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Opinion: Ditching the app drawer with Android N would be a terrible idea

Avatar for Edoardo Maggio Feb 23 2016 - 11:35 am PT
4 Comments

One of the main reasons why so many people love Android is its famous customisability. Google’s OS is notoriously flexible, and despite being already available in a variety of different forms thanks to the OEMs’ re-skinning, the hundreds of apps present on the Play Store allow for further personalization in almost every corner of the system. Toggles, widgets, icon packs and entire lock screen replacements are just a few of the categories of things Android can be user-modified with.

However, particularly after Material Design‘s introduction and a general push towards cohesiveness and consistency across the system, the diverse adaptations of the OS have started to look more and more similar; be it thanks to whiter, more card-based menus, the use of similar toggle icons or the widely adopted carousel-like task switcher, among others, Android has finally started to look and feel instantly recognizable, even when buried deep underneath the oft-poor design decisions made by third parties…


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Google to shut down its Google Compare platform on March 23 following slow adoption

Avatar for Chance Miller Feb 22 2016 - 6:58 pm PT
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Less than a year ago, Google Compare was launched in the United States to help customers find and compare credit card rates, mortgages, and car insurance. Now, however, Google has announced that it is shutting the Google Compare service down, reports Search Engine Land. Google’s specific reasoning for shutting down Compare is unclear at this point, but after being available for less than a year, it’s a pretty quick turnaround time for the company.


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Huawei Watch from $300, $40 Google Express credit for $15, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 22 2016 - 10:49 am PT
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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Many Huawei Watch models $50 off from $300 shipped (Reg. $350) at Amazon, price matched at Best Buy

Try out Google Express with this $40 credit for $15 (62% savings)

Light up your home with the Philips Hue Starter Kit (3 bulbs) for $120 shipped (Orig. $200)

Get ready to file your taxes w/ this Brother AirPrint Laser Printer for $80 shipped (Reg. $100+)

Review: Audioengine turns it up to 11 with its newest Bluetooth HD6 powered speakers

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/701784128992243714 align=’center’]

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Gift Cards up to 20% off: $50 AMC theaters for $40, $50 Babies/Toys R Us for $40, many more

Keep your Wi-Fi running during a power outage w/ this APC battery backup: $20 + in-store pickup (Orig. $60)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

DashCam Recorder and Camera offers motion-triggered recording: $27 (Orig: $95)

Seiki 39-inch 4K 120Hz LED UHDTV w/ 3 HDMI inputs: $300 shipped (Orig. $700)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

SanDisk announces faster USB-C flash drives and microSD cards at Mobile World Conference

Garmin’s latest fitness trackers have impressive battery life & can automatically identify your activities

Mobile operators & Google push forward to make RCS happen, Android client in the works

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 22 2016 - 9:41 am PT
2 Comments

Google made its commitment to RCS (Rich Communications Services) clear last year when the company acquired Jibe, but now things are getting even more serious. The GSM Association today announced that it, more than 15 global mobile operators around the world, and Google, have finally struck a deal to actually make bring RCS to widespread adoption. And Google says that an Android RCS client is in the works, being made in collaboration with several Android OEMs and the aforementioned mobile operators…


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Speck offers Clear Protection for the new Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge

Avatar for Sponsored Post Feb 22 2016 - 7:00 am PT
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Gold

Samsung’s latest flagship devices bundle in several new features and capabilities, and they critically cap off these additions with shiny new black, silver, and gold color schemes, so the best way to protect the new device is the award-winning transparent CandyShell Clear from Speck. Samsung has done many things to improve the reliability of the new Galaxy smartphones, including new waterproofing and dust-resistance technology, but the devices will still be prone to damage from drops, scratches, and nicks.


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PSA: ZTE’s Axon Pro now receiving update to Android Marshmallow

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 22 2016 - 6:24 am PT
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ZTE has today announced that Android 6.0 Marshmallow is now rolling out to the company’s Axon Pro smartphone. While the update may not be bringing any features specifically geared for the Axon Pro, it does bring many of the great features found in the latest version of Google’s mobile OS including Doze, Now on Tap, and more.

Of course it’s recommended that you have a WiFi connection to download this 835 MB update, and you’ll need to head to “Settings” -> “About phone” -> “System updates” -> “System updates” -> “Update Now” after the update has been downloaded. Sadly, ZTE says that this update is only for Axon Pro and that regular Axon owners should “stay tuned”.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow Now Available for Axon Pro
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Sony announces trio of Xperia X smartphones, two with high camera specs incl. predictive focus [Video]

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Feb 22 2016 - 5:57 am PT
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Sony has unveiled three new Xperia phones, known as the X-series. The entry-level device is the XA, with a MediaTek MT6755 processor rather than a Snapdragon chip. With a 720p display and 16GB storage, Sony’s description of it as a “super mid-range” device seems to be pushing it, though you do get 2GB RAM and 13MP/8MP cameras.

The standard X gets much better specs and should make photography fans happy. It boasts a Snapdragon 650 processor with 3GB of RAM plus 32GB of storage. The display is a good if unexceptional 5-inch 1080p one, but the standout element here is the camera combo. The X gets the same 23MP rear camera as in the Z5 (though with improved firmware) and a 13MP front camera Sony says offers 6400ISO for ultra-capable low-light performance – and a new predictive auto-focus that can track a moving object in the frame … 


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Samsung Galaxy S7 vs. Galaxy S7 edge vs. LG G5 specs compared – which is your pick? [Poll]

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 21 2016 - 4:35 pm PT
8 Comments

It goes without saying that the Samsung Galaxy S7 (and the S7 edge) and the LG G5 were the two big announcements today at Mobile World Congress 2016 press day, showcasing the best that these two Android OEMs have to offer. Both of these devices were horribly-kept secrets in their own ways, but now that they’re here, which one are you planning to get?

Let us know which one is your pick in the poll below, but first let’s take a look at a few of their differences…


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Samsung’s Gear 360 is a consumer-friendly 360-degree camera, coming in Q2

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 21 2016 - 3:56 pm PT
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Samsung’s Gear 360 video camera leaked a few weeks ago, and today it’s official. Until now the idea of owning a camera that can capture video and images in a VR-compatible 360-degree format may have been a foreign concept to most, but Samsung is really taking a stab at bringing VR content to the mainstream with this offering….


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New HTC Desire 5xx handset by the name of ‘A16’ leaks via Evan Blass

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 21 2016 - 9:01 am PT
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Don’t get too excited. While HTC does have an “A” line of HTC One smartphones, the above leaked handset renders (via Evan Blass) are actually a refresh of the company’s mid-range Desire line. That’s according to famed leaker LlabTooFeR who told us just a couple of weeks ago that there are two new Desire handsets scheduled to be released before HTC comes out with the “Perfume” HTC One M10 sometime after Mobile World Congress. According to Evan, the above images are of the Desire phone codenamed A16, making it a Desire 5xx phone…


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Samsung Galaxy S7 edge retail box leaks leading up to official announcement

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 21 2016 - 8:27 am PT
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Samsung is set to announce the Galaxy S7 Edge in just a couple hours, but the leaks (of which there have dozens) aren’t over yet. Now, we’re getting our first look at the retail box for the Galaxy S7 Edge, all but confirming several specs that have previously been speculated (via SamsungViet).


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Opinion: Besides tablet improvements, where is Google going with Android N?

Avatar for Edoardo Maggio Feb 19 2016 - 12:48 pm PT
6 Comments

One of the reasons why I initially fell in love with Android was Google’s ability — often showcased on an annual basis in May or June at I/O — to always push technology forward, reinvent itself, and even dare to go a little overboard before making sure that everything was under control.

Most notably, since the end of 2011, Ice Cream Sandwich started to look as a more mature OS, one whose direction was beginning to make sense, appear clearer, as Android itself was soaring, soon to be the most adopted mobile operating system on the planet. What we know as “Holo”, a good-looking visual style for the system, was introduced, and coupled with bleeding-edge devices such as the Galaxy Nexus it made for a pretty sweet package.

But now, 5 years after the Galaxy Nexus was released and with Lollipop’s new design under its belt, where is Google going next?


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Evan Blass seemingly confirms previous LG G5 leaks with new image

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 19 2016 - 9:33 am PT
1 Comment

First details about LG’s upcoming G5 smartphone first showed up 2 months ago, and the first sketchy renders followed shortly after, but it wasn’t until just recently that the phone first appeared in the flesh on the Dubai equivalent of Craigslist. Now, after seeing the phone in a dummy shell, its Quick Cover case officially unveiled by LG, and benchmarks revealing its performance, Evan Blass has come out just days before the phone’s announcement to all but confirm everything we’ve seen thus far…


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New images show every Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge variant from just about every angle [Gallery]

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 19 2016 - 7:51 am PT
0 Comments

If you haven’t seen enough of the Galaxy S7 already, we’re here to fix that. In a new series of leaked renders (via @onleaks), we now have a look at every variant of both the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge from several different angles. Another new image also recently surfaced showing — for the first time — the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge next to each other…


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Google building a new engineering team in Singapore, plans to train 100,000 developers in Indonesia as it refocusses on southeast Asia

Avatar for Cam Bunton Feb 18 2016 - 6:25 am PT
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Google today announced a couple of new significant moves as it plans to refocus on development in southeast Asia. It will build its first engineering team dedicated to the area, in Singapore, and has promised to help train up to 100,000 developers in Indonesia within 4 years, in a bid to get more content out in the country, using its own national language(s).


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Google patent reveals concept for real-time voting, right on the search homepage

Avatar for Cam Bunton Feb 18 2016 - 4:58 am PT
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A new patent has recently been granted to Google which conceptualizes real-time, online voting. The example used in its graphic portrays a made-up reality TV show called ‘Top American Singer’, and shows how you would only need to click on a contestant’s image to vote. No calling or texting a premium rate number required.

In the patent, it’s clear Google is imagining this would be used for things like reality shows where contestants get voted off. It would be ideal for shows like American Idol, although there is potential here that it could be used for more consequential events like a political leadership campaign.

As you’d expect from any Google Search based interface, the web page would also show news and content related to the campaign.

While it may not launch the concept as an official product, Google has long been experimenting with real-time election tracking. During the recent US political campaigns, Google’s search tool has been updating with poll results during debates.

In an age where everything appears to be heading towards being internet-based, it’s hard to imagine a future without online voting for the next state senator, US President or UK Prime Minister. Whether or not it’ll be as open and insecure as a simple Google vote is debatable. That would of course need to be a highly encrypted bespoke application, rather than a Google Search interface. But, for TV shows, the Google solution seems promising.

 

Google CEO Pichai appears to side with Apple in series of vague tweets on FBI encryption battle

Avatar for Chance Miller Feb 17 2016 - 6:54 pm PT
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It has been a wild 24 hours when it comes to smartphone encryption and user privacy versus national security. Last night, a U.S. judge ruled that Apple must help the FBI obtain data from a passcode-locked iPhone 5c used by one of the gunmen in the fatal San Bernardino shooting. Just hours later, Apple CEO Tim Cook responded by posting an open letter on Apple’s homepage saying that Apple would not comply with the court’s request. Now, Google CEO Sundar Pichai has chimed in on the matter, saying that he agrees with Cook.


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Deal: Buy a Moto X Pure Edition 64GB, get a free first gen. Moto 360 ($200 value)

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 17 2016 - 2:06 pm PT
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Moto X Pure Edition is one of the best phones that launched last year, and now you have even more reason to buy one. Just last month we gave it a “3 months later” second look (spoiler: we still think it’s great), but Motorola wants to make the deal even sweeter with a free Moto 360 Android Wear watch…
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: LG Watch Urbane (refurb) $155, Amazon 6-inch Fire HD $90, free Chromecast w/ Spotify Premium, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 17 2016 - 10:53 am PT
0 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

LG Watch Urbane Android Wear smartwatch (refurb): $155 shipped (Reg. $200+) | A4C

Amazon’s 6-inch Fire HD Wi-Fi tablet: 8GB $70 or 16GB $90 shipped ($30 savings)

Spotify tempts new Premium subscribers with free Google Chromecast offer

Spigen micro USB cable 5-pack $7.99 Prime shipped (Reg. $10) w/ code KGCS66BA, USB car charger $3.99 Prime shipped (Reg. $9) w/ code AFFK33YM | Amazon

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Games/Apps: Mario Maker Wii U + game of choice, amiibo, more $309 ($390+ value), more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Cambond 10-ft. Braided Nylon MFi Apple-Certified Lightning Cable $11 (Reg. $17), USB-C Cable, more

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

The Coleco Chameleon retro gaming console is sure to appeal to any Millennial

NERF’s Fall 2016 line includes battery-powered 70MPH blasters, Alien designs, more

Freedom 251 $4 smartphone reportedly rips its home screen icons straight from iOS

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 17 2016 - 9:11 am PT
1 Comment

Update: A new hands-on video shows the $4 iPhone clone in all its glory (embedded below).

We told you earlier today about the insane $4 Freedom 251 phone, and now at least one publication has managed to get their hands on the device. Initial impressions aren’t great, and it looks like this phone — unsurprisingly — is just a mess of copyright infringement. Not unlike many other low-end offerings from dozens of overseas manufacturers, the phone pulls a lot of “inspiration” from the Cupertino company’s smashing successes…


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‘J’ in Alphabet is now ‘Jigsaw’, formerly Google Ideas

Avatar for Cam Bunton Feb 17 2016 - 3:04 am PT
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Google Ideas, Google’s think tank, has officially split off from the rest of the Google products to become its very own sub-division of Alphabet. J, in the company’s ever growing list of companies, now stands for ‘Jigsaw’. Jared Cohen is Jigsaw’s newly appointed president, having run as the Director of Google Ideas for some time. Eric Schmidt announced the move in a Medium post.


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9to5Toys Lunch Break: SanDisk Ultra 200GB microSD $90, ad-free Trivia Crack $0.10, more

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 16 2016 - 10:48 am PT
0 Comments

Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

SanDisk Ultra 200GB microSD for Android phones: $90 shipped (Reg. $100) | Amazon

The popular ad-free version of the Trivia Crack app for Android drops to just $0.10 (Reg. $3)

USB Power: KMASHI 20,000mAh Quick Charge 2.0 Battery $25 (Reg. $40), 10-ft. Braided MFi Lightning Cable $11, more

Daily Deals: D-Link AV2000 Gigabit Powerline Starter Kit $60, more

Aukey 2-in-1 Mini Clip-on SmartPhone Camera Lens Kit $9 Prime shipped (Reg. $15)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Home: Hoover Upright Vac $79 (Reg. $130), MIU color-changing humidifier $30 (Reg. $40+), more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Beats by Dr. Dre Solo 2 On-Ear Headphones now half off: $100 w/ free shipping (Reg. $200)

Beats by Dr. Dre Solo2 Wireless Headphones Active Collection: $230 (Reg. $300)

Beats Studio 2.0 Over-Ear headphones (multiple colors) $150 (Orig. $300)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

The new Assault on Hoth LEGO Star Wars kit recreates every detail with flawless execution

The latest Monopoly goes digital with an ATM to manage properties & bank accounts

Glass: Enterprise Edition appears again in newly-granted Google patent [Gallery]

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 16 2016 - 8:27 am PT
0 Comments

Earlier this year, we told you across several exclusive reports that new Glass hardware was in development, namely a variant of the device reworked with the enterprise in mind. Now, a couple months after getting our first look at the device in the flesh, a newly-granted Google patent provides us yet another look at the elusive remnant of a less than ideal Glass of the past…


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Sony has already discounted the hard-sell Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact by $50+

Avatar for Stephen Hall Feb 16 2016 - 7:22 am PT
0 Comments

Sony has had a lot of pricing problems with the Xperia Z5, Z5 Compact, and Z5 Premium. It seems like the company thought that its phones somehow stood out from the crowd (which they do in some ways), but it’s clear that the market just doesn’t see it. After reducing the phones’ prices before even launching them, Sony has now dropped them yet again by $50 and $60…


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