Cam Bunton, Editor at 9to5Google – Cam has been passionate about tech since his dad bought the family’s first Commodore AMIGA back in the late 80’s. He’s been in the tech industry (writing and making videos) since 2010, and joined 9to5Google as the resident video producer and product reviewer in 2015. He sometimes writes news and reviews for 9to5Mac too.
You can follow Cam on Twitter, add him on Google+ and subscribe to our YouTube channel to be the first to watch his videos about all things Google.
Apple and Google products don’t always play together nicely, but when they do, it’s normally because a third party has created an application or two to get them talking to each other. That’s exactly what Reflector 2 for Mac does (among many other things). If you’ve been wondering how you can get content from your Android smartphone or tablet mirrored or streamed to your Mac (and Windows PC, if you’re into that kinda thing), this is one really easy way.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 is the upcoming flagship phone to be excited over, and one which we’ve heard a lot about in recent times. From what’s been posted online over the past few weeks, it seems almost certain that Sammy is going to launch an oversized version of the Galaxy S6 Edge alongside the Note 5 on August 12th. Today’s leak shows some very minor differences between the S6 Edge and S6 Edge Plus…
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A recent leak suggests ASUS is planning on releasing a PadFone S2 during by the first quarter of 2016. By the time it arrives, it’ll be the first PadFone in over a year and could be one of the first to feature Snapdragon‘s next-generation 820 series chip.
When it comes to innovation, or just doing things differently, ASUS caught our attention a few years ago when it first unveiled the PadFone. The company released a phone which slid in to a dock built in to a large touchscreen display, transforming it in to a tablet. It was probably the first notable attempt at a convertible smartphone/tablet, and ASUS isn’t done yet.
Today, Adobe released the latest version of its mobile Lightroom app for Android. Version 1.2 comes loaded with a handful of new features and a number of bug fixes and performance improvements. It’s available to download right now, and is the latest in a long run of awesome, recently updated Creative Cloud apps for mobile.
Google is pushing ahead with its plans to launch a paid YouTube service by the end of this year. So far, it’s signed up YouTube partners accounting for more than 90% of it views, but major TV networks are still holding out. Fox, NBC and CBS (among others) are still holding back according to Bloomberg’s sources.
Without support from TV networks, YouTube will have to attract paying subscribers with its own original content, or try and attract payers with nothing more than its home-grown stars and music videos. But that doesn’t mean the company is down-beat. There are many more options on its plate.
Late last week, Microsoft made its Cortana digital assistant available as a beta for Android, and we’ve been putting it through its paces ever since to see how it stacks up against Google Now. To compare, we put together a list of all the things we think a good assistant should be able to do, then tested them both using the same commands.
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Sony has invited Xperia Z3 owners in Sweden to test a new Android concept software. The company plans to run the group testing between July 27th and September 13th, but doesn’t reveal any specifics about the particular software, what it’s going to look like or whether or not it’ll eventually become publicly available.
It would seem Sony is working on a fresh, new look for its own bespoke Android UI, and wants to get real-life feedback and usage/crash statistics from real people. Those signing up are warned that the process will require a complete wipe of their phones’ personal settings, data and content. The trial itself is limited. Only Xperia Z3 owners with Windows PCs in Sweden can sign up. No other device will work, and customers from other countries won’t be able to join in either.
“‘Sony’s Android™ concept’ is a new initiative for Sony users that have a passion for innovation and the latest technology. As a Sony user you have the opportunity to trial a new concept Android™ software build for Xperia Z3. The initiative is all about letting you – our users – evaluate the software, so we can acquire feedback to improve the experience based on what you like and what you don’t.”
If you fit all the criteria, you can apply to join the program here.
This morning in Seoul, Korea, Samsung announced its latest Galaxy Tab, and it’s ludicrously thin. Both models of Samsung’s metal-framed Galaxy Tab S2 measure in at just 5.6mm thin and feature either a 9.7-inch or 8.0-inch, 2084×1536 resolution Super AMOLED screen. The S2 will be available to buy across the globe from August.
Other specifications include an 8MP rear camera, 2.1MP front-facing camera and an octacore processor made up of a 1.9GHz quad-core and a 1.3GHz quad-core chip. The Tab S2 will ship with a fingerprint sensor built-in, 3GB RAM and either 32GB or 64GB inbuilt storage, expandable up to an extra 128GB. If you go with the larger 9.7-inch model, you’ll get a 5,870mAh battery while the 8-inch has a 4,000mAh cell. There will be LTE and Wi-Fi only models available at launch.
While there are tons of phablets on the market now, Samsung still manages to remain unique by equipping its Note series handsets with the versatile S-Pen. In my experience, it’s been great for making quick notes or grabbing quick screenshots to edit and share. It goes without saying then, that the Galaxy Note 5 will also ship with the advanced stylus. Judging from these most recent leaks, it’s going to be much shinier than previous versions and could have a press-able, or clickable end at the top.
Take a look at the pictures below. They were originally shared on Chinese social media site, Weibo and picked up by Steve Hemmerstoffer at NWE. If you look closely at the two images showing the top end of the S-Pen, you’ll clearly see that the gap between the end and the main shaft of the stylus is bigger in one than the other.
If I had to guess as to why it was designed this way, I’d suggest that it’s almost certainly to help release the S-Pen from its silo. The way the phone has been designed (based on leaks) suggests that the stylus sits flush with the metal chassis of the smartphone. Case leaks have suggested that there’s not going to be any special room left for you to pry the stylus out with your fingernail. So, perhaps the end of the pen — when pressed — clicks and extends, so that you can easily remove the S-Pen from the body of the phone.
Other possibilities are easily eliminated. It’s clearly not replacing the Air Command button, since that’s still built in to the shaft of the pen. And it doesn’t extend the tip of the S-Pen either, since that’s ever-present, and visible in the photos, regardless of whether or not the top end is extended.
Rumors so far have indicated we’ll see this new Galaxy Note 5 launch alongside a Galaxy S6 Edge+ at the end of August. Both devices will essentially look like the S6 and S6 Edge, except much larger and with the inclusion of this redesigned stylus.
Microsoft recently released its Cortana digital assistant as a beta app, and we’ve been able to get our hands on the preview. Apart from its Material-like design, the app looks, performs, and acts just like the Cortana on Windows Phone. You can ask it to set reminders, give you directions and weather information, or do simple arithmetic. It has its limitations and doesn’t feel quite as intuitive or in-depth as Google Now or Siri, but it has its uses.
Popular iOS and Android apps from companies like Walmart, ESPN, Slack and SoundCloud have been found vulnerable to password cracking, according to a recent report from AppBugs. The security firm found that dozens of the most popular apps are lacking, in that they allow you to make any number of attempts to login without restriction. These clearly opens up a gap for attackers who have the means to guess those passwords and gain access to your accounts.
Acer recently unveiled a new range of all-in-one desktop computers running Chrome OS. The Acer Chromebase Touch is one of the company’s most recent models, and it has a 21.5-inch, full HD touchscreen. It’s powered by a Tegra K1 quad-core processor, 4 GB RAM, 16 GB of storage and a couple of 3W front-firing speakers.
We’re just minutes until the the market opens for the day and Google has already started on a high. Following its strong Q2 financials (announced yesterday), GOOG has shot up in after-hours trading and is up around 13% on yesterday. Last night it announced revenue of $17.7 billion — up 11% YoY — and net income of $3.93 billion.
Seems Wall Street is happy with the results from Q2 leading to a surge in trading after hours, pushing its stock price up past $650. If pre-market numbers are any indication, once the market opens for trading, GOOG should be at its highest point ever. Before now, it’s previous high was set in February last year when it reached $607.
Ruth Porat, Google’s new CFO stated:
“Our strong Q2 results reflect continued growth across the breadth of our products, most notably core search, where mobile stood out, as well as YouTube and programmatic advertising. We are focused every day on developing big new opportunities across a wide range of businesses. We will do so with great care regarding resource allocation.”
With Google’s steady rise on the stock market, it’s hard to see the company failing any time soon. Let’s hope there are many more strong quarters in store.
Google’s self-driving cars are drawing a lot of attention and conversation online. Perhaps one of the biggest concerns from regular people like you and I is how safe they are. But as a recent video and blog post shows, you’re seemingly infinitely far more likely to be hit by another driver not paying attention, than your car malfunctioning and crashing in to someone else. But why do Google’s cars get hit so much?
Chris Urmson posted a really interesting article about what it’s like being hit by another car, driven by a human, while taking a ride in a self-driving Googlemobile. Urmson notes that the autonomous cars are being hit “surprisingly often”, despite their fancy array of sensors, processors and algorithms.
Samsung is rumored to be launching the Galaxy Note 5 towards the end of August, trying to get a jump on Apple and its other competitors ahead of the holiday season. If rumors and drawings are to be believed, the 5th-gen Galaxy Note will look like a large version of the Galaxy S6 and might even launch alongside a Galaxy S6 Edge+.
In recent weeks and months we’ve seen a handful of leaked schematics and 3D CAD models for the upcoming phablet. Few, however, come close to the quality in these latest 3D renders published on NWE. If this is the device Samsung plans on launching — and by all accounts that is looking very likely — these are as near official press renders as we’ll get until Samsung actually announces the phablet. Or until someone leaks the official images early.
Along with those posts, NWE posted a more basic image showing a size comparison between the Galaxy S6, Note 5 and S6 Edge+.
It’s good to see Samsung unifying its product lineup by making them look like each other. Also, I do still hope there’s something at least a little different about the Note. In previous years, Samsung has used different materials to differentiate the Note from the Galaxy S. This year, ignoring the S Pen, there appears to be little unique about its design.
It seems an age since Angry Birds first rose to prominence as the best-selling mobile game going. After countless spin-offs and movie tie-ins, it’s about to get its first proper sequel. Rovio announced in a blog post this morning that Angry Birds 2 will officially launch on July 30th.
With 3 billion game downloads, millions of fans across the globe, multiple mashups and spin-offs, collaborations with A-list celebrities and much more, we’re really proud that Angry Birds is the mother of all mobile game apps. And now we’re proud to announce the mother of all sequels – Angry Birds 2!
Rovio hasn’t announced exactly what to expect or which platforms it’ll be available on, but it does say that it will make its way to “app stores worldwide” in two weeks, suggesting that it will almost certainly be available on the most popular platforms: Android and iOS.
Hit the Angry Birds 2 website to sign up and be notified as soon as it’s available. In the mean time, you can grab a bunch of the more popular Angry Birds titles for free, or just $1 in Rovio’s iOS sale.
Fairphone, today, opened up pre-orders for its second generation ethical smartphone. The Android-based Fairphone 2 can be pre-ordered in Europe for €529.38 (roughly $575 USD) and is designed with easy of repair at the forefront of its design. Fairphone hopes to sell 15,000 pre-orders and is aiming to ship them by November this year.
Unlike most phones on the market, the Fairphone 2 isn’t really about having the best specifications or performance. Rather, it’s about changing the industry. Fairphone seeks to create an ethical product that improves worker welfare in its assembly plants and tries — as much as it can — to only source components and materials ethically. It uses conflict-free tin and tantalum in its parts and openly maps its supply chain for all of us to read through.
What’s more, the Fairphone 2 is modular. It’s designed so that anyone can open and repair the device for themselves with little experience or technical knowledge. The company will even sell spare parts to customers when things go wrong. You’ll also be able to upgrade parts in the future.
If you’re curious about specs, you’ll be glad to know the Fairphone sounds like a pretty decent handset. It has a 5-inch full HD (446ppi) display with 0.7mm thick Gorilla Glass 3 on the front. A quad-core Snapdragon 801 chip keeps things ticking over along with 2GB RAM and 32GB inbuilt storage. Its main camera boasts 8MP, while the front facing sensor is 2MP. A 2,420mAh Lithium-Ion battery finishes of the main spec list.
You can pre-order the phone (Europe only) from Fairphone.com from today.
HTC has confirmed that its HTC One M9+ (the boosted version of the regular M9) will be heading to Europe soon. Initially, the smartphone was only available to buy in China.
For now, that’s all the detail we have. HTC is yet to confirm which specific countries it’ll be available in, or which carriers will be selling the M9+.
To say that initial reaction to the HTC One M9 was muted would be something of an overstatement. In many ways, the One M9+ is the phone we all hoped the regular M9 would be. It features a 5.2-inch QHD (2560×1440) display, a fingerprint scanner and 20MP Duo Camera covered with sapphire crystal glass. Unlike the M9, it doesn’t use the Snapdragon 810 chip, instead opting to go with the 2.2GHz MediaTek helio X10 with 3GB RAM. It also offers expandable storage via MicroSD on top of the internal 32GB flash drive. It’s got everything any spec-hungry consumer could possibly want.
Sadly, there’s still no mention of when (or if) the phone might make it across to the States. HTC has recently announced that it is partnering with multiple U.S. carriers to launch a handful of mid-range, budget-friendly smartphones. Although that helps the manufacturer boost its presence in the American market, it’ll do little to comfort those who really wanted to buy the M9+.
Motorola is preparing to refresh its lineup of Android smartphones and will do so with the new Moto G, Moto X and a couple of Droids if recent rumors and leaks hold any weight. While we’re waiting for the official announcement, a handful of new images have shown up on a Facebook page clearly showing what appears to be the 2015 Moto G.
According to the leak, this is one of the pre-release final test models. The post claims the device features a Snapdragon 410 processor, 2GB RAM and runs Android 5.1.1 (as seen on the settings screen above).
Pictures of this prototype virtually confirm everything we suspected about the next mid-range smartphone from Motorola. Especially from an aesthetic perspective. It has the long pill-shaped housing for the camera and Motorola dimple on the back and a shape which is very similar to the current Moto lineup. The one thing this can’t confirm, however, are reports that Moto G will be available to customize on Moto Maker for the first time.
There is one important — and easily ignorable — piece of information on these leaks that throw them in to doubt somewhat. On the settings screen you’ll see SKU number XT1542. Do a quick Google search on this model number and you’ll discover articles and leaks of the upcoming Moto X, a phone which is expected to have a 5.2-inch QHD resolution screen. As shown off in an early leak at GSMArena. It’s a curious leak, to say the least. Previous leaks suggested that the Moto G would have SKU number Xt1543.
There are several explanations for this. One that comes to mind for me is the leak which I recently called ‘sketchy’, with the Moto X “Sport”. It’s lack of metal means it doesn’t really look like a Moto X. Perhaps this is the rumored ‘Sport’ model. Or, perhaps Motorola has disguised its appearance to look different to the finished article. Perhaps – even – this Moto G prototype just has the wrong SKU in its software somehow.
It’s all speculation for now, but this is probably our best look yet at an unreleased Motorola phone. I just wish we knew for sure which Moto it was.
OnePlus sparked conversation, controversy and frustration last year when its sought-after debut smartphone launched. Its invite system meant you could only get hold of a OnePlus One if you received an invitation to buy one. With the OnePlus 2 — due to be announced in 11 days — the company will still have an invite system in place, but promises that it is “new and improved”.
Pushbullet has to be one of the most widely adopted apps for Android. It lets you share links, notifications, images, and more across your smartphone and virtually any other device. Today, the company announced that it has added a new SMS UI to its desktop presence. With today’s update, you can now you can see entire conversations on your computer.
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T-Mobile and its main prepaid brand, MetroPCS, had some exciting news to share with us this morning. Of most importance to us Android fans is the arrival of yet more promising options for those on a tight budget. From July 22nd, T-Mobile will start selling the HTC Desire 626s, Samsung Galaxy Core Prime and Galaxy Core Prime. MetroPCS will also be offering the 626s and Grand Prime, but won’t launch the HTC until August 3rd, while the Core Prime was made available on July 13 (Monday just gone)…
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A tweet from infamous leakster, Evan Blass (aka @evleaks), this morning reveals a few previously unknown details about the supposed upcoming Huawei-made Nexus phone. If his tweet has genuine information we could see a phone powered by a Snapdragon 820 chip with a 5.7-inch QHD display and a fingerprint sensor…
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Good news for HTC One M9 users with the AT&T and T-Mobile variants: Your Android 5.1 software update should be landing on your devices very soon. Mo Versi, the manufacturer’s VP of product management announced that AT&T owners should see it arrive from tomorrow, July 15th.
The update has passed technical approval and will come alongside some camera improvements:
HTC One (M9) AT&T Owners! We have received technical approval on Lollipop OS 5.1 which includes camera improvements. OTA to start on 7/15!!
— Mo Versi (@moversi) July 14, 2015
Of course, a T-Mobile customer replied to the tweet asking when #TeamMagenta subs might see the software arrive on their phones. Turns out, that’s pretty soon too. As of right now, the OTA update for HTC One M9 on T-Mo is on course to arrive on July 20th, just six days away.
@a_ferriola on track for 7/20
— Mo Versi (@moversi) July 14, 2015
Big Blue users, be sure to check your phones for updates from tomorrow if you don’t get a notification informing you of its availability. T-Mo customers, hold on tight, you have less than a week to wait.