Top Android Homescreen August 1st Edition: Flat

It’s a new month, and also a new week and with that we have another Top Android homescreen for you guys and gals. This theme plays off the continuing “flat” trend that we see in many customiztions today like icon packs, themes and even some of the UI’s that come from different manufacturers. That is precisely why it’s called flat. Everything has that general flat look to it, and is simple and elegant with just the right amount of style and function for a homescreen if you don’t like things to be too cluttered. Sometimes simple is best right?

The Flat homescreen was created by Corrado27, someone who we have featured a homescreen from before, and it definitely looks like one of his best works. He gives a nice little roundup of what apps and widgets were used to create this homescreen setup, and even gives the download files for the things you’ll need to complete the look. Fist you’ll need a third party home launcher. Specifically either Apex Pro or Nova Prime. Either will work as they’re both very similar and have a lot of the same features. You’ll also need Zopper Widgets Pro, and the widgets themselves are made by Corrado27 which is what the download files are. You can find the download link for the widgets on the page for this homescreen here, and make sure to hit the love button on this theme as well as “zoom” the image to give Corrado27 some credit and appreciation. He also lists exactly how to set things up on the page as well, and it’s a pretty simple and quick process it looks like so it shouldn’t take too much time or effort. Enjoy, and happy themeing!

Apex Pro-Play Store

Nova Prime-Play Store

Zooper Widget Pro-Play Store

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Google may separate Photos from Google+ in the near future

Google’s Photo features are some of the most attractive aspects of Google+, including automatic backup, aut0-awesome effects, stories, sharing, etc. The Photos section of Google’s social network is extremely robust and offers one of the best solutions for cloud backup on Android. In an attempt to gain more users, however, it looks like Google might be planning on spinning off Photos into a standalone service separate from Google+.

The move would keep most, if not all, of Photos feature set, but it would allow the product to stand on its own similar to how Facebook manages Instagram. There would still be integration with Google+, but users would not be required to have a G+ account to take advantage of all of the features. Since Vic Gundotra left Google, there’s been a ton of speculation that G+ was on the chopping block, but it looks like Google really just wants to make the best parts of G+ available to all users, and use G+ as a platform for all of those services. Definitely a win for users, and it’ll likely bring more people into Google’s ecosystem.

Do you use Google’s Photo features on Google+? Are you happy or disappointed that the features might spin away from the social network?

source: Bloomberg

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Android Game Of The Week: Iron Knights

If you like your action type hack n slash games, then you should definitely check out Iron Knights. It’s a dungeon crawler style game with plenty of action and lots and lots of loot. You know the type, there have been many. For a mobile game though this is probably the most stunning and beautiful of any game in this genre. The graphics are extremely high resolution which definitely can make the game lag a little bit if you don’t have a higher end device, but if you have a phone that can support it well enough the gameplay and movements will be fluid and smooth and look amazing while doing it.

The difference between Iron Knights and other games like it though, is that you only have one hero class type to control and play, but there are other types of heroes that can be added to the party as units that assist you in battle, and you can add up to four units total of over 200 different fellows. If you’re finding things to be a little too tough for your liking, simply equip an available unit to your party and they’ll help you lay waste. The game boasts a decent tutorial for gamers to get used to the controls and the features within as well, which definitely makes things easy to get acquainted with. Gamers should enjoy the story that goes along with the game which actually seems to be pretty in depth, which is rare for this type of game on mobile devices.

You’ll find that even the regular attacks look stylish, and they put out some crazy damage at higher levels. You can also chain attacks together for combos that would make any enemy weep for mercy. The real beautiful detail is in the special attacks though. After having used these my first time I was blown away at how smooth they looked.(In the beginning of the game they start you out with a level 99 character to get the hang of things, and this is where I was able to see how awesome the specials were)There are also multiple modes to enjoy and play, like multiplayer PvP battles or simply the campaign. There is also a boss battle mode which you can play by yourself, or join with friends to hunt down bosses and slay them! I mentioned there was tons of loot right? There is over 1,000 items to loot off your fallen foes, and all your items, weapons, and armor can be upgraded. Check out the screens and watch the video, then grab this game if it seems like it’s your style.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Will A Shift In YouTube’s Chain of Command Affect Their Music Streaming Service?

YouTubes chain of command is starting to look a little rough after a recent employee’s departure. For a while now, YouTube has been gearing up to launch their very own music streaming service. The idea is much similar to Spotify, but coincidentally, YouTube Executive Shiva Rajaraman has left his job to join forces with Spotify. Just last month YouTube lost their product manager Chris LaRosa, who left to work on an unrelated start-up. Google Executives said that LaRosa’s leave wouldn’t effect the music streaming service that YouTube planned to launch, but with Rajaraman gone, the tides are beginning to turn.

The news of Shiva Rajaraman’s departure was confirmed by Re/code. The YouTube spokesperson would not comment about their up and coming music streaming service but did offer this statement: “Shiva has done so much to help grow YouTube into what it is today. We wish him all the best, and know that the team he has put in place will continue to serve all our creators and viewers exceptionally well.” Spotify on the other hand declined to comment. Shiva Rajaraman joined YouTube in 2006. This was around the time that Google bought the site for $1.6 billion. Rajaraman has been with YouTube ever since then except for a brief moment with Twitter in 2010.

Regardless of employees leaving left and right, YouTube will still push forward with their rumored music streaming service. The battle has only begun for YouTube, as they have big competition up ahead. Music Streaming services such as Spotify and Apples newly owned Beats Music, are just a few competitors that YouTube has to go against. YouTube better have some good ammunition for this battle because the rest of the music streaming giants are already waging war. Being Google owned, YouTube’s music service really shouldn’t have too much of a problem. You got to think about it, they have one of the world’s largest companies backing them up. Not to mention that YouTube is used every day by millions of people, they probably have one heck of a marketing scheme. If you think that YouTube’s recent departures will affect their soon to be released music streaming service, let us know in the comments section.

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Unlocking smartphones deemed legal once again

Inquisitr

America, the land of the free, hasn’t quite lived up to its motto in terms of mobile liberty. Once a common and completely legal practice, unlocking a smartphone became illegal in 2013. Fast forward to today, over a year later, and we can set our smartphones free once again. All without fear of any possible prosecution.

The good news comes from the White House and senator Patrick Leahy, one of the leaders who helped spearhead the bill into acceptance. Today, President Barack Obama is to sign the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, allowing people to modify smartphone firmware and remove carrier restrictions.

Those who criticize online petitions for being ineffective will be surprised to find this is how this very bill was started. The White House responded to this issue as a follow-up to an official online petition that collected over 114,000 signatures. What’s even more surprising is that it didn’t take long for them to take action, responding within a couple brief weeks.

Flickr/White House

This victory is quoted as being “a win for American consumers, a win for wireless competition, and an example of democracy at its best.” A statement we would have to agree with, especially those of us who live on such a restrictive mobile market as the USA tends to be.

It’s important to note this is not exactly a permanent solution, leaving a bit of uncertainty in how these matters should be handled in the coming years. As stated last week during the initial announcement of this bill’s passing, this decision is to be revised every 3 years. Whether the bill is to stay alive or not depends on how the market and other factors may look upon revision.

For now, you can unlock away with no fears! It’s interesting to see how technology happens to naturally evolve faster than laws can adapt to it, though. It’s starting to become a more common practice for manufacturers and carriers to ship devices already unlocked. We have a long way to go, but the market is definitely moving forward.

Source: White House;



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Korean Carrier LGUplus Supposedly Listing Galaxy Note 4(SM-N910L) On Their Site

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 release date is approaching and believed to be coming up soon, although there is no official word as to when that will be yet. Rumors however are speculating that Samsung will announce it at this year’s upcoming IFA conference that begins next month in September. We can finally say month when referring to IFA because today is now August 1st. Time flies eh? Even though we don’t have exact dates, prices, or specs listed for Samsung’s follow up to last year’s popular Galaxy Note 3 device, that hasn’t stopped at least one carrier listing up as a device to be for sale soon. Korean carrier LG U+ now has a listing up on their webpage for the Samsung SM-N910L, which is believed to be the model number for the Galaxy Note 4.

Rather it is the model number of a presumed variant, and if SM-N910 is the actual model number of the Galaxy Note 4 than this one listed by LG U+ is just a model meant for that market region which is something that happens with every device from every manufacturer. There is also some news that hit yesterday from Samsung that they have two new devices on the way, one of which was referred to as “new and innovative” and said to carry a big display. It’s possible that could be the Galaxy Note 4 although there were no specifics mentioned.

As for the SM-N910L listed on LG U+’s website, there are no specs or images listed there so the listing being there at all is possibly a placeholder or a notification to consumers that the phone will be available there once Samsung actually announces and then launches the device. When it comes to specs though it is believed that the screen will be Quad-HD as Samsung themselves have listed a variant of the SM-N910 on their own website with the SM-N910A and state that the display is Quad-HD quality. Whether all variants will come with this particular screen resolution is unknown yet but there’s no reason why Samsung wouldn’t provide it for all models. It’s also rumored of course to be coming with 3GB of RAM along with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor to drive the device, at least we can certainly hope for an 805. As we approach IFA next month we’ll likely learn more concrete details and hopefully at least some official specifications.

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Google Photos May Soon Break Up With Google+, As The Post-Vic Era Fallout Continues

Google+, for all the criticism it has garnered from the "hip" tech crowd, has been an incredibly important product for the search giant since its unveiling back in 2011. Remember when you had to get an invite to join Google+? How far we've come.

But Google+ quickly became more than just Google+. The Hangouts messaging platform and, later, Google+ Photos were key leaps forward for Google in two areas where the company was arguably becoming stagnant.

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Samsung Allegedly Stopped Paying Microsoft Its Android Royalties, Microsoft Responds Predictably (Read: Lawyers)

According to re/code, Microsoft filed a lawsuit against Samsung today for failure to pay royalties as part of a contractual IP licensing agreement between the two companies. The agreement in question is for Microsoft's infamous smartphone patent portfolio, which has pretty much every Android OEM in the US paying out a percentage of their handset sales to the struggling Windows Phone maker.

Microsoft claims that shortly after it acquired Nokia late last year, Samsung stopped paying the royalties.

Samsung Allegedly Stopped Paying Microsoft Its Android Royalties, Microsoft Responds Predictably (Read: Lawyers) was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Flappy Bird returns, and he’s bringing friends

For those of you crushed by the news that Flappy Bird was going MIA back in February, take heart: Flappy Bird is back. Flappy Birds Family has been released on the Amazon Appstore, but only for Fire TV. The game is meant to be played multiplayer and boasts the same simple gameplay that its predecessor did, all for free. While FBF is not yet available on the Google Play store, there have been mumblings that it will be added in the coming weeks.

Source: Amazon

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Flappy Bird Is Back But Only For Amazon’s Android Appstore

Remember that game where you had to fly a clumsy bird through a sea of pipes that resembled Mario? Well guess what? That little birdy is back but not as widely available as you might think. After months from disappearing from the Google Play Store and iOS App Store, Flappy Bird’s creator Dong Nguyen has made Flappy Bird available to download but only in Amazon’s Appstore. Oh and its not called Flappy Bird, but Flappy Birds Family. It may seem a bit odd for the game to show up in Amazons store but what makes things even more questionable is that the game can only be played with Amazon’s Fire TV and not any of Amazon’s other devices.

So now that Flappy Bird is back with his entire family, what is the latest version of this game all about? Well According to the game description, “Flappy Birds now are on Amazon Fire TV with incredible new features: Person vs Person mode, more obstacles, more fun and still very hard. Enjoy playing the game at home (not breaking your TV) with your family and friends. – Drive the bird through pipes and ghosts – Play and share your best score – Challenge your friends.” If you noticed, developer Dong Nguyen implied that you can enjoy playing the game at home and not breaking your TV. If you have kept up with news about the game, you would know that the developer took the game down from all App Stores due to users getting addicted. “It happened to become an addictive product. I think it has become a problem,” said Dong to Forbes.

It’s still unclear on why Flappy Bird is only available for Amazon’s Android Appstore. It could be used to push Amazon’s Fire Phone by being an exclusive device that has the fun game. We really don’t know the intentions of Dong Nguyen or Amazon, but what we do know is that it would be nice to have the game come to all platforms again. Flappy Bird is a hit game and proved that in its short lived life. If you have an Amazon Fire TV, you can go here to download Flappy Birds Family and enjoy dodging green pipes. Also, what do you think about Flappy Birds return? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

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Google reportedly breaking Photos away from Google+, could soon be its own stand-alone app

Earlier this week we watched as Google did the world a solid and dropped the Google+ requirement when using Hangouts. It was an awesome move, one we didn’t think would become a trend. Today, a new report from Bloomberg claims the search giant is gearing up to make Photos — Google+’s photo backup, editing, and sharing utility — into a completely stand-alone service. No Google+ necessary.

It’s one of Google+’s single best features (okay, arguing with people online was also pretty fun) and the brain child of former Google+ lead Vic Gundotra. We won’t go as far as suggesting Google could be abandoning their social network (it still has valuable marketing data), but they certainly aren’t forcing it down anyone’s throats like they used to. And that’s a good thing.

Photos as a stand-alone app/service has been a long time in the making. Many Googe+ updates ago, the app appeared in app drawers as its own app icon, and when selected, would take you into the Google+’s photos section (which felt like a completely different app). As photos began adding more and more features, it seemed to only make sense Google would finally break it away from Google+.

We’re hoping that by dropping the Google+ requirement, the app will finally allow us to back up our photos to Google Drive, something we’ve been requesting for years now. Still no word on exactly when we can expect Photos to land in the Google Play Store as a stand-alone app, but we’ll be waiting.

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Official Amazon Seller app now on Play Store

For those of you who stand on the other side of Amazon and supply your goods to the world through the popular shopping site, Amazon has released its official Seller app onto the Google Play Store. Now sellers everywhere can easily check on their merchandise on the go with convenience. The app enables sellers to manage inventory, search for new items to sell, estimate the profitability of items before listing them, message customers, and have access to Amazon support. While this may not directly benefit most of us, when sellers are more able to provide a more efficient experience to us, everyone benefits. Hit the break for screenshots and download links.

Play Store Download Link

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