Verizon’s version of the Sony Xperia Z3 went on sale today and while T-Mobile won’t officially offer the device until next week, some lucky customers are receiving their pre-orders ahead of schedule. A group of Android enthusiasts over at the XDA developers forums have an ongoing thread up where some folks have received the Xperia Z3 already and others are set to get it before its October 29th street date.
As a result of an ongoing legal battle, Google recently changed the way it displays search results for news stories from select European publishers. A syndicate known as VG Media is claiming that Google’s search engine is letting people bypass their sites’ paywalls, and is demanding compensation for lost revenue. In an effort to smooth things over, Google removed text previews and thumbnail images from its search results for select publishers involved in this claim, but it appears that VG Media has had a change of heart.
Google recently updated its web search with information cards for video games. Similar to how Mountain View’s search engine handles TV shows and movies, whenever you find yourself looking for details about a particular video game, the Knowledge Graph will now feed you a panel loaded with information like the title’s developer, release date, supported platforms and even reviews.
LG has consistently released entry-level handsets that borrow design elements from its flagship G3, and it appears that the company isn’t slowing down. Pictured above is what’s being referred to as the “LG Liger” and with the exception of its beastly moniker, it’s probably just another low-cost smartphone heading to emerging markets, but with one exception.
LG announced today that its new G Watch R is going to be launching during the beginning of November in select markets, including France, Italy, Spain and the UK. The company plans to introduce its new round smartwatch to additional territories like Asia and North America soon after, but it didn’t give an exact time. After much speculation, LG unveiled the G Watch R last month during IFA in Berlin, allowing us to get a little time with its new smartwatch.
The Sony Xperia Z3v aka the Z3 is now available from Verizon. Two weeks ago, the carrier announced that it would offer Sony’s flagship smartphone for $200 under a new two year service agreement or $600 outright. Additionally, Big Red’s customer can also purchase the phone for $24.99 per month through Verizon’s Edge program.
Google Now can remind you to pay your bills and now it appears that Mountain View’s intelligent personal assistant software can help keep you safe. A group of Reddit users have received police alert cards from their local law enforcement branches advising them of nearby criminal activity. So be sure to read these cards carefully if you happen to see one on your phone.
It seems like every major US wireless carrier went double data crazy this month and the madness doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Today, Sprint announced a new low-cost plan targeting casual data users. For $20 a month, the carrier is offering 1GB of sharable data that can be divided among 10 lines through one of its family plans.
Microsoft quietly added a beta version of its Remote Desktop Android app to Google Play, that introduces some unreleased features that have yet to hit the software’s stable build. Like the company’s other pre-release applications, this new software is likely being used an easy way to collect user feedback.
Today, Google unveiled a new email solution called Inbox, which looks like a marriage between Gmail and Google Now. Currently available by invitation only, this new app takes bits from your email like purchase invoices and bank statements and groups them together for fast access. Like Google Now, Inbox adapts to the way you operate, highlighting key pieces of emails like flight plans, photos, documents and upcoming event information.
Earlier this year, Samsung teamed up with Barnes & Noble to release a 7-inch Galaxy Tab 4 Nook and today the duo has joined forces again, announcing a 10.1-inch variant of the tablet. With the exception of its larger display, this super-sized device’s specs are almost identical to its predecessor’s.
Google’s first Android TV device is less than a fortnight away, however the company’s current television-friendly hardware appears to be doing just fine. In a recent interview with GigaOM, Google VP of product management Mario Queiroz said that Chromecast users have tapped the cast button 650 million times, a significant increase from the 400 million figure shared at I/O back in June.
Google finally announced new Nexus phone and tablet last week and aside from promotional materials, the world hasn’t really seen the devices in action. The folks at The Verge have managed to get some time with Mountain View’s new flagship hardware and while the videos are brief, they manage to strip away some of the marketing glitz and help give a better idea of what we can expect to see in the next few weeks.
A lot of people are buying Chromebooks, according to a recent report from ABI Research. Shipments for Google’s low-cost laptop alternative increased by 67 percent during the third quarter of 2014 when compared to the previous quarter. But the last three months weren’t the only boost for Chrome OS, as the research firm expects this year’s Chromebook shipments to double last year’s numbers.
Today, Google announced that it’s acquiring Firebase, to help advance its growing cloud platform. The San Francisco-based startup specializes in backend services and creating products that help developers build applications. Software developed with Firebase can be synced across mobile and web apps in real-time.
Lollipop may be a couple of weeks away, but several devices are still making the move to the latest version of KitKat. Today, T-Mobile started rolling out Android 4.4.4 to its version of the HTC One M8. Available in the form of a 255.63MB over-the-air push, the new software introduces some security patches and bug fixes, but the highlight of the update is the addition of HTC’s EYE experience.
Last week, Amazon started accepting pre-orders for the Nexus 9 and now the giant online retailer is taking orders for the tablet’s official accessories. If you plan on picking up Google’s HTC-made slate, but would like to add some physical buttons to your setup, check out the Nexus 9’s Keyboard Folio. That is if you can get over its $130 asking price.
Today, Google announced a partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute and Tanzania National Parks that makes it possible to take a Street View tour of the Gombe National Park in Tanzania without leaving your desktop. This virtual route retraces some of the historical steps of Jane Goodall’s groundbreaking research of chimpanzees in the 1960s.
After a leak of a preview build, Nokia’s HERE Maps officially became available for select Samsung Galaxy devices and today the company is extending its app to additional Android smartphones. Still not available at the Play Store, HERE Maps requires Android 4.1 or higher, 1GB of RAM and a device with a screen size between four and six inches, which pretty much describes most modern handsets running Google’s mobile operating system.
It’s pretty obvious that the Nexus 6 is based on the second-generation Moto X, so it’s no surprise that Motorola would borrow a couple of features from its current flagship smartphone. Thanks to a recently leaked build of of Android 5.0, we’re now a little more aware of some of the similarities between the two handsets.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99YyWeqHaBo]
London-based singer FKA (“formerly known as”) twigs is moonlighting as a Google Glass explorer and today the songstress released a new short film aptly named #ThroughGlass. At just over two minutes long, the video has an abstract feel with the artist vogueing and hitting several dance moves while cycling through the high-tech eyewear’s UI.
About as quick as Google added its Nexus Player to Google Play, the company quickly pulled its new media player from its online store due to issues with the FCC. However, over the weekend, documents for the upcoming Android TV set-top box were spotted in an FCC database and today the search giant has restored Google Play pre-orders.
The OnePlus One is one of the best Android-powered smartphones on the market, but it’s extremely complicated to buy. Thankfully this will be changing soon, as the device’s manufacturer announced on its blog today that it will start accepting pre-orders on October 27th at 8am PST. Still keeping things complex, the company will only open initial pre-orders for a one hour period.
AT&T announced today that it will offer the Samsung Galaxy Mega 2 on October 24th for $475 outright or $150 on a two year service commitment. If you think that’s too much upfront cash, you can also purchase the device through AT&T Next for no money down at $19.80 per month (24 months) or $23.75 a month for a shorter term (20 months).
