Foursquare gets a new logo and several new changes and features

We knew Foursquare was planning on spinning off its check-in feature to Swarm, a companion application to the location discovery app. That change is officially happening tomorrow, along with some other new changes and features to Foursquare, one of which is a brand new logo.

Aside from the flatter, cleaner logo, Foursquare is completely dropping off its ability to check-in to locations without Swarm. Fortunately, Swarm integrates nicely into Foursquare’s new user interface, which is seeing some pretty great improvements. It’s also getting a more personalized touch by allowing you to follow certain users and adding in your own tastes in stores, locations, and restaurants, which will cater specific results just to you. Even if you don’t put in much personal information, Foursquare will start curating suggestions just based on the places you visit and check-in at. Pretty handy new features.

Keep an eye out for the update to go live, and be sure to download Swarm if you haven’t already.

source: Foursquare Blog

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Google Maps gets new Explore feature to help you find points of interest nearby

In addition to getting new ad extensions, Google Maps is getting a brand new Explore feature that’s going to make finding new locations and points of interest even easier.

Tapping the new Explore button at the bottom of Google Maps opens up a pane that displays different kinds of places to visit in your general location. After confirming your location, you can specify how close you’d like recommendations to be (within 10 minutes walking distance or 20 minutes driving distance, for example) and what time of day you’re interested in going, and Google populates the results based on that information. This keeps the feature from suggesting you head to a breakfast spot at 8 at night, or from recommending driving locations when you’re out and about on foot for the day.

If you’re using an Android device, you can also view more detailed information about specific locations, including things like restaurant reviews and transit information where applicable. As you check into more and more locations, Google builds more personalized results to make sure you’re only seeing relevant information. Definitely a step in the right direction towards making Google Maps your go-to app when you’re looking for anything around your city or travelling.

source: Google Maps Blog

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Samsung has contributed to BlueStacks, to keep Gamepop alive

Do you remember the Android gaming box called Gamepop that was set to take over your living room gaming experience? It was big news early last year, but it sort of fell off the radar. But you’d be wrong to consider Gamepop a dead concept, as their current round of funding just got a big bump by Samsung.

With Samsung’s contribution, Gamepop’s manufacturer, BlueStacks, adds $13 million to their total raised in their current campaign to deliver Gamepop as a white-label solution for TV makers and cable providers.

BlueStacks is an Android virtualization program for Windows and Mac that allows you to run Android apps on your PC. They even have some efforts going with partner AMD to bring a dual-OS Android/Windows PC to market later this year. We wonder how that will differ from previous bundled efforts. As you’d imagine, this virtualization is used to power the Gamepop platform.

Gamepop was originally slated to be a set-top box, not entirely unlike Android TV, the Amazon Fire TV, and of course, one of the original Android gaming boxes, Ouya. Poor reviews of the initial hardware knocked the wind out of their sails. In deciding to support BlueStacks, Samsung praised Gamepop’s techniques for translating touch input to TVs and remote controls. A player like Samsung would be more than capable of building Gamepop as a white-label service directly into their huge line of televisions.

Gamepop has a few new backers this year, with Ubisoft and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment stepping up in March. Qualcomm, Intel, Redpoint, ARM and others are already on the books as contributors to BlueStacks current funding campaign.

BlueStacks claims that they’ve got a few other big names in their partners list, but they are keeping quiet on who they may be. They also dropped the hint that they will announce soon a major partnership that could make a huge difference moving forward. We were excited for Gamepop last year, let’s hope things happen a little faster for them this year.

What do you think, can a BlueStacks powered Android gaming service change your Android-in-the-living-room experience?

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TalkAndroid Daily Dose for July 23, 2014

With hectic schedules, it can be hard to keep track of everything in your news feed. That’s why we created the TalkAndroid Daily Dose. This is where we recap the day’s hottest stories so you can get yourself up to speed in quick fashion. Happy reading!!

Apps

[APK Download] Google updates Play Store app with Material Design

Fleksy updates keyboard app to version 3.0 with new look and features

Carriers

Verizon launching the HTC One Remix on July 24, $99 with two-year contract

Chromecast

JW Player gets Chromecast support in new update, bringing casting support to millions of sites

Google

Google Maps now shows ad extensions in search results

Gaming

LG announces game that can be played inside the QuickCircle Case’s window for the G3

Modern Combat 5: Blackout arrives in the Play Store one day early

Phones

Verizon launching the HTC One Remix on July 24, $99 with two-year contract

Motorola makes its digital tattoos for unlocking the Moto X more official with promotional video

Say hello to the Samsung Galaxy Alpha

Samsung appears to be rolling out firmware update to improve Samsung Galaxy S 5 performance

New specs leak for Sony Xperia Z3

Updates

Samsung appears to be rolling out firmware update to improve Samsung Galaxy S 5 performance

Miscellaneous

Samsung announces next Developers Conference

Conan O’Brien makes fun of the iPhone 6

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Conan O’Brien makes fun of the iPhone 6

Samsung recently released a commercial telling iPhone fans to stop waiting for a bigger iPhone, and apparently Conan O’Brien saw it as well, and is continuing the razzing.

It is widely expected that Apple will offer a bigger 4.7-inch display on the upcoming iPhone 6. In yesterday’s opening monologue, Conan said the new iPhone 6 will be called, “Last year’s Samsung Galaxy.” Actually if you think about it, he should have called it the “2012 Samsung Galaxy” since that phone had a 4.8-inch display, which is much closer to the rumored 4.7-inch display that the iPhone 6 will sport.

If you want to check out the video, head on past the break. It starts at about 1:33 in.

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Say hello to the Samsung Galaxy Alpha

After several months of rumors regarding a Samsung premium phone, we finally have the best pictures yet of the device. No it’s not the Galaxy S 5 Prime, nor is is the Galaxy F. It’s the Galaxy Alpha. This phone will feature metal, but before you get too excited, it’s only going to be partially metal. It appears they have opted for the faux leather back along with aluminum sides.

Now as far as specs go, surprisingly Samsung has opted for a smaller display. The way things are nowadays, you might be able to refer to this one as a “mini.” It will feature a 4.7-inch display, but the resolution is unknown. It will also include 32 GB of internal storage, but no microSD slot, which is strange for Samsung. They have opted for a nano SIM slot, which makes you wonder if they are just copying the iPhone here. Lastly, you can expect an LTE-A variant as well.

Based on what we have been hearing, this phone is likely to be very limited. Why? I don’t know, but if it’s true, this won’t serve as competition for the iPhone 6 whatsoever.

source: SamMobile

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Samsung Galaxy Alpha leaked – small, but made of metal

Rumored and leaked Samsung devices may no longer be a novelty, but the Samsung Galaxy Alpha proves to be quite a unique smartphone. It is not mid-end, but it is also not a high-end product. It’s somewhere in the middle, bearing elements from both sides of the spectrum.

The device is surprisingly small, with a 4.7-inch screen blessing its front side. Confidential sources claim the device will have the same screen as the Samsung Galaxy S3. We know this can’t be entirely true, as the Galaxy S3 had a slightly bigger 4.8-inch display. Maybe it will be a Super AMOLED 720p screen?

Regardless, there is one rumor that has most of our attention. Samsung has gone and done the unthinkable by adding what could be a metallic frame to this device. The metal of choice is said to be aluminum, while the front and back are still plastic and that rubbery, leathery material they seem to love so dearly.

Details are scarce, but some specs are said to include 32 GB of internal storage (with no external storage expandability) and a fingerprint reader. It seems there may also be an LTE-A version and it will be connected via a nano SIM card. We also have images coming from a couple sources, so chances are at least the looks and external specs are correct.

It may not be the powerful device we are always hoping for, but the Samsung Galaxy Alpha will cover a very important niche market. It is well-built and includes some high-end features like that fingerprint reader. It’s also small and should come with fair specs, placing it somewhere between the Galaxy S5 Mini and the Galaxy S5.

More news on this device should be showing up soon, so stay tuned. Also remember to take all of this information with a grain of salt. Rumors are just that: rumors. At least until an announcement or more official details come through.

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Quotes From Google’s Sergey Brin That seek To Inspire

Google may be a well known entity when it comes to world of internet connected things, but to many, the men behind the whole of what Google is, are largely just two guys that created a search engine and cultivated it into the huge company that it is today. Google is part of many, many things that we use on a daily basis though, even more than people may realize, thanks to the popular Android OS. They’re what makes it possible to find just about any information we need as quickly as we’re able these days, and they operate one of the world’s most popular Social networks as well as one of if not the most popular email service.

Google came from humble beginnings though and both founders have more aspirations than just data and search algorithms. Both Larry Page and Sergey Brin have ideas for a better future for everyone, and they have many different ideas and plans to help improve the way we live and interact. Sergey Brin is one half of the Google enterprise, and these quotes provide a look at how things got started and perhaps may even inspire some of you.

“To me, this is about preserving history and making it available to everyone.”

“We want Google to be the third half of your brain.”

“We wouldn’t survive if people didn’t trust us.”

“Obviously everyone wants to be successful, but I want to be looked back on as being very innovative, very trusted and ethical and ultimately making a big difference in the world.”

“We believed we could build a better search. We had a simple idea that not all pages are created equal. Some are more important.”

“We saw that a thousand results weren’t necessarily as useful as 10 good ones.”

“We wouldn’t survive if people didn’t trust us.”

“Ultimately you want to have the entire world’s knowledge connected directly to your mind.”

“I feel there’s an existential angst among young people. I didn’t have that. They see enormous mountains, where I only saw one little hill to climb.”

“You always hear the phrase, money doesn’t buy you happiness. But I always in the back of my mind figured a lot of money will buy you a little bit of happiness. But it’s not really true.”

“When it’s too easy to get money, then you get a lot of noise mixed in with the real innovation and entrepreneurship. Tough times bring out the best parts of Silicon Valley.”

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Google Maps “Explore” Feature to Get Improvements

Google is always trying to make things easier for their users. The newest way Google will be making things easier is when it comes to exploring the world around you. This week, Google will be adding an “Explore” button to Google Maps for Android and iOS versions of the app. Currently, Google has an explore section after you open the search within the app. Explore shows you food and drink places as well as places to play, shop and sleep. All of these places are “nearby” meaning some are in walking distance and others will need a different form of transportation. All of the results show ratings made by other Google users, as well distance and price ranges in the form of dollar signs. However, the “Explore” feature is getting revamped with some new features and more information to help you explore what’s new and hot around you.

One of the first changes is that to access “Explore”, Google will be adding a button in the bottom right hand corner of Maps. The only stipulation here is that “Explore” will only be accessed when you’re in an area that the feature is available. The rest of the features revolve around what time of day it is, and where you are. While currently, Maps gives you a range of places that you can filter through distance, price, or ratings, the new “Explore” will allow you to preset the distance from where you are currently. “You can decide if ‘nearby’ means a five-minute walk or a 20-minute drive.” Another improvement is that “Explore” will know what time of day, or even what the weather is like to give you even more proper suggestions. Say it’s a sunny morning, “Explore” will show you places to go for a nice cup of coffee or breakfast. Then, since it’s sunny, maybe you want to take that cup of coffee over to a park to enjoy the weather, “Explore” will show you parks nearby. Planning a vacation? Google’s thought of that as well.

Simply go to the location of your vacation in your maps, and hit explore. Google Maps will show you what’s nearby in that area to help you plan your vacation days before. Once you’re at the location you selected, you can get even more information in regards to that place. Reviews and pricing will be available, as well as transit times from that place to where ever you want to explore next. Though for all of this to work, you’ll need a few settings. Google asks that you have location reporting and history turned on in order to get the best use of this feature. One of the reasons for this is because you can save a place that you liked, and have better search results next time. Google hasn’t said anything about if this feature just needs to be added server-side or by an app update.

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Samsung Bets Big On Android Gaming With $13 Million In Funding For GamePop

The general opinion of Android gaming at home from the big screen will vary from person to person. Some people love Android games and others despise them, while there are also a handful of consumers who don’t really play games on their mobile devices at all or may just not play games altogether. That hasn’t stopped multiple companies from developing and producing micro consoles that run on the Android operating system so that we could easily and comfortably play Android games on the big screen without having to connect our phones or tablets. These consoles have Android running on them already and some even have the Play Store pre-installed. Android micro consoles may not be on track to overtake traditional consoles any time soon, and that’s understandably so as major consoles have most of the big name game publishers/developers make compelling games for those platforms.

Android gaming continues to be on the rise though and there IS a market for micro consoles that run Android. The Bluestacks GamePop micro console is one such device that may have garnered less attention than others, nevertheless Samsung believes in them and the state of gaming on Android enough to take $13 million using Samsung Ventures(their investment firm)and use that money to fund the GamePop device. Hopefully Samsung has a plan to bring something to the table here or at the very least we hope that all that funding from Samsung will allow GamePop to create something more compelling, because from where were sitting right now, the current state of the GamePop device is not necessarily one that many seem to be interested in. As a huge avid Android gamer myself, I’m much more inclined to pick up something like the Shield Tablet and play games that way, or connect up a device and Bluetooth gamepad to my TV.

Samsung is obviously not the only company providing funding investments to Bluestacks over their device, but they have certainly provided the biggest portion of it coming from a single entity. The Bluestacks GamePop for those that are unaware is aiming to be a set top device of sorts that will allow users to play games from Android as well as iOS. The addition of “some iOS games” may be what sets their console apart and actually pick up more steam, but we’ll have to wait and see. Shipments were supposed to begin in late 2013 but the company must have hit some snags somewhere in order for them to push things back. The console has already received a visual and otherwise complete design overhaul from the initial designs we saw when it was first announced, and we’re hoping that the total funding of $26 million can help them come up with something really great. They’ll have some stiff competition from what’s already out there, with the likes of the Amazon Fire TV and Google’s upcoming Android TV looking to easily be the front runners of this new space. What might be more interesting to speculate on though is what seems to be Samsung’s push to somewhat set foot(or maybe dip a toe)in the gaming industry. They also have at least a few different gaming compatible accessories for smartphones like gamepads, and the upcoming Gear VR focused on mobile virtual reality gaming for their future handsets.

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[Bonus Round] Super Heavy Sword, Super Tank Arena Battles,Watercolors, And Solarmax 2

Welcome to the latest entry in our Bonus Round series, wherein we tell you all about the new Android games of the day that we couldn't get to during our regular news rounds. Consider this a quick update for the dedicated gamers who can't wait for our bi-weekly roundups, and don't want to wade through a whole day's worth of news just to get their pixelated fix. Today we've got an excellent action-platformer (think Mario with swords), a 2D take on Battlezone, a startlingly original puzzle game, and a simplified space strategy title.

[Bonus Round] Super Heavy Sword, Super Tank Arena Battles,Watercolors, And Solarmax 2 was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Tablet Usage Report Shows Growth Across The Board

Mobile device sales are always presented at the end of each quarter, but there are numbers that aren’t as often shared. These numbers are actual usage numbers, meaning how many people are actually using the devices that are sold. Chitika has put together a report that shows the usage of tablets in the 3rd Quarter of 2014. These numbers are not about sales, but about actual usage. While Android is still on about 80% of smartphones in the wild currently, Android tablets are a different story. Apple still reigns over the tablet market with 78% of tablet usage. However, that is a 5.6% decrease from this time last year. In July 2013, Apple held 83.6% of the tablet usage in the US and Canada. Which leaves only 22% to be spread out amongst Android manufacturers and others.

Currently, Amazon is in second place with 7.3% which is up from last years 5.9%. That’s a 1.4% increase for Amazon in tablet usage. Samsung brings up third with 6.3% which is a 1.8%. Google’s own Nexus tablets are fourth with only 2.1% usage, even that is a growth since last year Google only had 1.3%. Chitika says that one of the possible reasons for Apple’s stronghold on the tablet market is the distribution. Recently, Costco began selling Apple products at discounted prices. This could be partly to blame for Apple’s tablet usage. However, they also note that one of the reasons Amazon is growing is also promotion pricing of their Kindle Fire. While Apple is at the top, and other big names are heading up the second-tier tablet usage, Chitika says that there’s a different more impressive newcomer to their study-Ellipsis.

Ellipsis is Verizon’s self-branded tablet that was just introduced in late 2013. In that small amount of time, the usage of the Ellipsis has grown 0.4%. That may not seem like a lot, however that was done in just a little over 8 months on the market. Chitika says that this could also be due to promotion prices. Verizon is now offering the tablet for free with a two-year contract for data services. Verizon has even surpassed the likes of Motorola. The report shows that people are willing to use tablets, but maybe more likely to purchase them if the prices were lower. Though phablets are taking a bit away from the tablet sales as well.

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