Android Wear update brings support for WiFi, always-on apps and more

Google has detailed a forthcoming upgrade for Android Wear that allows users to finally break away from their phones. The big change being outed today is full support for WiFi. Whereas before you had to have your Android Wear smart watch connected to your phone via Bluetooth in order to get notifications, you can now instead have your watch connect directly to a WiFi network.

This means that if you happen to leave your phone at home, or simply somewhere far from you (such as a locker at work) you can still get notifications, send messages and everything else you do as long as both devices are connected to the internet.

Google is also bringing support for always-on apps for any app on Android Wear. Your watch faces have already had this functionality, but it can now be implemented for any app. There are many reasons one would want to keep an app always at the ready (such as a list of instructions on how to fix, cook or install something) so this is a much welcome change.

Other changes include the ability to scroll through your notifications timeline by a simple flick of the wrist, an easier and quicker way to gain access to your apps and contacts (simply tap the display) and the ability to draw out emojis instead of having to speak a command. Google says the rollout will happen over the next couple of weeks beginning with the LG Watch Urbane (no real way to buy that yet so we’re not quite sure who that is useful for) so stay on the lookout!

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Phandroid 12:10 AM No comments

Google came dangerously close to buying Tesla Motors in 2013

While Google’s work on self-driving vehicles is already nothing short of impressive, think about how awesome Google’s presence in cars could be by now if their 2013 plans had come to fruition. According to Bloomberg, Google and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk came quite close to a deal for Google to acquire the electric car company.

The talks were in the late stages, says Bloomberg, with terms said to be a buyout of the company at its full value of (then) $6 billion, an extra $5 billion to pay withstanding warehousing and manufacturing expenses, and Google’s word that they’d let Elon Musk continue to run the company for at least 8 years or until they’d released a third generation vehicle, whichever came first.

That doesn’t sound like too tall an order for a company that makes the single best line of electric cars available, though its future looked quite bleak at the time with the company struggling to sell enough cars to turn a profit. After butting heads on details, the two sides had gotten as far as a handshake, hammering out a grip of paperwork and going through the typical back-and-forth motions between lawyers, suits and CEOs before these types of deals are closed.

And then Tesla suddenly started selling a crap-ton of cars. They sold so much, and so quickly, that they’d turned a modest profit that same quarter, and there hasn’t been any slowdown since. Tesla even paid off a hefty $465 million loan from the US Department of Energy since that time, and the talks with Google were pretty much dead in the water.
It’s interesting to think about what could have been if Google had gotten their hands on Tesla. The company was already in the early stages of getting their self-driving vehicle prototypes ready for road testing, and they’ve also introduced a software platform for smart vehicles named Android Auto. The biggest consumer technology company in the world having the reigns of the hottest new electric car company would have sent shivers down the spines of automakers like Ford, Chevrolet and General Motors, for sure.Failure to get a deal done doesn’t mean Google and Tesla’s relationship will never produce anything, though. Elon Musk and Google CEO Larry Page remain close friends, and it’s entirely possible that the two could collaborate on a smart electric vehicle for the future (note to Larry: that’s an informal plea to do something with Tesla ASAP). Either way, we’re sure Elon Musk sleeps well knowing he still has full control of a company that gracefully recovered from the brink of ruin.

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Phandroid 10:33 PM No comments

Your Google Wallet funds are now FDIC-insured

It can sometimes be scary to entrust online companies with your money, but Google’s doing everything in their power to make sure you won’t ever be burned for doing business with them. The latest move for Google Wallet is to store funds in banks that are FDIC-insured, at least according to information reportedly received by Yahoo straight from an unnamed Google rep.

In case you aren’t aware, the FDIC is a government-spawned insurance agency that was put in place to protect citizens’ fortunes in the unfortunate event that a bank crashes.

So what does this mean? Should Google or the bank holding your funds ever cease to exist (the chances of that happening are very slim in the here and now, we’d say, especially since no FDIC-insured bank has gone under since its arrival in 1934) you can be sure your money won’t go down with them.

On the outside looking in, life with Google Wallet will go on as it always has, but now you get just a bit of added peace of mind knowing your money is just as safe with Google as it is with your favorite big bank.

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Phandroid 9:19 PM No comments

OnePlus confirms that you’ll initially need an invite to buy the OnePlus 2

We’d hoped OnePlus would have grown enough to do away with the invite system for the OnePlus 2, but it looks like we’re in for more of the same old song and dance. The company has confirmed that the OnePlus 2 will require an invitation to buy at launch.

Before you throw your arms up in a fit, it’s important to remember why OnePlus has to utilize these peculiar sales strategies in the first place. The biggest reason is that they don’t make a ton of profit on every device sold, so over-estimating their manufacturing needs by even the tiniest amounts could potentially be fatal in the long run. They also still don’t have the capacity to churn devices out at ridiculous rates like the big guys.

That doesn’t mean the OnePlus 2 purchasing experience will be exactly the same as the original device’s. We could see the invitation system evaporate much more quickly than it did for the OnePlus One (which only fully occurred just this morning) as the company has likely perfected and streamlined their manufacturing process to more efficiently meet demand.

Those are all the details OnePlus is willing to share with us about the forthcoming smartphone today, though rumors put its launch within a Q3 2015 window. We’ve also heard it will launch with a 5.5-inch 2560 x 1440 display, Snapdragon 810 chipset, 4GB of RAM and a 3,300mAh battery. It’s sure to be a smartphone worthy of attention by the time it arrives, though it’ll be up to you to determine whether you want to continue putting up with the sales and marketing hijinks OnePlus has become known for.

[via OnePlus]

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Phandroid 7:49 PM No comments

OnePlus One is now permanently available to buy without an invite

Last Friday, OnePlus issued an open invitation for anyone who cared to be on the lookout for a big announcement today. OnePlus 2? Hopeful, but those hopes were dashed if the contents of this blog post is all we’re to expect today: the OnePlus One is now available for anyone to buy without an invite.

It’s been possible to buy the OnePlus One without an invite for quite a bit of time now, except you had to wait until Open Sale Tuesdays to partake. Even still, finding a OnePlus One invite has always been as easy as finding leaves on the ground in autumn.

Anyone who really wanted a OnePlus One by now likely already has one, and anyone who wants one in the future can be happy that they won’t have to play the waiting game or jump through hoops to get it. With that, the company also announced a decent sale that will take 75% off the cost of their Flip Covers and premium screen protectors. Bamboo SwapStyle covers are also now available without a purchase (but only until their current stock runs dry).

Folks in North America, the European Union, Hong Kong, and Taiwan will be able to get in on these deals, though everyone else is sadly left out.

[via OnePlus]

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Phandroid 7:35 PM No comments

Sony has officially unveiled the Xperia Z4: Snapdragon 810, 5.2-inch 1080p display and 20.7MP camera

We’ve been wondering how long it would take for Sony to officially unwrap their flagship for 2015, but the company did so this morning as they announced the Sony Xperia Z4 in their home territory of Japan. So what’s on tap?

Nothing out of the ordinary, really. This is Sony as we’ve come to know and love them, with a familiar design that has graced many-a phone in the Xperia lineup over the past couple of years.

Click to view slideshow.

It isn’t identical to any previous designs, mind you, but the subtle tweaks to things like the outside corners of the chassis and speaker placement are sure to be under-appreciated by all but the most hardcore Sony fans. The Sony Xperia Z4 features a metal frame and doesn’t do anything to compromise its ability to be dust and water resistant, something that has become an important point of emphasis for Sony in recent times.

Under the hood is a different story: this phone is an absolute beast, and no Sony phone has yet to boast such an impressive set of specs. Take a look at what will have its motors running:

 

• 5.2-inch 1920 × 1080 display
• Snapdragon 810 chipset (64-bit)
• 20.7MP Exmor RS camera with 4K video recording
• 5.1-megapixel wide-angle selfie cam
• 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage w/ microSD slot
• 2930mAh battery
• 146 x 72 x 6.9mm, 144g
• Android 5.0 Lollipop

So when can you get it? That question is a bit more tricky to answer. Sony has only given a Summer release expectation as it pertains to Japan’s launch, and didn’t even mention plans to launch in other countries.

We’re sure they will bring it to other markets eventually — their previous flagships have launched for international markets — but there’s no official word or any further details right now. Let us know if you’ll be looking to grab Xperia Z4 should the opportunity to purchase one eventually arrive.

 

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Phandroid 7:32 PM No comments

Android 5.1.1 references start showing up on Google’s site

It wasn’t long ago we’d told you that Android 5.1.1 was a thing0,. If our server logs weren’t believable enough, you could actually head into the Android Studio’s SDK manager and download it. And now the new software is showing up on Google’s Android developers site.

The goods exist on the page concerning audio latency, where Google lists the Nexus 7 and Nexus 9 as having “Android 5.1.1″ as their latest builds. The former shows a build of LMY47W, while Nexus 9 is showing as LMY47S.

Does this mean we’re nearing some sort of rollout? Its hard to say, though public flaunting of this new version would suggest Google is deep within testing and is working hard to get it out of the door.

It shouldn’t be hard for you to contain excitement for its arrival. Incremental updates like these rarely bring any exciting new features and changes. Expect a lot of bug busting to go on under-the-hood, and not much more (though, depending on how you and your Lollipop devices have gotten along since its arrival, a bug fixing update might be as exciting as anything else).

[Thanks Juno!]

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Phandroid 2:04 AM No comments

18000mAh battery pack for an insanely low $30 at AndroidArea.com

18,000mAh of stored power, 2 devices charged simultaneously, and $80 cheaper than you can expect to pay elsewhere — the lightweight and compact Power Vault USB-enabled backup battery pack is available now from AndroidArea.com for 72% off.

The Power Vault is perfect in a pinch when an outlet is far away; it can charge even the highest capacity Android smartphones nearly six times over before needing a recharge itself. A sleek aluminum design is not much bigger than your average smartphone, making it easy to carry in your pocket or bag.

Normally priced at $109, you can pick up the Power Vault from AndroidArea.com now for only $29.99, effectively eliminating dead batteries from your life altogether.

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Phandroid 1:34 AM No comments

Little Worlds watch face makes clever use of the Moto 360’s flat tire bezel

Motorola’s “flat tire” bezel on the Moto 360 has been the subject of many jokes, but instead of rejecting that component of the watch like a bastardized step child, why not put it to some interesting use? This “Minimal and Elegant” watch face by Studio eXtreme does just that with its cool Little Worlds feature.

What it does is simple: it uses the flat tire as the foundation for a silhouette of a city skyline, flowers on a hill or any other cool little thing you could think of (it’s entirely customizable). The watch face itself is well-designed, to boot, so the $.99 you’ll need to spend to get it seems well worth it.

Give it a download if you’re tired of the flat tire being little more than an ugly blemish on an otherwise beautiful device. Oh, and Motorola: this is no excuse to keep the flat tire on your next round smart watch. We want this thing gone.

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Phandroid 12:35 AM No comments

Adobe promises better Creative Cloud support for Android is coming this summer

There comes a day in every company’s life where they just have to bite the bullet and admit they haven’t put their best foot forward. For Adobe, that day is today. While Adobe has released a number of great apps on Android already, the latest advances in their suite of multimedia editing tools under the Creative Cloud banner have largely been confined to iOS.

Namely, the Creative Profile and Creative Profile SDK that gives you access to all your image profiles, presets, brushes and colors have yet to find a home on Android. Adobe says that doesn’t mean they aren’t in the works, though, and tells us to expect the first of these apps to arrive in the Summer of 2015.Android users have cause to be upset, for sure. After all, they pay just as much for their Creative Cloud subscriptions as iOS users and aren’t getting nearly the same level of support. We’re not sure what Adobe has to do to make sure Android doesn’t fall behind again — perhaps adding a team of software engineers dedicated to Android is in order — but we’re hopeful this first step is a sign that they’re finally getting serious about the world’s leading smartphone platform.[via Adobe]

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Phandroid 10:34 PM No comments

Google Search will now show a download link for indexed apps that aren’t on your phone

Google’s app indexing feature for Android apps is a great way for content creators to make their goods more accessible. If you don’t know what it does, it allows Google’s Search engine to index articles within a news app, so that if a user searches for something and happens to come across a link from one of their favorite websites, they can open that article within that app.

Google’s improving the feature with a new tweak to Google Search results that will now let you know if a search result is indexed in an Android app, and will prompt you to download that app if it isn’t already on your phone. It’s a great way for publications to get new readers, and for users to learn about an app that they may not have known of otherwise.

Over 30 billion links have been indexed to date, and with how big mobile has become a part of our lives that number is only going to grow. Good on Google for figuring out a way for apps to become relevant search results instead of the typical blue link parade we’re used to.

[via Google]

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Phandroid 8:35 PM No comments

#Rotategate: Many Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge users are having auto-rotate issues

Is your Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge suddenly stuck in one screen orientation? You’re not alone — Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge accelerometers everywhere seem to be getting their gears jammed.

A fairly sizable collective of individuals have reported that their Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge units periodically refuse to respond when trying to switch from portrait to landscape and vice versa. These people aren’t idiots, so most of them have already thought to check the auto-rotate option in settings. That makes it a legit problem that’s worth looking into.

There doesn’t appear to be any rhyme or reason to any of this just yet. We’ve heard reports for models from Verizon, Sprint and AT&T. It’s also worth noting that there have been no such reports for the regular version of the Samsung Galaxy S6, just the S6 Edge.

A couple of theories are already in play, including the obvious thought that this is simply a software glitch that can be ironed out with a quick patch. That would be great as it would mean the issue can be eradicated without much of an issue.

But a few users are suggesting that this issue only occurs after they’ve used a fast charger to charge their devices. Pretty big problem, if true: all Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge units ship with a fast charger as standard. The fast charger causes the device to heat the battery up a pretty good bit, so the heat could be causing some sort of failure in the accelerometer chip.

A hardware flaw would be much trickier for Samsung to deal with, and there’s no telling what would have to be done in order to get early adopters situated short of a mass recall.

That said, it’s important to note that official details are scarce right now. Until Samsung has a chance to investigate the cause of these claims we won’t know for sure how severe or widespread an issue this is. We’ll have to drop a line into the Korean company to see if they can shed some light, but in the meantime be sure to see your carrier or retailer about a replacement to see if you can luck into a unit that dodges these issues.

[via AndroidForums.com, thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

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Phandroid 8:04 PM No comments

Micromax Yu’s Yureka phone begins receiving Cyanogen OS 12 (Lollipop)

Micromax promised the Lollipop upgrade for their Yu smartphone would be out soon, and they delivered. The company has announced that Cyanogen OS 12 — which is based on Android 5.0 Lollipop — is now rolling out to the Yu Yureka.

The upgrade brings the latest Cyanogen features, including Cyanogen Mail powered by Boxer, a more robust theme engine, support for Exchange email, support for multiple accounts on one device and everything that Android 5.0 Lollipop brings on its own.

Micromax says the upgrade is going out in stages over the next 3 days, so if you aren’t seeing it immediately then it shouldn’t be long before it makes its way to your device. Get yours updated and let us know how things go once you’ve gotten everything loaded up!

[via Micromax]

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Phandroid 7:51 PM No comments

LG confirms G4 has real-leather backing in latest teaser

LG has never been shy about teasing their phones ahead of launch. That big leak from over the weekend was probably a bit much for their liking, but that won’t stop them from doing what they seem to love the most: giving us a fairly decent look at the phone ahead of its formal launch.

The latest teaser hit the company’s Facebook page with a smooth-skinned woman holding the LG G4 sideways. As we’d seen in other leaks, some variants might launch with a stitched-leather look. What we didn’t know is whether it was real leather or that faux stuff we’ve seen Samsung use before.

It appears to be real, judging by the image’s caption:

Always have authentic luxury in hand.

The brand new LG G4 with vegetable-tanned leather cover.

See the great, feel the great.

Either that, or LG is just great at twisting words. Other details are scarce — will there be premium options available over standard back covers? Will users be able to purchase these premium back covers separately? All of that is set to be answered April 28th in New York, and we’ll be there to get those answers for ourselves.

[via LG]

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Phandroid 11:03 PM No comments

Amazon is giving away 26 apps worth $105 for free

If you don’t mind getting your apps from Amazon’s Appstore (or if you don’t have a say in the matter) you’ll want to tune into this opportunity to get some free apps.

There are 26 downloads waiting for you at the cost of $0 each, all of which add up to be worth about $105 were you to pay normal pricing. There are some real great gems here, such as Plants vs Zombies and Wolfram|Alpha. Here’s the full list of apps and games you can get your hands on:

• Plants vs Zombies


• Wolfram|Alpha


• Adventure Time Game Wizard


• Table Top Racing


• Runtastic Pro


• F18 Carrier Landing Pro


• Songsterr Guitar Tabs


• Flightradar24 Pro


• MeteoEarth


• Virtua Tennis Challenge


• Amazing Alex Premium


• Unmechanical


• Pudding Monsters HD


• Prince of Persia Classic


• Osmos HD


• CityMaps2Go Pro


• LectureNotes


• A Better Camera Unlocked


• Oxford Spanish Dictionary


• RDP Pro Client


• TouchDraw


• Mobile Doc Scanner


• Fun English Course Language Learning


• Splashtop Whiteboard


• Chess and Mate Premium

You can download them all by heading right here. Remember that you’ll need the Amazon Appstore on your Android phone or tablet to download them, but that’s no tough task (especially considering you’re getting over $100 in free apps for your time and effort).

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Phandroid 10:03 PM No comments

Chrome for Android 42 adds website notifications

Those who prefer to fool around with the beta release of Chrome have already been treated to these features, but for everyone else some great new features have arrived to Google’s mobile web browser. Chrome for Android 42 is out, and it brings a big new feature.

On tap is a new system that allows properly-coded websites to send notifications straight to your phone whenever new content is available. This sort of functionality is typically only available from native applications, so the ability to get them through your web browser without having to install anything else is a pretty cool feature.

Other changes include an improved function for adding your favorite sites to your home-screen, as well as your typical bug fixes and performance improvements. It’s all waiting for you at Google Play so give it a go as soon as possible.

[via Google]

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Phandroid 9:18 PM No comments

Cyanogen announces partnership with Microsoft that will bundle their apps on Cyanogen OS

OK, so Cyanogen was only half-joking about their operating system being “powered by Microsoft” on April Fools day. The company today announced that they’ve entered a strategic partnership with the Redmond-based company to have their apps pre-loaded on Cyanogen OS.

Bing services, Skype, OneDrive, OneNote, Outlook, and Microsoft Office will all find homes on devices that come with Cyanogen OS (and not necessarily CyanogenMod, the community-focused ROM). The apps will be “deeply integrated” with Cyanogen OS at its core, though we’re not expecting them to enable you to do anything that simply downloading the apps from the Google Play Store doesn’t already.

And that’s it folks — Cyanogen and Microsoft definitely are a thing, no matter how many rumor-busting reports wanted to deny it. Let us know how you feel about that in the comments ahead.

[via Digital Journal]

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Phandroid 8:03 PM No comments

Quick Tip: You can now type “Find my phone” into Google Search to locate it

Google’s Android device manager is a great way to locate your phone after it’s been lost, and we consider it a primary option to turn to whenever you suffer the unfortunate fate. The only issue is that it’s never been a great experience finding the Android Device Manager on the web — some folks don’t even know that the Android Device Manager is.

To make things easier, Google has created an interface that will show up whenever you type “find my phone” into their search engine (typing “how to find a lost phone” works just as well). You’ll see a map as the service begins automatically locating your device.

You’ll have to be signed in, of course, and you should have Android Device Manager enabled at all times, but once you’ve taken care of all that you can remember this handy search query the next time you’re frantically searching for your phone instead of having to remember a long URL or rely on a bookmark.

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Phandroid 7:49 PM No comments

7 New Material Design Guidelines that Android Developers should know

In an effort to flesh out their Material Design guidelines, Google has released a whopping 7 new sections that’ll show you best practices for crafting user interfaces, handling data and providing an overall sensible user experience as it pertains to the current standard. Here are the new sections Google has added for developers to take a look at:

• Data tables


• Units and measurements


• Floating Action Button has been moved into its own section, adding new details about behavior and transitions


• App structure


• Component sticker sheet for Adobe After Effects


• Data truncation and redaction


• Writing guidelines for Settings

Google has also updated existing sections with more detailed guidelines, including topography, cards, dialog boxes, tabs and scrolling techniques. You can find all the newest changes right here, while the entirety of the Material Design guideline document is waiting for you here.

And remember developers, while you’re not forced to follow these guidelines you’d be doing yourself a favor to make sure your app conforms to the latest standards. Not only will it improve usability for your existing loyal users, but it will help you gain a lot more visibility — users tend to be a lot more willing to check your app out if they see it uses Material Design.

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Phandroid 1:34 AM No comments

How to watch HBO Now on Android

If you don’t have cable and want to watch HBO you were probably excited to hear about HBO Now. That excitement was probably killed when you heard it would only work with the Apple TV. Users without an Apple TV will have to wait until July before they can access the service. What’s an Android user to do?

One workaround that has been working for Android users is PlayOn. If you’re unfamiliar with PlayOn it’s a subscription service that lets you stream content from Netflix, Hulu, NBC, TBS, and others. PlayOn works through your PC and then slings content to your devices, such as Android and Chromecast. The service now includes HBO Now.

Here’s what you need to do to get HBO Now on your Android device. You will need to have access to an iDevice or someone who owns one.

1. Buy the three-month subscription from PlayOn for $9.99


2. Install the client on your Windows PC (sorry, no Mac support)


3. Use you our your friend’s iDevice to sign up for the HBO Now trial


4. Go into the PlayOn settings and click the Channels tab


5. Scroll down to HBO Now and enter your username and password


6. That’s all there is to it! You’ll need the PlayOn app on whichever device you’d like to watch HBO

After the trial month ends you’ll be charged $15 per month. After the three-month PlayOn subscription ends the Apple exclusivity period will be over. Then you should be able to get HBO Now on more devices without this workaround. Good luck!

[via CNET]

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Phandroid 11:35 PM No comments