally, LG is touting that the 2,460mAh battery will last for 16 hours of talk time. 

For $180, the LTE capable Optimus F3 seems like a solid choice for budget minded customers. 
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Google’s Bay View campus render

Mercury News reports that Google is planning to soon make a return to Palo Alto, which is where the search engine company opened its first office in 1999. The now Mountain View based company has purchased a section of land on the 1000 block of East Meadow Circle, as well as an area of land on Fabian Way. Together, this comes out to nearly 15 acres of land.

Palo Alto’s Planning and Community Environment Department already has plans for what it wants Google to do in the area. Aaron Aknin, director of the department, says that area in which Google purchased the land calls for research and development and office uses.

Google, however, would not reveal what it plans to do with the land, but either way, city officials appear to be happy to have Google back in the area.

“We’re delighted to have Google come back to Palo Alto and we look forward to working with them on whatever their project ends up being,” said Thomas Fehrenbach, the city’s economic development manager.

Palo Alto mayor Greg Scharff, however, said that he believes the city should be focused on bringing start-ups into the area….
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We have a ‘little’ bit of news tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/UKXV59wXbs

— HTC UK (@HTC_UK) July 17, 2013

On Twitter, HTC’s UK division has just posted a teaser for an announcement it has coming tomorrow. The company says that it will have a “little bit of news tomorrow.” This seems like a not-so subtle hint that the HTC One mini will be the center of attention, especially when given the image, which shows an HTC One variant just barely sticking out of someone’s pocket.

We’ve heard a lot about the smaller HTC One. The phone will supposedly feature a 4.3-inch display (versus the 4.7-inch panel on the original device), 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and a 4MP UltraPixel camera. Several reports have already pegged the device for a launch sometime this month, and with this tweet, that appears to be coming to fruition.

We’ll be sure to keep an eye out for an official HTC One Mini announcement tomorrow. 
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In what has been a crazy day for Nexus 7 successor leaks, Android Central has just posted a gallery of images of what it believes is the next Nexus tablet. The report claims that the device will again be manufactured by ASUS and come in 16GB and 32GB models.

The tablet features two cameras, a 1.2MP shooter on the front and a 5MP rear facer, made by Chicony.

As far as specs go, the Nexus 7 v2 is listed as having a Qualcomm APQ8064 motherboard with a Snapdragon S4 pro processor. The device is also said to have a whopping 4GB of DDR3L RAM, though Android Central notes that these specs may not be final. The tablet will also supposedly feature stereo speakers. These specs are exactly the same as what KGI analyst Mingchi Kuo predicted way back in May of this year.

Design wise, the device features a look similar to the original model. The volume rocker and power button are on the left hand side, while the microUSB port is on the bottom. It appears to be relatively thick for a 7-inch tablet and is made out of what looks like a rubber material….
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Hot on the heels of Google sending press invites for a July 24th event this morning, Engadget has obtained internal documents from OfficeMax showing that the retail giant is expecting to receive stock of the next generation Nexus 7 sometime next week. The documents indicate that the stores will receive units as early as July 20th, though we wouldn’t expect them to go up for sale until the 24th at the earliest.

It appears as if OfficeMax will continue to sell both the new Nexus 7 and the original, though it’s unclear how long that will last. Some retailers, such as Staples, are already heavily slashing the price of the original model, likely to clear shelf space for the new tablet. 
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