Android Phone Fans
Android Phone Fans |
- Google Now gets Field Trip integration, acts as virtual tour guide with ‘Nearby discoveries’ card
- Woman steals man’s phone, calls 911 after he wont stop harassing her
- Google experiments with new Hangouts that features Messenger-like chat bubbles [LEAK]
- USB Type-C with reversible design has been finalized, doesn’t care which way you insert it
- Deal: Grab the Amazon Fire TV for $15 off
- How to find your parked car with Google Now [Android 101]
- PSA: T-Mobile will begin throttling customers using unlimited data for peer-to-peer file sharing
- Samsung Galaxy Mega 2 leaks with 6-inch display
- Alleged Nexus 6 “Shamu” specs leak: Snapdragon 805, 3GB of RAM, 13 megapixel camera and more
- Best Android apps for college students
- Humble Mobile Bundle 6 update adds creepy llamas and road rage
- KitKat hits more than 20% of Android devices in latest platform distribution numbers
- Samsung announces metal-clad Galaxy Alpha as “next evolution of Galaxy Design”
| Google Now gets Field Trip integration, acts as virtual tour guide with ‘Nearby discoveries’ card Posted: 13 Aug 2014 06:34 PM PDT After launching back in 2012, we imagine quite some time has passed since you last fired Google’s location-based discovery app Field Trip. The app, which was supposed to act as a virtual tour guide, alerting users with information on nearby landmarks or places of interest, never quite worked as expected. Field Trip was an app better in theory than execution and for some, the app was either uninstalled or never reinstalled after an upgrade to a new device. Well, it looks like Niantic Labs is bringing Field Trips’ services to your Android device whether you like it or not, integrating Field Trip into the place where it makes the most sense: Google Now. Starting today, Android users will find a handy Field Trip card occasionally pop up in the Google Search app, providing everything from historical information to restaurant or nightlife suggestions. The best part? You app not even need to be installed in order to get this functionality inside Google Now, everything will start showing up automagically with a card labeled “Nearby discoveries.” Let us know if you see any Field Trip cards popping up on your Android device via Google Now. |
| Woman steals man’s phone, calls 911 after he wont stop harassing her Posted: 13 Aug 2014 04:46 PM PDT We’ve talked about cellphone theft a lot these past weeks. Whether it’s avoiding pickpockets or knowing what to do when you’ve left your phone at a restaurant or bar, there’s almost no worse feeling than knowing you may never see your $700 investment again. Of course, stealing someone’s phone and having that person harass you is a side of the coin we never considered because, well — you can’t fix stupid. But as KOMONews reports, that’s is what exactly what (allegedly) happened to one man according to the Seattle Police Department. Apparently the 21-year old man fell asleep on the bus while listening to music, only to awake after finding his music abruptly stopped and a young woman with her boyfriend holding his phone. This lead to a small scuffle and everyone getting off the bus. While the woman’s bf made a getaway, she wasn’t so lucky. Determined, the alleged victim continued following her. Fearing for her safety, the lovely citizen then called 911 to report the man following her. When police finally arrived, they found the victim with cuts and bruises. After noticing what appeared to be an imprint of a phone in her pocket, they discovered she was not only in possession of the victim’s phone, but 3 grams of crack as well. Okay, now that explains everything. Crack. Not even once, guys. |
| Google experiments with new Hangouts that features Messenger-like chat bubbles [LEAK] Posted: 13 Aug 2014 03:08 PM PDT Although highly functional, the current Hangouts app for Android has grown into this bloated mess that not even Google knows how to sort out. While many of you are still waiting around for Google Voice integration, video/voice messages, or maybe even SMS/MMS to arrive (desktop), it seems Google is already experimenting with an entirely new Hangouts for the desktop. Leaked by the guys at Caschys Blog the new Google Hangouts for desktop — codenamed Ultra Violet — features Facebook Messenger style chat heads for quickly switching between conversations. These bubbles can be moved around your desktop and in their current state, rely on experimental Chrome features so stability is more than likely on the shaky side. Other than that, it seems that’s all there really is to this leak and there’s nothing indicating that this version of Hangouts will ever make its way out of the experimental stage. If it ever does, we imagine Google would want to keep a unified experience across desktop and mobile, so maybe this is a hint of things to come? |
| USB Type-C with reversible design has been finalized, doesn’t care which way you insert it Posted: 13 Aug 2014 01:28 PM PDT Ever since we started using them in modern smartphones (old phones like the Sidekick actually used a round AC plug), current standard USB cables are not only convenient, but single handedly responsible for some of our biggest-little frustrations in life. Jabbing away at your phone with a micro USB cable, only to find out you have the damn thing upside down. Yeah, that’s what hell is going to be like. But that’s only half the equation. The same frustrations exist when using the full sized end to plug into the host device/charger. See the illustration below that explains how USB cables actually exist in the 4th dimension. Pretty much how inserting current USB cables work every time Okay, so we’re all familiar with the problem facing our current non-reversible USB cables — something Apple actually addressed quite well when introducing their Lightning cable — and in an ongoing fight to find out ways we can better convenience our lives, just what are we as a human race doing about this age old problem? Apparently a lot. The folks responsible for the USB standard have just finalized a new USB Type-C connector which features not only a super handy reversible design (double sided USB 3.1 connections), but a 100W power delivery spec as well. While you would think hardware manufacturers are more than happy with current non-reversible USB connectors, apparently the USB 3.0 Promoter Group says the new Type-C design has been very well received and that “representatives from the PC, mobile, automotive, and IoT industries have been knocking down our door anticipating this new standard.” So how long before we see this new cable/ports available in our Android an/or PCs? Given the design was only just finalized and how popular current micro USB design is, it will probably take some time before we see wide spread adoption. If we had to guess, we wouldn’t expect to see smartphones using USB Type-C until sometime next year at the earliest. Until then, we’ll continuing doing back flips on those rare occasions we actually slip a USB into its port on the first try. [USB] |
| Deal: Grab the Amazon Fire TV for $15 off Posted: 13 Aug 2014 11:59 AM PDT If you’ve been eyeing the Amazon Fire TV as a possible addition to your home entertainment setup you’ll want to take heed of Amazon’s latest deal. They’re knocking $15 off its price to celebrate a “boatload of new apps,” bringing the set-top box down to a respectable $84. Amazon Fire TV gives you quick and easy access to Amazon’s ecosystem or music, movies and TV shows, as well as multimedia apps from various third party sources and games from the Amazon Appstore. Amazon’s prideful accomplishment comes from the second screen experience that can be had with an accompanying Amazon Kindle Fire tablet, a feature that gives you more info on the movies and TV show you’re viewing without having to do much work to dig it up yourself. For hardware, the device features a quad-core chipset, 2GB of RAM, dual-band WiFi, HDMI-out, support for Dolby Digital Plus surround sound and more. Add a $40 gaming controller and you’ve got yourself a pretty slick piece of kit that can keep you entertained for quite a while. Be sure to take advantage of the deal at Amazon’s site before it dissipates. |
| How to find your parked car with Google Now [Android 101] Posted: 13 Aug 2014 11:50 AM PDT One of the most annoying things about owning a car is parking. First you have to find somewhere to park, which can be very difficult in big cities or at popular events. Once you finally find a spot you’re just dying to get out of the car. Oops! You forgot to take note of where you parked. Now you’re ready to go home, but you have no idea where to find your car. There are dozens of great Android apps for finding parked cars, but most of them require you to input your location before you leave the vehicle. If you’re already forgetting to note where you parked in the first place you probably won’t remember to use an app. What if there was an automatic way to do this without any effort on your part? The good news is there is, and you probably already have it installed. Did you know that the Google app you already use can include parking data? The app uses your device's sensors to know when you leave a previously moving vehicle. When Google detects you've left a vehicle it will take note of your location, the time you parked, pinpoint the location on a map, and add it to your Google Now stream. All of this information will be displayed on a card like the one above. How do I enable this? All you have to do is make sure “Driving” is set as your main mode of transportation.
Can I choose when I see the parking card? Like most Google Now cards, there are some additional options. Follow these steps to customize parking location cards:
How do I turn off parking cards? If you find that the parking location cards aren’t working well, or you just don’t need them anymore, you can turn them off.
To learn more about Android, check out our Android 101 guides. |
| PSA: T-Mobile will begin throttling customers using unlimited data for peer-to-peer file sharing Posted: 13 Aug 2014 11:30 AM PDT As one of the few carriers in the US to offer an unlimited data plan, T-Mobile is often a refuge for data hungry wireless subscribers looking to free themselves from the shackles of data caps and throttling. While some customers they can use this data however you like (streaming YouTube videos, Netflix, music, or downloading large files), there is one method for download data T-Mobile is definitely not okay with: peer-to-peer file sharing. Although clearly forbidden in T-Mobile’s terms and conditions, a leaked internal memo mentions T-Mobile is now ready to finally start cracking down on heavy data users abusing their T&Cs which include everything from P2P file sharing apps, to continuous web camera broadcasts. Starting August 17th, customers found to be misusing T-Mobile’s network can expect some throttling. Here’s an excerpt of the memo:
To be clear, anyone violating T-Mobile’s T&Cs wont simply find themselves throttled out of the blue. T-Mobile has put together a dedicated team who will begin notifying offending customers of their misuse, with further action requiring the inevitable throttle. [TmoNews] |
| Samsung Galaxy Mega 2 leaks with 6-inch display Posted: 13 Aug 2014 10:49 AM PDT Samsung’s understandably uncomfortable with pushing the “phablet” limit on their Samsung Galaxy Note line, but they aren’t afraid to do so with the Mega. While the original large phones weren’t widely available or positioned for the high-end market, they still provided moderately priced options for those who prefer gigantic displays. New rumors say a follow-up device is in order. The device has leaked in full glory, with new photos giving us a clear look at its back, front and side. The device is typical Samsung and there aren’t really any surprises on the outside for you to get riled up over. As for the hard specs, here’s what we’re expecting the device to sport:
As we expected, it won’t make the cows come home but it certainly should help get you through a long day if you’re in need of a smartphone. Unfortunately there aren’t any hard details on things like a release date or where we expect to see it launched, but we’re sure that sort of info will be provided by Samsung whenever they get around to it. In the meantime, they have bigger (figuratively, not literally) fish to free.    |
| Alleged Nexus 6 “Shamu” specs leak: Snapdragon 805, 3GB of RAM, 13 megapixel camera and more Posted: 13 Aug 2014 09:16 AM PDT According to the rumor mill, Google and Motorola are said to be bringing out a new device codenamed “Shamu” that will eventually make its way to the market as the Nexus 6. We haven’t known much about it up to this point, but a new benchmark leak could shed some light on what to expect out of the device. Let’s not waste any time with what you’re here for:
We’re not sure how accurate this benchmark is. The storage is particularly peculiar as we don’t often see a phone in configurations outside of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. The existence of 24GB could indicate a device with 16GB of internal storage and an 8GB microSD card, but we can’t say for sure. Another point of contention is that the original rumor told tales of a 5.9 inch display, which is a far cry from the 5.2 inch panel listed above. Perhaps it’s just circumstances of it being a prototype device that is most likely nowhere near final specification. We sure wouldn’t mind seeing a device like this come to market if it all does turn out to be true, but with this thing still firmly planted in the “rumor” space we’re not going to get our hopes up too high. [GFXBench, Antutu via PhoneArena] |
| Best Android apps for college students Posted: 13 Aug 2014 08:27 AM PDT The days are getting shorter. The “Back to School” ads are getting harder to ignore. All signs point to the school year being just a few weeks away. RIP summer vacation. If you’re one of the millions of college students across the country you’re probably already preparing for another year of school. Whether this is your first year or sixth year we want you to be prepared to dominate your classes. A smartphone at your side can make college life much easier (and more fun). Check out these Android apps for college students! StudyingChegg, FreeTextbooks can be the most expensive and annoying part of college. You’re at the mercy of your professor when it comes to how many books you will need, and sometimes they require books that are never used. It sucks. Chegg is a great website for renting and buying books for cheap, but their Android app offers even more. Tap into a library of over 2.5 million guided solutions, 7-day access to rented textbooks, and eTextbooks that can be read on your device. Dictionary.com, Free |
| Humble Mobile Bundle 6 update adds creepy llamas and road rage Posted: 13 Aug 2014 07:46 AM PDT Humble Mobile Bundle 6 brought 6 great games to choose from (so long as you paid more than the average, natch), and as is typically the case they’ve updated the list with three more great titles a week later. This week brings the road rage carnage simulator known as Carmageddon, a unique endless runner called Time Surfer that lets you control the flow of time, and Llamas with Hats: Cruise Catastrophe, featuring some of the most diabolical, fearful and scary llamas you’ll ever come across. Wondering how the list looks now? Look no further than the handy list below Pay anything to unlock:
Pay More than the average ($4.52 as of this post) to unlock:
And remember that you can always split the proceeds up however you want (either to the Child’s Play Charity, the Electronic Frontier Foundation or the developers themselves) so be sure to think long and hard about who you want to support. Head to Humble Bundle’s site right here if you wouldn’t mind hoarding any of these titles. |
| KitKat hits more than 20% of Android devices in latest platform distribution numbers Posted: 13 Aug 2014 06:33 AM PDT Time for the periodical breakdown of Android version numbers by platform. This morning we see KitKat taking 1/5th of the pie for the first time, with the latest version of Android (and all its minor revisions) accounting for more than 20% of the share at 20.9%. That number will only keep rising from here on out, but the day that it catches up to Jelly Bean can’t some soon enough for many of you still on Android 4.2 and 4.3. Speaking of which, Jelly Bean combined for an overall share of 54.2%, an absolutely dominating lead. A vast majority of that pie belongs to Android 4.1 and 4.2, but 4.3 is commanding a respectable 7.9% on its own. That deserves a quick golf clap, don’t ya think? And if we’re counting devices still on Ice Cream Sandwich (10.6%) as modern, then a total of 85.7% of folks are using Android at its best. Unfortunately that still lives a pretty visible share for legacy versions like Gingerbread (13.6%) and Froyo (0.7%), though those numbers continue to decline every day. We’re not sure if we’ll ever see the day that more than half of Android’s userbase is running the absolute latest version of Android, but with Google taking steps to best fragmentation right in the mouth with each and every passing update we’re sure it won’t be much of an issue going forward. Let’s see how far KitKat can go before we reach the eventual launch of Android L. Full breakdown of stats can be found right here. |
| Samsung announces metal-clad Galaxy Alpha as “next evolution of Galaxy Design” Posted: 13 Aug 2014 06:10 AM PDT Samsung has made the Galaxy Alpha official this morning, folks. No longer do we have to rely on thin rumors to figure out what exactly we’re getting. This thing is built out of metal, which is quite a big deal considering Samsung has largely used plastic materials to date. Samsung made special care to first mention that this is the “evolution of Galaxy Design,” which certainly suggests they won’t be shying away from using metal in future smartphones (including a possible appearance in their upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 4). The Galaxy Alpha doesn’t come with a unibody frame so you’ll still be getting that “premium” soft-touch backplate found on many of their latest smartphones. But the use of metal as the frame and on several edges of the devices certainly should provide an enhanced look and feel that you don’t quite get with plastic. Taking a break from the design of it all, let’s jump into the specs:
And you can expect Samsung’s usual take on the software front, including S Health, Ultra Power Saving Mode, and more. Unfortunately Samsung didn’t give any indication as to which markets this thing will be headed for, but we at least know it’ll be here starting early September and that you’ll get to choose from a wide range of colors: Charcoal Black, Dazzling White, Frosted Gold, Sleek Silver, and Scuba Blue (with availability of colors being subject to your market, of course).     So Samsung’s finally gotten the confidence to launch a metal-clad smartphone that isn’t just a one-off variant (like the Galaxy Active) line, and it sounds like they’re committing to metal for the future. Will you be looking to jump on one of these or will you wait for this new design language to be reflected in flagships like the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and possibly the Samsung Galaxy S6? Let us know your thoughts below! [via Samsung] |
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