Android

Twitter has announced a few new features for its Android app today. Users with the latest update to the Twitter for Android app will soon see the ability to select up to four photos at a time to upload when composing a tweet. These photos will be displayed as a collage on the tweet’s detail screen.

Along with the multi-photo support, users are also now able to tag other people in their photos. A new “who’s in these photos?” button allows you to add the username of other people in the picture. Photo tags won’t take up any characters in the body of the tweet, so the full character count will be available for composing a message.

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HTC spent a good amount of time at its event yesterday talking about its customized version of Android known as Sense 6. One of the big new features is a redesigned “BlinkFeed” home screen that the company has decided to open up to developers this time around. That means that app developers like Foursquare are going to be able to present users with info as soon as they switch on their phone through BlinkFeed. It’s not just getting opened up to developers, however, as HTC confirmed in its press release yesterday that it will bring the feature to other Android devices soon:

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We already got launch details from AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint, and now the last of the major US carriers, T-Mobile, has confirmed pricing and availability for HTC’s new One (M8) smartphone.

Unlike the three other carriers which are all already selling the HTC One M8 for $199 on contract, T-Mobile’s version of the device arrives on April 11 through online and brick and mortar locations. It will sell for $0 down and $26.50 per month on instalment plans (a similar financing plan is also offered by AT&T’s and Verizon), which brings the total cost of the device up to $636, slightly less than the unlocked $700 asking price for the Google Play Edition selling through Google.

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Following yesterday’s official launch of HTC’s new flagship smartphone, the new HTC One (M8), today we get our first look inside of the device courtesy of a teardown from our friends over at iFixit. In case you forgot, last year’s model, the first generation HTC One, got the all-time worst repairability score ever from the site, and the new generation unfortunately hasn’t made any big improvements. First, the good stuff:

Screws! Glorious screws! Here’s the missing link to make this unibody design repairable. Whenever we see gobs of adhesive and tough clips replaced with screws, we know we’re in for a (slightly) happier time…. To our delight, the pesky display cables of yesteryear have given way to spring contacts—so this time, the phone assembly comes out cleanly… No mangled aluminum here—the rear case remains intact. Apart from the NFC antenna and some nice machine work, there’s not much to see.

While getting the rear case off proved easier, one area that iFixit found to be not improved from last year is the glued-down motherboard. The site also noted that “you have to remove the motherboard to get to the battery, again, which is more than lightly adhered to the LCD shield.”

In the end the HTC One (M8) gets a 2 out of 10 repairability score, slightly up from the 1 out of 10 score for the previous generation, but a long way from the 7 or 8 out of 10 given to devices like the iPhone, Samsung’s Galaxy line, and the Nexus 5. Here’s a summary of iFixit’s observations followed by the chips it found inside the device and a video of the teardown:

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After a few leaks in recent weeks pointing to a refreshed lineup of Galaxy tabs, reliable leaker EvLeaks just posted the image above that appears to be a press render for the yet to be announced Samsung Galaxy Tab 4. We don’t get much info on specs or anything else, but we do learn that there will at least be a 7.0 or 7-inch model of the device as rumored, perhaps in addition to other sizes in the new lineup.

Samsung just finished announcing its latest line of “Tab Pro” and “NotePro” tablets in January and began shipping the various models in recent weeks. Other rumors have pointed to screen sizes between 7 and 12 inches passing through testing, but it’s unclear how Samsung’s next generation of tablets will fit in with the new Pro lines.

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After officially taking the wraps of its new flagship smartphone, the new HTC One (M8), earlier today, HTC’s new device is now officially up for sale online through Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint. All of the carriers are offering the device for $199 on the usual two year contract, but also have payment plans available that put the cost of the device somewhere near the $600 price point.

HTC One (M8) Verizon | AT&T |  Sprint | T-Mobile

The Google Play Edition of the device— the one sold through Google with a stock version of Android instead of HTC’s customized Sense 6 experience, is also now available through Google Play online. It’s selling for $699.99, and as with all GPE devices is carrier unlocked.

HTC One (M8) Google Play Edition

Full specs for the new device are here, details on availability for other countries here, and a roundup of early reviews here.

The reviews of the just announced new HTC One (M8) are officially out, and as of right now, it looks like HTC has a hit on its hands. Reviewers are praising the device’s stunning Gunmetal design, as well as its 5-inch display. Some reviewers, however, aren’t that big of a fan of the highly touted camera, saying its quality is often hit or miss and the software is somewhat clunky.

Gizmodo

Like last year’s One, the 2014 edition (HTC is calling it the “HTC One (M8)” but we think that’s ultimately more confusing) is machined from a solid block of aluminum, but it’s even more metal this time. Last year’s had a fair amount of plastic in the edges of the device, but this year it’s pretty much metal everywhere you look. It’s also had some of its sharp edges ground out, and you’re left with a smoother, slightly rounder device. It’s incredibly solid and it feels like it could take a bullet in the back and keep on going (it probably couldn’t, don’t try that, thank you).

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After unveiling its new flagship second-generation HTC One, the company just announced availability for the device on stage at its event in New York. The device will arrive in the US and Canada in the first couple of weeks of April through all major carrier partners, but starting today at 1PM EST you can pick one up online through HTC as previously revealed. It will also be available through select Verizon stores starting today.

The company announced the phone will be coming to a handful of countries before the end of April including Australia, Taiwan, UK, Germany, France, China, and the US. HTC didn’t mention a timeframe for the 100+ countries and 230+ carriers shown in the image above, but it did say the new HTC One M8 would be “the single largest product rollout in HTC’s history.”

Sense 6 will arrive for the last generation HTC One lineup, including the One mini and Max, this Spring. In addition, HTC Advantage is getting the free screen replacement program (as well as the latest version of Android promised for two years) that was previously rumored.

If you’re planning on picking up the new HTC One today, you can do so here starting at 1PM EST.

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We’re live from New York at HTC’s unveiling of the new HTC One (M8) and the company has now officially unveiled the new flagship smartphone. The company has spent the starting of its presentation talking about the HTC One’s high-quality metal construction that it described as “like a premium watch,” as well as the new Gunmetal Gray Hairline Finish pictured above. It also shared a few specs for the device (below) before moving on to its new customized version of Android, Sense 6 (or 6th Sense).

One of the big announcements for Sense 6 is that HTC is opening up its Blinkfeed homescreen to developers with a new SDK releasing today. Foursquare will be the first partner to support the feature and will publish, for example, lunch recommendations into the Blinkfeed homescreen, while Fitbit will display activity milestones in the feed. HTC is hoping other app developers will follow with support.

We have most of the hardware specs below (no huge surprises), but HTC also spent a lot of time talking about small tweaks you might not see in the specs list like much improved sound quality through a combination of redesigned speaker chambers and software tweaks. HTC also mentioned some big improvements for the camera including a new camera switcher (pictured in the gallery below) with new “dual capture”, “selfie”, and “customizable manual” shooting modes. The M8 also features a 300 millisecond focus time that’s 50% faster than the previous generation.

Sales for the new HTC One (M8) will kick off today in the US and Canada. Details on availability for other countries and carriers are available here.

Check out the official specs from HTC and some shots from the event below:

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HTC’s event is about to kick off at 11AM ET, and it looks like the company just revealed that its new flagship second-ten HTC One (M8) smartphone will go on sale starting 1PM EDT today. A page for the device on HTC’s online store not only confirms the device goes on sale at 1PM, but also that Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint will all be partners at launch. Purchases through HTC’s site will get free express shipping and the company is also giving away 65GB Google Drive storage for two years with every purchase. The page also makes mention of the Google Play Edition we told you about earlier and four color variants including “gun metal gray, silver, gold, and black.”

It’s unclear if the new HTC One will be available at 1PM through all carrier partners or just HTC’s site, or if the Google Play Edition will launch alongside the standard model. You can catch HTC’s livestream of the event here at 11AM ET or stay tuned to 9to5Google for all the official details.

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In case you’ve missed the countless rumors and leaks on tech blogs in recent weeks, HTC is about to unveil its second generation HTC One that has up until now mostly been referred to as its codename “M8”. If you want to watch the live event taking place in New York in just over an hour from now at 11am ET, it looks like you’ll be able to do so through what appears to be a live stream on HTC’s website here.

It looks like there won’t be many surprises at the event— there’s already a full video walkthrough of the device online— but we’ll at the very least get confirmation of specs, a look at new software features, and hopefully details on pricing and availability. If the rumors are right, HTC might stick with the One branding and simply call the device The New HTC One. In addition to the livestream, we’ll be on hand at the event to bring you updates as they happen on 9to5Google.com.

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Fleksy is out today with version 2.0 of its Android keyboard bringing a new list of features with it.

My Fleksy Cloud enables Android users to sync personalization features between devices including its new language algorithm based on your writing style.

Fleksy 2.0 also introduces a new badge system for reaching achievements. The badge system offers an element of gamification to mastering the Fleksy keyboard, and achievements can unlock new themes and extend the free trial period.

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When Google introduced its new “Android Wear” developer kit earlier this month, it also announced a list of partners working with the new stripped down version of Android for smart watches and wearables. However, Sony, one of the Android device makers that already has Android smartwatch products on the market, was not on that list. Today we find out that’s because Sony plans to stick with its own version of Android on wearables rather than move to Google’s new “Android Wear” vision for the hardware.

Head of Sony Mobile US Ravi Nookala confirmed the news to Cnet:

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Ahead of this morning’s official unveiling of the all new HTC One in New York, the company has confirmed that a Google Play Edition of the device will be on the way (via AndroidPolice). No word if it will get a release alongside the regular version of the device, but we’ll know for sure in a few short hours. The confirmation comes from a description for the new HTC Gallery app that notes “Support for HTC One(M8) Google Play Edition is limited to HTC Photo Edit.” 

The new HTC One (Codenamed M8) is the successor to HTC’s successful flagship HTC One smartphone from last year and has experienced a long list of leaks in recent months leading up to today’s unveiling. Yesterday we got a look at the device next to the previous generation in a lengthy comparison video.

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LG has posted an image of its upcoming smartwatch on Twitter, perhaps trying to deflect attention away from the Moto 360. The watch will run on the Android Wear platform, but unlike Motorola, LG has opted to use a traditional square screen for the ‘G Watch’.

Other than teasing that the device is ‘coming soon’, LG is still reluctant to release detailed specifications about the device. However, the Wall Street Journal is reporting some more concrete technical specifications according to ‘a person familiar with the matter’. The Journal says that the device will feature a 1.65 inch display with a resolution of around 240 pixels per inch.

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Roku this afternoon has released an update for its Android (and iOS) companion remote app. The update includes quite a few tweaks and new features, and bumps the app to version 3.0. First off, the app as new, much cleaner design that Roku says is significantly faster and more easy to use. The update also now lets you control any Roku on your home WiFi network, much like Apple’s Remote app on iOS. You previously had to login into the Roku account associated with each set-top box to control it.

One of the coolest new features is the ability to search within the app for a movie, show, actor, or director. The Roku app will search within all channels and show you where you can watch the content you searched for. The new search feature for now is only supported “on US-based Roku players firmware 5.4 or later” and on all hardware except the Roku 2450x or 2500x.

• All New Visual Design – The UI features a new, modern look.
• Search on your mobile device – Enter a movie, show, actor, or director, to explore and see what’s available. Choose from the available services and jump right into the Channel, ready to watch.
• Control any Roku player on your network – Use the remote control, or play photos, music, or video with Play on Roku.
• Bug fixes and other enhancements.

The Roku app for Android is available on the Play Store now.

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After spending about a month and a half in the beta channel, Chrome is rolling out Google Now notifications to all Chrome users. To activate the feature, Google says to sign in with the same Google account used on Android (or iOS).

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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-_hkhL2vlg]

We’re getting set for tomorrow’s big launch event by watching previews of what we’re going to see. A lengthy claimed video of the long-awaited successor to the HTC One has been posted, and while it’s unverified, it certainly looks convincing.

The M8 is simply the codename for the handset, just as the One was codenamed the M7. It’s not known whether HTC will brand the replacement as the new HTC One or give it a new name. Separate rumors have suggested the HTC One 2, and the HTC All New One, both of which sound pretty silly.

We’re expecting to see a Snapdragon 801 or 805 processor, 2GB RAM, a choice of 16 or 32GB storage, support for microSD cards of up to 128GB and a full-HD (1920×1080) display, running Android 4.4. The casing appears to be all-aluminum, with a brushed finish. Rumors have suggested that it will be available in a choice of silver, gold and grey colors … 
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