Android

According to a new report from Billboard, Apple is considering launching an iTunes Store app on the Android platform to combat declining music sales on the digital platform. The report also says that Apple execs are in talks with high level label executives to discuss debuting an on-demand streaming service.

Apple has opened exploratory talks with senior label executives about the possibility of launching an on-demand streaming service that would rival Spotify and Beats Music, according to three people familiar with the talks. Apple is also thinking about adding an iTunes App for Android phones, the Google rival that has been growing faster than the iPhone, these sources said.

The move to an on-demand streaming service could transform iTunes Radio from the Pandora-like radio model to the more robust on-demand model used by Spotify, Rdio, Beats Music, and others.
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This week both AT&T and T-Mobile have shared their launch plans for Samsung’s new flagship Galaxy S5 smartphone, and this morning Sprint has released details for its customers as well.

Starting this morning, Sprint is taking reservations in its stores to be notified of Galaxy S5 availability on April 11th. Sprint will offer the Galaxy S5 in black or white for $0/down and 24 payments of $27 through its Sprint Easy Pay plan. This offer, in conjunction with signing up with a Sprint Framily plan, includes a 7″ Galaxy Tab 3 tablet with a 2-year contract and data plan for a limited time.

Sprint is also offering pre-orders for customers purchasing the Galaxy S5 through the traditional methods for $199 after a $50 reward card redeemed via a mail-in rebate… so $249 up front.
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T-Mobile announced today that it will begin offering pre-orders of Samsung’s next-generation Galaxy smartphone on Monday, March 24th. The phone will hit stores on April 11th, and those who pre-order will be guaranteed a phone on that day.

The company is also offering a special introductory price on the S5. For those who pre-order before March 31st, the phone will only cost 24 payments of $27.50. T-Mobile has also dropped the price of the Galaxy Tab 3 by $120 until March 31st as part of the pre-launch savings event.

The complete T-Mobile press release can be found below. Pre-orders for the Galaxy S5 will be available on the carrier’s website next week.
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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvEx5UpO5dY&feature=youtu.be]

AT&T announced today that it’s officially kicking off preorders of the Galaxy S5 tomorrow as well as Samsung’s new lineup of Gear wearables.

Starting tomorrow you’ll be able to preorder the S5 for $199.99 on AT&T’s usual two-year contract or opt for $25/month or $32.50/month payments over an 18 or 12 month period using AT&T Next. That brings AT&T’s full retail price up to $649.99 with no contract. As expected, AT&T said preorders will begin shipping in April.

In addition to Samsung’s new Galaxy S5 smartphone, AT&T will also start accepting preorders for the new Gear 2 ($299), Gear 2 Neo ($199), and Gear Fit ($199) wearables.

Samsung also let us know that it will be offering a promotion to those picking up a Galaxy S5 that will provide an $50 off the Gear 2 or Gear 2 Neo from March 21 to June 5. 
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Photo: thestar.com.my

Samsung has finally confirmed pricing for the Tizen-based Galaxy Gear 2 and Gear Fit smartwatches, though still no word on pricing for the camera-less Gear 2 Neo. The Gear 2 comes in at almost the same price as the original (and widely panned) Gear at $295, while the Gear Fit can be yours for $197 when both devices go on sale next month.

Samsung made SDKs available for the Gear 2 watches a few days ago in the hope that third-party apps will be available by the time the devices go on sale … 
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Google today has released an update for its Search app on Android that adds a cool new voice command. With this update, you can now instruct your device to open the camera by simply tapping the microphone and saying “Ok Google,” then “take a photo” or “take a video.” Google says this will make it much easier to grab shots of those can’t-miss moments.

The first home run in T-ball, the surprise proposal, or just that gorgeous sunset… Sometimes the perfect photo passes you by as you fumble with your phone to open the camera app. Now with the Google Search App on Android, you can just tap the microphone or say “Ok Google,” then “take a photo” or “take a video.” Google will launch your camera app in the preferred mode. So update your app, snap those shots and don’t forget to show off your beautiful photos!

The update appears to be a staged rollout so it may take sometime to hit your device. Be sure to keep an eye on the Play Store and your Search app itself. 
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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpY8O5Zer78&feature=youtu.be]

Motorola has just wrapped up a 25 minute Google Hangout where it showed off its recently announced Moto 360 wearable device and answered some frequently asked questions. During the event, Motorola discussed some of the inspiration behind the watch’s design, as well as revealing some more details about the device as a whole.

One instance in which Motorola’s Moto 360 is unique is its rounded design. Many other smart watches, including the Pebble and Gear are rectangular or square. Motorola says the decision to round its device was due to the iconic shape people associate watches with. The company also notes that 80 percent of watches sold today are still round. Another detail regarding the design is that the straps will be interchangeable, although Motorola says there will only be “several different options” the the bands. Ultimately, we’d love to see it use the common 22mm strap like the Pebble, but that’s unclear at this point.

There wasn’t much else revealed during the Q&A. Motorola says the device will work equally as well with left handers as it does with right handers. The device is also “aimed at women” too, which seems rather obvious. Motorola also confirmed that there is no camera in the device. As far as technical details go, the company said the Moto 360 will require Android 4.3 and BlueTooth 4.0 to be functional. In terms of size, the device is about 46 mm in diameter, which is rather large for a watch. But Motorola notes that the rounded design makes it seem a lot smaller than it really is.

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We already mentioned that Google’s Chromecast is landing in 11 new countries across North America and Europe, and Google’s transcontinental roll out doesn’t stop there.

As noted by Android Police, both Google’sNexus 5 and Nexus 7 phone and tablet can now be bought on the Google Play Store in several European markets: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden.
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Sony announced today on its mobile blog that the rollout of Android 4.4 KitKat for a few of its new devices has officially kicked off. That means that Xperia Z Ultra, Xperia Z1, and Xperia Z1 Compact owners can expect the upgrade soon, although we’ve yet to get reports that the update is available. As always, the timeframe for the update hitting your device will vary by market and carrier. 
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Photo: http://thenextweb.com

If you’re in the UK and plan to finally get your hands on a Chromecast, the good news is that the existing BBC iPlayer Android app is already compatible with the device, reports iMore.

It may take a minute or so, or even a relaunch of the app to kick it into gear. When it’s ready to go you’ll see the standard Chromecast logo along top of the app. To cast your content you need to first connect the app by tapping on the Chromecast logo and selecting which you want to pair to. After that just go ahead and choose what you want to watch and let it do the rest … 
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Skype has today had updated its Android app with a handful of new features and bug fixes. In a blog post, Skype explains that it was been working diligently over the last year to greatly improve the battery with the app, and that today’s update finally does so. The update introduces “aggressive battery savings” that will make the app have little to no effect on your device’s battery life.

The company says that it in order to improve battery life, it had to completely transform the way the Skype technology works and that this transformation is not entirely complete yet. One instance of this is that for time being, Skype has turned off instant notifications of messages in group chats. The company hopes to release another update soon that re-enable them with little battery impact. For now, however, you can enable them by going to Settings > Notifications > and choosing the “Sync group messages in the background” box. Although, this will impact your battery life.

The update also improves stability on KitKat, in addition to fixing audio and video calling on tablets without BlueTooth.

• Workaround for the KitKat bug which caused a runaway process when the camera was synced in the background.
• Fix for audio and video calling on tablets that do not have Bluetooth.
• Now lists your Windows Live Messenger contacts in the Skype (default) view, not just the All contacts view.

The update is available on the Play Store now and bumps the app to version 4.7.

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Following confirmation from Google’s Sundar Pichai earlier this month that a Android SDK for wearables was on the way, Google has now officially announced Android’s entrance into wearables with project “Android Wear.” The Android Wear SDK allows developers to integrate a number of features into Android powered wearables and relies heavily on Google Now functionality, as we were first to report late last year.

Google also confirmed that it’s working with a handful of partners to bring Android Wear powered wearables to market by later this year:

Asus, HTC, LG, Motorola and Samsung; chip makers Broadcom, Imagination, Intel, Mediatek and Qualcomm; and fashion brands like the Fossil Group to bring you watches powered by Android Wear later this year.’

What can developers do with Android Wear? Google says the devices will be capable of displaying, for example, the latest posts and updates from social and messaging apps, answers via “OK Google” voice commands and Google Now-like functionality, as well as a number of fitness and health related data points. Google is also allowing Android Wear devices to talk with other devices like your phone or Chrome device through voice commands:
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We’ve heard that Google Voice is getting dragged to the trash can and most of its functionality will be incorporated into the G+ Hangouts apps on both Android and iOS. This has already happened to an extent with the ability to phone friends on Hangouts, but we’re hearing the full shuttering and depreciation of the app is the next step.

What’s interesting here is that VoIP-to-phones is expected to be integrated into the Hangouts iOS and Android apps so that, just like with the Web version, you could be able to actually make (and receive) VoIP calls directly from your Google phone number. Whether the carriers and Apple are okay with this isn’t certain, and the thought is that it could be enabled by carrier like Apple’s FaceTime (or could be scrapped altogether) depending on the global market and the carrier.
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Want to stay on the dangerously cutting edge of social software on Android? Boy, does Facebook have an offer for you.

Announced today, Facebook is opening its Messenger app to beta testers on Android and looking for feedback on its user experience. The program aims to cast a wider net on catching bugs before they ship to general public. While testers will likely have a bumpier experience than users with the general release version, there’s potential to test unreleased features that might never make the public edition.

1. Join the Facebook Messenger for Android Beta Testers Google group: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/messenger-for-android-beta-testers
2. Allow beta downloads by clicking “Become a Tester” in the Play Store (you need to join the Google Group before becoming a tester)
3. Download Facebook Messenger from the Play Store to update your app
4. Turn on automatic updates, as the beta version of Facebook Messenger for Android will be updated multiple times per week

Facebook launched a similar program for its main Android app last summer.
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The US Amazon Appstore will turn 3 this Saturday, March 22nd, and to commemorative this occasion, Amazon will launch a 2-week gift giving campaign for its customers. Beginning this week, Amazon will slash up to 60% off “some of the most popular titles in the store.”

The discounts will also extend to in-app purchases:

As an added bonus, for a limited time, customers who buy in-app items within select titles including Asphalt 8, Animal Voyage, Kingdoms of Camelot, The Hobbit, Sonic Dash, World at Arms and Despicable Me: Minion Rush will receive 50% back on the purchase price in the form of Amazon Coins.

Remember, Amazon Coins can now be used by all Android devices and are a great way to save up to 10% on future app purchases.

There isn’t a main splash page promoting the celebration but you can kill some time at work today by playing with the confetti that Amazon is making rain down on the Appstore.

If it’s the “copper gold” Galaxy S5 you’re waiting to get your hands on in the UK, Vodafone UK will carry the gold version of Samsung’s new flagship smartphone exclusively at launch along with the other colors offered for UK wireless subscribers.

[tweet https://twitter.com/VodafoneUK/status/445477153543831552]

While Samsung revealed the Galaxy S5 last month at Mobile World Congress and has since given us even more material to admire ahead of its availability, the company announced it would allow UK customers the chance to preorder the handset.
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As part of its announcements for the Game Developers Conference this week, Google announced today on its Android Developers Blog that its making some big improvements for game developers in the near future. 
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Rumors that Amazon’s set-top TV box will double as a games console have been lent weight by photos of a Bluetooth controller claimed to have been discovered in an overseas regulatory filing by Zatznotfunny.

The wireless Bluetooth controller features a gaggle of controls, including both shoulder buttons and triggers, in addition to media playback transport controls. And we give Amazon credit for using Android-esque icons for home, menu, and back … 
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Prepaid carrier Republic Wireless has announced that it will carry the Moto G starting in April. The phone will be available in both 8 GB and 16 GB models, available for $149 and $179, respectively.

Republic Wireless plans start at $25 per month for unlimited talk, text, and 3G data. The carrier also offers a $10 plan that allows unlimited calling, texting, and data usage over Wi-Fi paired with unlimited calling and texting over a cellular connection (but no 3G data).

The Moto G, which was deemed “the Google Global game changer” by 9to5Google‘s own Seth Weintraub, comes with a 4.5″ display, a 5 MP rear camera, 1.3 MP front camera, 1 GB of RAM, 50 GB of Google Drive space for two years, and Android 4.4 KitKat.

You can sign up for more information about the phone’s release date through the Republic Wireless site.