Android Phone Fans
Android Phone Fans |
- Now might be a great time to buy an aftermarket Android
- Dear Tim Cook: watch your Google rant get destroyed in 2 paragraphs
- Buzz builds for mid-October Nexus 9 launch
- Sprint will not be getting the new Moto X (2nd Gen)
- Moto G (2nd Gen) Tips & Tricks
- Amazon announces a kids tablet that doesn’t suck
- OnePlus asks users to settle for a device without swappable covers
- Google Play now requires devs to make their home address public
- Google “active watching” patent aims to track and identify everyone in the room
- Samsung Galaxy Note 4 pre-orders start tomorrow, ships October 17th
| Now might be a great time to buy an aftermarket Android Posted: 18 Sep 2014 01:07 PM PDT Have you been able to avoid the temptation of screaming "TAKE MY MONEY" while throwing your Android phone at the feet of Tim Cook and the Apple horde? Then now might be a great time to pick up a new, slightly used Android device. Bloomberg reports that phone trade-in site Gazelle has experienced a rash of folks handing over their Android smartphones in exchange for cash that will presumably be used toward the purchase of a shiny new iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus (the phone launches tomorrow). A quick search of Craigslist and eBay seems to confirm that there are indeed plenty of newish Android devices going up for sale at prices we likely would not have seen before folks were overcome with the desperation to buy the new iPhone. These include devices like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8, which are still some of the best Android handsets money can buy. Aftermarket trade-ins via services like Gazelle should trickle down to the secondary market in the coming weeks. Swappa, a site that allows users to sell and buy used smartphones, has confirmed that they too have seen an uptick in folks selling their old phones in anticipation of Apple's new releases, but in their case it is last year's iPhone 5s that is dominating the resale market. At any rate, plenty of folks see the new, larger iPhone options as reason to upgrade. And that's great for Apple, but even better for Android fans looking for a great deal on a good-as-new smartphone (we've seen the Galaxy S5 listed in places for as low as $200, a price that was practically unheard of for a slightly used version of the phone just a few weeks ago). Let us know if you are seeing the same sort of deals on the aftermarket in your area! |
| Dear Tim Cook: watch your Google rant get destroyed in 2 paragraphs Posted: 18 Sep 2014 11:02 AM PDT Apple CEO Tim Cook today published an open letter to customers, passive aggressively attacking Google’s business model without ever mentioning the company’s name. This led some sites to sensationalize Cook’s rant as a heroic piece of literature that single handedly “ripped apart Google’s business model in 2 paragraphs.” That’s funny, because it only takes 2 paragraphs to flip all of that upside down.
This comes on the heels of a new Google patent that tracks and identifies everyone in a room. The privacy doomers and gloomers will have their field day, but if Google responsibly integrates these types of ideas into their products and services, they’ll continue to outpace Apple in growth and innovation. How much smarter can Siri get if it doesn’t know who the heck you are? I truly am an Apple fan, by the way: I’m typing this on Macbook Pro. I think the world is going to massively enjoy the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. I’m excited for the implications that Apple Pay may have on NFC and mobile payments as a whole and believe that Apple Watch will help bring wearables mainstream. That being said, Apple has a Jobs-based mentality of saying “screw what the consumer wants… we’ll make what they don’t know they want yet.” I fear this sentiment echoes in Apple’s hallways, without the ability to be fulfilled in Steve Jobs wake. Move on, Apple… responsibly collecting consumer data is the key to creating the most successful products you can. UPDATE: I found this in last week’s edition of the Washington Post
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| Buzz builds for mid-October Nexus 9 launch Posted: 18 Sep 2014 10:37 AM PDT How long have been hearing rumors of Google next Nexus Tablet? It's been over a year since the company launched a retooled Nexus 7, and mounting rumors have seemingly arrived at a singular consensus: HTC will be the manufacturer responsible for producing what likely will launch as the Nexus 9. Court documents suggest it. A leaked keyboard case confirms it. But when will the slate get its official coming out party? MoDaCo's Paul O'Brien has his sources, and if we are to believe the information he has gathered we should have some sort of answer by October 16th. O'Brien first said his source had revealed that the Nexus 9 would launch on that date, but he soon corrected that statement by saying we can expect an announcement only, instead (implying retail availability will come later). There was some speculation that HTC would have the tablet on hand at an upcoming press event scheduled for October 8th. The general belief, though, is that we will instead see a standalone HTC camera and perhaps an Android handset with a focus on photography based on the event's "Double Exposure" theme. Still, it might not be out of the question for HTC to reveal or at least tease their upcoming Google-powered tablet. It is assumed that the launch of the Nexus 9 will be timed with the official release of Android L (the Nexus 9 is expected to be the first device to ship with the OS update). Rumored specs include an 8.9-inch display display with at least a 1080p resolution and an NVIDIA K1 processor, though reports conflict on some of the more specific details.
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| Sprint will not be getting the new Moto X (2nd Gen) Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:49 AM PDT Bad news, Sprint customers. It appears the new Moto X will not be headed your way. The 2nd generation Moto X is finally a true flagship device. Motorola improved every aspect of the device, and even gave it a bigger display. Like other flagships, we expected this device to be available on all four major US carriers. According to the official Motorola Mobility Twitter account this is not the case. |
| Moto G (2nd Gen) Tips & Tricks Posted: 18 Sep 2014 09:39 AM PDT The all-new Moto G went on sale last week, and the phone is already landing in the hands of the early adopters. We had our own chance to check out the phone, and we were pretty amazed at what this $180 smartphone can do. Here are some of the tips and tricks we discovered that every Moto G owner should know about.
Transfer contacts, photos, and more to your Moto GThe Moto G includes Motorola Migrate, a service that makes it easy to move your precious data from your old phone to your new one, whether that old phone is an Android device, iPhone, or even a feature phone. Motorola Migrate can transfer contacts and calendar events as well as photos, text message history, and more.
Use voice commandsYou can control your Moto G with your voice thanks to Google Now. To access voice commands, simply tap the microphone icon in the Google search widget (or open Google Now and do the same). Some voice commands to try include:
You can also try asking Google Now a question like, "How old is the president of the United States?" For more commands and a full tutorial, see our article on Google Now Voice Commands. Motorola AlertMotorola Alert allows you to quickly notify friends and family of your location, whether you are planning to meet up in an unfamiliar location or in case of an emergency. If the latter is the case, Motorola Alert can also sound an alarm or dial an emergency number. Setup Alert by launching the the app (located in the Moto G's applications drawer) and following the onscreen prompts. You will be asked to enter information about who to contact as well as how to contact them. You can also choose an emergency contact. To notify specified contacts when you arrive or leave a location such as work, home, or school, tap "Give peace of mind by sharing your location with family and friends." You will be prompted to choose a location and contact to be notified. Motorola AssistYour Moto G can help to filter out unwanted calls and cut back on distractions thanks to Motorola Assist. Motorola Assist smartly determines when you are in a meeting, sleeping, driving, and more and takes appropriate actions like silencing your phone or reading text messages aloud. To enable Motorola Assist, launch the app from the app drawer. Then,
Unlock your Moto G with a Trusted DeviceHave a Bluetooth headset or Bluetooth infotainment system in your car? You can list them as Trusted Devices that will automatically unlock your Moto G when in range. A Trusted Device can be any Bluetooth gadget or accessory, from your laptop to your Moto 360 smartwatch. Here's how to set one up:
Now whenever your phone is paired with a Trusted Device it will not ask for a password to access your home screens. FM RadioThe Moto G includes a built-in FM radio tuner. A pair of wired headphones is required to use this function. Why? The headphones double as the phone's radio antenna. While you must leave the headphones plugged in during operation, sound can be routed to the Moto G's front-facing stereo speakers or even a Bluetooth speaker for your listening enjoyment. Camera Tips & TricksThe Moto G's camera includes a number of helpful shortcuts to take your mobile photography game to the next level. With several shooting modes and the ability to capture 720p HD video, you'll never miss the moment.
One-Tap CaptureQuickly and easily take a photo by simply tapping any portion of the screen to activate the shutter. Tap and hold to take multiple photos in quick succession (burst mode). Pro Tip: By default, the camera will auto-focus before taking a photo with One-Tap Capture. To focus on the specific area of an image where you tap, enable the option in the camera settings. Shutter ButtonThe Moto G also gives users the option to snap photos using the phone's volume up or down buttons. Hold the volume rocker in to take photos in burst mode. Protect your Moto G with Device ManagementMotorola is offering peace of mind for owners of their most recent handset releases with Motorola Device Management. Enrolling allows users to remotely locate a lost or stolen phone, ring said phone, lock nefarious users out, and even wipe the internal storage of all personal data. When first powering on the Moto G, you will be greeted with a notification inviting you to "Protect your phone." Tap the item and follow the onscreen directions to enable the above mentioned features. If you have already dismissed the notification but wish to enable device management, follow these simple steps:
If your phone is lost or stolen, simply navigate to www.motorola.com/support from any web browser, sign into your account using your Motorola ID, and select your phone and click "Lost Device.” Note: for Motorola's device tracking and remote features to work, you will need to make sure Location Access (found under the main Settings menu) is turned on. You can also follow the above directions to enable Android Device Manager, which provides a similar set of features accessible from your Google web account. Connect your devices with Motorola ConnectThe Moto G comes with Motorola Connect, an app that allows you to easily manage the Motorola devices linked to your phone. These include accessories like the Motorola Power Pack Micro or Moto Hint as well as a smartwatch like the Moto 360. To pair a device:
Find your keys with the Motorola Power Pack MicroIf you picked up a Motorola Power Pack Micro along with your Moto G, you get a little more than a bit of extra battery power on your keychain should you need a quick charge. The Power Pack Micro can also be used to locate your lost keys using your phone (or vice versa). To find a lost phone, simply double click the power button of the Power Pack Micro. Your Moto G will begin beeping. To locate your keys, open the Motorola Connect app, select the Power Pack Micro from the list of connected devices, and tap "ping." The Power Pack Micro will beep. For the feature to work the Power Pack must be powered on. It also goes without saying that it should be attached to the keys you are attempting to locate! Take a screenshotTaking a screenshot with the Moto G is easy. Simply simultaneously press the handset's power/standby and volume down buttons. Pro Tip: This shortcut should work with just about any newer Android device with a similar hardware button configuration. Enable lockscreen widgetsAccess your favorite widgets even when your phone is locked. To enable lockscreen widgets:
Access and add lockscreen widgets by dragging your finger from the left edge of the lockscreen and taping "+." Extend battery life with Battery SaverIf battery life is running low and you are far from a charge, you extend your uptime by enabling Android's Battery Saver mode. This mode will restrict background data access and cut back on excessive power drain. Turn it on by navigating to Settings > Battery and switching Battery Save to "On.” More Tips & TricksHave your own Moto G tips and tricks not covered here? Don't keep them a secret, share them in the comments below. If you can't find the answers to your specific questions here, you might try your luck over at the Moto G section of our Android Forums. While you're there, be sure to let us know what you think about Motorola's latest budget handset. |
| Amazon announces a kids tablet that doesn’t suck Posted: 18 Sep 2014 08:36 AM PDT Kids love touchscreens. Being able to directly interact with things on a screen is very easy for kids to pick up. Plus, games are fun. Many companies have tried to cash in on this market with kid-friendly tablets. The only problem is most of them aren’t very good. They’re cheap, under-powered, and usually run a weird UI. Bigger companies, like Samsung, are starting to get in the game. Enter the Amazon Fire HD Kids Edition. In terms of specs this tablet is good enough to be used by anyone. It comes in 6 or 7-inch varieties (all HD), with a quad-core processor, front and rear cameras, and Dolby Digital Audio. But this device isn’t about the spec sheet. Kids don’t care about processors. They care about books, movies, apps, and games. That is where this tablet shines. The Fire HD Kids Edition runs Amazon’s version of Android, so of course you get access to tons of apps and games. Amazon has also thrown in a year of “FreeTime Unlimited.” This service provides access to over 5,000 kid-friendly books, movies, TV shows, educational apps, and games. All free for an entire year. Don’t worry about all this content going to bad use. They’ve included parental controls, profiles, and time-based limits. The 6-inch version costs $149, while the 7-inch version will cost $189. They come with your choice of colored protective rubber case, and 2-year worry-free warranty. Amazon will replace the tablet for free if anything happens (and something probably will). No questions asked. Pre-order starts today and the tablets will ship on October 21st. This is sure to be a hot holiday item. |
| OnePlus asks users to settle for a device without swappable covers Posted: 18 Sep 2014 08:08 AM PDT It’s time for more OnePlus drama. More people are getting their hands on the OnePlus One, but they won’t be able to use one promised feature. After months and months of teasing bamboo, silk white, and sandstone black swappable back covers, OnePlus is pulling the plug. The reason? “Technical difficulties.” They say they didn’t settle, but had to arrive at a “complicated decision.” OnePlus may not have settled, but their users sure did. These swappable back covers were a promised feature during the OnePlus One hypetrain. But now they are saying the covers suffered from creaks and and loosening during testing. The good news is a small number of bamboo cases passed the testing, and they will be made available in the OnePlus online store. They are also talking about making special kevlar or denim versions of the OnePlus One. So instead of buying a cool accessory to change the look of your phone, as promised, you can buy a new phone altogether. What are your thoughts on OnePlus’ latest fiasco? [via OnePlus]
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| Google Play now requires devs to make their home address public Posted: 18 Sep 2014 07:30 AM PDT Communication between developers and users is an important thing these days. Users want to feel like they can easily ask questions or make requests, and developers want to be able to address complaints and explain features. The Play Store makes it very easy for these conversations to take place, but it looks like they could get a lot more up close and personal. The Google Play Developer Console is alerting devs to “Add a physical contact address” to their account beginning September 30th. This address will be publicly visible on the dev’s app detail page in the Play Store. It will be mandatory for paid apps or apps with in-app purchases to provide a physical address. If a dev fails to provide their address it could result in their app being removed from the Play Store.
We can understand this requirement for business with a main headquarters, such as Facebook. For indie developers this seems like a big privacy concern. Why do users need to know where a developer lives? It’s a little crazy of Google to expect developers to do this. Developers have to put up with a lot of crap sometimes. They shouldn’t have to worry about someone showing up at their front door to yell at them. What do you think of this new requirement? Do you think it’s a violation of privacy? |
| Google “active watching” patent aims to track and identify everyone in the room Posted: 18 Sep 2014 07:05 AM PDT Android users who have grown to love their voice commands could be in for a treat: Google’s been working on some crazy improvements. Recent updates have already improved how voice search works with Google Now, tightly integrated voice commands with Android Wear, and added an always listening “Ok Google” voice command to all search screens, but perhaps the best is yet to come. Deep inside a September 4th patent – titled “detecting the end of a user question” – we find some hidden gems that show us how Google could soon add “active watching” technology to futurize Google Search and beyond. But at what cost? The patent starts off fairly straightforward, describing some features already available in some Android devices such as the new Moto X (2nd gen). The phone uses multiple microphones to detect the location of voices, enabling it to ignore speech input coming from unintended sources. But the patent takes an interesting turn when it mentions capturing visual indicators, and not just any visual indicators- video.
On the surface (at least to some) this might seem innocent and run-of-the-mill: earlier this year we showed you some Galaxy S5 Tips & Tricks which include a Samsung feature called Smart Stay that keeps the screen on whenever it detects you’re looking. As depicted below, Google is suggesting combining visual indicators with audio indicators to improve Google Search functionality. It doesn’t take long for things to get a lot more interesting, though. Google attempts to detect “deliberation” between people with audio/visual indicators, and depending on what their algorithmic statistical mojo recommends, can offer answers as if engaged in an ongoing dialogue or choose to stop actively listening altogether. Capturing video and identifying peopleThis Google patent goes deeper though, not only actively watching and capturing visuals, but collecting a bunch of other information along the way.
Determine the identity of people? Yes… and then using audio and video together they can further:
If you thought Google only wanted to extrapolate this data to differentiate between the different speakers it was hearing, you’d be wrong… it doesn’t stop there. Not only does it watch, listen, capture information about people it successfully identifies, it then stores this data in user profiles. Directly from the patent:
Google even describes some examples of the data it may want to collect and store, further explaining the data would be used to serve content that is more relevant to the user:
My reaction when reading this? Awesome! What’s your reaction? Today’s Google searches at Google.com are already able to identify this type of information and store it in your Google Account history to improve performance and features, but that won’t stop some people from feeling paranoid. This patent is open ended and far reaching; I’m sure plenty of freedom fighters have already rushed to the comments in defense of our civil liberties and protection of our privacy. Ok Google… stop reading my lipsThere are often two opposing camps in the privacy debate:
Regardless to which camp you belong, Google has made it clear in their patent that these settings will be optional, allowing the user to choose whether or not their personal information is stored:
Notice the users “may” be provided with- it’s not necessarily guaranteed. They also mention anonymizing data so that they can still collect it in aggregate without connection to personally identifiable information. Patents serve to protect intellectual property, not as an operating guide, so critiques in advance of a formal Google announcement should be hypothetical. Google would attempt to address privacy concerns once implementing, and if overlooked, they’d be sure to face backlash. What type of backlash? Probably the type Microsoft faced earlier last year, leading up to the launch of the Xbox One and Kinect. The main issue? Kinect was always listening, always watching, and you couldn’t turn it off. Sound familiar? Microsoft later backtracked on that demand and most of the Kinect privacy hysteria has subsided. Dissenters likely purchased the Playstation 4 or Nintendo Wii U instead… and the world went on. Whether the tech from this patent sees the light of day remains to be seen. If it does, privacy will certainly be an imperative issue to discuss, and I urge you to begin that discussion in the comments below. But I’m hopeful that Google would implement it responsibly. A more interesting discussion, I believe, is what this patent could mean for the future of Android devices. How will Google use this data?I love Google voice commands and it’s a feature I use daily. If you don’t, you really need to try it. It’s not perfect though and can be especially irritating when you’re not the only person in the room. At the very least, Google’s hopes of improving voice commands through visual indicators is promising. This patent could mean much more than voice search improvements and its parallels with Kinect aren’t only in the privacy department. When most people think “Android” they think “smartphone” but Google’s scope is much broader and motives more sweeping. The “detecting the end of a user question” patent may feature a mobile phone in its illustrations, but it explicitly mentions computers, web cams, and other types of video and audio equipment that can collect information from what seems like a much larger and more physically static area than is likely with your phone. Three obvious places (beyond smartphones and laptops) where Google could awesomely employ these features to create stunning new experiences:
Television is still in the stone ages, begging to be revolutionized. Google’s initial attempt – Google TV – failed quite miserably, but they’ve since announced Android TV. In its current alpha form it’s a direct competitor to products and services like Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Netflix, but it could be so much more. Advanced voice operation that smartly “lives” with you and the people in your house could make the difference between a cheap set top box and truly next generation multimedia solutions. At the ground level, consider an Android TV that greatly improves upon the voice functionality already found on Xbox and PS4. The auto industry hasn’t changed a whole lot in the past few decades, either. Google isn’t waiting two decades for their self-driving cars to become a reality, they’re launching consumer vehicles with Android built-in later this year through Android Auto. What interesting experiences, apps, and games could Google create by knowing who is in the car, where each person is sitting, when each person is talking, and what they’re each saying? That’s a challenge I’m sure developers would love to tackle. Then we’ve got the ever-cliche, George Jetson style “home connectivity” vision. We’ve been hearing about and seeing Android appliances since 2010, but even with the advent of Android @Home, truly connected homes have made few inroads into your typical homes. Google has shown a recommitment to home connectivity after buying Nest for $3.2 Billion. Being able to communicate with your home, hands-free and with great accuracy, could be the missing link in helping the connected home emerge as the next cultural revolution. Creepy? Awesome? Or both?The three main takeaways from this article (and Google’s patent):
Using visual queues and pairing them with audio queues is a brilliant way to improve an already wonderful product, but is capturing video, listening to voices, watching lips, identifying real people, and correlating it with personally identifiable information going further than you want your relationship with Google to go? Let us know in the comments! Note: the term “active watching” is not used by Google in this patent. They do, however, call the existing audio functionality “active listening”. I’m using the term “active watching” for this article as a logical extension of an already understood and well accepted concept. In reality, I’d hope Google would announce this feature using a term that seems less intrusive, such as “active aware” or “always aware” (which could include both audio and video). |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 4 pre-orders start tomorrow, ships October 17th Posted: 18 Sep 2014 06:20 AM PDT Earlier this month the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 was announced at IFA. The Note line has done very well for Samsung, and this latest model is yet another improvement. Today Samsung has announced that pre-orders for the Note 4 will begin tomorrow, September 19th. Tomorrow also happens to be launch day for Apple’s new iPhone 6 Plus phablet. Coincidence? We think not. Here’s a refresher on what the Note 4 has to offer:
Pricing will be announced tomorrow by each carrier. The Galaxy Note 4 will begin shipping almost a month from now on October 17th. Will you be pre-ordering the Note 4 tomorrow? Check out our hands-on video before you do! |
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