Android

Nokia recently revealed plans to bring an Android-friendly version of its HERE Maps app to licensed partners, starting with Samsung, however a preview version of the software has recently hit the web and it appears to be working with handsets running Ice Cream Sandwich or higher. Reports are claiming that the application is fully functional, with HERE’s hallmark features remaining intact.

Look how massive Google’s upcoming Nexus 6 is compared to other flagship smartphones (Video)

Jordan Kahn Oct 3 2014 - 8:17 am PT

[youtube=http://youtu.be/-qzLDwLWqqs]

After our report late last month revealing details on specs and design for the upcoming Motorola made Nexus 6, today we get a look at just how much bigger the device is compared to the previous generation and other devices. As a reminder, the video above uses the specs leaked in our report including a massive 5.92-inch display, which is a big step up from last year’s 5-inch display. The video above from Canoopsy takes a mock up of the device based on our previously leaked specs and compares to not only the previous generation Nexus but also other flagship devices from Samsung, LG and others.

Some users weren’t too happy about the larger display planned for Google’s upcoming next-gen Nexus, and rumors of a possible second 5.2-inch model have persisted following a device with similar specs appearing in benchmark results.

You can read all of the details about the upcoming Nexus 6 in our original report here.

HTC’s selfie-themed ‘Desire Eye’ reportedly features dual 13-megapixel cameras with a front-facing flash

Mark Hearn Oct 3 2014 - 7:47 am PT

Selfie-themed smartphones are starting to gain momentum and despite being a novelty, this new fad may come with some benefits. Pictured above is an alleged photo of an unannounced HTC handset referred to as the “Desire Eye.” Revealed via Twitter by up-and-coming phone leaker @upleaks, this handset reportedly packs an intriguing dual 13-megapixel camera setup, with the device’s front-facing shooter being accompanied by an flash for those nighttime selfies.

HTC nets $21 million profit in third quarter, beats estimates but sales down

Benjamin Mayo Oct 3 2014 - 3:52 am PT

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For the third quarter, HTC has announced that it earned $21 million in profit on revenue of $1.37 billion. Although this is a huge improvement over the hundred million dollar loss they reported in the year-ago quarter, the company remains in a shaky financial situation. Most of the return to profitability is accounted for by a drastic cost-cutting policy rather than increases in device sales.

Sales actually fell 8% in September year-on-year, following a 33% fall in July and a 10% improvement in August. Apple and Samsung remain fierce competition for the Taiwanese company, despite good hardware advancements in the HTC One M8.

No invite necessary for OnePlus One’s sit test

Benjamin Mayo Oct 3 2014 - 2:59 am PT

Following Samsung’s display of its ‘Gluteus Maximus’ resilience, the OnePlus team have joined in to show how durable the OnePlus One is. Just like any other test facility, you see tests of drops, bends, sits, impact, tumble and weather. Unsurprisingly, the video shows the phones withstanding all of these conditions, including ten minutes of rain.

At OnePlus we believe that high quality shouldn’t come with a high price tag. Today our team made a special trip to our factory to film and put together this insider’s look at how our smartphones ace their quality control tests.

Moto 360 now available from O2 for £199.99, ships next day

Chance Miller Oct 2 2014 - 5:34 pm PT

UK Carrier O2 is officially offering the Moto 360 smartwatch via its website for £199.99. Currently, the device is listed as shipping next day, but as anyone who has followed the Moto 360 release knows, the device has been hard to come upon, repeatedly going in and out of stock in the United States. We wouldn’t recommend wasting too much time on pulling the trigger, O2 customers.

O2 appears to only be offering the Moto 360 in black, but we’ve already told you how to get a steel band for device on the cheap. In our review of the Moto 360, we praised the device’s design and even its battery life. We called it the “best smartwatch you can currently buy,” as well.

O2 customers can order the device on the carrier’s website right here.

Squarespace releases two new Android apps for note taking, blog management

Chance Miller Oct 2 2014 - 5:02 pm PT

The online blogging and content creation platform Squarespace launched two new apps for Android this afternoon. Starting today, Squarespace Note and Squarespace Note are both available on the Play Store. For those unfamiliar, Squarespace is a service that features website building, hosting, and blogging capabilities for a monthly fee.

Google reportedly tried to acquire Cyanogen

Mark Hearn Oct 2 2014 - 1:47 pm PT

Open source software developer Cyanogen Inc recently met with Android frontman Sundar Pichai, who expressed interest in acquiring the startup, only to be turned down, according to The Information. Based in Palo Alto and Seattle, the software maker is mostly known for its CyanogenMod platform that’s compatible with multiple Android-based devices. Recently, the company partnered with Chinese manufacturer OnePlus, providing the stock software for its first smartphone.

Google unveils The Physical Web project, ‘an open web spec to walk up and use anything’

Jordan Kahn Oct 2 2014 - 11:22 am PT

Google today unveiled The Physical Web, a project that will allow anyone to walk up to a smart device and use it without downloading an app. Google UX designer Scott Jenson published details on what he described as “an open web spec to “Walk up and use anything.” Jenson says “The Physical web isn’t about replacing native apps, it’s about allowing interaction for the times when native apps just aren’t practical.”
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Chromecast screen mirroring now available for Sony’s Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact

Mark Hearn Oct 2 2014 - 10:48 am PT

The Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact are the company’s first handsets to gain screen mirroring support for Google’s Chromecast. A recent update to the search giant’s support page added Sony’s two new top-shelf smartphones as officially compatible with the company’s affordable media dongle.

Facebook rolls outs Mobile Like Button to Android app developers

Jordan Kahn Oct 2 2014 - 10:43 am PT

After releasing a preview of the new feature for iOS developers at an event earlier this year, Facebook today announced that it’s officially rolling out a Mobile Like Button to all, including Android developers. That means that app developers can now easily offer users the ability to “directly Like the app’s Facebook Page, or any Open Graph object within the app, and share on Facebook.”

The mobile Like Button works seamlessly with the Facebook account the person is logged into on their device, allowing people to Like any piece of content, while in your native app.

Facebook is recommending developers show the Like Button when users reach a certain achievement or “level of engagement”. The company pointed an example from The Tribez & Castles game pictured above. Another recommendation is to encourage users to Like as soon as they open the app as pictured in the musiXmatch example above.

Android developers interested in learning more can do so here.

Here’s Android L running on a Samsung Galaxy S5 (video)

Mark Hearn Oct 2 2014 - 10:20 am PT

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Android L’s official release is getting closer and while some tech enthusiasts are tinkering with Google’s latest mobile operating system, OEMs are already preparing their hardware for Mountain View’s new software. Quite possibly the busiest of the bunch, Samsung appears to be testing Android L on its Galaxy S5 and the folks at SamMobile have managed to get their hands on a rough build of the forthcoming software.

Dubai detectives to get Google Glass as standard issued gear

Mark Hearn Oct 2 2014 - 8:48 am PT

After a proper pilot program, Dubai police detectives will soon receive Google Glass as standard issued gear. The idea is to pair Mountain View’s wearable computer with facial recognition software developed by the wealthy Arab emirate’s law enforcement to help cops spot bad guys when out in the field. In addition to equipping its gumshoes with high-tech eyewear, Dubai traffic officers will use Glass to track vehicles involved in moving violations.

Roku rolling out screen mirroring from Android devices

Zac Hall Oct 2 2014 - 7:44 am PT

Roku, makers of the popular streaming set-top box for watching online content on your TV, announced today support for enabling screen mirroring from select Android devices to your HDTV with a new beta rolling out to customers today. Support for screen mirroring to Roku devices will also extend to select Windows 8.1 devices, the company says. Screen mirroring allows users to view content like apps, photos, games, and the web from mobile devices to the big screen screen in the living room.
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Google rolls out a redesigned Play Newsstand app for Android

Jordan Kahn Oct 2 2014 - 7:35 am PT

Google announced today that it’s rolling out a new design for its Google Play Newsstand app, which it released earlier this year as a replacement for its Currents newsreader app. Google says the new design makes some big improvements to readability for magazines and other content through the app, especially on smaller screens:
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Android

Samsung Galaxy Alpha teardown finds razor-thin display assembly, other surprises

Jordan Kahn Oct 2 2014 - 6:48 am PT

Samsung’s new Galaxy Alpha is getting the teardown treatment today courtesy of our friends over at iFixit. The device, which is being advertised as a Galaxy S5 with an improved iPhone-like build quality and metal frame, has a few internal changes compared to S5 as well.
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Samsung: Galaxy Note 4 won’t bend in your back pocket like iPhone 6

Jordan Kahn Oct 2 2014 - 6:08 am PT

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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrhCz6PnT78]

You might have thought the whole iPhone 6 Bendgate controversy had been put to bed following extensive testing and responses from Apple, but Samsung wants you to know that, unlike the new iPhones, its new Galaxy Note 4 won’t bend in your back pocket:
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Kamcord gameplay recording platform gets into mobile gaming competitions starting w/ SEGA

Jordan Kahn Oct 2 2014 - 5:39 am PT

Kamcord, the mobile gameplay recording platform that offers developers an easy way to implement cross-platform gameplay recording and sharing features, is today announcing its next big push in mobile gaming: competitions.

The company realized that its SDK provides a lot of unique opportunities for app developers interested in hosting competitions or tournament-style contests, so it’s now working with some to host competitive gaming events in their apps. First up: SEGA.
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Add a real heat-seeking thermal imaging camera to your Android phone for $199

Benjamin Mayo Oct 2 2014 - 5:08 am PT

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You can now add a real thermal camera to a range of Android smartphones, with this accessory by Seek Thermal. The company sells the heat-seeking attachment for $199 on its website. Due to the design of the gadget, it will only fit in certain Android phones as standard, such as Samsung’s range of Galaxy phones and the Motorola Moto X. A full list can be found on the compatibility pages of Seek Thermal’s site, so check to see if your phone is suitable before buying.

Android

Talking Schmidt: Google Chairman STILL carries around a BlackBerry (and a Moto Razr X whatever that is)

Seth Weintraub Oct 1 2014 - 2:29 pm PT

A fun snippet of an interview by the Montreal Gazette where the Google Chairman was promoting his book and talking privacy and Canadian Google Offices:

CP: What’s your current smartphone?

Schmidt: Motorola Razr X. As you know, Motorola is in the process of being sold to Lenovo but this is in fact the phone that I use.

CP: You were a noted BlackBerry user, what made you switch?

Schmidt: Well, I need to carry this. I still like BlackBerrys but I’m afraid they missed a set of transitions that were very important and the new CEO is trying very hard to recover. But the fact of the matter is that Android and iPhone are driving the market now.

Later, at his speaking event with the Empire Club of Canada, Schmidt admitted he still does carry a BlackBerry in addition to his Motorola phone.

Contrast this with his former nemesis at Microsoft Steve Ballmer who is making the Los Angeles Clippers Basketball team use Microsoft products.

As for the Moto Razr X, we can only assume he misspoke since he’s been seen often with a Moto X (above).

Android 4.4.4 factory image now available for Google’s LTE-capable Nexus 7

Mark Hearn Oct 1 2014 - 1:31 pm PT

Android 4.4.4 has been going strong for a few months now and while Google has released factory images for most of its Nexus devices, there’s been one purebred tablet excluded from the festivities. However, this changed today, because the search giant finally pulled the trigger and published the complete factory image for the LTE version of the Nexus 7.

Dropbox for Android users can now export files to SD cards

Mark Hearn Oct 1 2014 - 12:17 pm PT

After several requests, Dropbox for Android users can now export files to their device’s SD card. This new feature will help keep important items like documents and photos accessible whenever offline or switching from one device to another.

Someone got caught in public with the Nexus 6 (Photo)

Stephen Hall Oct 1 2014 - 10:43 am PT

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A week ago today we gave you an exclusive look at what the upcoming Nexus 6/X will likely turn out to be. Along with that report, we created a render which, as far as we knew, reproduced very closely what the device actually looks like. Today, it seems that a photo has surfaced showing what we can confirm is the very same rumored Motorola device being used in public (via Android Police).
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LG announces F60 mid-range smartphone rolling out to US, EU, & Asia this week

Jordan Kahn Oct 1 2014 - 8:06 am PT