HTC Has Unbundled The File Manager, Available In The Play Store

There are many differences between Android and iOS and one is the ability to use a file manager with Android, which combines with a file structure that combines folders and of course files. As standard, Nexus and Google Play Edition devices don’t come with a file manager but many recent HTC and Samsung devices do. Of course, there are hundreds of file managers available on the Google Play Store but today I’m writing about HTC’s file manager, which the company has just unbundled from the operating system and added to the Google Play Store. As far as file managers go, the HTC offering is no great shakes: it’s follows HTC’s Sense aesthetics and integrates between internal and external (MicroSD) storage with a sideways swipe motion.

It has the ability to filter those files showing and select multiple files for actions, such as copying or moving. So far, so good. I’m pleased to write that the download is only 2 MB in size and it’s good to see a manufacturer application not taking up too much space. For the majority of people, the file manager is something that’s only occasionally used and it’s a nice to have; it makes it easier to move pictures from internal to external storage, or vice-versa. There’s no ability to compress files, for example, which is something I use from time to time. Perhaps of more significance is the unbundling of the application from the operating system, which is something HTC have done to good effect with the Dot Matrix Case driver software. It means that it’s much easier and cleaner for the manufacturer to update these applications as it won’t rely on a software update to roll out the updates to each device.

This cuts any carrier completely out of the loop, which is good news: some carriers are relatively quick when it comes to approving software updates and some are much less so. This means that should HTC decide to bolster the File Manager’s features with a compression engine, or advanced filtering and search functions, it’ll be an easy roll out. Meanwhile, if you have a recent HTC device running Android 4.4 Kit Kat or later, hit up the Google Play Store for the update. And if you use the HTC File Manager, let us know in the comments below.

The post HTC Has Unbundled The File Manager, Available In The Play Store appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

from AndroidHeadlines.com | http://ift.tt/1uei3V3

Sonos Brings Android Wear Support To The Table, Control Your Home Music From Your Wrist

Android Wear is gaining more and more useful features every single day, which is evident by the number of apps, devices, and other things that are gaining support for Android Wear devices, making those things even easier and more convenient to use than before. Today Sonos is announcing that it’s bringing Android Wear support to their devices through a new Android Wear Sonos remote application which is currently in beta testing. While not available just yet, anyone that uses Sonos products around their home for effortless music streaming will soon be able to pause, play, and see the tracks playing right on their Android Wear watch display.

The Sonos remote controls app is already available for Android smartphones and tablets, so you can control the tracks and the volume and such from their for the time being. Adding in an Android Wear app though will make it so that you can control your music hands free even if your phone is across the room. As reported, the new Android Wear version of the Sonos Remote app will only feature controls for track manipulation at launch, giving users the ability to skip tracks back and forth, and pause or play tracks like they can do with their smartphones or tablets. The volume controls won’t be in the Android Wear app immediately, so if you want to turn up your favorite song, that will still have to be done from the normal app.

Even though the app is already being tested by a number of beta users, you can sign up for the beta program yourself if you’d like to give a go and see how things work before they officially launch the application. Sonos states that the app will be compatible with all current Android Wear devices, so we can expect it to be compatible with future devices like the Sony Smartwatch 3, the Asus Zen Watch and others too in addition to those that are already available. Do you own ant Sonos products and currently use an Android Wear smartwatch? If so, you can check out the beta by heading to this link to apply. Any readers out there already testing out the Android Wear beta?

The post Sonos Brings Android Wear Support To The Table, Control Your Home Music From Your Wrist appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

from AndroidHeadlines.com | http://ift.tt/1wOSHvK

Android Epic App Battles: Todoist vs Any.do

We all need to get things done on a day to day basis. Sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of those goals and tasks because we simply don’t remember to do them. That’s where a planner or task list/to-do list can come in handy. What if we forget to carry those around with us though? With apps like Any.do and Todoist that isn’t a problem any longer because we use those apps on a device that we carry around with us all the time. Our smartphones. That’s what leads us to this epic app battle, a battle of the to do list apps. Any.do vs Todoist. Who manages your tasks and to-do’s better than the other? What has better features? Who deserves to be crowned king? Let’s brief over some of the features of each, then don’t forget to vote in the G+ poll for your favorite.

Todoist

Todoist claims to be the perfect to do list app for whenever and where ever you need it. You can use it on your smartphone, your tablet, your desktop, in your browser, inside of Gmail, and more. With such versatility it instantly becomes a powerful tool as it can always be with you. With so many different devices that you can use it on though, one would think it would be easy to lose important information, tasks, or lists. That isn’t the case since Todoist syncs all your data across devices through the cloud. You can always have data with you, no matter where the lists or tasks originated. You can use visual scheduling to plan your days ahead, and even manage your tasks with an offline mode, which is a feature that has become increasingly useful with many different apps, so why not with your to do list?

Todoist also makes it possible to share your projects with people, and you can even collaborate with those you’ve shared and assign tasks to those individuals. Todoist offers widgets and features Google Now integration, and it also gives users actionable notifications to work with. You can add files, sound recordings and photos to tasks,(Premium feature)and if you’re someone that needs to set up reminders for stuff,(like me)you can set up to receive push notifications, SMS, or email reminders based on your physical location or time of day.(Premium feature)You can also integrate with Dropbox or Google Drive if you need to add documents to your tasks. Todoist is a pretty powerful little tool with lots to offer, and it’s free with optional paid features for a more robust user experience.

Any.do

Any.do sees itself as more of a life manager than a to-do list, but the essential underlying core of Any.do is a powerful to-do list app that has much to offer any user looking for a great app to help them manage and organize tasks and lists. The design is simple and clean, and is supposed to foster the act of keeping focused on your goals and tasks for the day. Like Todoist, Any.do will let you collaborate on lists with friends and colleagues to get things done. You can also use the app to update grocery lists and chores, and something that Any,do calls ‘Honey Do’ lists in real time. You can attack pictures and videos to tasks, as well as any Dropbox file.

If you have to-dos that happen often or more on a regular basis, you can set a scheduled or recurring task so that it pops up around the time it needs to be done every time. It seems like there is a little less integration with Any.do, but you can still use it with a few different devices and it supports cloud sync too, so you can use it on your smartphone or tablet, or through chrome or web apps. The app also feature some intuitive uses, like drag and dropping files where you need them, having the capability to swipe to complete tasks, and shaking to remove. You can even use the voice entry to feature to enter tasks into lists without typing, just in case you don’t have any hands free at the moment. For premium users, you get unlimited access to all the free tasks, plus customization options like colorful themes, location based reminders for tasks, and priority support from the in house team Any.do experts. Any.do is also free, with optional paid features.

So which to-do list app do you use? Do you have a preference of one or the other or have you used both and enjoy what each one offers? There can only be one champion in this epic app battle. Each one is deserving, but you all decide who the best app for to-do lists and tasks management is.

The post Android Epic App Battles: Todoist vs Any.do appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

from AndroidHeadlines.com | http://ift.tt/1ue2LzI

Roku Players Get Google Play Movies And TV, Support Coming To Roku TV Soon

Google Play Movies and TV is a great little application and service from Google, and it’s widely available on many different devices from Android smartphones and tablets to the upcoming Nexus player, as well as Chromebooks and the web. Today, Roku has announced that they have added access to Google Play Movies and TV to all current Roku Players, and that it will be coming to Roku TV sometime in the near future. This means users have access to all the Google Play Movies and TV content that one would have on their Android devices, right on the TV through their Roku device. Sure there is Chromecast support for Google Play Movies so you can stream right from your phone, but not everyone owns a Chromecast so this is a huge feature.

Roku mentions they have added Google Play Movies and TV to their already expansive Channel Store that offers plenty of other streaming video options and services, and that it will be available in the U.S., Canada,(good news eh?)the U.K, and Ireland. This will open up the possibilities for streaming all kinds of content for residents and owners of Roku players in those locations to new heights. That includes new release movies that just hit DVD as well as other new release movies,(like The Grand Budapest Hotel)and new episodes of TV shows soon after they air, and full seasons of past shows from the large library of content. Sometimes Google Play Movies and TV even has movies for a short promotional period before they launch in theaters. And of course, there’s also the special deals that Google does on Movies or TV show episodes from time to time.

Roku points out that there is also a “Gift from Google” section which users can access to get a free copy of X-Men, something that any comic and Marvel super hero fan shouldn’t pass up, because free movies are free movies, and let’s be honest, X-Men was awesome. It’s worth noting that the Gift from Google deal sounds like it’s only available to those who haven’t already signed up for a Google play account. If you already own a Roku device or were looking into buying one, you’ll find Google Play Movies and TV in the Channel store now.

The post Roku Players Get Google Play Movies And TV, Support Coming To Roku TV Soon appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

from AndroidHeadlines.com | http://ift.tt/1qa1kv3

Starting Today, Sprint Customers Can Lease A Galaxy S5 Or Galaxy S5 Sport

Sprint has announced a pretty interesting new program today for its customers, a new program that closely mimics what all three other major US carriers are doing. Beginning today, Sprint customers will be able to lease either a Samsung Galaxy S5 or Samsung Galaxy S5 Sport at $20 a month for 24 months. Sprint will even allow customers who have good a good account standing and good credit to not have to make a down payment at the time of leasing the device.

Sprint is calling its new program Sprint Lease and it currently only allows customers to lease the Galaxy S5 or Galaxy S5 Sport, like we mentioned above. When the customer leases the phone for the full 24 months, they then have a few options, return the phone and lease another one, purchase the phone, continue leasing the phone, or return the phone and terminate their Sprint service. There are some great options here and we think this Sprint Lease program will definitely get Sprint some new customers.

The concept of the Sprint Lease program is nothing new to the other three major US carriers, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. All three of which have offered very similar programs for a while now. T-Mobile with “Jump”, AT&T with “Next”, and Verizon with “Edge”, all programs that are essentially what sprint is doing with Sprint Lease. These programs on the other major carriers have gained them many new customers, so there is proof that the concept works, it was only a matter of time before Sprint jumped on board as well.

At the end of the day all of these programs are ultimately scams, they get customers to pay more money than they would with a regular 2-year contract. But, like we said, it works, the idea of not being locked into a 2-year agreement without having to pay a hefty early-termination fee to get out is tantalizing. Although, if you take a look at it, Sprint’s new Sprint Lease program does have a substantial difference from the rest of the carrier’s similar programs.

With Sprint Lease, customers are offered an upgrade after 24 months, 2 years. The other three major carriers offer upgrades at 12 months instead, a much better deal which will cost you significantly less money in the long run. Regardless, it’s great to see Sprint finally offer a leasing program like the rest of the major US carriers. Hopefully it will get Sprint some more customers because let’s face it, they need them.

The post Starting Today, Sprint Customers Can Lease A Galaxy S5 Or Galaxy S5 Sport appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

from AndroidHeadlines.com | http://ift.tt/1G2TDAX

Google’s Nexus 6 Works On Verizon SIM Cards Straight Out Of The Box With No hassle

We already know that the Google Nexus 6 will be available from multiple carriers here in the U.S. We know that it will be $199 on contract, and that customers will have a “pay $0 down option” if they choose to buy it full retail and split up the payments over the bill. What we didn’t know at this point was how easy it would be for the Nexus 6 to work on certain networks right out of the box. Just to be clear, we’re not talking about a carrier specific version that you could buy from the carrier. Those aren’t available yet, so that’s probably obvious. We’re talking about the unlocked model you’d get from Google Play, which or own Alex Maxham has gotten his hands from the Google event just a couple of days ago. Thanks to Droid Life, we have come to learn that the Nexus 6 works on Verizon Wireless right out of the box, no muss, no fuss.

We were able to test this ourselves and sure enough, the phone works immediately as it would from any GSM based carrier, just like if you were popping in a T-Mobile SIM. Typically with Verizon devices that isn’t the case. Short of being insanely awesome that the phone just works right away, there is another factor here that makes this really cool. It’s possible(and we say possible because we aren’t sure)that with the phone working as soon as you pop in your Verizon Wireless LTE SIM card, that Google may be able to bypass Verizon for the over the air updates when they’re pushed out, because setting up the phone didn’t require calling in to Verizon to get it working on the network as it does with just about every other device.

If you remember, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus was the last Nexus device that Verizon got their hands on, and the experience left a sour taste in the mouth of many customers due to the slow time frame of Verizon getting software updates of Android out to customers, even as other Galaxy Nexus users on other carriers like T-Mobile and AT&T had already gotten them. With things being this simple that may not be a problem this time around, which should make a lot of users happy that were on the fence about buying a Nexus 6 on Verizon for the very reason of a slow update process. Like we stated above, we don’t know for sure whether or not the simple set up process will mean prompt and on time software OTA’s for users on Verizon’s network, but the ease of getting the device up and running once you pull it out of the box gives us hope. Are you a Verizon Wireless customer looking to upgrade to the Nexus 6 when it arrives on store shelves and the Verizon website? Perhaps you’ll be ordering through Amazon?

Click here to view the embedded video.

The post Google’s Nexus 6 Works On Verizon SIM Cards Straight Out Of The Box With No hassle appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

from AndroidHeadlines.com | http://ift.tt/1wNsHir

Top Android Homescreen October 31st Edition: City

It’s Halloween, October 31st, and a Friday so that means a homescreen setup for you. Unfortunately it proved fairly difficult to find something a little more spooky and appropriate for the holiday, so we’ll just roll with this pick that I have chosen. It’s called City, and was created by David Pitoko. Everything with this homescreen pick just like every other will require some app downloads, but don’t worry there are only a few and everything is pretty easy to set up. If you like the homscreen setup, make sure to visit the source link below which will take you to the page at mycolorscreen for this homescreen creation, and be sure to “zoom” the image and hit the love button to show some appreciation to Pitoko.

First things first, open up the Play Store and grab yourself the few apps you’ll need to make this look work. The first is a third party home launcher. You can use either Apex Pro or Nova Prime, either should work just fine for what you need to do here. Second, you’re going to need Zooper Widget pro, which is used to apply the widget skins. Lastly you’ll also need Media Utilities, which is basically the plugin for the music controls on the widget.

Once you have everything installed make sure to set your homescreen grid to a 6 x 6. you can find that option inside the settings for your third party launcher. After you have the homescreen grid set to the proper size, hide the status bar and the dock, and then make sure you only have one homescreen. Long press on your single homescreen to apply a widget, scroll to find Zooper Wiget Pro, pick any size as it really doesn’t matter and you can just resize it anyway once it’s placed. Make sure to select the downloaded widget files that you grabbed from Pitoko. Those can be found by going to the source link below, where Pitoko links to them. That’s it. As always happy theming! and have a great Halloween. Don’t eat too much candy.

The post Top Android Homescreen October 31st Edition: City appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

from AndroidHeadlines.com | http://ift.tt/1G2TAFq

TalkAndroid Daily Dose for October 31, 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!!

Guides

How to bring back the ‘steps today’ card on your Android Wear smartwatch after installing Google Fit

Accessories

HTC unveils its new Rapid Charger 2.0

Cameras

RE Camera in orange gets delayed, HTC offers 10% discount

Phones

Amazon exec admits Fire Phone pricing was too high, but it was more than that

LG G3 Dual-LTE set to launch in Russia within the next couple of weeks

New Halloween images show low light capabilities of Nexus 6

Nexus 6 from Google Play working with Verizon SIM cards

OnePlus One dressed in Kevlar pictured

New video shows Android 5.0 running on the Samsung Galaxy S5

Set-top boxes

Google Play Movies & TV arrives in Roku’s Channel Store

Updates

New video shows Android 5.0 running on the Samsung Galaxy S5

Miscellaneous

HTC ekes out a small 3rd quarter profit

Sony reorganizes mobile division with new leader

HTC Dot View trick shows up just in time for Halloween

Come comment on this article: TalkAndroid Daily Dose for October 31, 2014

Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

from Android News, Rumours, and Updates http://ift.tt/1tq1QKw

RE Camera in orange gets delayed, HTC offers 10% discount

Launching a new product in a relatively new category can be tough, but HTC is not shying away from doing so. This company’s RE Camera will be on the market in time for the holiday season. And to satisfy the tastes of everyone, the RE Camera comes in orange, white, and navy blue (the latter of which is exclusive to Best Buy). Pre-orders have been open since the device was announced in October. Shipments, though, have yet to start.

The RE Camera scheduled for a November 15 arrival, but people going for the orange color will have a longer wait. The demand is so high for the orange RE Camera that HTC has been forced to delay its release. HTC is sending out emails to customers offering multiple options to make the situation a bit better.

So what can you do? Switch to the white color and get a 10% discount. Actually, you can stick with the orange color and still receive a 10% discount. Or you can go ahead and wait for your orange to arrive by purchasing the white and get 10% off of both RE Camera devices ordered.

Source: HTC Source

Come comment on this article: RE Camera in orange gets delayed, HTC offers 10% discount

Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

from Android News, Rumours, and Updates http://ift.tt/1wQ3mVZ

Sony reorganizes mobile division with new leader

The mobile division of Sony has failed to meet expectations. The company has cut forecasts left and right and has yet to make a meaningful imprint in the United States. Now, the Sony’s mobile division has a new leader. Kunimasa Suzuki will be reassigned within the company as Hiroki Totoki takes over. The reorganization is set to take place on November 16. Tomorrow, Sony is set to report its second quarter results and more changes are expected.

What do you think Sony has to do to make a mobile turnaround? Let us know in the comments.

Via: Xperia Blog

Come comment on this article: Sony reorganizes mobile division with new leader

Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

from Android News, Rumours, and Updates http://ift.tt/1zSNu9T

Sony Xperia Z3 (T-Mobile) Review: Maybe The Best Mainstream Phone Of The Year (If That Still Matters)

The Galaxy S5. The One M8. The LG G3. All very good phones - all phones that I like, for various reasons, and dislike in certain respects for others! HTC, Samsung, and LG have generally been the de facto leaders of the high-end Android smartphone market here in the US. But what about Sony? I'll freely admit that I've never been much of a Sony smartphone fan. I didn't like the Xperia ZL as well as its competitors.

Sony Xperia Z3 (T-Mobile) Review: Maybe The Best Mainstream Phone Of The Year (If That Still Matters) was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

from Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets http://ift.tt/1qbcwHL

Watch this: Samsung Galaxy S5 running leaked Android 5.0 Lollipop build [VIDEO]

When Google showed off Android 5.0 Lollipop’s new Material Design aesthetic during this year’s Google I/O, the first thing we thought about was how this would translate to the custom skins offered by OEMs like HTC and Samsung. Just before we kick off the weekend, the boys at SamMobile are quenching a little bit of this curiosity with an early look at Android 5.0 Lollipop running on the Samsung Galaxy S5.

This is actually the second time they’re showing off Samsung’s version of Lollipop, although this one is much more recent build. Although it’s still an early version of the software Samsung will eventually roll out to their Galaxy line, it clues us in on exactly what the OEM has in mind for their version of Google’s Material Design UI and really, it’s not half bad.

The current version of the TouchWiz running on the Galaxy S5 we found was actually much easier on the eyes and in some respects, not too far — at least in color scheme — to what Google introduced in Lollipop. The newly leaked version of Lollipopped TouchWiz shows a similar TouchWiz interface, only with small design tweaks to the Settings, Calculator, Dialer and more. Here’s what SamMobile noticed was changed from the previous leaked Lollipop build:

• New Note 4 fingerprint lock screen


• New system-wide font — similar to the original one, but a tad thinner.


• New animations, much smoother than before — there’s a screen off animation present as well.


• Google Search bar in recents menu


• Brightness slider in notification center has a new yellow color — while changing the brightness, the notification centre disappears and allows the user to view the content beneath it.


• Removed “Interruptions” from Sound settings


• Gallery: Media can be sorted using new filters including Pets, Events, Scenery, Documents, Food, Vehicles and Flowers.


• Music: Improved UI


• Clock: Navigation bar icons are now accompanied by text


• Calculator: Removed square grids which surrounded the numbers and symbols


• Contacts: New search box


• Stock Material Design inspired applications receive colored status bar


• Android Lollipop theme’s core green elements replaced with Samsung’s blue color


• Settings: Improved UI, new icon color


• New UI for setting wallpaper from home screen


• Better spacing between options in power off dialog

For more image comparisons, make sure to check out the post on SamMobile but in the meantime, check out their hands-on video below.

from Phandroid http://ift.tt/1wPCl52

What We Use 2014: The Stuff Cody Can’t Live Without

When it came time to think about writing a “What We Use” post last year, I was still somewhat new to the AP team and I had just learned that I was about to be the new Teardown guy, so I took a pass on attempting to compile my entire toolset in a single article. I can’t say that I’m any more prepared to do one this year, but I couldn’t resist joining in on the fun.

What We Use 2014: The Stuff Cody Can’t Live Without was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

from Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets http://ift.tt/13pwfyx