Paranoid Android 4.3 Beta 6 takes all the awesome features and improves them

The Paranoid Android ROM keeps surprising us with amazing features, but today’s update is a little different. The team has taken features like Peek, Hover, and Floating Window, and improved them further. These functions had some security holes that needed patching. There’s also support for new features and some bug fixes (as usual). Let’s take a look at the change log!

Peek:

• Logic improvements


• Don’t show on sim pin


• Implement blacklist feature

Hover:

• Logic improvements


• Don’t show on sim pin


• Fixed notification clicker on some notifications


• In call improvements


• Once expanded current hover notification stay there until you touch outside or de-expand it.


• When incoming call notification drops down is locked and no other notifications are processed until call’s end. To dismiss it (hide), decline/accept call clicking the buttons or open the dialer tapping on the notification


• Fix some spam


• Hide on dismiss (even from a button inside notif, reflects live parent android notification removal)

Floating window:

• Implement blacklist feature

General:

• Complete Italian translations of public git source (thank you crowdin contributers)


• Dismiss IME when floating window is dismissed


• Keep app when opening floating window from recents panel


• Some upstream fixes


• PAOTA fixes

For those who don’t know about these features, they are quite amazing. Peek is much like Motorola’s Active Display, which let’s you take a look at recent notifications and act upon them without turning on the screen. Hover and Floating Windows are all about multi-tasking and notifications. Actually, you can even download Peek and use it with any smartphone (read all about it here)!

Do remember you must flash the Paranoid Android ROM to take advantage of said features, though. If you know what you are doing and are willing to risk your warranty and/or device, you can go ahead and download the new version of the custom ROM. It’s available for most Nexus devices at the Paranoid Android team’s website.

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Pool Break Pro – 3D Billiards v2.5.1 Apk

Pool Break is a suite of games featuring several variations of Pool, Snooker, Billiards, Crokinole and Carrom games. The full screen 3D graphics are spectacular and the physics are realistic and accurate. Whether you play against the computer or against other Android, iPhone or iPad users online, the action is smooth and fast paced! Ready […]

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XnSketch Pro v1.35 Apk

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RAM Manager Pro v6.1.2 Apk

ROOT IS REQUIRED!!! EACH ROOT USER MUST HAVE THIS APPLICATION! This application optimizes the RAM of all android devices and improves the performance in all directions. RAM Manager manages your memory, makes your system as fast as possible and sets the best balance between enough free memory and running applications in memory. This application is […]

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Thought Google was acquiring too many companies? They’ve barely started!

Google’s shopping spree has raised many questions. Will the acquired services come to Android and other Google products? Will they work separately? What’s Google’s plan? We can assume all day, but today we are finding out Google is just getting started with the acquisitions.

Google is planning to take $20-$30 billion of its international profits and invest them all in non-US company purchases. Those are a lot of billions! And we are not counting the U.S. acquisitions they may have in the future.

Why is Google doing this?

For one, Google is not shy of expanding its market. It may be a good idea to bring foreign projects and great minds from everywhere. There is more than that in this equation, though. Google expressed its plans in a document to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. It turns out bringing all that external money into the US would make for a huge tax bill, so it could be better to re-invest it outside the USA.

Acquisitions and the future

As we mentioned above, Google has been on a huge shopping spree. They now have their hands on connected thermostats (NEST), robots (Boston Dynamics), and all kinds of services like Waze and QuickOffice. You can find a longer list of acquired companies here. This document also mentions Google tried to purchase a substantially large foreign company recently. This deal would have gone for $4-$5 billion. No company name was mentioned, and we really have no idea which one it could have been.

Regardless, what we are seeing here is quite a phenomena. $30 billion in acquisitions is no small number. Is it beneficial, or will it just turn Google into a mess? Of course, we could see Google’s services being improved and new technologies being created successfully. The fact is, it could also be harmful for a company to spread itself too quickly. What do you think?

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The 7 Best Podcast Apps for Android

Some people say that podcasts are a dying medium, but there are still a bunch of great podcasts out there for those who still enjoy it. That means that there are also some top notch podcast apps for Android. They can be hard to find because what makes a podcast app good differs depending on what features you need. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the best podcast apps for Android.

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DoggCatcher

[Price: Free]

First up on our list is DoggCatcher. This app has a very busy and cluttered interface, but that’s so we can see all the information that this app offers. Even with that said, the cluttered UI may or may not be a big turnoff for some who prefer more organized options. Like most podcast apps on this list, you’ll be able to listen to your podcasts straight from the app, and it was able to find all of the ones we searched for. DoggCatcher has a few customization options. You can tap an option to have it automatically download your podcasts to your device, and if you prefer video content, DoggCatcher has support for both audio and video podcasts. It’s a very easy to use app, and aside from the busy UI, it’s one of the most solid podcast apps for Android.

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Flipboard

[Price: Free]

Flipboard is actually not so much a podcast app but an RSS app. Generally, people use Flipboard to gather and read news articles. However, one of the lesser known features of Flipboard is the ability to subscribe and listen to podcasts. This is great if you already use RSS to get news or if you already use Flipboard because it’s just a matter of subscribing to your podcasts. For those who may not have used it, Flipboard features a gorgeous, smooth interface and it’s generally considered one of the best news readers out there. To us, it’s one of the best podcast apps too and it’s also free.

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Pocket Casts

[Price: $3.99]

Pocket Casts is yet another solid Podcast app. Like Podcast Addict, this podcast aggregator lets people browse for a variety of options, including top audio, top video, featured, by network, and by category. It makes finding podcasts extremely easy. Once you’ve found what podcast you’re looking for, playing them is easy as ever, and you can even categorize your podcast subscriptions for better organization. You can even sign up for a Pocket Casts account and sync across devices so you don’t have to go hunting for your podcasts over and over again. It’s $3.99 well spent if you’re a podcast fan.

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Podcast Addict

[Price: Free]

Next up is Podcast Addict and unlike DoggCatcher, this particular app takes a cleaner and more simple approach to a podcast app. However, it makes up for this by having a lot of areas to navigate. As with all of the apps on this list, finding the podcasts we searched for was quick and easy. When adding podcasts, there’s quite a few options to choose from. You can search for them manually, add an RSS feed, browse by top podcasts, import via OPML, and even browse podcast networks like Twit, Revision 3, BBC, and others. All in all, it’s a great free podcast app if you’re strapped for cash.

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Podkicker Pro

[Price: Free / $0.99]

Podkicker Pro has undergone some changes since the last time we updated this list but it’s still going strong. It’s kept its holo interface and swiping tabs which we thought was a good decision. It’s added video podcast support if you’re into that kind of thing along with a number of other features and UI tweaks. It’s $0.99 which is a very fair price but if you want to see it first, there is a free version with most of the features along with advertisements. Click the button below to check it out!

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RssDemon News & Podcast Reader

[Price: Free / $4.99]

RssDemon is a special case because it’s one of the few RSS readers that openly advertises that it supports podcasts and that’s why it is here. There’s a free version (hit the button below) and a pro version that costs $4.99. RssDemon is great for those who know what they want. The interface is pretty standard for an RSS reader and it allows you to search for and listen to podcasts fairly easily. However, unlike a dedicated podcast app like most of these other ones, there really isn’t a way to discover podcasts. So if you’re a podcast fan who knows what they like and also uses RSS, this could be a good “two birds, one stone” scenario.

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TuneIn Radio

[Price: Free]

TuneIn Radio isn’t so much a podcast aggregation service as it is a podcast platform. With most of these apps, they have databases with podcast subscription URLs or, like Pocket Casts, they simply scrape iTunes and let you subscribe that way. TuneIn is a wholly independent podcast service that lets you listen to and subscribe to podcasts on their network. Thankfully, their network is fairly extensive and contains over 100000 radio shows and over four million podcasts. It’s a solid app, it’s free, and people seem to like it. Click the button below to give it a shot.

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Wrap up

At the end of the day, none of these podcast apps are really better than one another. It all depends on what kind of features you look for. Some people don’t need video podcast support while others may be looking for a clean, simple interface. Some want free ones while others don’t mind paying. So we can’t say for sure which ones are the best. It’s also worth noting that many RSS apps like Flipboard and RssDemon support podcast subscriptions even if they may need an external media player to actually play them. So if you have a favorite RSS app, see if you can get podcasts on it and you may be able to kill two birds with one stone! As always, if there’s a wicked podcast app and we missed it, let us know in the comments below.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/1jWgxet

Facebook pulls a Shazam: detects and shares songs and shows

It looks like Facebook is taking a page out of Shazam’s playbook for an upcoming Android update that’s expected to roll out over the next few weeks. In short, Facebook is making it easy to share with your Facebook friends information about what you’re watching or listening to.

The new feature utilizes your phone’s microphone and once you opt-in, Facebook will listen in to detect songs/shows playing each and ever time you’re within the compose window. Not only will Facebook be able to identify the shows and songs you listen to/watch, sharing will be as easy as completing a few clicks. Once you share a song, it will provide a 30-second preview within the post, connecting to Rdio, Spotify or Deezer. For shows, you won’t get a clip preview but Facebook will identify the show, episode and even season within the post.

For those worried about the idea of Facebook spying on you while listening in, Facebook claims it is only scanning for song and TV info. Furthermore, nothing it detects while listening in is ever recorded or stored on Facebook’s servers and it gives you the option of whether or not you want to post any songs or shows it detects.

For those that like sharing everything you do, this could certainly be a fun way to take your Facebook posts up a notch. For those that don’t care, this is just another added annoyance that will make you further resent the fact you’re still signed up with Facebook (kidding!… sort of..). As for how good Facebook’s detection catalogue is? Apparently they have millions of songs in their database, as well as the ability to recognize programming from 160 different TV stations.

What do you think, a cool new feature or a pointless one? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/1gQEREh

KK Launcher Prime (KitKat Launcher) v3.97 Apk

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XnExpress Pro v1.57 Apk

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Extend your Galaxy S5’s battery life with 5900mAh Mugen extended battery

Today’s high-end smartphones are powerful beasts with multi-core processors, 1080p (or higher!) displays, and other components that blow away the devices of yester-year. Of course with great power comes great battery drain, and so today’s smartphones see ever increasing battery sizes.

Turning to the Samsung Galaxy S5, we find a 2800 mAh battery designed to get you through a full day’s worth of moderate use. But what if you want more? Thankfully, the Galaxy S5 has the advantage of a removable battery, allowing you to swap in something even larger like Mugen’s new 5,900 mAh battery.

At $89.50, the Mugen Power extended battery isn’t exactly cheap, but it essentially delivers a little over double the battery life originally provided by the GS5, while also coming with support for NFC and QI wireless charging. On the downside, the battery and accompanying back cover will not offer water-resistance, though Mugen is reportedly working on a waterproof version for future release.

The Mugen Power extended battery can be ordered now directly through Mugen, though it’s important to note that the battery and cover won’t actually ship until June 6th. You’ll also have the choice between a black or white battery cover.

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KitKat update and refreshed UI coming to Xperia Z, ZR, ZL, and Tablet Z

Sony has begun pushing out a big update to some of its most important devices from last year. The update brings Android 4.4 KitKat, as well as a slew of new features and user interface tweaks.

According to Sony, KitKat on the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, and Xperia Tablet Z brings better overall performance and UI optimization. But there’s more to the update, which starts rolling out today “in selected markets,” with more to follow in the next weeks.

In the eye candy department, Sony fans will be thrilled to see that a sleek PS4-style launch animation and live wallpapers are now gracing their devices. There’s also a new “revamped” Status and Quick Settings bar that you can customize to better keep tabs on your notifications.

With the KitKat package come updates to several of Sony’s own apps, including Messaging, Email, Smart Social camera, and Battery Stamina mode. The Japanese company promises refreshed animations, smoother operation, and small functionality additions for all of these apps.

Other additions include the Xperia Themes customization center (which totaled two million downloads since it launched earlier this year), cloud integration in Sony’s media apps, and compatibility with Sony’s Smartband wearable device and the Lifelog app.

As for other Sony devices, the company says Android 4.4 KitKat for the Xperia T2 Ultra, Xperia E1 and Xperia M2 and their dual variants will begin rolling out in July. More details will be offered as the update approaches.

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