Android

Google announced today that it’s adding new cards to Google Now, those context-aware notifications that pop up in the Google app for Android, using information sourced from other Android apps. That means rather than opening various apps to check out the latest updates in each, you’ll be able to view updates directly in the Google Now feed.
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When the Nexus 6 was first released, I was just as excited as everyone else. What’s not to like about a Nexus device with a massive high resolution display, right? That excitement continued over the weeks, but after about a month or two of everyday active use, I noticed a very annoying defect in the build quality of the Nexus 6…

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Super Bowl XLIX with the Seahawks vs. the Patriots kicks off this weekend on February 1st and we’re already getting prepared with a handy list of links for watching on all your Android and Chrome devices.

Head below for details on how to watch the game from your Android smartphone, tablet, or in your browser on the desktop:
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We’re not expecting Samsung to officially unveil its Galaxy S6 until early March, but that’s not holding case makers back. Spigen is already selling several Galaxy S6 compatible cases on Amazon…
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We noted 18 months ago that Android could be on track to ship a billion devices in 2014, tablets included, and Strategy Analytics has just revealed that the tablets weren’t needed: more than a billion Android smartphones were sold last year.

Android shipped 1.0 billion smartphones worldwide in 2014, rising from 0.8 billion units in 2013. Android has become the first ever smartphone operating system to ship more than 1 billion units in a single year. Android accounted for a huge 81 percent share of all smartphones shipped globally in 2014.

Putting the number at 1.0427B handsets, the research company said that emerging markets like China were key to the growth. The figures show that the Android smartphone market has doubled in size since 2012 … 
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The tensions between CyanogenMod and OnePlus have been well documented over the recent months, with OnePlus even going as far as removing Cyanogen branding from its most recent shipments of phones. This morning, OnePlus teased an upcoming announcement with the tagline “Back to Basics” and now the company has revealed its own custom ROM. In a post on the OnePlus forums, the company has revealed that it is developing its own ROM that it will call Oxygen OS.

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Google’s Chief Business Officer Omid Kordenstani gave several updates on the status of the company’s $35 Chromecast streaming device during the this evening’s Q4 2014 earnings call. Kordenstani first stated that users have “casted” content to their television more than one billion times. The company says that this is a huge milestone for the streaming stick and the implementation of the Cast functionality in a variety of different apps.

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During the company’s Q4 2014 earnings call, Google Chief Financial Officer Patrick Pichette addressed a few of the reasons for the company’s slower than expected quarter. Pichette said that one issue Google had was keeping up with demand the demand for the Nexus 6. Pichette noted that while the device was well received, the company simply couldn’t get the inventory to keep up with consumer demand.

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Update: A previous version of this article stated that Microsoft was investing $70 million, but it seems more likely that the company is only part of that total number. It’s not known how much Microsoft is investing. Feel free to read WSJ’s ambiguous wording below…

The Wall Street Journal reports today that Microsoft plans to take part in a $70 million investment round in Cyanogen, a company that was once just a group of modders working on a variant of Android. Now, Cyanogen has bigger ambitions. “We’re going to take Android away from Google,” said on the record recently by Kirt McMaster, Cyanogen’s CEO.

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OnePlus is today teasing an announcement for tomorrow with the tagline “Back to Basics,” but no one really has any idea what the company plans to tell us about. Interestingly, the teaser image that OnePlus posted across its social media profiles (seen above) definitely makes reference to the Breaking Bad title screen, but it’s not clear yet what it might mean.

Also, updated models of the OnePlus One without Cyanogen branding on their back covers have begun shipping…

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Google today shared some stats on its recently released Inbox email app experience, an alternative to Gmail that provides a unique Gmail meets Google Now take on email for both desktop and mobile users. It’s also opening up invites to all for a 24 hour period starting today. 
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TouchWiz has long been known as being far too full of bloat and unnecessary software, but the real problem with Samsung’s version of Android is that these added features come with a hard hit on performance. According to a report this morning from SamMobile, the Korean company might be going as far as to remove all features from the OS that can possibly be downloaded—and this just so happens to coincide with today’s market share numbers showing that Apple and Samsung were neck-and-neck in Q4.

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Rolling Stone magazine is making some of its archived issues available in the Google Play Newsstand app, with three or four major stories from each issue available for free. The move is being made in partnership with Google as a means of promoting the app, reports Fast Company.

Google Play’s global head of marketing Brian Irving says he views the Rolling Stone partnership as a way to demonstrate the possibilities of Google Play’s Newsstand, which he argues is better suited for content discovery than Apple’s Newsstand, due to features like customizable themes and key word searches.

Gus Wenner, son of Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner, said there was enormous interest in archived stories when properly promoted … 
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LG posted its quarterly earnings numbers today and boasted  impressive numbers in its smartphone group. Globally, Smartphone sales were up 24% but in the US alone, smartphones shipments were up 78% for the quarter year over year. LG ended the year having moved 59.1 million smartphones, bolstered by its popular G3 flagship. Those aren’t Apple numbers by any stretch but still very solid.

LG also posted growth in its home entertainment sector but a net loss overall for the quarter mostly due to charges related to shutting down its Plasma business.

SEOUL, Jan. 29, 2015 ― LG Electronics Inc. (LG) today announced net profit of KRW 501.40 billion (USD 474.81million) for full-year 2014, an increase of 125 percent over 2013 net profit. Operating profit increased significantly in 2014 to KRW 1.83 trillion (USD 1.73 billion) from KRW 1.25 trillion (USD 1.14 billion) in 2013, an increase of 46 percent. Full-year consolidated revenue of KRW 59.04 trillion (USD 55.91 billion) was mainly boosted by a 24 percent increase in smartphone shipments.

The LG Mobile Communications Company reported a 16 percent increase in annual revenue to KRW 15.06 trillion (USD 14.26 billion) with help from North America, where shipments increased 78 percent during the fourth quarter of 2014 from the previous year. Fourth-quarter revenue of 3.78 trillion (USD 3.48 billion) was 5 percent higher than the same period in 2013. A total of 59.1 million smartphones were shipped in 2014, an increase of 24 percent from the previous year, among 78.2 million mobile handsets sold last year. Expecting a challenging year ahead with greater competition globally from various manufacturers, LG will concentrate on improving its brand power, operating more efficiently, and focusing on selective key markets.

Rumors regarding overheating issues with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 processor have plagued the chip since it was introduced last year. A report back in December claimed that the issues of the Snapdragon 810 could cause delays to the Galaxy S6, LG G4, and Sony Xperia Z4. In its earnings report today, Qualcomm has seemingly confirmed issues with the processor, adding that it has lowered its outlook for the second half of 2015 because of the problems.

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ZTE announced the Blade S6 smartphone today, which packs LTE connectivity, the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system, and a 64-bit processor, all for a price that’s definitely in the “affordable” category.

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