Android Phone Fans
Android Phone Fans |
- 7 Funniest iPhone 6 Bend Jokes, Pictures, and Videos
- First 10 things every new Moto X (2nd Gen) owner should do
- From the Forums: who’s laughing at plastic phones now, guilty pleasure songs, and more
- Sony getting serious about America? US event scheduled for October 9th
- Mobile Roar 63: Moto X review, #bendgate, Nexus 6 leaks, and more!
- Madden Mobile update lets you create a league with your friends
- HTC M8 EYE said to launch next month with a 13MP Duo Camera [RUMOR]
- Deal: Amazon offering more than 2 dozen premium Android apps worth $135… for free!
- FCC filing suggests standalone 3G LG smart watch could be on its way
- Conan O’Brien brings his comedic genius to #BendGate with hilarious new skit [VIDEO]
- Moto X (2nd Gen) now available from Verizon Wireless
| 7 Funniest iPhone 6 Bend Jokes, Pictures, and Videos Posted: 26 Sep 2014 05:29 PM PDT The iPhone 6 Bend problem may be slightly blown out of proportion (things bend if you bend them) but lets put the murky details aside for a moment and revel in the hilarity that BendGate has inspired. Here are our 7 favorite responses, pictures, videos, and memes to come from Apple’s latest drama… share your favorites in the comments! #7 Kit Kat: Gimme a breakThe official @KitKat twitter account gave 4.4 out of 5 droids of support by letting Apple know the deal, complete with their memorable company slogan. #6 Tim Cook Fashion LineRather than fix the iPhone’s woes, some users suggested Apple’s Tim Cook could succeed by using it’s marketing prowess to popularize former fashion fads. I’m not sure if the iPhone is 2 Legit 2 Bend, but whenever I see another “durability” test I think to myself “Please hammer don’t hurt ‘em”. #5 Conan O’Brien imagines Samsung AdIt didn’t take long for late night comedians to get in on the action – and we expect it to continue. Here was Conan’s first bend, er… stab at it. #4 Galaxy Note 3 AdThis fan-made print advertisement for the Galaxy Note 3 shows the iPhone 6 literally bowing at the feet of its rival, with the help of some strategically placed joints. Man… that new iPhone must have gone through Yoga training! #3 LG Doesn’t bend, it flexesThe gorgeous new curved screen on the LG G Flex gave the company the perfect opportunity to toss it right in Apple’s face. Because, you know, their screen bends on purpose. #2 iPhone 6 Repair KitGet bit by the iPhone 6 bend bug? Mobile Fun has just the accessory you need to straighten it out! #1 iPhone 6 Dali EditionThis one, from @PhoneDesigner, is my personal favorite. It’s a hilarious concept, incorporates another cultural icon, the picture is beautifully composed, and it’s tastefully done. Great job, PhoneDesigner! Everyone has their favorite… what’s yours? If you don’t see it above, share it with us below! |
| First 10 things every new Moto X (2nd Gen) owner should do Posted: 26 Sep 2014 05:00 PM PDT If you’re in the market for a great new Android device, hands-down, the Moto X (2014) deserves your attention. Earlier this week we detailed many of the flagship phone’s hardware and software features in our full review, making a case for why we believe the all new Moto X could be the best Android smartphone on the market. With an overall score of 4.6 out of 5, we’re sure many of you know a good thing when you see it and pulled the trigger on a custom Moto X through Motorola’s site. One thing we didn’t have time to cram into our full review was a quick list of the first things you should upon powering up the Moto X for the first time. With devices landing on doorsteps as early as today (and available at Verizon locations), your friends at Phandroid.com got ya covered. 1. Make or login with a Google accountThis one is a bit obvious, but if you’re new to this whole Android thing, you’re going to need to make a Google account to take advantage of all the apps and services your phone has to offer. You know, like having universal sign if for Google apps, tracking your phone if it gets lost, or simply downloading applications to your device (unless you go the Amazon route, which is a whole different story). First things first: make a Google account here. After that, once you’ve powered up your brand new Moto X, you’ll be taken through the setup wizard which will eventually ask you to sign into your existing Google account, or ask you to make a new one. This can be skipped, but it’s better to do it right now. Once signed in, depending on your model Moto X, you’ll be asked to set up Google Now, which we’d also recommend accepting right there and then. Soon after, you’ll find a notification asking you to set up a Motorola account. We’d recommend skipping it because many of the benefits of having a Motorola account mimic features of having a Google account. It’s needless and you wont be missing out on anything. 2. Update system apps on Google Play / Adjust Play Store settingsNow that you’ve successfully made it to your home screen, the first order of business is to update all the Google and Motorola apps that came pre-installed by diving into the Google Play Store. Since Google and Motorola have been so busy lately, there’s a good chance more than a few of them are out of date. When open the Play Store, swipe from the left edge of the screen to open up the sidebar menu. From there select “My apps” to see all the apps installed on your Moto X, as well as the ones that are in need of updating. Before selecting “Update all,” you may want to make sure you’re connected to WiFi. While those are all busy updating, you may want to strongly consider jumping into the Play Store settings (located by swiping the sidebar menu again) and turn off app auto updates. At the very least, you can set it to only update when connected to WiFi (recommended), or if you have an unlimited, uncapped data plan, you can always auto-update apps at any time. As for us, we prefer being in full control and love seeing when new updates are available, checking out “what’s new” in the app’s listing, then clicking update. While you’re in your Google Play Store settings, now would also be a good time to change the duration of how often you have to enter your password when downloading paid apps from the Google Play Store located under “Require password for purchases.” If you have kids who are always on your phone, we’d recommend selecting the option “for all purchases through Google Play on this device.” 3. Setup lock screen with security and contact infoWith that out of the way, we can now get into securing your device. Your Moto X has a variety of ways of pulling this off, whether it be by password (most secure), PIN code (moderately secure), pattern lock, or Face unlock (low security). You can see exactly how to enable lock screen security in the screenshots above. No matter your preference, you might also want to consider putting your contact info on the lock screen in the event a good Samaritan actually wants to return your smartphone (and not keep it for themselves). It only makes sense to make this as easy for them as possible. Should you forgo all the above mentioned methods of securing your smartphone and end up losing it somewhere down the road, don’t worry. You can still lock your device by visiting the Google’s Android Device Manager from any computer, or downloading the app on to someone else’s phone here. Simply click the “lock” button and you’re good to go. You can even add a full recovery message begging for the safe return of your phone and a number they can call you from straight from your lost phone. Awesome. 4. Setup trusted Bluetooth devicesWe get it — having to unlock your device every single time you want to use it for a few seconds is a huge inconvenience. This is reason many users don’t secure their phones with a lock screen to begin with. Wouldn’t it be great if your phone knew when it was near you or someplace “safe,” and would only use passwords or patterns when you’re out and about or away from you? With the Moto X, this isn’t future stuff — it’s a reality. In your Moto X’s security settings, you can actually setup “trusted” Bluetooth devices. This means whenever you are connected to these devices, your phone will remain unlocked. It could be anything from a Bluetooth speaker you have in your home, or that fancy new Android Wear smartwatch you have on your wrist. When your phone is no longer connected to the devices you specify, it will remain locked and secure. 5. Turn on (or off) Attentive DisplayYour Moto X has been equipped with low power IR sensors on the front that, aside from detecting your when your hand is near, can also detect your face. That’s right, using a new feature called Attentive Display, the new Moto X is “smart” enough to know when the screen should be on, and when it shouldn’t — simply by checking to see if you’re looking at it. Attentive Display has 2 options, the first — “stay on while I’m looking” — will keep the display on for as long as you’re looking at the phone. This is independent of your screen timeout settings. Hypothetically, this means your screen timeout can be set to something small like 15 seconds, but your phone’s display wont turn off if you’re reading an article, or watching a video. The other mode — Battery saver mode — can also detect your looking at the phone, turning off the display quicker when it doesn’t see you. This should help battery savings given a powered on display can suck up a lot of your smartphone’s juice. While it hasn’t been tested, having IR sensors constantly looking at your mug is sure to have some impact on battery life, no matter how minimal. Even if it’ll only get you an extra 5 minutes of battery life, you should at least know where to go to turn these features off. 6. Set up the Moto app to unlock new featuresSome of the most helpful features of the Moto X are located in the new Moto app. When opened, Moto will give you a quick rundown of its abilities and seeing as how it needs permission special access to your phones hardware and data, will require you to opt in first. Once you select “Yes, I’m in,” you’re on your way to unlocking your Moto X’s true potential. Once you’ve agreed to the terms, the first thing the app will do is ask you to set up voice commands. Just find a very quiet place and follow the onscreen directions. After that, opening the Moto will always pull up the Moto Voice function right off the bat (like S Voice or Siri), but the app also acts as a hub for Motorola's other contextual apps, found after clicking the small gear icon in the upper corner. There are four main apps that you’ll need to set up, with their names and descriptions down below.
One of the best parts about all of these applications is that they're found in the Google Play Store, so make sure you’re regularly checking for new updates as they can occasionally bring new features and/or bug fixes. 7. Download/activate Google WalletSure iPhone users are all excited about finally making mobile payments and they should be. It’s a feature Android users have been enjoying for years now and while there are a variety of mobile wallet apps you can find on the Google Play Store that allow this, we recommend going with Google Wallet. If you’re buying apps and games on the Play Store already, chances are it has all your info ready to go and set up is a breeze. Simply search for “Google Wallet” in the Play Store app (or click here) and download. Once installed, open the Google Wallet app and set a PIN code. Then you’ll be taken to the My Wallet section of the app where you’ll see “Set up tap and pay.” Once selected, you’ll have to accept the terms of use and once done, you should now see a card (section) telling you tap and pay is ready to rock n’ roll. Now, jump into your Settings app, scroll down and select “Tap & pay” and choose Google Wallet. If you’re using a carrier branded Moto X (from AT&T or Verizon or wherever), you’ll notice it came pre-installed with Softcard (previously Isis Mobile Wallet). Just ignore it because nobody wants to mess with that. 8. Use all black wallpaper for battery savingsThe Moto X comes equipped with a beautiful AMOLED display that, not only produces more vibrant colors and higher contrast, but brings with it an added power draw benefit as well. Different from traditional LCD displays, AMOLED doesn’t need light up individual pixels when displaying black images, saving some precious battery life as a result. This is a reason why the Moto Display lock screen feature is supposed to be so battery friendly. To further extend this to your home screen, you can choose to either use extremely dark wallpapers, or if you wanna get real crazy, just go with a completely blacked out one. Since the Moto X doesn’t make any available, you can download a pure black wallpaper for your Android here or check out our post with a handful of dark wallpapers for AMOLED devices. Once downloaded, you can set a wallpaper by long pressing a blank area of your home screen, then choosing Wallpapers > Pick image > and selecting that dark or pure black wallpaper you just downloaded. Easy peasy. 9. Speed up animationsThere’s no denying the new Moto X is one of the fastest smartphones on the market. Heck, we’d even go as far as saying in terms of real world speed, there isn’t a faster smartphone on the market (for now). Even then, did you know there’s a way you can make the phone feel even snappier and more responsive? Trust us, you’ll want to try out this next trick. All you have to do this is to enable super top secret "Developer options" hidden in the Moto X Settings app. Simply open the app, scrolling down to "About device," then pressing on “Build Number” a total of 7 times (you’ll see a countdown). Once finished, you'll see a toast appear letting you know that you are now a “developer.” Okay, not really but you now have access to a few new hidden settings. Return to the main Settings area and scroll down to the bottom where you’ll find a new option for “Developer options.” It’s not as scary as it sounds, we promise. Once inside, locate the window animation scale, transition animation scale, and animator duration scale, settings and set all of them to 5.x to speed everything up, or animation off if you’re feeling really balsy. Make sure Developer options are turned “On” at the top of the screen, exit and you’re all set. 10. Apps to get you startedWe went ahead and compiled a quick list of some of our “must-have” applications we download to every single Android device we ever purchased. Most of these are simply replacing some of the stock Google or Motorola apps already found on the device (like that awful camera), but because we like these better, we think they’re worth checking out.
That’s all, folks!And that should pretty much cover everything you should do as a brand new Motorola Moto X (2nd Gen) owner. Of course, this is not an end-all-be-all list, but we think it should cover, at the very least, some of the more important stuff. Should you have any more questions, feel free to drop a comment and/or check out our brand new Moto X (2014) forums on AndroidForums.com. It’s there you're sure to find people always willing to lend a helping hand with any questions, issues or just general chatter you have about your shiny new Moto X. Cheers. |
| From the Forums: who’s laughing at plastic phones now, guilty pleasure songs, and more Posted: 26 Sep 2014 01:06 PM PDT What is the best streaming music app to listen to your favorite guilt pleasure songs on an Android phone fool-proofed for use by even your luddite parents? If you check out some of the best threads from Android Forums this week you just might have an answer. Let's do this. After bent iPhone debacle, who wants a metal phone?He who laughs last laughs the loudest, or at least that's what they say. It might just be true given the latest iPhone launch dilemma to strike Apple. Reports of bent iPhones have Samsung fans cherishing their plastic devices. Have the masses calling for metal Samsung phones been wrong all along? Did Samsung realize big metal phones are prone to bending long ago? Even given current circumstances the debate rages on. Google Play Music or Slacker Radio?It's an age-old question for smartphone users: which streaming music service is worth my money? A current Slacker user has been tempted by a free trial for Google Play Music. At a similar monthly cost, which is the better buy? Some might even say another streaming service is the better option altogether. Weigh in with your own thoughts. Parent-proofing an Android phoneWe've all heard of child-proofing a house. To some extent we've also heard of child-proofing our smartphones and tablets. But what about parent-proofing? How do you make an Android phone as approachable as possible for the older (and sometimes tech illiterate) folks in our lives? Tips for outfitting and Android device for AARP cardholders are welcomed. Your guilty pleasure songsWhat's the one song you absolutely love but would be mortified if someone caught you in public humming along? The song you can't help but like. For miseryguts the tune happens to be "I'll Find My Way Home" by Jon and Vangelis. For us it's probably anything by Katy Perry. What about you? And more…And that about wraps this puppy up. Enjoy your weekend, but if you have some downtime be sure to visit Android Forums. Sign up for an account, post away, and perhaps you will find your thread among those featured in next week's From the Forums. |
| Sony getting serious about America? US event scheduled for October 9th Posted: 26 Sep 2014 12:34 PM PDT Sony could be looking to make a statement about their intentions to have a bigger presence here in the United States. The company has scheduled an October 9th event where they’ve invited folks to “demand great.” Anyone paying attention to Xperia Z3 marketing knows that is the main tagline being used for the device. We already know the phone is headed to at least T-Mobile, which is a very good start if they want to start to gain some penetration in the United States. Unfortunately we aren’t exactly sure what they’ll be showing. This could be a reintroduction, of sorts, for the Xperia Z3 here in the United States, and there’s a chance it could even come with an announcement of availability on more carriers. Another possibility is that we see a new phone altogether. Sony hasn’t quite been able to gain traction along the lines of LG, Samsung, Motorola and HTC, but they’re going to need it if they want their mobile division to stay afloat. Recent reports suggest Sony is still bleeding a ton of money from that division — so much so that they expect it to contribute to a loss of around $2 billion. That’s not chump change for a company of Sony’s size, so they’ll need to turn things around in a hurry if they want to prevent having to sell the division off. Let’s hope this event puts them on the right path to future success. [via GSM Arena]
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| Mobile Roar 63: Moto X review, #bendgate, Nexus 6 leaks, and more! Posted: 26 Sep 2014 11:48 AM PDT This week the mobile world was saturated with Apple drama, and it even seeped into our podcast. #bendgate is real, but does it matter, and should Apple even care? The iOS 8.0.1 update was a disaster, and Chris had major issues with his iPhone 6 and Macbook. In non-Apple news we finally posted our Moto X review, the gigantic Nexus 6 has leaked again, and DROID is making a comeback. Thanks for watching/listening! Big News Quick Hits
Wins/Fails
App Picks
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This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Madden Mobile update lets you create a league with your friends Posted: 26 Sep 2014 11:18 AM PDT We’d gushed about Madden Mobile ahead of NFL’s opening kickoff despite feeling a bit slighted about the microtransaction-heavy game, but it’s still shone through as an addictive time passer that football fans should enjoy. We’re about four weeks into the NFL season and the first major upgrade has come to the game — leagues! In lieu of a traditional franchise mode, leagues allow you and your friends to compete with each other to see who can stay atop the leaderboard by winning games. Game mechanics remain identical to head to head where you and an opponent take turns on offense playing against computer-controlled defenses. Unfortunately it looks like you have to pay in-game gold to start a league — 5,000, to be exact — and the system to invite friends to join the fun could do with some work. The main element leagues introduces is “contributions,” which is basically “how much money have you spent on in-app purchases?” The more contributions one makes, the better badge they receive. These badges ultimately don’t mean much except to say “I’ve bought a crap ton of stuff,” though it’s worth noting that members of your league do receive a small gift whenever someone makes an in-app purchase. Rob Jackson received a meager 10 gold coins for the $1 I spent, and if you know anything about Madden Mobile you know 10 gold coins isn’t getting you anything. We’re not sure if bigger purchases grant bigger rewards for league members, but we suppose something is better than nothing at all. There wasn’t much else to be had in the update, though EA did mention that they polished a few areas to make the experience that much tighter. The upgrade is free from Google Play so get over there to check it out, and be sure to read our review of Madden Mobile if you’re wondering whether this mobile gridiron experience is worth your time and, potentially, your dollars. And while you’re at it, why not join our league? Just search for “Ruler of the World” with the logo you see in the image above and request to join. Let us know your username in the comments section so we can accept you! |
| HTC M8 EYE said to launch next month with a 13MP Duo Camera [RUMOR] Posted: 26 Sep 2014 10:33 AM PDT It took awhile, but it seems HTC may have finally gotten wind that their 4MP UltraPixel camera in the HTC One M8 wasn’t quite the selling point they had hoped. Despite performing better than most cameras in low-light, a dip in resolution was simply unacceptable to some. We’ve already seen HTC gradually make the move away from UltraPixels with the Sprint HTC One E8, a plastic-clad version of the M8 only ditching the Duo camera system in favor of a single 13MP. Because you gotta have at least one gimmick to sell people on, HTC is now rumored to building an HTC One M8 with a 13MP Duo camera. The phone — known as the HTC One M8 EYE — was originally tipped by @upleaks on Twitter (the spiritual successor to @evleaks) and today, Android hacker/modder/developer LlabTooFeR confirmed on Twitter the device will launch next month with Android 4.4.4 and Sense 6.0. No word on exactly which markets we can expect the phone to launch first. You can expect many a One M8 fan to get their feathers ruffled if an arguably “better” model launches only a few months after the original. Tis the way of the world, we suppose. So long, UltraPixels, we hardly knew you. |
| Deal: Amazon offering more than 2 dozen premium Android apps worth $135… for free! Posted: 26 Sep 2014 09:50 AM PDT Amazon has put on one of its best free apps deals yet. The company has listed 27 different paid apps for the low, low cost of zero. The cost of buying all these apps sums up to around $135, which we’d say is a pretty big discount if you were to grab the whole lot of them. Even if you are only interested in a few it should still be a good opportunity to save some money. Here’s the full list of what’s available for download:
Whew, that’s a tall list. You can check out full details for each title over at Amazon’s site, where you’ll also be able to download any of these apps. Don’t forget you’ll need to install the Amazon Appstore APK in order to download them so be sure to take care of that ahead of all else. |
| FCC filing suggests standalone 3G LG smart watch could be on its way Posted: 26 Sep 2014 07:55 AM PDT With Samsung launching their Gear S standalone smart watch, other competitors could be ready to join the fray. An LG smart watch has recently passed FCC certification, and details on the filing suggest it could be a 3G-equipped smart watch — that is, it won’t require tethering to a smartphone in order to receive data. The filing doesn’t tell us much, though the device’s model number suggests it could make its way to Verizon or Sprint in a CDMA variant. There may be a GSM variant on the loose as well, but this particular filing doesn’t mention any such thing. From what we can tell from the sketching of this thing, the device will don a rectangular shape, though it will still maintain some curves around its corners. The dimensions say it should be smaller than the original Samsung Gear Live was, so we expect a decreased amount of bezel to make for a much more stylish-looking watch. Beyond all that, though, there’s nothing else we know about the thing — we’re not even sure if it runs Android Wear. I suppose we’ll have to wait for further evidence or official information from LG before we learn more about their next plans in the smart watch space. In the meantime, we’re still waiting on the opportunity to get our hands on the LG G Watch R — let’s hope that chance comes along soon. [via G for Games] |
| Conan O’Brien brings his comedic genius to #BendGate with hilarious new skit [VIDEO] Posted: 26 Sep 2014 06:58 AM PDT With all the doom and gloom surrounding the iPhone 6+’s bend issues, it’s sometimes important to step back and make light of the situation. No one knows how to make light out of any situation quite like Conan can. The late night star put together his own skit by introducing a new “competitor” to the iPhone 6 — the super straight “Samsung Galaxy.” We won’t spoil too much of the phone, but we will warn you that plenty of sexual innuendos are waiting for you (so make sure your work area is secure before hitting that play button). |
| Moto X (2nd Gen) now available from Verizon Wireless Posted: 26 Sep 2014 06:37 AM PDT Verizon told us their version of the Moto X was going on sale today, but in case you weren’t around to hear the news here it is: you can buy it right now! The device begins at $99.99 with a two-year contract, which will give you either the black base 16GB version for $99.99, or a white version with a wooden back cover for the same price (though we’re expecting Verizon to increase the price on the latter in due time). Not good with either of those? You’ll also be able to order Verizon’s version through Moto Maker. $99.99 will get you the 16GB in whichever fashion you desire, while you’ll need to pay an extra $50 for double the storage. Not too bad if you don’t mind mind signing two years of your life away. Of course, you always have the option of going the off-contract route for a reasonable $550, or you can split those payments up through Verizon Edge for just $27.49 per month for 20 months. Be sure to head over there and order yours now, and read our Moto X review to see if it’s worth any of those price tags mentioned above. Let us know if you’ll be grabbing one! |
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