Android Phone Fans

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• Underwater Sony Xperia Z3 uboxing shows off its killer feature [VIDEO]
• Sony Xperia Z3 gets the teardown treatment, reveals modular components and parts
• Pushbullet introduces ‘Channels,’ like a mix between Yo, IFTTT, and RSS
• Google Play is now showing Android developers’ addresses and pricing for in-app purchases
• Best Android games from September 2014
• LG G3 officially headed to US Cellular next month
• Android Deals: 30% off the Galaxy Tab S, 90s albums at 90s prices, and more
• The Moto 360 is back in stock through Motorola – hurry, supply is limited
• Pebble and Pebble Steel get permanent price cuts, new health features
• Samsung explains Note 4 gap as a “necessary manufacturing feature,” says it may expand over time
• Samsung highlights 5 big features made possible by the Note Edge’s display [INFOGRAPHIC]
• Rumor: new HTC One Max coming with 5.5-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 805, 3GB of RAM and more
• This is supposedly what the Nexus 6 looks like, and here are some of its early specs [Leak]

Underwater Sony Xperia Z3 uboxing shows off its killer feature [VIDEO] Posted: 30 Sep 2014 05:57 PM PDT Although occasionally guilty of it ourselves, we’ll admit — smartphone unboxings aren’t always the funnest videos to watch. But alas, they’re a necessary evil, meant to give you a quick first look at what you can expect when you open up x device for yourself (and we typically mix in our first impressions to keep things interesting). Earlier today, we saw what happens when you crack open an actual Sony Xperia Z3 smartphone, exposing all the modular internals to the outside world. Now, the folks at Carphone Warehouse are giving us a more unconventional unboxing of the Z3, taking the phone deep underwater in their latest YouTube video. Given that the Xperia Z3 has an IP68 rating for water, it has absolutely no problem being submerged in 1.5 meters of water. You have to admit, that’s one killer feature. Check out the video below and be sure to let us know what you think.

Sony Xperia Z3 gets the teardown treatment, reveals modular components and parts Posted: 30 Sep 2014 04:51 PM PDT We’ve been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Sony Xperia Z3 and its smaller sibling, the Z3 Compact. Call us sick in the heads, but we take a certain amount of pleasure in watching the disassembly of these tiny pocket computers with the Sony Xperia Z3 being no different. The phone is the subject of a new teardown by the folks at Ewisetech, giving us an up close look at everything that makes the Z3 tick. For interested parties, take a look at a few of the upcoming smartphone’s exposed parts down below. Unsurprising, there’s not too much different from the older Z2 model (this ones got more rounded edges). The back plate is removed rather easily, using some kinda of foam insulation to keep a water tight seal. Once cracked open, inside you’ll find the use of Samsung RAM/ROM, and a handful of chips from Broadcom and Qualcomm on the exposed motherboard. If nothing else, we were surprised at how clean and modular all the internal parts were, leaving us confident that replacing parts on the device shouldn’t be too troublesome. Fore more pictures, check out the source link below. [Ewisetech | via Xperia Blog]

Pushbullet introduces ‘Channels,’ like a mix between Yo, IFTTT, and RSS Posted: 30 Sep 2014 03:22 PM PDT Pushbullet has slowly grown into one of those Android applications we simply can’t live without. Recently, we saw updates that brought the ability to reply to our phone’s SMS messages straight from our computers, and even universal copy/paste. Again, we can’t say enough about the application and how it’s helped streamline our workflow. In a new update rolling out for Pushbullet on the web, the service is now introducing something they’re calling “Channels.” It’s a little hard to describe, but we’d liken it to services like Yo, IFTTT or RSS where you can essentially subscribe to notification feeds via Pushbullet’s new web portal. Once subscribed, you’ll receive notifications when something like a website publishes a new post, or when the channel owner wants to notify subscribers about some important update. While RSS feeds are naturally the most obvious type of Channel, Pushbullet describes a use case scenario where small businesses, groups, or even teachers need to send something to all their subscribers at once. Sure we have email, instant messaging, SMS, or just about any number of apps that do much of this already, but the fact that it’s so easy to set up and configure on an app we’re already using makes it useful enough to give it a shot. You can get started making your own Channel here, or subscribe to the Phandroid channel here to get notified of new posts, or even receive notifications when our weekly wallpaper posts go live here. You can find all available Pushbullet Channels by visiting the link down below from your web browser. [Pushbullet Channels]

Google Play is now showing Android developers’ addresses and pricing for in-app purchases Posted: 30 Sep 2014 01:20 PM PDT In a followup to previous posts in which we highlighted some controversial new changes making their way to the Google Play Store — namely, developers being required to display their home/business address in app listings, and pricing for in-app purchases finally being a thing — it looks like both are now live on Google Play. While showing the price ranges for apps and games with in-app purchases is being lauded (still sucks that individual items aren’t shown), it’s the address portion that’s leaving some with a bad taste in their mouths. What’s the big deal? Well, the Google Play Store (once Android Market) was built on the backs of smaller indie developers — the same developers who may or may not have the money to afford an office or workspace away from home. With their addresses now in plain view on all of their app listings, you can see how this could potentially create a weird situation if fallen into the wrong hands. What kind of weird situation you ask? Android developer Koushik Dutta of Clockwork Mod fame sheds some light on this subject with a brief anecdote on his Google+ page. The post describes a “creepy” situation he encountered after a disgruntled customer showed up to his place of residence. “A few years ago, some guy bricked his Galaxy SomethingOrOther by flashing the wrong recovery. He started messaging me on Google Talk, and then on IRC asking for help. I told him I was not tech support, and that he shouldn’t have flashed the wrong recovery hoping it would work. I said to use Odin and find a debrick guide. He knew I lived in Seattle, and said we could meet up for me to fix it. I declined. Twenty minutes later… I receive a call. It’s this guy, begging for help. I tell him that’s totally inappropriate, and that he needs to stop. After I got off the call, I realized that the call was made from the call box downstairs, outside my building.” We should note: the above stated situation occurred before Google’s new Play Store policies and wasn’t a result of the new changes. While it’s true, technically anyone could grab a developer’s addresses by making an app or game purchase and viewing their Google Wallet receipt, the fact that it’s now openly made public online is still a legitimate concern for some. It’s being speculated Google was forced to go this route to stay in accordance with European laws and for the most part we get it. But it’s still unclear if developers can simply use a PO Box, UPS address, or if a physical home or business address is absolutely mandatory. What we do know is developers have 30 days to comply with Google’s request starting today, or run the risk of having their apps/games removed from Google Play.

Best Android games from September 2014 Posted: 30 Sep 2014 01:17 PM PDT Previous Best Games of the Month Another month bites the dust. September is officially ending, and with it has gone the last traces of summer. The good news is there were quite a few excellent new games this month. As the weather gets a little cooler you can stay inside and play games on your phone. Suddenly Fall doesn’t sound so bad, does it? Check out our list of the best games you may have missed from September. Enjoy! Angry Birds Stella “You know, we could use some more Angry Birds games.” I’m not sure if anyone has actually said that, but the folks at Rovio sure think so. Angry Birds Stella is yet another special edition of the same ol’ Angry Birds game. In this version you can only use the female bird characters. That’s pretty much it. Asphalt Overdrive Just like Rovio keeps making new Angry Birds games, Gameloft has pumped out yet another Asphalt title. Asphalt Overdrive is a mission-based arcade driving game with a retro style. Unlock and drive 30 high-performance, fully licensed vehicles such as the iconic Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari Testarossa. Challenge yourself in 7 different mission types: Escape the cops, defeat bosses, avoid obstacles, and perform impressive stunts while you race. Beach Buggy Racing Beach Buggy Racing is the sequel to Beach Buggy Blitz. Drive into an action-packed, surprise-filled world of off-road kart racing mayhem. Race against a field of rival drivers, each with unique personalities and special abilities. Build a collection of crazy powerups, like Dodgeball Frenzy, Fireball, and Oil Slick. With 6 different game modes there is tons of fun to be had. Boogey Boy Boogey Boy is a 3D side-scrolling runner. It's time for bed and the boogeyman is out to get you. Can you escape your nightmares? Escape the boogeyman by collecting batteries to activate your flashlight. Play through the boy’s dreamworlds, dodging strange and bizarre enemies. Activate special power-ups to help the boy escape from the terrors of the night. BombSquad In BombSquad you can blow up your friends in mini-games ranging from capture-the-flag to hockey. With tons of explosions, advanced ragdoll face-plant physics, pirates, ninjas, barbarians, and insane chefs, there is something for everyone. BombSquad supports network-play as well as 8 player local multiplayer so all your friends can get in on the action. Cardinal Quest 2 Cardinal Quest 2 is an approachable, yet challenging, roleplaying game. Dive into dangerous dungeons with unique characters and climb the leaderboards. Explore challenging dungeons, encounter dangerous enemies, and grow in power as you progress. You can choose your characters class and customize with spells and special items. CounterSpy In CounterSpy your job is to stop a crazed superpower from launching deadly nuclear missiles. As a budding Agent for C.O.U.N.T.E.R, jump into action, stealthily sabotage dastardly plans and deceptively maintain world peace. The game is packed with stylized Cold War-era visuals and smooth side‐scrolling cover‐based shooting gameplay. Dragon Quest After having launched Dragon Quest 4 for Android last month, Square Enix wants to add more of the series to Google Play's catalog. The company has released the original Dragon Quest game, giving us a touch-equipped rendition of the game that started it all. The $3 download gives you access to the entirety of the game as it was released with no in-app nonsense to be had. Goat Simulator The bizarre Goat Simulator has been released to the Play Store this month. What the crap is Goat Simulator, you ask? Goat Simulator is the latest in goat simulation technology, bringing next-gen goat simulation to YOU. You no longer have to fantasize about being a goat, your dreams have finally come true! It’s pretty much just a joke. Interstellar Usually movie games are not very good, but Paramount actually did a good job with Interstellar. Create and customize your own unique solar system with planets, moons, asteroids and more. Explore a universe of fan-generated solar systems and black holes in the Interstellar experience. See how far you can pilot the Endurance without running out of fuel or losing time relative to Earth. Sling-shot through solar systems using real-world physics and gravitational forces. Just Dance Now The world’s most popular dance game is now available on your phone. Just Dance Now uses your phone as a controller for the game on your browser. Simply launch the game from the Just Dance website and use your phone to track your dance moves. It’s a neat new way to play Just Dance. Light In The Dark In this unique game you must help the Totems find their adorable lost children. In order to do this you must solve light bending, color blending puzzle game. The Totems shine brightly as you are tasked with solving each challenging and fun-filled scenario! Move boxes, slide lenses and adjust mirrors so the Totem's light can awaken the slumbering babies. Phantom Rift Phantom Rift is an adventure/RPG with a unique battle system, hundreds of spells to collect and use, endless equipment combinations to customize your wizard with, and much more. The Phantom Rift is a dark, ethereal world filled with mystery and powerful magic. You don’t know how or why you are there, only that you must find a way back to the True World at any and all costs. The Nightmare Cooperative The Nightmare Cooperative is a strategic adventure where you lead a group of unlikely comrades through some rather difficult situations. Your village has fallen on hard times, and it's up to you to bring back some gold. It’s a puzzle game where all the characters move together, but they have separate skills. Every playthrough will be a different experience. Nimble Squiggles Nimble Squiggles is a casual puzzle game where you use your finger to get squiggles to a funnel and escape the levels. One of key concepts of the game is matching colors. Each squiggle has a specific color. Squiggle can only pass through the lane of the same color. The same idea of color-matching applies to the funnels, gravity points and other interactive objects. If you like challenging puzzles you will like this game. R.G.B. R.G.B. is a unique game that combines Temple Run with Guitar Hero. Tap the screen to arrange the buddies in the correct order to match their colors. It’s simple, very addicting, and only requires one finger to play. The music is pretty cool too. Spider-man Unlimited Swing into a hand-drawn, action-packed arcade adventure game that feels like it came straight from a comic book. Unite every hero in the Spider-man universe against the ultimate threat of the Sinister Six, who have opened a dimensional portal in New York to summon endless versions of themselves. The Sinister Six are moving from dimension to dimension, destroying each one. It’s your job to save ours. Star Wars: Commander The best game to come from September might be Star Wars: Commander. Charge into battle on distant planets, and lead your troops to victory in this action-packed, combat strategy game. Build a base, recruit an unstoppable force, and challenge players across the Star Wars universe. Where does your allegiance lie? Will you side with the Empire's strength and relentlessness, or the Rebellion's heroism and resourcefulness? Unmechanical Unmechanical is all about the adventure of a little helicopter trapped in a strange, but fascinating world. Help him through to discover the secrets of the world. Unmechanical is a puzzle adventure that combines tricky puzzle solving, alluring exploration, and an engrossing atmosphere. Set in a fantastic world of flesh, rock and steel, your journey to freedom requires you to solve a great variety of puzzling challenges.

LG G3 officially headed to US Cellular next month Posted: 30 Sep 2014 12:25 PM PDT Not everyone is able to get service with the Verizons, AT&Ts, Sprints and T-Mobiles of the world. For those folks, some good news has arrived — US Cellular will be carrying the LG G3 starting in October. The carrier didn’t have any detailed release date information to reveal, though we do learn that it’ll be offered for $0 down for those on US Cellular’s Shared Connect plans. That particular route will tie you to a commitment of paying the device off in full in 24 monthly installments, though you do get the option of trading the device in for a new one every 12 months. Not too bad if you like to switch smartphones every year. Be sure to check out our LG G3 review to figure out if it’s a good device to commit money and at least a year of your wireless freedom to, and stay tuned as we’ll be fishing for the final release date in the weeks to come.

Android Deals: 30% off the Galaxy Tab S, 90s albums at 90s prices, and more Posted: 30 Sep 2014 12:19 PM PDT This week's Android deals include sweet savings on the Super AMOLED-equipped Galaxy Tab S, your one-stop shop for password management, and classic 90s albums at vintage prices. Act quick. These deals are here today, but they could be gone tomorrow. Hardware & Accessories Take 30% off the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and unleash the beast that is the tablet's high resolution Super AMOLED display. Normally priced at $549, the Tab S is available through eBay for $379.99 with free shipping. Also available is the Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 for an affordable $339. [eBay] Snag a Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX for $120 and get a piece of the name that started it all. The Droid Razr Maxx is one in a long line of popular Droid handsets from Verizon, and while it's a couple years old at this point this refurbished edition is still a perfectly capable Android smartphone. [eBay] Take flight with the $75 Micro Drone and wrest control of the skies. With a built-in camera, this little remote control flyer is one of the most fun and most affordable quad-rotor drones on the market. Normally close to twice the price, you save 46%. [AndroidArea] Double your data at AT&T from now through the end of October. Sign up for a new AT&T plan at regular price and see your data allowance multiplied by two for the length of your stay at AT&T. Prices start at $130 for 30GB (normally 15GB) of shareable data. [AT&T] Save 70% on Creative Airwave Portable Bluetooth Speaker and go wireless while you jam out to your favorite tunes. Normally $100, today only you can grab this mighty little sound machine for only $29.99. [Amazon] Apps & Games Manage all of your passwords with Dashlane Premium, only $49.99, and keep your passwords secure across multiple platforms. With apps for Android, iOS, and desktop encrypt and manage your login credentials for all your sites and services. [AndroidArea] Become an elite Android hacker with this discounted bundle featuring 74 lectures and over 10 hours of educational content. Learn about app development, Java, and hacking techniques to test the stability and security of your newly created software. All available for only $39. [AndroidArea] Apps Battery Monitor Widget Pro [$1.89] GeoTask Pro [$1.28] MIXTRAX [$1.99] Games Chuck's Challenge 3D Reloaded [$1.99] Osmos HD [$0.99] Scramble with Friends [$0.99] Music & Media Singles Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen [$0.69] Jealous – Nick Jonas [$0.69] Party in the U.S.A. – Miley Cyrus [$0.69] Why When Love Is Gone – The Revelations [$0.69] Albums ARTPOP – Lady Gaga [$5.99] Four – Blues Traveler [$5.00] Enema of the State – blink-182 [$5.49] My Everything – Ariana Grande [Free] The New Classic – Iggy Azalea [$5.99] Title – Meghan Trainor [$5.16] Tragic Kingdom – No Doubt [$5.99] Movies Ender's Game [$7.99] Forrest Gump [$5.99] Man of Steel [$6.99] Pacific Rim [$6.99] The Great Gatsby [$6.99] TV Shows Scorpion [S1E1, Free] Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories [S1E1, $1.99]   [[Find any great deals not included here? Be sure to send them our way or share in the comments below!]

The Moto 360 is back in stock through Motorola – hurry, supply is limited Posted: 30 Sep 2014 11:43 AM PDT Availability of the Moto 360 has been tricky these past few weeks. Whether Motorola didn’t make enough, or demand has been so high they can’t keep ‘em on store shelves it’s clear Motorola didn’t properly gauge consumer demand for the new smartwatch. Today, after a bit of a dry spout, the Moto 360 is once again available direct through Motorola via their online store front. If you’ve been looking to pick one up for yourself, you’d better hurry. Motorola says supplies are limited so jump on it. Still on the fence about picking up a Moto 360? Check out our full review here and don’t forget that a recent update has drastically improved battery life on the watch, one of its few shortcomings. You can grab the Moto 360 here.

Pebble and Pebble Steel get permanent price cuts, new health features Posted: 30 Sep 2014 11:02 AM PDT Pebble has announced some very good news today for not only existing owners of their smart watches, but folks who are interested in jumping into the fray at some point soon. For starters, the smart watch has gotten a permanent price cut across the board. The normal Pebble now costs just $99.99, while the Pebble Steel will run you $199.99. We originally thought the device was on sale for those prices at Best Buy yesterday, but it looks like those prices will stick for the foreseeable future. With that, Pebble also announced new features for folks who have an interest in health tracking. For beginners, activity tracking apps — such as Jawbone, Misfit and Swim.com — can now work in the background while viewing the watch face or using other apps. You’ll be able to see which activity apps are actively running by looking within the Pebble menu. Beyond that, Pebble has added a quick launch feature that allows you to go to your favorite app with a long press up or down. This can be customized from the settings menu to be whatever you like. Not a bad way to start a Tuesday if you’re one of the many who have yet to get on the Android Wear wagon. You’ll be able to update your Pebble using the Android or iOS app so be sure to take care of that as soon as you can. [via Pebble]

Samsung explains Note 4 gap as a “necessary manufacturing feature,” says it may expand over time Posted: 30 Sep 2014 09:51 AM PDT Earlier this week we reported on an issue that Samsung Galaxy Note 4 owners in South Korea noticed upon picking up their handsets. The device seems to have a gap between the edge of the display and the chassis. The gap isn’t terribly big, though it’s apparently big enough to slot a business card inside. This is concerning mainly due to the possibility of dust, dirt or water getting lodged inside. Funnily enough, Samsung already acknowledged this defect — in their Samsung Galaxy Note 4 manual. The troubleshooting section of the manual touches on the issue with the following explanation: A small gap appears around the outside of the device case This gap is a necessary manufacturing feature and some minor rocking or vibration of parts may occur. Over time, friction between parts may cause this gap to expand slightly We’re not so sure the word “feature” is an accurate way to describe what’s going on, but that’s Samsung’s take. Even more troubling is the acknowledgement of possible rocking and vibration with some of the device’s parts, and the possibility of the gap expanding over time. That doesn’t sit well with us at first thought, though only time and a good amount of use can tell if this would become a big issue down the line. The user manual didn’t have many other details to share about the device that we didn’t already know. Its main purpose is to teach you how to use the device and all its features, so be sure to download it and take a read ahead of the Galaxy Note 4′s arrival around the rest of the globe later next month. [via SamMobile]

Samsung highlights 5 big features made possible by the Note Edge’s display [INFOGRAPHIC] Posted: 30 Sep 2014 08:36 AM PDT In case you were confused why Samsung’s Galaxy Note Edge has a curved display, Samsung is looking to make it clear with a new infographic they’ve put together. Many people were rightfully skeptical that the Edge display would bring meaningful benefits as Samsung has tried and failed at a secondary display before. We’re hoping this time is different, but let’s let Samsung tell you why they believe the Note Edge will be beneficial to your mobile life. Quick access to apps The Edge display can give you access to your top apps so you can launch them from anywhere in the OS. We didn’t have an issue with the old sliding drawer from traditional Galaxy Note handsets, but making access to favorite apps more quick and efficient is always a welcome change. Check notifications without interruptions Since the Edge display can display information independently of everything else, you’ll be able to see incoming notifications no matter what you’re doing, even when viewing full-screen content like games and video. This also works for incoming calls so you won’t be kicked out of your game when an unsuspecting phone call comes in. Personalization We’re not sure how many of you care about personal expression outside the use of your standard wallpaper, but you can customize the Edge display to show whatever it is you want when it’s not in use. You can add images and text as you see fit, including drawings with the S Pen. Samsung’s main use case for wanting to customize your Edge display is when it’s sitting inside a folio case, but we’d imagine most people would rather have the display off whenever it’s not needed. Quick access to live information The Ticker Board app can show live information about stocks, sports scores, live news and Twitter trends so you can keep tabs on the latest without having to tab your way through a multi-step user interface. It’s nothing a typical notification can’t handle, but it does look pretty neat. Quick tools Finally, the advent of the Edge display makes way to quick tools that can be used without much effort, including a stop watch, a timer, a ruler, flashlight control and voice recording. Samsung has it 5th on their list, but we’d probably shoot this one closer to the top of the list of useful features the Note Edge enables. Any of these features appeal to you or would you rather have a device with a straightened display? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section! [via Samsung]

Rumor: new HTC One Max coming with 5.5-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 805, 3GB of RAM and more Posted: 30 Sep 2014 07:55 AM PDT Looks like HTC could be hard at work on their next phablet. The company’s first attempt at one — the HTC One Max of yesteryear — was pretty decent, and now they’re could be ready to up the ante with a sequel. According to MyDrivers, HTC is currently on a 5.5-inch follow-up that will don 2560 x 1440 resolution, a Snapdragon 805 chipset, 3GB of RAM, a 3,000mAh battery and an 18 megapixel camera that has optical image stabilization. On the side of software, the device is said to be loaded with Android L and will run an updated version of HTC Sense on top (Sense 6.5, to be exact). We’re not sure what the latest version of Sense will introduce once it’s made available, but HTC doesn’t often go with a major version change without bringing major features. It was once thought that HTC would look to abandon the phablet space and work on their main flagship HTC One M8 after a lukewarm response to last year’s model. The HTC One Max came to the table with uninspiring specs and features. Aside from a fingerprint scanner awkwardly placed on the rear of the device it was little more than just a big HTC One. We wouldn’t be surprised to learn that recently stiffened competition in the category (read: Galaxy Note 4 and iPhone 6+) might have inspired them to reboot their efforts. Let’s hope they have something truly remarkable in the works.

This is supposedly what the Nexus 6 looks like, and here are some of its early specs [Leak] Posted: 30 Sep 2014 06:45 AM PDT We’re expecting Google to launch the next Nexus handset later this year, but to this point we haven’t been able to get a good look at the device. A leak last week showed us a purported image of the device sitting next to an LG G3, though with its back plate looking quite similar to the new Moto X we had no choice but to approach it with a degree of caution. Today, Android Police leaks a render of what they believe the Nexus 6 could look like. The render above was created based on what they’ve reportedly seen, though you should note that it’s considered a faithful recreation and not an official press render. The Motorola-made device apparently shares a lot of the same design characteristics as the new Moto X, though it obviously comes in a bigger package of 5.9 inches. According to the report, the device features dual front-facing speakers, a metal frame, and a camera ring flash ala the Moto X. Some early specs include its QHD resolution of 2560 x 1440, a 13 megapixel rear shooter, a 2 megapixel front shooter and a 3,200mAh battery. The device is also said to feature Motorola’s new Turbo Charge feature which promises to deliver 8 hours of battery life with just 15 minutes of charging. Software is said to be Android L, something not at all farfetched considering Google typically uses the latest Nexus phones to launch the latest versions of Android. There wasn’t much else to be had at this point, though we did also get word that there may not be a smaller Nexus handset in the works. That doesn’t sound too appealing for those who aren’t into the phablet thing, but there’s still a slight chance that a smaller handset could be introduced at some point. Would you pick this bad boy up if it turns out to be the Nexus 6?

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Dear buntheun keun,

Here is your customized Phys.org Newsletter for September 30, 2014:


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Spotlight Stories Headlines
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SCIENTISTS MANIPULATE MOLECULES INSIDE LIVING CELLS WITH TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS
http://phys.org/news/2014-09-scientists-molecules-cells-temperature-gradients.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
AXONS GROWING OUT OF DENDRITES? NEUROSCIENTISTS HATE WHEN THAT HAPPENS
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-09-axons-dendrites-neuroscientists.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
DECEPTIVE-LOOKING VORTEX LINE IN SUPERFLUID LED TO TWICE-MISTAKEN IDENTITY
http://phys.org/news/2014-09-deceptive-looking-vortex-line-superfluid-twice-mistaken.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
BLADES OF GRASS INSPIRE ADVANCE IN ORGANIC SOLAR CELLS
http://phys.org/news/2014-09-blades-grass-advance-solar-cells.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
APPLE SOFTWARE UPDATE PROTECTS MACS FROM 'BASH' BUG
http://phys.org/news/2014-09-apple-software-macs-bash-bug.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
SANDBLASTING WINDS SHIFT MARS' LANDSCAPE
http://phys.org/news/2014-09-sandblasting-shift-mars-landscape.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
IN STICKLEBACK FISH, DADS INFLUENCE OFFSPRING BEHAVIOR AND GENE EXPRESSION
http://phys.org/news/2014-09-stickleback-fish-dads-offspring-behavior.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
UNEXPECTED NEW MECHANISM REVEALS HOW MOLECULES BECOME TRAPPED IN ICE
http://phys.org/news/2014-09-unexpected-mechanism-reveals-molecules-ice.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
BREAKTHROUGH STUDY DISCOVERS SIX CHANGING FACES OF 'GLOBAL KILLER' BACTERIA
http://phys.org/news/2014-09-breakthrough-global-killer-bacteria.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
LAYERING ROUGH SURFACES WITH NANOMETER-THIN OPTICAL INTERFERENCE COATINGS OPENS NEW ARRAY OF POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS
http://phys.org/news/2014-09-layering-rough-surfaces-nanometer-thin-optical.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
MATHEMATICAL MODEL TACKLES 'GAME OF THRONES' PREDICTIONS
http://phys.org/news/2014-09-mathematical-tackles-game-thrones.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
HOW DINOSAUR ARMS TURNED INTO BIRD WINGS
http://phys.org/news/2014-09-dinosaur-arms-bird-wings.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
AT DUSK AND DAWN: SCIENTISTS PINPOINT BIOLOGICAL CLOCK'S SYNCHRONICITY
http://phys.org/news/2014-09-dusk-dawn-scientists-biological-clock.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
STUDY SHOWS HOW CHIMPANZEES SHARE SKILLS
http://phys.org/news/2014-09-chimpanzees-skills.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
A NEW DIMENSION FOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS: 3-D NANOMAGNETIC LOGIC
http://phys.org/news/2014-09-dimension-circuits-d-nanomagnetic-logic.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=splt-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter


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Latest News On TECHNOLOGY:
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APPLE SOFTWARE UPDATE PROTECTS MACS FROM 'BASH' BUG
Apple on Monday issued a software update to protect Macintosh computers from being bitten by a recently discovered "Bash" bug seen as a threat to Internet-linked devices.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-apple-software-macs-bash-bug.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

MERCEDES-BENZ 2025 TRUCK SHOWS AUTONOMOUS SYSTEM VISION
Coming down the road will be the future truck of 2025 and it will be able to move autonomously. The Mercedes-Benz Future Truck 2025 was recently showcased at this year's International Commercial Vehicle show (IAA), where visitors got to see what is in store on future highways in terms of trucks, buses and vans. This is an important commercial vehicle show event, of interest to manufacturers, body builders, suppliers, hauler companies and drivers, in essence the players in the transport sector. The advantages of such trucks will be greater transport efficiency, safer traffic activity affecting all road users, and fuel consumption and CO2 emissions further reduced. This will no doubt please transport decision makers who want to see sure signs of transport vehicles meeting environmental goals. The Mercedes-Benz publicity literature makes note of the truck's Highway Pilot system. Comparable to an autopilot in a plane, the radar sensors and dual-camera system of the Highway Pilot!
make
autonomous driving possible, without relying on any kind of guiding infrastructure.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-mercedes-benz-truck-autonomous-vision.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

FUEL CELL-POWERED MOBILE LIGHTS TESTED, PROVEN, READY FOR COMMERCIAL USE
Mobile lighting systems powered by hydrogen fuel cells are cleaner, quieter and now have a proven track record in applications such as nighttime construction, sports and entertainment events and airport operations, making them ready for commercialization and broader use.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-fuel-cell-powered-mobile-proven-ready.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

KICKSTARTER PROJECT SAM KIT HELPS TEACH HARDWARE SYSTEM CODING
SAM Labs, a London based startup has created a Kickstarter project that looks to take do-it-yourself project making and teaching how to program digital hardware, to a new and simpler level. Their SAM kits allow for physically connecting individual hardware components together and then using an intuitive software interface to create software that makes the newly created hardware device work as desired.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-kickstarter-sam-kit-hardware-coding.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

MICROSOFT SKIPS WINDOWS 9 TO EMPHASIZE ADVANCES
The next version of Microsoft's flagship operating system will be called Windows 10, as the company skips version 9 to emphasize advances it is making toward a world centered on mobile devices and Internet services.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-microsoft-windows-emphasize-advances.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

CANADA DEMANDS GOOGLE, NETFLIX DATA, SETS DEADLINE
Canada's broadcast regulator on Monday gave American companies Google and Netflix a three-day deadline to turn over subscriber data or have their testimony expunged from a major public hearing, media reported.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-canada-demands-google-netflix-deadline.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

CHINA CLEARS WAY FOR APPLE IPHONE 6 SALES
China has cleared the way for Apple to sell its latest iPhones in the key market by granting it a licence, the industry regulator said on Tuesday, after the US giant agreed to improve the security of users' personal details.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-china-apple-iphone-sales.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

BODY CAMERAS JOIN COPS ON THE BEAT IN US
For a growing number of police officers in the United States, miniature video cameras are becoming as much a part of the uniform as a pistol, handcuffs and badge.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-body-cameras-cops.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

GOPRO GETS A LITTLE CHEAPER —AND FANCIER —WITH NEW HERO4 CAMERA
GoPro hoisted its high-end offering further into the age of high-definition video with the introduction of the Hero4, its latest line of participant-sports-oriented video cameras. The company also lowered the price of its cheapest camera to $129 from $200, and freshened up parts of its entire lineup.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-gopro-cheaper-fancier-hero4-camera.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

NEW INTERPOL COMPLEX IN SINGAPORE TO BOOST FIGHT AGAINST CYBER CRIME
A new Interpol centre to be opened in Singapore next year will strengthen global efforts to fight increasingly tech-savvy international criminals, officials said on Tuesday.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-interpol-complex-singapore-boost-cyber.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

HARVESTING ENERGY FROM WALKING
A device that fits into a shoe harvests the energy made by walking and successfully uses it in watch batteries.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-harvesting-energy.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

NREL SOFTWARE TOOL A BOON FOR WIND INDUSTRY
Wind energy is blowing away skeptics—it's so close to achieving cost parity with fossil fuels that just a little extra efficiency is all that is likely needed to push it into the mainstream and past the Energy Department's goal of 20% wind energy by 2030.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-nrel-software-tool-boon-industry.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

RESEARCHER USES HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING TO DESIGN NEW MATERIALS
Shengfeng Cheng, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics at Virginia Tech, is seeing the unseen.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-high-performance-materials.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

EU SAYS APPLE GETS ILLEGAL TAX BENEFITS IN IRELAND (UPDATE)
Apple risks having to repay Ireland tax rebates worth billions of dollars after the European Union's competition watchdog said Tuesday the company appears to be benefiting from illegal tax deals there.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-eu-ireland-grants-apple-illegal.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

5G MOBILE NETWORKS WILL SUPPORT AN INTERNET THAT'S SO GOOD YOU CAN FEEL IT
With the roll-out of 4G mobile internet not even yet complete, it might seem early to consider starting work on the design of the next, fifth generation (5G) mobile networks. The truth is that telecoms systems are so complex in design and so slow to deploy that it could be 10 years between conception and end users being able to enjoy the benefits.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-5g-mobile-networks-internet-good.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

MICROSOFT TO TAP $2-TRILLION INDIAN CLOUD MARKET
Microsoft announced plans Tuesday to offer its commercial cloud services from Indian data centres as it seeks to tap what it calls a $2-trillion market in the country where Internet use is growing rapidly.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-microsoft-trillion-indian-cloud.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

EBAY TO SPLIT OFF LUCRATIVE PAYPAL BUSINESS (UPDATE 2)
EBay is splitting off its fastest growing segment, payment service PayPal, the e-commerce company said Tuesday.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-paypal-ebay.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

BATTERY SYSTEM WILL BE ABLE TO LIGHT 2,500 HOMES
One of the largest, most environmentally-friendly, battery-based energy storage systems in the nation will be installed at the University of California, San Diego the campus announced today (Sept. 29).
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-battery-homes.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

A NEW KIND OF DATA-DRIVEN PREDICTIVE METHODOLOGY
"Scottish independence: polls show it's too close to call."
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-kind-data-driven-methodology.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

SCIENTISTS INVENT AWARD WINNING 2-IN-1 MOTOR FOR ELECTRIC CARS
Scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and German Aerospace Centre (DLR) have invented a 2-in-1 electric motor which increases the range of electric vehicles.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-scientists-award-in-motor-electric.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

AOL TO FEED MORE VIDEO, NEWS TO MICROSOFT'S MSN
AOL will provide Microsoft's MSN with more video and additional news stories from popular sites such as The Huffington Post and TechCrunch in an expansion of a deal aimed at selling more digital advertising.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-aol-video-news-microsoft-msn.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

HACKERS CHARGED IN SOFTWARE THEFT FROM US ARMY, OTHERS
Four members of an international hacking ring were charged with cracking the networks of the US Army and developers of blockbuster war video games to steal software, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-hackers-software-theft-army.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

WHAT'S PAYPAL'S FIRST SOLO MOVE?
PayPal's impending split from long-time partner eBay Inc. will ratchet up its appeal to online retail competitors such as Amazon.com and give it the freedom to aggressively take on new mobile pay challenger Apple Pay. For eBay, the challenge will be how to drive revenue without its fastest-growing division.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-paypal-solo.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

REDDIT RAISES $50 MN - WITH USERS CUT IN ON THE ACTION
Social news sharing site Reddit on Tuesday announced it had raised $50 million from investors who agreed that, this time, members of its community would get a piece of the action.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-reddit-mn-users-action.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

ENGINEERS COMPLETE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE MESH-FREE NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF SKELETAL MUSCLE TISSUE
Engineers at the University of California, San Diego, have completed the first comprehensive numerical simulation of skeletal muscle tissue using a method that uses the pixels in an image as data points for the computer simulation—a method known as mesh-free simulation.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-comprehensive-mesh-free-numerical-simulation-skeletal.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

HOW APPLE WATCH CAN AVOID SOME OF GOOGLE GLASS'S PITFALLS
The unveiling of Apple Watch earlier this month was the moment the nascent wearable computing industry has been waiting for.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-apple-google-glass-pitfalls.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

MOVEMENT BUILDS TO ENSURE PRIVACY FOR INTERNET USERS
Before Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency and Prism made headlines, a group of technologists was dedicated to making the Internet more anonymous.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-movement-privacy-internet-users.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

CHINESE SCIENTISTS UNVEIL LIQUID PHASE 3-D PRINTING METHOD USING LOW MELTING METAL ALLOY INK
Three-dimensional metal printing technology is an expanding field that has enormous potential applications in areas ranging from supporting structures, functional electronics to medical devices. Conventional 3D metal printing is generally restricted to metals with a high melting point, and the process is rather time consuming.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-chinese-scientists-unveil-liquid-phase.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

BOOSTING THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF WORKING BUILDINGS WITH PASSIVE AND ACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
There is nothing like the real world to reveal a project's true worth. This is why a project called BRICKER will test its mettle out by retrofitting public buildings situated in three different countries in three different climatic zones. The goal: to significantly boost the energy efficiency of these working buildings by combining passive and active technologies in a system that could be rolled out across Europe.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-boosting-energy-efficiency-passive-technologies.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

REMOTE HEALTHCARE FOR AN AGING POPULATION
An aging population and an increased incidence of debilitating illnesses such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease means there is pressure on technology to offer assistance with healthcare - monitoring and treatment. Research published in the International Journal of Ad Hoc and Ubiquitous Computing points to remote monitoring as offering a way to improve patient care and even accelerate medical research.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-remote-healthcare-aging-population.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

TOSHIBA CLEAN ROOM FARM YOKOSUKA BEGINS VEGETABLE PRODUCTION
Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has begun production of vegetables at the Toshiba Clean Room Farm Yokosuka, a plant factory in Yokosuka, Kanagawa prefecture. Shipment of the first crop is scheduled for the end of October.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-toshiba-room-farm-yokosuka-vegetable.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

HONG KONG DEMOCRACY PROTESTERS FLOCK TO NEW MESSAGING APP
A social messaging app that allows users to contact each other even if a mobile phone network is overloaded or switched off has become a hit among tens of thousands of Hong Kong protesters.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-hong-kong-democracy-protesters-flock.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

NEWS CORP. TO BUY MOVE INC. FOR ABOUT $950 MILLION
News Corp. will pay about $950 million to buy the online real estate business Move Inc. in a deal that aims to speed up the media company's digital expansion.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-news-corp-million.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

FIRST SELF-CONTAINED STEP DIMMING LED TUBE
Samsung Electronics today introduced the industry's first AC Direct step-dimming LED linear replacement for T8 and T12 fluorescent tubes at the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Convention 2014. Designed for use in commercial environments, the new LED Tube (L-Tube) offers an alternative to traditional fluorescent lamps to maximize energy efficiency and lower facility maintenance costs. It will be on display in booth #2112 at Chicago's McCormick Place West from September 27-30.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-self-contained-dimming-tube.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

NETFLIX BRANCHES INTO FILMS WITH 'CROUCHING TIGER' SEQUEL
Netflix is branching out into the world of movies with a sequel to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" that will premiere simultaneously on the online streaming service and in selected theaters next year.
Full story at http://phys.org/news/2014-09-netflix-crouching-tiger-sequel.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ctgr-item&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter




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Android Phone Fans

---

• Project Ara still on track for early 2015 release, will run on modified Android L version
• Cosmos Browser now available for Android, lets you surf web without a data connection
• Motorola DROID Turbo benchmark boasts 5.2-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 805, 3GB RAM, and more
• Google provides new details on Android Auto – talks about design, architecture, and development process
• Best Android apps from September 2014
• Why did Google demand the Com 1 Android Wear IndieGoGo campaign be taken down?
• Waze 3.9 update introduces Places feature, allows users to edit business and residential information
• #GapGate for Galaxy Note 4? Early complaints of build quality fly in
• What do kids think about Google Glass?
• Latest Moto 360 update seems to bring a ridiculous boost to battery life
• OnePlus 2 confirmed for Q2 or Q3 2015; OnePlus says they’re thinking about a smaller form factor
• Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact receive root and custom recovery
• Samsung lets the puns fly in this insanely long 4 minute Galaxy Note ad [VIDEO]
• AT&T offers huge double data promotion until the end of October

Project Ara still on track for early 2015 release, will run on modified Android L version Posted: 29 Sep 2014 06:27 PM PDT It might still sound like science fiction, but it seems Project Ara is still on course for an early 2015 release. In a blog post posted earlier today, Phonebloks talks about how the Google ATAP team is gearing up to unveil the first fully functional Ara prototype smartphone — along with the release of a new Project Ara MDK — during their 2nd developers conference in December. What’s more is because Android isn’t designed to support dynamic hardware configurations, Project Ara is teaming up with Linaro to have the device run on a modified version of Android L, Google’s next major Android release expected to launch later this year (October is the date being whispered around the web). The modified Android version will allow for users to quickly and easily hot swap most of the Ara modules — with the exception of the CPU and display — without having to first power down the device. This includes camera modules, battery modules, and more. With partners like Toshiba, Foxconn, and more, all the modules will be sold in an online store or “Modular Marketplace” similar to the Google Play Store, and will need to be certified before being available to consumers. We expect to learn much more during the devcon where we expect to see various modules and features never before seen on a smartphone. Pretty exciting stuff! If you’re curious to learn more, you can check out Project Ara lead Paul Eremenko’s talk during this year’s Linaro Connect USA 2014 event (starts at the 44:10 mark).

Cosmos Browser now available for Android, lets you surf web without a data connection Posted: 29 Sep 2014 04:24 PM PDT It was almost 2 weeks ago we told you guys about a web browser making its way to Android that would allow users to browse the web without a data connection. Dubbed Cosmos Browser, the app is now officially available on the Google Play Store albeit, still in its very early stages of development. Still, you should be able to browse the web in a very limited fashion. How the app works is by sending an SMS messages to Cosmo’s backend, at which point it will find the source website strip it down to its bare bones HTML package, then send a zip file back over to your phone. After that, Cosmos will intercept the package, and display it for you inside the app. Sorry, folks. If you’re looking to get your jollies off, you’re going to have to get your Android porn elsewhere. No pictures here. For all those with data caps (or no data plans) dying to give it a shot, you can find Cosmos Browser via the Play Store link below. Cosmos Browser (Playboard) | Cosmos Browser (Play Store)

Motorola DROID Turbo benchmark boasts 5.2-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 805, 3GB RAM, and more Posted: 29 Sep 2014 03:14 PM PDT If the state of Verizon’s now active “DroidLanding” Twitter account is any indication (that, and a variety of recent leaks), we’d be willing to bet Motorola and Big Red are gearing up to announce a shiny new DROID phone in the coming weeks. Rumored to launch as the “DROID Turbo,” we’ve already gotten a look at what the device may look like and although not the prettiest of Androids, the phone could carry some pretty impressive hardware under the hood. After rumors suggested as much, we’re seeing the device pop up again, this time in a GFXBench benchmark quoting specs like a 5.2-inch 2,560 x 1,440 display, Snapdragon 805 processor, 3GB RAM, and a high resolution 20MP camera. Unfortunately, there was no mention of battery capacity, although a recent FCC filing may have outed something along the lines of a 3,500mAh. Yeah, despite its arguably fugly looks, this sounds like it could be the one Android device to rule them all (at least, as far as raw horsepower and longevity are concerned). It’s not uncommon for prototype or pre-production devices to make an appearance on the site, so this alleged Motorola Droid Turbo making an appearance really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Still, there’s always the chance something like this could be faked, so take it with a grain of salt for now.

Google provides new details on Android Auto – talks about design, architecture, and development process Posted: 29 Sep 2014 01:51 PM PDT I think it’s safe to say we’re all anxiously awaiting the arrival of Android L, Google’s latest desert arriving later this year. But aside from a redesigned smartphone user interface with flashy new animations, it’s what Android L will introduce with Android Auto that really has our interest piqued. Up until now, information about Android Auto was a bit scarce. Sure, Google had a landing page with signup information about what it will do, but additional information about actual development was absent. Today, Google is now providing Android developers with a brief overview about Android Auto, detailing areas such as design, architecture, user interface, and the development process. Similar to Android Wear, Google is looking to keep things simple. Notifications will display in a very specific manner (just like Android Wear) and developers wont have too much leeway in how their apps can look when in media mode, Android Auto’s interface when handling music, podcasts, and other audio centric apps. For the most part, this means apps like Pandora will look nearly identical to apps like Google Play Music. While the general layout is off limits, developers can still choose their own icons, colors, or background images — but not much else. Android Auto provides a darker night mode, presumably switching on the fly once the sun sets (a feature we’ve seen in apps like Waze). This will not only ensure a much more uniform experience, but ensure drivers will be familiar with all Android Auto apps out if the box and keeps everything safe and kosher with local driving laws as well as automotive OEMs. Google also assures developers that the tight restrictions make their coding life much easier in that they wont have to maintain a separate app specifically for Android Auto since it’s using the same functionality from their existing app. If you’re a developer curious about learning more about Android Auto, or testing your app with the media client in the Android Auto SDK, hit up the source link below. [Android Developers]

Best Android apps from September 2014 Posted: 29 Sep 2014 01:21 PM PDT Previous Best Apps of the Month Consider this your wake-up call. September has ended. Summer is now just a memory as the leaves slowly begin to change color and football dominates the weekends. One thing that doesn’t change is the constant stream of new Android apps. September was a little lighter on app releases, but we still had some excellent ones make their debut. Check out the best of the bunch below! Ask Me Anything Reddit has finally released an official app, but it’s only for one subreddit. Luckily it’s for one of the most popular and  mainstream subreddits on the site: Ask Me Anything. With this app you can beautifully browse and participate in AMA’s. See when someone is actively answering questions, and get notified when popular AMA’s are trending. It’s an awesome app for Redditors. Bring! Shopping List There are many, many list apps available for Android. Bring! is a new list app that brings a beautiful UI, automatic sorting, Android Wear support, and list syncing. That last feature is a big focus in this app. Sync lists among your friends and family to keep everyone organized and up to date. Save time and money when it comes groceries. Chrome APK Packager Last week we told you how to run Android apps in any Chrome desktop browser. It sounded awesome in theory, but in practice it was difficult. A new app called Chrome APK Packager makes the process infinitely easier. All you have to do is choose an app installed on your phone and it will be packaged for you to install in Chrome. Easy peasy. Comedy Central Get the latest episodes of all popular Comedy Central shows with the new Android app. There are hours and hours of funny stuff to watch, assuming Comedy Central is included in your cable package. Get access to The Daily Show, Tosh.0, Key & Peele, Drunk History, Nathan For You, and great stand-up specials, Chappelle’s Show, and full seasons of returning series. Commute Did you know MapQuest still exists? They do, and they actually make some really nice apps. The latest is called Commute. This app proactively monitors the road conditions along your route and alerts you to travel times and incidents so you know what to expect on your way to and from work. Commute is a nice option if you’re not a fan of Google Now. Hangouts Dialer With Hangouts Dialer you can finally call any phone number in the world from your Hangouts app using your data connection. This app is required to activate phone calling functionality in the Hangouts app. After installation, you can access all phone calling features directly from Hangouts or use Hangouts Dialer for a shortcut to the dialer screen in Hangouts. HomeTube YouTube is a great tool for entertaining kids, but there is also a lot of inappropriate content out there. HomeTube allows you to select suitable content for your kids and then let them view it in a child-friendly interface. Kids can switch from watching a Curious George video to a Spider-man cartoon without requiring you to navigate them to the new content yourself. Less help from you is always a good thing. Horizon Shooting videos in portrait mode has become a real nuisance to many people in the smartphone age. 99% of video players are in landscape mode, which makes portrait videos look terrible. Not to mention it cuts out a lot of the scene. Horizon lets you record horizontal videos no matter how you hold your device. Hold it upright, sideways or even keep rotating it while capturing. It’s magic. Noyze The Android volume control pop-up looks nice, but its placement is not ideal. It’s always right on top of whatever you’re doing. Many root apps allow you to mod the volume pop-up, but if you don’t want to deal with root you can use a new app called Noyze. You can choose from several themes, adjust colors, and even adjust volume for alarms and notifications. Sup On the surface this app looks like a cross between Snapchat and Skype, but there's more to it than that. When you send a "Sup" to someone they have 5 minutes to respond. If they accept the request it will open their camera so you get a live view of whatever they’re doing. You can even use on-screen controls to tell them how to move the camera. It’s free and fun. WhoSampled WhoSampled is an award-winning app from iOS now available on Android. With this app you can get answers to the questions “Where was this song sampled? Who covered my favorite artists? What remixes were made for this track?” WhoSampled is the music DNA discovery app that lets you explore the music connections in your music collection. Android Wear Apps Android Wear Speed Android Wear Speed may be the simplest app for your smartwatch. All it does is display your current speed. You could be running, riding a bike, or driving your car. Just choose your units and go. OneNote for Android Wear Microsoft released a dedicated Android Wear app for their popular OneNote app. This app works with the “take a note” command, and allows you to add notes to your OneNote account. In order to use this app you will need the main OneNote for Android app. We wish Microsoft would have just added support to the main app. VimoGolf For half the price of a bucket of driving-range balls, VimoGolf delivers a golf swing analyzer right on your wrist. Watch your golf swing at up to 200 samples per second, as captured by the built-in motion sensors of your Android Wear watch. Snag the app now for $2 before the price goes up. Wear Tip Calculator Not many apps have taken advantage of the Moto 360′s circular display. Until now. Wear Tip Calculator is a beautiful and simple app for finding tip amounts. The UI is made up of a circle that is used to adjust the tip percentage. This is one of the first few apps that look great on the Moto 360. Previous Best Apps of the Month

Why did Google demand the Com 1 Android Wear IndieGoGo campaign be taken down? Posted: 29 Sep 2014 12:18 PM PDT We reported on the Com 1, a smart watch that was advertised to run Android Wear, a while back. The watch wasn’t attractive, powerful or noteworthy in any way other than a relatively attractive price tag, though it did catch our eye for being the first crowd-funded smart watch with Android Wear. It looks like there could be a bit of an obstacle keeping that from becoming a reality. Google issued a complaint for a takedown notice to IndieGoGo on grounds of the campaign using unauthorized intellectual property in its description. We imagine they’re referring to renders of the smart watch with Android Wear depicted. IndieGoGo complied, of course, and you’ll find that the campaign page is no longer viewable to the public. It’s a strange move by a company who isn’t known to be too harsh to folks wanting to use their imagery, name and software. Well, Phandroid and AndroidForums certainly didn’t fall under that banner, but they’ve remained relatively cordial otherwise.   One has to wonder if Google has an ulterior motive here, with said motive being to protect Android Wear and its ecosystem. Google made a statement by forcing Android Wear OEMs to conform to strict user experience practices and limit customization to pre-installed apps, likely in order to make sure the earliest Android Wear products could receive software updates as soon as they were available as it looks to grow from infancy to maturity. You’ll notice that all of the current Android Wear smart watches share nearly identical user interfaces outside of the few apps made specially for each device. We can totally see Google wanting to make sure there are no rebel smart watches out there by companies who haven’t conformed to usage agreements for folks to worry about. Android Wear is supposed to be headed to AOSP at some point down the line so they certainly won’t want to stifle platform adoption forever, but for now it seems Google would rather keep a tight grip on things until they’re ready to let everyone else come to bat. Of course, we’re not sure what’s going to happen once it actually does make its way to AOSP. As you know, Android for smartphones and tablets is available as a free and open source platform for anyone to use, but if you wish to use it with just the public license then you won’t be entitled to bundle the Google Play Store or Google’s crop of apps with whatever distribution you decide to release. There’s a good chance something similar will happen for Android Wear’s release. So, sorry Com 1 — you tried, but ultimately it looks like Google’s not willing to let anyone and everyone advertise Android Wear watches without proper authorization, and maybe that’s all for the better right now. Let’s hope things change as the platform continues to grow into its own. [via Crowdfund Insider]

Waze 3.9 update introduces Places feature, allows users to edit business and residential information Posted: 29 Sep 2014 12:12 PM PDT It was only a few months ago the folks at Waze introduced the 3.8 update allowing users to easily keep up with friends on-the-go. It was a useful feature that further solidified Waze as one of the true “social traffic and maps” service they’ve been touting for years. Today, the app is seeing yet another update to version 3.9 (Android 4.0+) and introduces a nifty new feature dubbed “Places.” Traveling to a location you’re not entirely sure is the correct place is never fun. With Waze 3.9, preview information on your destination will be shown to you when you plug an address into Waze’s navigation. This will help ensure you’re traveling to the right spot before you actually get there. Where is this information coming from? Well, from you. Located in the Report menu, Places allows users to edit normally inaccurate or incomplete information on businesses or residential locations. Everything from whether the place has parking (and where it’s located) or a drive-thru, to adding an exterior photo that will be displayed for other Wazers when they arrive at said location. Speaking of parking, Waze will now save your parking spot for you automatically, a feature we recently saw introduced in Google Now not too long ago. Here’s how it works. Once a Wazer has arrived at a destination, they can then add a photo or edit information on a businesses. Because Waze’s huge community will all be contributing (theoretically, that is), it doesn’t matter if you add a lot or little info — someone else will likely fill in the rest for you later. To help incentivize the adding of Places, Waze will be paying out major points bonuses if you’re into that sorta thing. Of course, since Waze crowd sources all its data from their users, you can sleep well at night knowing you’ve made the world a little less frustrating for drivers (while essentially doing a lot of Google’s work for them). Oh, and Waze also mentions search autocomplete now works everywhere in the world and they’ve also managed to squash a few bugs in the new update. For a quick overview on what’s new, check out Waze’s newly uploaded YouTube vid below. Waze Social GPS Maps & Traffic (Playboard) | Waze Social GPS Maps & Traffic (Play Store)

#GapGate for Galaxy Note 4? Early complaints of build quality fly in Posted: 29 Sep 2014 10:50 AM PDT Samsung took a jab at Apple for #BendGate, but it seems they may have some build quality issues of their own to worry about. Recent reports out of South Korea after the Samsung Galaxy Note 4′s launch there this Friday tell of an issue where there is too much of a gap between the display and the sides of the chassis. The gap is big enough to fit something as thick as a business card in there. That may not be a huge issue at first glance, but that’s just enough space for hair and dirt to slide its way in, and it could be more susceptible to water and dust damage than any typical smartphone should. Samsung tests their smartphones quite rigorously as any fairly large company should so we’re not sure if this is a big oversight or something Samsung doesn’t see becoming an issue down the line. Either way, we’ve reached out to them to see if these reports are valid and if this issue is one to be worried about. If this is, in fact, a manufacturing defect, it won’t look well on Samsung’s decision to push the launch of the smartphone up by as much as a week or two. It wouldn’t be crazy to think that some mistakes have been made in mass production in their attempt to get these things on store shelves faster. Whether that decision was the right one remains to be seen. One thing’s for sure, though — we bet they are glad they didn’t lay it on too thick when they were ribbing Apple for the iPhone 6+’s embarrassing week in the media. [via ITToday Korea]

What do kids think about Google Glass? Posted: 29 Sep 2014 10:46 AM PDT When I was a kid, “cool new technology” meant games like Duck Hunt and Power Pad on regular Nintendo. That was 25 years ago, and to give you an idea of how long 25 years is, take a quick look at Nintendo’s TV commercial for Power Pad when it first came out: Each new generation of kids grows up in a very different world. Today, the Internet and mobile phones are everywhere. When I was a kid, neither existed. In 25 more years, how much more will technology change? Although it seems like “adults” make all the decisions, today’s kids have the answer. Like it or not, kids are the ones that decide what’s cool and what’s not, both now and in the future. And as they grow up, they’ll be the ones dreaming up, building, creating, designing, and making the cool new technology the world enjoys. So when one of my friends – an elementary school art teacher in Virginia- said her 5th grade class wanted to ask me some questions about Google Glass, I was happy to answer. In 25 short years, these kids will be making the world’s cool stuff, so we better get them pointed in the right direction. Here are a handful of their questions (and my answers) about Google Glass. What do you see when you wear them? How can you see what is happening around you while they are on? When you’re wearing Google Glass you don’t see anything… until you turn the screen on. You can turn it on by tapping the side of Google Glass or nodding your head in the air. When it’s on, it looks like a little computer screen is floating in the air, at the very top right. At first, it just shows a clock of the time, but by using your voice or your finger you can control Google Glass, and do things like take pictures, take videos, check sports scores, or even read and send messages to your friends. The “floating screen” isn’t directly in front of your eye, you’ve got to look up and to the right to see it, so it doesn’t block anything when you’re walking around. It’s also partly clear, so you can see what’s behind the screen. Here is the first video I made about Google Glass, showing exactly what it looks like to see through Google Glass: How close are the images to your eyes? Is it hard to get used to? The image is only a couple inches from your eye, but because it’s so small and not that bright, it looks and feels like you’re watching TV from 6 or 7 feet away. It does take some time to get used to Google Glass- at first it’s a weird feeling to have a screen attached to your face! It’s a combination of cool and weird, but after a few days, you get used to the way it looks and feels and it gets much more comfortable. How does it work?….if you activate it with your voice or by tilting your head up, does that get confusing when you move around or talk to people? The two ways to turn Google Glass on are by tilting up your head or by tapping the touch pad on the side. Google Glass isn’t perfect in every situation, so you need to be aware of your surroundings when deciding how to use it. If you’re in a loud place it might be hard for Glass to understand your voice. If you’re talking with a group of friends, it might be distracting if you’re moving your head around, saying voice commands, or tapping on your Glass. Google Glass is best for doing small things, like getting answers to questions and responding to messages when your hands are full. Just like anything else, you need to be respectful of those around you when using it. If you’re using it in a way that is confusing or annoying to other people around you, it’s probably best to not use it until later. Just like companies can make apps and games for phones and tablets, companies can also make apps and games for Google Glass. How Google Glass works in the future will depend on what great ideas people can think up. What do you think would be cool for Google Glass to do? How accurate is the voice command?…is it better than the iPhone? B/c that one isn’t good. Google Glass uses the same voice commands as other Android phones and tablets. From all the devices I’ve tested, I think Android (and Google Glass) have the best voice commands, but they’re still not perfect. The voice commands work best when you’re in a quiet place and can speak slowly and clearly. Google can even detect if you’ve got an accent, like Australian or British, and use that information to improve the voice commands. Sometimes, when you’re in a loud and crowded place, Google can still understand your voice commands perfectly. They have been working hard to improve voice commands every year and it keeps on getting better and better. Did you know you can use voice commands on your home computer, too? If you use Google Chrome you can set it up to use the same voice commands that Google Glass use and test it for yourself! How good is the camera for photos and video? The camera is my favorite part of Google Glass, but it is only okay compared to the camera on most phones. It needs to be smaller and lighter so it can fit on your head comfortably. The reason the Google Glass camera is so cool is that it’s always ready to go. Sometimes you miss the chance to take a picture because you can’t get your phone out of your pocket quick enough. With Google Glass it’s always right there: just press the camera button once to take a picture or hold it down to take a video. For example, I went on a bike ride with my brother (who is a bit of a daredevil), and took the picture and video below with Google Glass. If I didn’t have Google Glass, I wouldn’t have gotten either! It’s also hard to take good pictures or videos with Google Glass at night because there’s no flash. Here’s my family singing Happy Birthday to my dad through Google Glass… obviously I didn’t pay enough attention in music class! Is there sound? Can everyone around you hear it or just you? Google Glass has sound and it kind of tickles! There is a little speaker that presses against the side of your head, behind your ear, right where the glasses rest. The speaker vibrates the bone behind your ear (which tickles) and somehow – through the magic of science – your brain translates the vibrations into noise and you can hear sound even though it’s not directly in your ear. You can also add a headphone that plugs into Google Glass and goes directly in your ear, which is really helpful for using Google Glass to make phone calls or listening to music. Nobody around you can hear the sound unless they’re really, really close to you. Otherwise they just hear a quiet, muffled sound. How fast/well does it translate languages for you? Google Glass translates languages the same way that Google.com translates languages. So for example, if you went to Google and typed in “translate Hello! How are you? to Spanish” it would quickly pop up and show “Hola ¿cómo estás ?” With Google Glass you would do almost the same thing, but instead of typing, you would say out loud: “Okay, Google translate hello! how are you? to Spanish.” You would then see the same translation in your Google Glass display and it would read that sentence to you out loud in Spanish. Why is the design so ugly? I expect more from Google. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! Most people agree that Google Glass looks a little big and clunky, but that’s because this is the very first version ever made. As the technology gets better the design will improve. Just think about how big cell phones used to be: Or how big computers used to be: Eventually, Google Glass will improve in style and functionality, and to some degree it already has. Did you know Google is already working on contact lenses with technology built in, directly on your eye? And it’s very possible that in 25 years, kids won’t know what driving is like… because cars will all drive themselves. In fact, the very first cars with Android in them come out this year. So yes, we’ve come a long way in the past 25 years and we’re going to go a lot further in the next 25 years. Google Glass is one of many cool new technologies whose future depends on the upcoming generation of kids who love technology, deciding what the next cool thing should be. So what do you think? What would make Google Glass even cooler? If you can dream up a good idea, you can make it a reality! What the kids are saying about Glass “I think it looks awesome! I want to try it!” - Andrew “I think it’s cool, but I think it could be intrusive for other people because of the camera capabilities. I also want to know how you charge them. And could they be solar powered?” - Bhaswith You’re right: Glass could be intrusive if people use it in bad or sneaky ways. There will always be new technology coming out and as a community, we need to make laws, rules, and manners about how to responsibly and respectfully use that technology. The same thing happened 15 years ago, before cell phones were popular… now all of a sudden, almost everyone has a video camera with them at all times! Lots of people think Glass is more intrusive than mobile phones, but it can’t do anything that a mobile phone can’t. “I think they are neat because I like electronics and it’s cool that you can search on Google without having to take out your phone.” - Sam “I don’t think people should wear them in situations that are unsafe. Especially when you are driving. That could be very dangerous with a screen to distract you.” - Vivi It’s very important to be safe when driving Vivi, I agree, which is why I’m sure you know texting and using your phone while driving is against the law. One girl got pulled over by a police officer and got a ticket for driving and using Glass! She didn’t get in trouble, though. Glass is a little bit different, though, because it doesn’t block your view (it would look like the screen is on the top of your windshield) and you don’t have to look away from the road to see the screen. Hopefully, as Google Glass gets better and people learn more about it, they’ll come up with ideas to make sure people are using it safely! “I think they’re a cool new technology. People have probably been trying to make them for a long time. But, they are also kind of a let down because they cost so much and you can’t drive or go to work or school with them on. But I think they will be cool as they get better.” - Kaylin I think you’re right, Kaylin, they’re too expensive and limited right now but as time goes on they’ll get better. Hopefully in a few years they’ll be smaller, look cooler, cost less, and do more. And if not, there is lots of other cool new technology just around the corner! Thanks to all the kids for their interest! I’ve closed the comments, but if you’ve got any more questions, ask your teacher to contact me and I’ll make sure to answer them.

Latest Moto 360 update seems to bring a ridiculous boost to battery life Posted: 29 Sep 2014 10:04 AM PDT There were two major concerns with the Motorola Moto 360 when it first launched. The first was performance — the TI OMAP 3 chipset inside doesn’t seem to be favorable up against the tried and trusted Snapdragon 400 most other Android Wear watches use. The second was battery life — it was downright abysmal, and Chris will tell you that ten times over in his review. But it seems Motorola has effectively addressed at lease one of those areas. The latest update to the smart watch, firmware KGW42R, is delivering some rather impressive battery life. Many folks at the Android Wear subreddit have reported being able to make it more than 16 to 20 hours on a single charge before the device hits 40-50%. User RockItGuyDC’s report certainly puts a smile on our face: I keep responding to these posts, but here’s my best battery life yet. I took it off the charger at 10am today. Used it all day, 2 hours running navigation plus music controls in the car, checking emails and texts a few times an hour, responding to 15 or more texts from the watch, used QR codes on the watch to get into a party. It’s now almost 3am the next day and I’m at 41% battery! Couldn’t ask for more. Don’t need more. That’s pretty insane for all that he was doing throughout the day. Motorola didn’t formally address what bugs were squashed in this upgrade nor did they tell us to expect better battery life as a result, but whatever change they made seems to have made a rather significant difference. For what it’s worth, there were sparing reports that the update addresses performance issues, though this reddit thread was focused squarely on battery life. We’ll be giving our own Moto 360 units a good run to see if all these reports are accurate, but with the overwhelming response from the Moto 360 community we’d say there’s nothing to worry about. Now, let’s see if we can’t get this thing’s availability up to par with the rest of the Android Wear gang.

OnePlus 2 confirmed for Q2 or Q3 2015; OnePlus says they’re thinking about a smaller form factor Posted: 29 Sep 2014 08:12 AM PDT While the OnePlus One is still considered to be in its infancy and there are many upgrades and improvements to be made, the company has confirmed that they are already thinking about its sequel. Carl Pei confirmed in an Ask Me Almost Anything on Reddit that the OnePlus 2 is most certainly in the works, and that they’re targeting a Q2 or Q3 release in 2015. We’re not surprised that they’re already looking into their next project, but it’s always nice to get official confirmation. Even more interesting is the second part of their response — they say they hear all the suggestions of going with a small form factor for the next device, and that they’re “thinking about it.” That doesn’t necessarily tell us they will look to break out of the phablet space with the next release, but it at least shows us they’re willing to explore all form factors. The OnePlus One launched to rave reviews, though much frustration was bred from the company’s invite system. A couple of early technical issues — such as yellowish displays and undelivered software features — have also contributed to the shaky launch, though many of those issues have already been cleared up. With OnePlus looking to ditch the invite system and go with a traditional pre-order system next month it sounds like all should be well. All that aside, the OnePlus One is a very fantastic device for its price tag, and we can’t wait to see what their next attempt at a smartphone will look like.

Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact receive root and custom recovery Posted: 29 Sep 2014 06:54 AM PDT It hasn’t been long since the Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact’s debut, but the devices have already received root and a custom recovery for those looking to tinker with them. The former exploit can be applied to any handset with the official launch firmware and will enable you to use root apps and hacks. The custom recovery, which allows you to install custom after market ROMs once they start rolling in, requires an unlocked bootloader (though we hear that’s easy enough to obtain right now). It’s not that surprising that the Z3 and Z3 Compact have gotten exploited so easily. Developers have had plenty of time to play round the the Xperia Z2, and we imagine Sony hasn’t changed much to the base framework of those devices for this new set of hardware. Sony is also famously supportive of the development scene and they don’t tend to put the shackles on as tight as other companies might. XDA has all the goods for you here (Z3) and here (Z3 Compact) if you’re interested, but always know that you proceed at your own discretion and are responsible for what happens to your own device. [via XperiaBlog]

Samsung lets the puns fly in this insanely long 4 minute Galaxy Note ad [VIDEO] Posted: 29 Sep 2014 05:21 AM PDT Samsung’s latest ad for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 might not be the most effective way to sell someone on why they should buy a smartphone, but here it is — they’ve decided to pun it on up in a 4 minute splash of cheesy lines and dudebro humor. It consists of two guys playing a silly game where they have to force the word “note” into as many words or phrases as possible. I have to admit — much of it is pretty cringeworthy. I’m not even sure a ton of it is funny. But Samsung often likes to have fun and this is their way of doing it. We don’t imagine the entirety of this thing will be chopped into 30 second spots and put on major television campaigns, but it’s sitting above for you to enjoy if you have 4 minutes to spare today. Let us know what you thought of it down below.

AT&T offers huge double data promotion until the end of October Posted: 29 Sep 2014 05:02 AM PDT AT&T’s name doesn’t exactly scream value up against the likes of Sprint and T-Mobile, but it sure looks sweet today. Ma Bell has kicked off a huge double data promotion that will net you double the normal data of mobile share plans between 15GB and 50GB until the end of October. The plan is available for both new and existing customers, with the latter crop of folks even able to receive retroactive bill credits for the data they’ve already been paying for. Here’s how the plans now break down: 15GB for $130 becomes 30GB 20GB for $140 becomes 40GB 30GB for $225 becomes 60GB 40GB for $300 becomes 80GB 50GB for $375 becomes 100GB Of course, all these plans come with a smartphone access charge of $15 per month for AT&T Next and no-contract customers or $40 per month for those on two-year contracts, but note that it also includes both unlimited talk and text for all lines. Even better is the fact that the plans won’t last for a mere couple of years or so — AT&T says it’s yours to keep for as long as you keep service. Doesn’t sound too bad if you’ve been missing unlimited data and need a little more breathing room for month to month. The promotion began yesterday so be sure to call AT&T or stop by a store to get hooked up. There’s no telling when a promotion like this will make its way back onto the deals table so don’t lollygag on getting going with it. [via AT&T]

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