Android TV rumored to be announced at Google I/O

Android TV rumors came along with the discovery of Google TV’s death. This new platform would improve upon Google’s failed attempt at taking over your living room. Rumors have been long coming, but it’s not until today that we hear about a possible announcement.

Sources “familiar with Google’s plans” say Google’s upcoming smart TV project will be announced at this year’s Google I/O, which starts on June 25th.

Android TV vs Google TV

Many of us believed that Android TV would be a platform, as opposed to a device. If the latest rumors are to be believed, this will be the case. These sources are sure Android TV will be a platform (much like Android), upon which device makers can manufacture devices.

In this sense, it will be similar to Google TV, but the software in the old and new smart TV platforms will be miles apart. Google’s Android TV should offer an autonomous experience, unlike Google TV, which had to be linked to live TV in order to take full advantage of it.

The idea is that it will feature its own video, music and other content, only using the internet as a requirement. Hopefully, it will come with all the usual partners, like Hulu, Netflix, Crackle, etc. Google has been talking to such content providers, and all is said to be going well.

Software and Pano

Google’s Android TV software is to be made with a substantial focus in simplicity. Its design language will assimilate services like Google Now and Android Wear, which work with “cards”. The difference is that this interface, known as Pano, will offer a horizontal and image-rich interface.

Image courtesy of The Verge

Based on leaks, we can say it’s a design that resembles Windows and its tiles. The secret weapon within pano falls under its organization system, though. Android TV is said to have a strong focus on content, instead of apps.

What does this mean, exactly? Traditionally, we would have to launch an app and then look for content. Android TV will allow us to look for content, then stream it from wherever it is available.

Image courtesy of The Verge

What about Chromecast?

This is a very important question – what will happen to Chromecast? The popular HDMI dongle was Google’s only successful project in the battle for the living room. Why not just stick to it?

Though Chromecast is awesome, affordable and very capable, it doesn’t offer the power a full smart TV platform could. First, it may be a bit confusing for the general consumer to have to deal with two devices at once (Chromecast and smartphone). Some people have a hard time managing one at a time! Giving independence to a single smart TV device may be more intuitive.

Furthermore, let’s remember the Chromecast for what it is – a fun, simple and affordable solution. It doesn’t have any real power for running complex apps and video games. For consumers who want a little more out of their investment, it might be worth it to go with something like Android TV.

Wrap up

It’s only about a month before we are in San Francisco, running all around Google I/O getting you all the content you could ever want. Let’s be patient and wait until we can learn more about this!

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/1oT9lW9

LG G3′s first teardown reveals how easy it is to fix

You have seen us get our hands all over the LG G3, compare it to multiple competitors and giving you our very own firm opinions on LG’s device of the year. Our friends at UBREAKIFIX are also not afraid of getting personal with the LG G3, but they have taken things a step further.

Leave it to the experts to go ahead and do a teardown of the mighty LG G3, while most of us would be scared to take some screws off. The UBREAKIFIX team has gone ahead and taken it all apart, showing us all its components and giving us an idea of how easily repairable it is.

LG G3 specs (just in case you forgot)

• 5.5-inch display with 2560 x 1440 resolution


• 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 CPU


• 2GB (or 3GB w/ 32GB model) of RAM


• 16/32 GB of internal storage (microSD support)


• 13MP/2.1MP cameras


• 3000 mAh removable battery

What stands out?

As expected from the usual teardown, things don’t look too exciting inside smartphones. We may find the occasional detail worth mentioning, so we should focus on those specific discoveries.

Right off the bat we can see that whopping 3,000 mAh battery, which is removable. This makes for a very pleasant battery swap process – simply pop out the old one and put the new one in. Isn’t it insane that many have to send devices in for “repair” just to have the battery exchanged?

Another upgrade seen in this teardown is an improved motherboard, only housing one small daughterboard. LG seems to have made many changes since the LG G2, giving us a more flexible device that is easily repaired. The G2 had a “controller board split along both sides of the motherboard”.

Also interesting is the fact that this device has a TV antenna, which is very usual in Asian markets. It is very likely we won’t see this part in US versions. As for the motherboard, itself – it houses the following components.

• (Purple) Broadcom BCM4339 5G WiFi combo chip


• (Teal) Avago ACPM-7700 power amplifier module


• (Red) Qualcomm WTR1625L RF transceiver


• (Green) Qualcomm WFR1620 receive-only companion chip


• (Orange) SK Hynix 2GB/3GB LPDDR3 RAM layered on the 2.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor.


• (Yellow) ANX7812 USB SlimPort Tx IC


• (Blue) Texas Instruments BQ24296 battery charge management and system power path management chip.


• Toshiba THGBMBG8D4KBAIR 32 GB on-board NAND flash memory on the other side

Is it hard the phone hard to repair?

The teardown proves the LG G3 is quite a success in terms of engineering and repairability. UBREAKIFIX claims the device was very well made, giving it an 8/10. The use of different connectors, instead of flexes, will help with repair time and effort. In addition, the location of the screen connectors makes the device much easier to fix.

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

HOT DEAL: Nokia Fatboy Wireless Charger for $5!

Those looking for a good, yet affordable wireless charger have just stumbled upon the holy grail of deals. AT&T is currently selling the Nokia Fatboy Wireless Charger for just $5, which is about the best wireless charger offer we have ever seen.

For those who are not familiar with Nokia’s Fatboy accessory, it is a very unique and good-looking alternative. It’s pretty much a comfy bed for your smartphone, which will also give it enough juice to keep you connected through the day.

The catch – buying the charger

Well, there is no real catch, but some of you may find some forks in the road. This device is not exactly available in all regions (including mine). Upon trying to purchase the charger, I was welcomed with the following message:

The device you’ve selected is not available in your area.

You can go to AT&T’s website to see if you can get this wireless charger for just $5. It may be from Nokia, but it should work with any Qi-enabled smartphones, including those running Android.

If you can’t purchase it, or this specific charger doesn’t quite convince you, you can check out our Best Wireless Chargers article. We go through all our favorite chargers, giving you all the pros and cons.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/RMhf7C

Google Stars Chrome extension leaks – learn about it and download it here!

More evidence of the Google Stars bookmarking service has emerged, over 3 weeks after we last heard of it. The service is said to organize and simplify your bookmarking experience, aside from making it much more capable. Rumors say it will be able to bookmark more than websites, allowing interaction with videos, images, Drive files, locations and more.

Today marks a significant day for Google Stars. It has been staying pretty well hidden for being a service that is currently under testing, but we are now getting access to a leaked Chrome extension! There is much to be seen and we will go through some of the main points right below.

Adding bookmarks and “the grid”

Adding bookmarks with this Google Stars extension is as easy as it has always been. The only difference is the interface for choosing the folder, title and other details is much more pleasant to the eye. The stylized window includes images, buttons and drop-down menus with aesthetically pleasing designs.

Your bookmarked content will all go to a page that is arranged as a grid. You can simply drag-and-drop to rearrange your content, and easily move it around as you wish.

Dogfooding-specific features

Sadly, most of the features we are really interested in will only be available to those signed up under Google’s “Dogfooding” program, in which Google tests services and works out the glitches. There is a good list of features this service will have, though, which are listed in the splash screen, even if not available for use.

The screenshot below shows features like Advanced Search, automatically organized bookmarks, “Star” sharing, an image-rich grid and auto spam detection.

Download

We are not sure when the Search Giant will be ready to launch Google Stars, but we sure hope to hear something about this at Google IO. For now, you can go ahead and download the leaked Chrome extension.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/1k99fdn

Verizon Galaxy S5 render shows off electric blue color

Right now if you go to any major U.S. carrier you have two color choices if you plan on purchasing the Galaxy S5: black and white. Thankfully, our options are slowly but surely being expanded. Come May 30th all major U.S. carriers will get their hands on the copper gold variant of the GS5 and now a new render from Evan Blass (evleaks) shows off the electric blue Galaxy S5, complete with Verizon 4G LTE branding.

While @evleaks doesn’t specifically say “exclusively for Verizon”, it is possible that this model could end up as an exclusive color choice for Big Red.

So when might we see the electric blue Galaxy S5? We don’t have any concrete details to that end, though it’s worth noting that the copper gold Galaxy S5 was first leaked just days ahead of its formal announcement — so perhaps history will repeat itself.

What do you think, anyone interested in picking up the Galaxy S5 once it debuts in electric blue? What’s your favorite color option for the latest flagship member of the Galaxy family?

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

Motorola will close Texas factory, stop assembling phones in the US

And just like that, Motorola is wrapping up its grand US manufacturing experiment.

Last year, Motorola opened a phone assembly facility in Fort Worth, TX, hoping that economies of scale would help it offset the higher labor costs associated with making phones in the United States, compared to China and other developing countries. At its peak, 3,800 workers were employed in the factory, and most of them were tasked with assembling the Moto X.

Today Motorola announced that it would be closing the Fort Worth factory by the end of the year. According to Mark Randall, VP for supply chains and operations, the closure is the result of weak sales of the Moto X, associated with high costs.

Currently, the factory employs 700 workers; it’s not clear what will happen with these workers, as some of them may actually be employed by Motorola’s manufacturing partner Flextronics.

Motorola’s President Rick Osterloh, who took the reins over from Dennis Woodside earlier this year, blamed poor market conditions for the company’s failed venture in home-based manufacturing. “What we found was that the North American market was exceptionally tough,” said the executive.

The Moto X came with some interesting new features and a customizable appearance, but ultimately the device failed to make a meaningful impact. Motorola found more success with the no-frills Moto G, and hopes to repeat the performance with the Moto E, which is even cheaper, at $129 unlocked. According to Strategy Analytics, Motorola managed to sell just 900,000 Moto X units in the first quarter of this year.

In the future, the Moto X will be assembled in factories in China, Brazil and other locales, said Motorola, who later this year will become a unit of Lenovo, one of the world’s biggest PC and smartphone makers.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/1mR0Ryf

Go Launcher EX gets a new update, Prime version free until June 1st

While Go Launcher EX might not be nearly as popular these days as Nova or Apex, it’s still a reasonably decent choice. If you haven’t tried Go in the past or if it’s been a while, now might be a good time to (re)try it out, as version 5 of the Ex launcher has arrived with a new flatter theme, a simplified app drawer and plenty of other improvements.

• 
  
  (New) The new designed flat style UI
  
  


• 
  
  (New) Full screen folder with smart card
  
  


• 
  
  (New) GO Panels to provide different functions on screens
  
  


• 
  
  (Better) Enhance accuracy of the auto-folder
  
  


• 
  
  (Better) Long press home screen to active the Menu
  
  


• 
  
  (Better) Redesign the Menu and sub-module
  
  


• 
  
  (Better) Simplify the app drawer to provide more space
  
  

On the downside, Go Launcher is also extremely bloated compared to alternatives like Nova, and so all its “added features” might turn off some folks. For those that enjoy the Go Launcher EX experience, you’ll be happy to know that you can get the Prime version for absolutely free between now and June 1st by using the “appsales” activation code within the launcher. Considering the app is normally $5.99, this is a pretty good deal.

What do you think, is Go Launcher worth the download? Conversely, do you feel that — even with the free Prime upgrade — it’s not worth picking up?

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/1o6GDjd

5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week – Google Play Weekly

Welcome back to Google Play Weekly! This week we talk about a new Galaxy S5 feature that measures your stress levels. A new leak that may be showing us the Gmail UI re-design. There’s a new Humble Bundle with seven awesome games and one more still to be announced. Spotify got hacked and released a new application to solve the problem. A new study came out that shows Android vs iOS usage stats for applications. Finally, here are five more Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week!

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Peek

[Price: $4.09]

First up this week is an app called Peek. Peek is a standalone application that mimics the ParanoidAndroid feature of the same name. The premise is simple. The app lets you check your notifications without pressing a single button. It’s loaded with additional features and if you like to deal with your notifications quickly, check it out in the Play Store. It costs $4.09.

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addappt: up-to-date contacts

[Price: Free]

Next up is addappt and this is actually a really cool application. Here’s how it works. The app is a contacts replacement app that helps you manage your contacts. You get your friends to use it and when you connect, you no longer have to worry about updating your friend’s information. Say your friend gets a new phone number. They update it in addappt and then that change syncs to everyone that person is connected to. It’s free in the Play Store and it’s cross platform so it works with iOS and Android.

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Circix

[Price: Free with in app purchases]

Next up is an app that’s is a little bit brain teaser and a little bit time waster. What you do is connect all the boxes with other boxes but you can only create so many connections per box. So if the box has a two, you can only connect two boxes to that one box. It’s easy to start out and gets progressively more difficult. It also features over 200 free levels with more available. There is also a new speed round where you must solve as many puzzles as you can in three minutes. It’s free to download in the Play Store.

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Tappy Chicken

[Price: Free]

Tappy Chicken is a Flappy Bird rip off and probably the only one I’ll talk about ever. There’s a reason. Tappy Chicken was actually made without one line of code being written. The developers were able to create this game using solely mouse clicks and pre-existing presets. I just wanted to talk about it for a minute because I thought it was kinda funny that you can create this game without actually using one line of code.

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Watch_Dogs Companion: ctOS

[Price: Free]

Last up this week is the official Watch Dogs companion app. Watch Dogs had quite the release this last week and a lot of people have been talking about it. The companion app lets you stay connected to the game and I mean the actual game. It’s actually kind of impressive you can do things like play live with other people. According to the app description you don’t even need to own the PC or console version to play. If you’re a fan of the game, this is free to download so why not?

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/1gIG5RN

Would you buy the LG G3? Is it everything you hoped it would be?

Another flagship has joined the race, and this one is pretty special. It has a Quad HD screen (a first among big brand names), a laser-guided focusing system that’s mostly found on DSLR cameras, and a “metallic skin” design that looks like brushed metal, without the drawbacks of aluminum.

The LG G3 was a bit of a surprise, coming late to a party dominated by devices from Samsung and HTC. But now that it’s here, is it all that you dreamed it would be? Are you impressed with what it offers, or were you hoping for more? What surprised you the most in a good way, and what disappointed you?

Join us in our Friday Debate, sound off in the comments and vote in our poll.

Jonathan Feist

That is one nice display. Do you remember me talking about not wanting a large screen phone? What about when I said I though such ppi resolution was a waste? I take it back. I think. No, I must stick to my opinions, who needs a 5.5-inch display with more pixels than they could count in a week?

Let me be honest, the LG G3 suffers from ‘too little, too late’ for me. Don’t get me wrong, I am in love with this phone, especially the upgraded RAM in the 32GB version, but I lost all excitement when LG failed to put the phone on sale, well, now!

I am still eager to put the G3 in hand, especially want to give the updated rear buttons a go with their ‘meatier ka-chunk’ that I hear people talking about. But mostly, I, like most, want to see what a mobile phone with a display beyond Full HD looks like.

It should speak measures that this is all I have to say about the G3 at this time. I simply see another wonderful Snapdragon 801 powered device with a screen larger than I actually need, running another skinned version of Android that I would likely install a different Launcher over top of.

I applaud LG for bringing a solid device offering to the table. I am honestly considering purchasing this phone, but, you know that ‘new car smell’ you get when you buy exciting stuff? Yeah, that is already gone. Just give me the phone and I’ll go on my merry way.

Joe Hindy

There is a lot the LG G3 is doing that the competition isn’t. The laser-auto-focus feature, the 2K display, the buttons on the back, the insanely large footprint of the screen on the front of the device, and the unique knock code to unlock the phone.

These days, specs are pretty much in a state of parity. You can’t do better than the best chipsets available today anymore. It wasn’t like a couple of years ago when the quad core processor was brand new and there were 3 or 4 makers actually pumping them out. So to gauge the phone on specs alone has become an exercise in futility. Yes, it does have the same specs as the S5 and the One M8 but I prefer to think of it as this: it has the best specs available to date.

I’m a big screen, big battery kind of guy. I play a lot of games on Android for both enjoyment and, you know, that’s kind of what I do around here. So the G3 fits into my wheelhouse perfectly. I definitely want one of these and since there is a 5.5″ phone with a 3000mAh+ battery available that isn’t an embarassment and isn’t from Samsung, I’m stoked that I may not have to lower my screen size to get away from Touchwiz. Don’t get me wrong, I actually love Touchwiz but I’ve also been using it since the Note 2 came out and it’s time for a change.

I dunno how well the phone itself will do. They need to market it correctly obviously and they need to convince phablet fans that this is the real deal and can compete with the Note line up. It’s way better than the Note 3. However, fans of the Note series will likely wait until the Note 4 and since Samsung has a good 5 months before that’s due to be out, I wouldn’t be shocked to see them do something to try to compete better with this phone.

Is it flawless? No. The slim profile and plastic build materials means this thing will break before it hits the ground if you drop it. It’s definitely not meant for the average blue-collar user who does things like construction. That said, I do think this sits with the Xperia Z2, the S5, and the HTC One M8 as the best phones available right now and really that’s all I expected out of LG.

Now, I just need to figure out how to get my hands on one!

Robert Triggs

The LG G2 was probably be favourite smartphone from the big OEMs last generation, and LG looks to have done it again with the G3.

The QHD display is stunning, although we’ll have to see about battery life, and the G3 competes with the best in every other hardware segment too. CPU, RAM, and storage are exactly what you’d expect from a top tier handset, and the camera features build on the already highly impressive LG G2. LG has also made some decent improvements to its software features, arguable the one area where LG has previously lagged behind the competition.

The other huge factor is the price. Although I don’t think we have anything official yet, the expected price range of £400-450 puts this handset a full £100 cheaper than the Galaxy S5. That’s a huge bonus point in my book.

Not only all that, but the G3′s design really leaps out at me. LG seems to have struck the perfect balance of materials, aesthetic looks, and form factor. Those ultra slim bezels really do the large display size justice too. If you ask me, no other current flagship comes close to the G3 in this department.

Say what you will about slow innovation these days, but taking the handset on its own, I’m very impressed. I am seriously considering an upgrade.

Gary Sims

It looks like LG has upped its game once again with the G3. It has got the specs, the looks and some nice innovations. The 2K display is awesome and the laser focus is a neat addition.

However, there are some aspects of the G3 which are difficult to get excited about – another device with Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and lots of RAM., yet another skin on top on Android.

But having said that, the 2K display is clearly something that makes the phone different to many of the current flagship offerings, and the laser focusing could boost the phone’s allure.

Is the G3′s 2K display significantly better than say the display on the Samsung S5? Probably not. Don’t get me wrong, in terms of resolution it is brilliant, but in terms of the overall experience I doubt it is significantly better.

And here is the thing, will users pay the premium for the extras? Clearly this is a flagship device, and it isn’t LG’s only offering. But when it comes to taking money out of their pockets and handing it over, will the 2K display and the laser focus convince consumers that the G3 is what they want? That remains to be seen.

Pricing is really the key point. The OnePlus One offers consumers the same processor plus 64GB of storage, for less money. Sure, the OnePlus One “only” has a HD display, but I don’t think consumers are struggling with screen resolution problems.

The OnePlus One and the LG G3 are both 5.5 inch devices. LG certainly has worked hard to keep the device’s overall dimensions as small as possible. The legendary thin bezels are certainly cool. The OnePlus One is longer than the G3 by 6.6mm but the OnePlus One is actually thinner.

Other than the price, my real concern for the G3 is the choice of a 5.5 inch display. Flagship smartphones just keep getting bigger. Clearly there is a market for very large screen phones, just look at the Galaxy Note range. But the Galaxy Note range (and others) cater to a certain segment of the market. Currently I am sporting a 5 inch device, and I am testing a 5.5 inch device and really for me the jump from 5 to 5.5 is too much. The Galaxy S5 might be acceptable at 5.1 inches but 5.5 is just too big especially if I need to pay lots of money for it. I will say the same for the OnePlus One, I would have preferred the device was only 5 inches, but at that price, who cares!

So bottom line: Neat display, great design and some cool features. But is 5.5 inches too big? With other devices around that are much cheaper, will consumers pay the premium?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/U0fRjL

KK Launcher Prime (KitKat Launcher) v4.0 Apk

KK Launcher, is the most polished, highly customizable KitKat style launcher, Smooth, Rich features, NO AD, Your best choice! Features: 1. Based on Android 4.4 launcher, support for Android 4.0+ (ICS, JB, KitKat) 2. Support icon theme, compatible with theme and icon pack that users made for nova launcher, adw launcher, go launcher, apex launcher, […]

by APKgalaxy via APKgalaxy.Com

Deal: gold HTC One (M8) just $99 on contract, today only

Golden smartphones all the rage these days, with virtually every major manufacturer offering a device in a shade of golden. HTC’s is called Amber Gold, and if you prefer it to the gunmetal or silver versions, now it may be a good time to take the plunge and buy a gold One (M8).

Today only, HTC is offering the Amber Gold One (M8) for $99 on contract with AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint. This is $100 off the regular price, and likely the best deal on HTC’s flagship you’ll be able to get for a while. The promo goes on until midnight CST tonight or while supply last, so, if you’re interested in a new on-contract phone, you should make up your mind fast. This is the 32GB model and you get free shipping.

HTC is throwing in its well-known Advantage extended warranty plan, which gives you a one-time free broken screen replacement (in the first six months of ownership), free Google Drive storage for two years, and the guarantee of “timely Android updates.”

If you’re interested, head over to HTC’s website and get your gold M8 now. It’s not like you’ll regret it when the M8 Prime comes out, as the rumored Quad HD device was reportedly cancelled.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/1oQLR3R

Goodbye, HTC M8 Prime, we hardly knew you?

You know that totally unconfirmed One M8 Prime we’ve been hearing about for the past month? Well, it looks that it may stay unconfirmed forever, as @evleaks, the guy who revealed many details about it, now claims the Prime is no longer in development.

“If you were salty at having purchased an HTC One (M8) when news of the M8 Prime hit, prepare to feel vindicated: development on Prime has been suspended indefinitely,” reads @evleaks’ typically terse post, leaving us wondering what happened.

The M8 first burst into the scene on May 19, when @evleaks got into a little Twitter spat with HTC’s marketing boss Jeff Gordon. Back then, we heard that the M8 Prime would feature a 5.5-inch Quad HD screen, a Snapdragon 805 processor, 3GB of RAM, and a waterproof body made of an exotic metal-silicone hybrid. We even got an animated 360-degree render of the alleged device, showing its Duo Camera setup and characteristic One series design.

And now, if @evleaks is right, the M8 Prime project is dead. What happened? Did HTC pull the plug on the project because of all the leaks? Very unlikely. What is likely is that the Prime was just one of the models that HTC was developing, along with the One M8 Plus and the One M8 Advance, which just broke cover yesterday.

According to yesterday’s leak, the Plus and the Advance feature similar specs with the Prime, except for their conventional 13MP camera and smaller display size (though the screen remains Quad HD). The Plus is reportedly going to be made of metal, while the Asia-bound Advance would swap the metal for a plastic body. Oh, and there’s no mention of that metal-silicone material.

Did HTC ditch the Prime in favor of the Plus, or was Prime a separate project that got the axe for some unknown reason? We’ll need to wait a couple of months to find out. The Plus and Advance are reportedly scheduled for a release in August-September.

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