OnePlus releases custom Lollipop-based ROM alpha to close out 2014

OnePlus announced yesterday that they were releasing an alpha build of a custom ROM that has been in development. The ROM will eventually be customizable, but starts out with a bloat-free, stock-Android experience for users. Although OnePlus has not added any extras yet in this version, the ROM is built on AOSP Lollipop, so users can get the latest sweet goodies included in Google’s most recent version of the Android operating system.

According to OnePlus, you do need to have TWRP recovery installed on your device in order to flash their ROM onto your device. They also indicate the ROM experience is best if you have Google Mobile Services installed. Making sure you have the GApps package installed after loading the ROM will give users access to all the normal Google services. OnePlus also notes that their build does not include a built-in recovery.

There are a few known issues with this build. OnePlus indicates the camera and video may be unstable, although it does support 4k video. Quality may be a bit off though as they are still fine-tuning the camera. OnePlus says the capacitive keys do not turn off when you enable software keys, the clock crashes on occasion, the new app pinning feature is a bit buggy, and the initial boot is a little bit slower than they would like.

If you want to give the ROM a try, hit the source link to grab the file and the detailed instructions on how to flash it onto your device.

source: OnePlus

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With New Years Eve Upon Us, Here’s How You Can Potentially Avoid Uber Surge Pricing

New Year’s Eve is always a big celebration especially in bigger, busier, bustling cities with tons to do and loads of places to go out and have a good time while ringing in the new year. Thanks to upstarts and services like Uber and Lyft, there will be plenty of people that are able to go out and celebrate without having to set foot behind the wheel this holiday, which ultimately, is a good thing so everyone stays safer. The only downside for Uber users, is that at times like these(and by that we mean busy holidays where people are sure to be using Uber quite a bit more)Uber introduces surge pricing to account for the high demand and low supply of drivers in contrast to the number of customers who need a lift to their destination.

While Business Insider points out a great app that can do the work for you in helping you avoid surge pricing, called Surge Protector, the app is unfortunately only for iOS. It does however work off of a simple principle that you can initiate all on your own without an app. Surge Protector works by finding the nearest Uber location to you without surge pricing, which in bigger cities can be as little as a few blocks away. You can simply search for yourself by walking a few extra blocks before you attempt to look for an Uber ride, which we know makes a little extra work for you if you’re trying to save a few bucks, but it might be worth it to avoid the fees.

The idea here is that if you live in a downtown area or somewhere else where Uber rides are frequently being used, you can travel by foot to attempt to avoid these surge pricing fees, and any extra savings is always a good thing. There is no guarantee that walking a few blocks away from where you live will result in finding a lower Uber fare, but it’s worth a shot especially if you live in a large, populated city like Portland, Seattle or San Francisco. We might even recommend to check the pricing where you live and compare it to a few blocks away so you can see the difference, if any. You can also try using an application called Flywheel, which is basically like Uber, but for regular cabs as the company has partnered with local cab services to provide the same type of requested ride share, and with no surge pricing. There’s a chance you might find cheaper prices than what Uber offers, and best of all, they have an app on the Play Store. Lastly, you could always try your chances with Lyft, which is just as good for a ride share service as Uber and they also don’t introduce surge pricing. From the team at Android Headlines, we hope all our readers have a wonderful New Years Eve and a safe and happy holiday, and we’ll see you in the new year.

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Google Hangouts Rings In The New Year With A Dancing Emoji

One of the best things about tech companies is that they believe in having a little fun around the holidays, and there's no better time to take a beat to enjoy the festivities than New Year's Eve. Facebook just featured a themed selfie frame in its Messenger app, and Google is matching with a dancing emoji when you type the words "Happy new years" to somebody.

This easter egg has actually been around for a few days, but we thought today was the perfect day to highlight it.

Google Hangouts Rings In The New Year With A Dancing Emoji was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Meet Exo Level / Exoon, The Shady Company Squatting AndroidTV.com And Using It To Sell A Crappy Android Set Top Box

Ever been to AndroidTV.com? I doubt it! But you probably have been to android.com/tv, which is the official site for Google's new Android TV platform unveiled at Google I/O earlier this year. The former URL, though, isn't owned by Google at all - and that's apparently been cause for friction.

If you're the kind to pay attention to domain name disputes involving major companies (admittedly, boring stuff), you're probably aware that most corporations are very active in fighting what is known as "squatting" - wherein a domain registrant either holds a domain for "ransom" or attempts to use the domain's name to confuse or misdirect customers into believing their product or service is somehow related to another product, company, or service.

Meet Exo Level / Exoon, The Shady Company Squatting AndroidTV.com And Using It To Sell A Crappy Android Set Top Box was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Xperia Device Users Can Restore Lost DRM Functions That Get Taken Away Due To An Unlocked Bootloader

For some, the stock experience on smartphones is just not enough, and that’s why many people turn to rooting and modding their devices so they may get some extra functionality and personalization capabilities they didn’t otherwise have with stock. The only issue with this process on Sony’s Xperia devices, is that it reportedly results in a loss of the DRM keys that Sony has developed into the device when the device’s bootloader is unlocked, and since unlocking the bootloader is a process you need before you can root, losing the DRM keys is really not something you can avoid.

While this isn’t necessarily the worst thing, losing the DRM keys seems to cause some of Sony’s copyrighted device functions, like noise cancelling and the X-Reality software, to be removed. There have also been reports of the camera quality on devices like the Xperia Z3 dropping because of unlocked bootloaders. If you’re someone that has unlocked the bootloader on your Xperia device, there is a handy little tutorial to restore the functions that are lost as a result of the lost DRM keys, so you can have those functions like noise canceling and the X-Reality software back. It does not however, as pointed out by the members over at XDA where these steps were posted, restore the DRM keys themselves.

The process isn’t terribly difficult as it only involves flashing a file to your device through the custom recovery, with that said though you still want to make sure and read through everything on the original thread for this process. This ensures that you have the correct file and are flashing what you’re supposed to be flashing. Thankfully it’s less involved than actually rooting a device or throwing on a custom ROM which sometimes has multiple steps. If you have unlocked your bootloader and were looking for a way to get some of the Sony specific functions back that you lost, this should help you out. Keep in mind though that you’re doing this at your own risk and any damage to your device is your own doing, as when messing with flashing files to your device nothing is ever certain. With that being said, many users have already reported this process has worked for them in the forum thread.

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Moto X 2014 now available with 64 GB of memory

Everyone may be winding down their day as they get ready to ring in 2015, but that has not stopped Motorola from posting one last surprise for 2014 on their web site. They have added a new option to Moto Maker that let’s buyers interested in the Moto X (2014) select 64 GB of memory to stuff into their smartphone. In order to take advantage of this expanded memory option, buyers have to get the Pure Edition version, which is probably not a bad option either. Pumping up the memory to 64 GB does add $100 to the price of the device, so the cheapest you can get the device for is $599.99.

The Moto X 2014 made it to the TalkAndroid short list as one of the best smartphones of 2014 and it benefited from receiving the Android Lollipop update super fast. This additional memory option can only sweeten the deal for buyers who want a lot of onboard memory.

If you want to place an order, or at least price out a Moto X (2014), hit the source link below to visit the Motorola Moto Maker site.

source: Motorola

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Motorola Now Offers 64GB Storage Upgrade For 2nd Gen Moto X Pure Edition

The base mode of the 2014 Moto X is still only 16GB, but a 32GB upgrade has been available since launch. Not enough? Motorola has just announced that 64GB is an option when you order through Moto Maker, but only for the Pure Edition unlocked Moto X.

The 64GB storage upgrade will add $100 to the cost of the device, which works out to $599.99. It's still $25 extra for leather or wood backs.

Motorola Now Offers 64GB Storage Upgrade For 2nd Gen Moto X Pure Edition was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Amazon Is Back With Another Bunch Of Appstore Freebies For New Year's Eve: 33 Apps And Games, $110 Value

It seems like every holiday Amazon comes back with another handful of paid apps to give away for free. It's New Year's Eve in most of the world, so here's the latest batch: a series of 33 games and apps that you can get for free, gratis, and nothing. None of these are exactly a must-have, but hey, why not add them to your Amazon account - you can use them on just about any Android device with the external Appstore package.

Amazon Is Back With Another Bunch Of Appstore Freebies For New Year's Eve: 33 Apps And Games, $110 Value was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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