Google said to be close to making Android Wear compatible with iOS

Odd balls out there who cling to iOS for their primary smartphone platform but aren’t particularly interested in the Apple Watch will appreciate this news. According to information received by The Verge, Google is quite close on finishing the technical implementation that will allow Android Wear to work with the iPhone.

We’d heard Google was working on adding support for iOS to Android Wear before, though scattered code references did little to make us believe it was of primary importance for them.

And although Google might have hurdled all the technical obstacles in their way, there’s still the issue of logistics. Will Apple even allow it? If functionality has to be managed through an iOS app, the only official way to get such an app would be through Apple’s App Store. Getting an app through the App Store requires Apple to approve it. Getting Apple to approve an app hinges on some strict terms, one of which prohibits apps which make mention of competing platforms.

“Android” Wear doesn’t stand a very good chance, now does it? Couple all of that with the fact that Apple has their own smart watch coming up soon and we’d have a hard time believing they’d allow such a thing. We’ll have to wait for Google’s word to see how, exactly, they plan to make this happen.

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

The ‘Moto Makers’ Group Is Motorola’s Way Of Rewarding Its Most Loyal Fans

Moto Maker is a portion of the Motorola website where consumers can go to customize the products they purchase, like the Moto X, and now the Moto 360 smartwatch. Motorola wants to give their customers and their fans some choice in how their products look and feel, and now they want to give those fans and customers a way to become rewarded for being loyal to the brand with a new program called Moto Makers. It sounds similar to what HTC has done with the HTC Advantage program, where those who are part of the group get special information about upcoming devices and other products, as well as privileged opportunities to actually test out devices.

As it turns out, that is more or less what Motorola is doing with Moto Makers, which they begun sending out invites for this morning. Moto Makers group members reportedly get access to an inside view of Motorola as a company, which could include “behind the scenes” Hangouts with product specialists and Motorola company executives. If rubbing digital shoulders with the Motorola big wigs sounds exciting, it gets better. Those part of the Moto Makers group also get chances to attend different events, both those which are Motorola events and events relating to the industry.

Much like HTC Advantage, it also affords group members with privileged information on Motorola related news and updates prior to anyone else, and what some would consider the creme de la creme, opportunities to test out , review, and enjoy new and upcoming products. The invites state that products could be in the hands of group members prior to their launch if possible, otherwise they’re presumably new products that would have just launched and were made available to consumers. Either way, Moto Maker group members get to test and review stuff for free which is a pretty cool perk. If you’re wondering how you get an invite to Moto Makers, there isn’t much to it other than being a huge fan of Motorola products. If you share your love for all things Motorola on social media for example, telling people why you love your brand new Moto X 2014 and the Moto 360 you pair with it every day, your chances are better at getting an invite than someone who never shares their excitement. Essentially, Motorola is looking for individuals who are as passionate about their offerings as they are, and rewarding them for it. If you were lucky enough to get an invitation to the Moto Makers group, the website for it all is already live and you can either register your account or sign in to get started.

The post The ‘Moto Makers’ Group Is Motorola’s Way Of Rewarding Its Most Loyal Fans appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

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

Google announces a live event for April 22nd; Focuses on Chrome and Chrome based products

Google has announced an event that will take place Wednesday, April 22nd. The event is going to have a focus on Chrome and other Chrome products such as the Chromebooks. Registration for the event is open and you can go ahead and do that if you wish to via the source link below.

“Chrome browser. Chromebooks. Chromeboxes. Chrome has evolved to offer secure, customizable, and easily manageable devices and apps for today’s business. Join us to learn how web-based solutions can help maximize your company’s productivity.”

source: Chrome Live

Come comment on this article: Google announces a live event for April 22nd; Focuses on Chrome and Chrome based products

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

from Android News, Rumours, and Updates http://ift.tt/1FGrEX7

Chainfire Releases Mobile ODIN Successor In The Form Of FlashFire, Although Only As Beta Preview

Installing a new ROM or OS can be a highlight of a rooted android user’s day, week or month. For instance, if you own a OnePlus One and had been waiting patiently for OxygenOS (or for that matter, still waiting on Cyanogen OS 12), then you will know how it feels to finally get the news that the download is available (or to be still waiting) and begin the flashing of the OS/ROM to your device. However the process of installing ROMs and can be a tedious one. For those well versed in flashing and installing, maybe this is not so much an issue. But for those new to this sort of thing (or for those flash for too often), the process can become time consuming.

This is where options like Mobile ODIN come in. Apps like this, offer users a quick route to flashing firmware onto their device. Simply download the firmware, open the app and hit the flash button. Well, the developer behind Mobile ODIN, Chainfire (who is also the developer behind SuperSU) has now released a new app in the form of FlashFire. In fact, those who already use Mobile ODIN will hit the ground running when it comes to FlashFire, as Chainfire notes this is Mobile ODIN’s “spiritual successor”. As such, you can expect a similar level of features and abilities all wrapped within a newer and more up-to-date app.

If you are thinking about giving the app a try, then here is what you need to know. The app is in a very early beta stage and as such is only available as a private beta preview. Therefore, you need to click here to join the Google+ community. Once there, you will be able to register as a beta tester and then eventually gain access to the app on Play Store. As per usual with this sort of download, there might be a slight delay between ‘becoming a tester’ and seeing the access on the Play Store become available. Similar to Mobile ODIN, there will be a Pro version of the app available and if you already own the Mobile ODIN Pro license, Chainfire states you will also gain access to the pro features of this app, without having to pay again. That is, as long as you are using the same email account. You can read more by clicking the source link below and heading over to the dedicated XDA thread. Either way, experienced or not, it is also worth remembering that a lot of damage can be done to devices, if apps like this are used incorrectly or without the required knowledge. So as always, be safe, be informed on what you are doing and back up.

The post Chainfire Releases Mobile ODIN Successor In The Form Of FlashFire, Although Only As Beta Preview appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

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

Featured: Top 10 Radio Apps For Android

Internet Radio

Internet Radio appears to be a simple radio app with various different stations for all kinds of music like rock, pop, dance, electro, and more. it’s also available 24/7 so you can listen to all day and all night without skipping a beat.

rad.io

rad.io has little more lively interface than the previous pick, and it seems to have better reviews from the users. It offers up free radio listening with 20,000 stations to choose from, and other nifty offerings like a sleep timer so that radio doesn’t keep playing all night and editorial recommendations in case you’re not quite sure what to listen to.

Radio FM!

Radio FM! seems to focus on an easy to use experience for its listeners, and offers up more than 10,000 different stations to pick from with the capability to work over multiple data connections including 3G, 4G, and WiFi. The UI seems to be a little outdated, but they do make searching for music simple by letting you search by categories or by searching with keywords.

Radio FM

Not to be confused with the Radio FM! up above, this Radio FM without the exclamation offers up radio lists sorted by countries so you can even find stuff that may not be broadcast in your region. The included sleep timer will help to ensure users can fall asleep to their favorite stations but not wake up to music still playing. It even shows you recently played stations.

SiriusXM

What’s not to like about SiriusXM? Especially if you’ve been a user of their service from inside your vehicle before things came to mobile. It’s got a great interface and allows for streaming of both local and regional, as well as online radio stations for plenty of content at your finger tips. You can even stream live channels and listen as they happen.

NPR One

This radio app is a little different than the rest, as it’s focused solely on feeding you the latest and greatest news radio content from around the world. You can subscribe to local content and get news radio from your city or state, but you can also listen to stuff from around other parts of the globe. Radio is also curated for you to make the listening experience more personal and customized to what you want to hear.

Slacker Radio

Most of you should be familiar with Slacker. It has hundreds and hundreds of stations created and specially curated by teams of people always looking for the best music experience for their listeners. Not only does it have stations for all different kinds of music, but it has stations for sports and news as well so you can get all your radio in one app.

Pandora Radio

Pandora is one of the more popular radio apps out there, and it’s strictly about streaming music that you love. Simply open the app and start creating stations based on the types of music, specific songs, the artist, or bands that you love and Pandora will intelligently create a personalized listening experience for you. You might even discover some new music that you love.

Tunein Radio

Tunein Radio has a great list of features, but it starts with being able to stream live radio from various stations like ESPN, NPR, BBS, CBS and more as well as talk shows, local radio stations from your area and more. It also has an attractive material design UI which is hard not to like. If you feel like you’re getting bored of listening to the available AM/FM radio, you can mix things up by subscribing to podcasts, or even check out the internet radio that’s available.

iHeartRadio

If you absolutely love listening to radio, then iHeartRadio is probably already an app installed on your device. If it isn’t, it probably should be. With it you have access to over 20 million songs from various genres and artists, tons of local stations to choose from, internet radio, and there’s even Android Auto support so you can take your iHeartRadio experience with you when you drive, considering you have a vehicle that also supports Android Auto of course.

The post Featured: Top 10 Radio Apps For Android appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

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

Google Stays Up To Date On Patent Information Using PatentIQ Analytics Software

Google is a large company that has plenty of technology and many innovations, and in turn they hold plenty of patents on those technologies, but they still fell behind other big name tech companies last year for the biggest earners of U.S. patents. According to Fortune though, Google did rise up the list to reach being the company with the 8th largest amount of U.S. patents being awarded to them last year, gaining around 38% more patents in 2014 than they had the previous year which totaled a number of 2,566 U.S patents in all. With such a large portfolio it must seem like a daunting task to keep up on all the information related to patents in Google’s portfolio, and that may be true, but Google’s legal team has more than a few tools at their disposal to get the job done and one of those is an analytics software called PatentIQ.

The software is a product of a company called Innoagraphy which was founded by a former IBM worldwide industry Solutions Manager, Tyron Stading. With PatentIQ, Google’s legal team is able to access a large directory of 100 million patents with 48 million of those patents being full-text in English, while also including 14 full-text translated jurisdictions with collections from Japan, Germany, South Korea, Russia, Great Britain, Australia, and India. The idea behind PatentIQ is to empower company leaders to make more informed business decisions on their innovations, and according to Google’s Jeremiah Chan who is a senior member of the global patent team, you can use PatentIQ to see real-time data for various companies.

PatentIQ’s IP dashboards are reportedly always up to date, feeding that data in a specialized format to users made specifically for them all through simple email access. Although this isn’t the only tool that Google’s legal team uses to manage and prioritize their patent portfolio, it’s said to be extremely robust and one of their most heavily used, as it can assist them in visualizing new patent trends and determine the order of importance of new incoming patents awards, as well as determine whether they should file for renewal on patents that are about to expire.

The post Google Stays Up To Date On Patent Information Using PatentIQ Analytics Software appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

from AndroidHeadlines.com | http://ift.tt/1GuKvY0

Snapseed version 2.0 update brings a revamped interface, new effects and much more

Lollipop arrives on Sprint for Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note Edge

If you’re a Sprint customer and own a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and/or Galaxy Note Edge, your wait for Lollipop is over! This update will bring you to Android 5.0 and not 5.1, though.

This update is arriving over-the-air (OTA) starting immediately. Be advised, Sprint has already stated that this update will be coming in stages over the next few days, so if you don’t have it right this second, keep checking for it!

The update is also bringing WiFi calling enhancements and Factory Reset Protection to the Note Edge only.

Source: Sprint Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Sprint Samsung Galaxy Note Edge

Come comment on this article: Lollipop arrives on Sprint for Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note Edge

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

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

Here are all of the new features you’ll find in CyanogenMod 12/12.1

Report: Android Wear may soon work with iPhone

HTC pushes out a much-needed update to improve the HTC One M9’s camera

One of the biggest knocks on the HTC One M9 despite its stylish good looks, powerful hardware and blissful software experience was its camera — it just wasn’t up to snuff despite being a 20 megapixel shooter. You can read our concerns regarding that in our HTC One M9 review.

But guess what? HTC’s been listening, and they’re just about ready to push the first software upgrade to fix that. The company has confirmed that a forthcoming upgrade that specifically addresses the camera is currently in testing and should be ready for folks to download and install within a matter of days:

• AT&T and T-Mobile: The update is in final testing, and is expected to roll out in a week’s time.


• Sprint: The update is ready to go and will roll out beginning tomorrow.


• Verizon: The upgrade will be pre-loaded on Verizon’s devices when they go on sale tomorrow.

We’re not yet sure how much of a difference this will make for the camera experience, but for it to get its own software upgrade we’re expecting big things. We’ve already gotten our hands on it and will look to test out the new improvements in the moments to come. Stay tuned for some before and after shots, and get ready for it to hit your phone in the days to come!

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

Best Android Phones of 2015

WSJ: Samsung is facing supply shortages for the Galaxy S6 Edge

In an exclusive interview with The Wall Street Journal earlier today, Samsung’s Head of Mobile, JK Shin, admitted that the curved variant of its flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S6 Edge, may be thwarted by supply shortages at launch.

Shin stated that “while the Galaxy S6 Edge has obtained an extremely large fan base, resulting in strong demand, the screens are too difficult to make.” He then added that the company is working “hard to resolve the difficulty in supply,” but the issue could last “a while”.

Sadly, that’s all the information we have for the time being. Shin declined to provide any shipment forecasts for the upcoming Galaxy S6 duo, but he did say that he’s expecting shipments to exceed its predecessor the Galaxy S5.

Hit the source below to view the full report.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Come comment on this article: WSJ: Samsung is facing supply shortages for the Galaxy S6 Edge

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

from Android News, Rumours, and Updates http://ift.tt/1Ng4AFw

Microsoft Announces Dropbox Integration With Office Online Today

Microsoft has made a huge push to make their software more open with other platforms and tools, making the whole user experience with things like Office apps more efficient and pleasing. It started with offering up Microsoft Office for Android so users could take their Office files from Word, Excel, and Powerpoint on the go, and then last year Microsoft announced they were opening up Dropbox integration to the Android apps so that users could easily and seamlessly back up and store their files in the cloud even if you didn’t use Microsoft’s own OneDrive cloud storage service. Not everyone uses Office through the mobile apps though. Some people have stuck with using Office Online, making the process of backing up your files to Dropbox a little less convenient, although not impossible.

Today Microsoft is unleashing the same Dropbox integration that Office for Android users have had since last year on the users of Office Online, which means if you use Office Online from your Chromebook and also have Dropbox as one of your go-to cloud storage services, backing up and storing your files just got easier. As of today you should be able to add your Dropbox account into Office Online allowing you to browse, open, and edit your Office files.

It doesn’t stop there though, users can get the same access of their Office files from within the Dropbox web interface too, meaning you can open a file within the Dropbox webpage and access Office Online right from the Dropbox file without having to navigate out of Dropbox. It’s great to see Microsoft making things available from both ends, so no matter what tool you’re working with at the time you can access the other without having to back out of what you’re already doing. If you want to give things a try, pop into Office Online and create a new document, then have it automatically backed up to Dropbox as long as the account is already integrated. Or, if you already have an Office document saved in Dropbox, open it up in the Dropbox web portal and then click top open up Office and work with the file their to get yourself acquainted with the process, which shouldn’t take much time.

The post Microsoft Announces Dropbox Integration With Office Online Today appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

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

Huawei Officially Announce The $180 Huawei SnapTo LTE Smartphone

Usually, leaked devices come in the way of random images or renders which appear online. However, in terms of the latest budget offering by Huawei, the leak came via Amazon who suddenly a couple of days ago started advertising a new Huawei device which was listed as the Huawei SnapTo. Well, following on from that quiet listing on Amazon, Huawei have today gone and officially announced the device.

If you missed the previous report, then the Huawei SnapTo is a budget smartphone and comes in at a very reeoansbly $179.99 for the unlocked model. For that kind of money, you might be wondering what you get. Well, in terms of the specs, the Huawei SnapTo comes equipped with a 5-inch TFT HD display with a 1280 x 720 resolution. Inside, the Huawei SnapTo comes with 1GB RAM and powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor (clocking at 1.2 GHz). In terms of cameras, the SnapTo offers a 5-megapixel rear shooter (with LED Flash) coupled with a 2-megapixel front facing option. Additionally, the SnapTo is loaded with 8GB internal memory as standard and does come with a microSD card slot for expandable memory. The device is powered by a modest 2,200mAh battery and comes running on Android 4.4 (KitKat) with Huawei’s Emotion UI (version 2.3) on top. Of course, not forgetting that this is an LTE enabled smartphone with band compatibility in the U.S. including AT&T and T-Mobile

If you are thinking that this might not be a bad option to go for, then the device is available in both a black and white color variant. It was presumed due to the Amazon listing that the device would be made available starting from today, however, Huawei’s announcement (source link below) states that the Huawei SnapT0 will be available starting April 17th for the Black version. The White option will see a slight delay and is noted as being available from May 15th. The press release also states that the Huawei SnapTo will be available via other retailers including Best Buy from next week. Either way though, both versions of the device are currently available to pre-order now via amazon for those who are interested.

Huawei SnapTo Black

Huawei SnapTo White

The post Huawei Officially Announce The $180 Huawei SnapTo LTE Smartphone appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

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

Dunkin Donuts And Seamless Both Expand Payment Support To Google Wallet

Google Wallet is proving itself ever more useful these days, expanding its horizons with more businesses that are willing to take your hard earned cash in exchange for their products and services through a series of different mobile apps and websites. While Google Wallet won’t be truly the most useful tool in your app library at the moment as it still lacks plenty of compatibility at the retail cash wrap of many retailers, it is at least lending itself to more businesses for payment through online and mobile, which means you’ll be less and less likely to have to open up your actual wallet and spend some real physical cash or pulling out your credit card.

Today, as part of an expansion of Google Commerce, Google is announcing new businesses that are participating in supporting Google Wallet as a payment standard. Those making their debut starting this week are Dunkin Donuts, and Seamless. Sadly those are the only two new businesses right now but definitely expect more to hop on the train at some point. Most of you are probably familiar with Dunkin Donuts, and even if you’re not the name says it all when it comes to asking yourself what it is they’re in the business of selling. As for Seamless, the name isn’t really self explanatory. Seamless is much like what you’d get with GrubHub or EAT 24, as it’s a food delivery and takeout service that you can use from your Android smartphone or tablet.

It lets you look up restaurants in your local area that support the platform, give their menus a once over, and place the order, pay for the food, and have it delivered or schedule a time to pick it up. Pretty awesome right? It’s now even more awesome that they accept Google Wallet as payment, making the whole process easier. Both Seamless and Dunkin Donuts are joining other businesses like Dominos Pizza, Papa Johns, EAT 24, Panda Express, and Jason’s Deli and even Lyft just to name a few more. If you use Google Wallet and/or either of these two new services or any of the others that support the Google Wallet platform, paying for stuff just became a little simpler and you should see the changes take effect either today or throughout the week.

The post Dunkin Donuts And Seamless Both Expand Payment Support To Google Wallet appeared first on AndroidHeadlines.com |.

from AndroidHeadlines.com | http://ift.tt/1GPU9Dc

Inateck USB 3.0 Hub quick review

Transferring data from a storage device to a phone or tablet can be a little tedious. Think about what goes into transferring data to a mobile device when using a wired connection: dock the storage device, connect both devices with a wire, install drivers, locate the appropriate folder. Not too easy. The Inateck USB 3.0 Hub, when used in conjunction with a mobile device, wants to make the process of transferring data as short as possible. It reduces the processor to a intermediary-like accessory between the storage device and mobile device.

The design of the Inateck USB 3.0 Hub is compact despite all of its ports and connectors. The accessory has a total of seven ports and connectors to work with; therefore, just about any type of data transfer imaginable is supported here. Inateck included three USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader (with microSD adapter), and a USB 3.0 connector with an on-the-go (OTG) enhancement plug. Connecting to and from the Inateck USB 3.0 Hub is easy, too, because everything is spaced out and not placed tightly.

Place the OTG enhancement plug over the USB 3.0 connector and it is ready to work with an Android device. Take any storage device and connect it to a USB port or the SD card reader. The Android device should then recognize the connection. Select companies bundle file managers with their devices and the Play Store has a number of them. Head into the file manager and locate the storage device. Navigate through some folders and you can seamlessly move files such as pictures, documents, videos, and more between devices.

One use for the accessory that Inateck should mention is powering multiple mobile devices simultaneously. I was able to charge the HTC One (M8), Nexus 9, and LG G Watch all from one outlet that was connected to the Inateck USB 3.0 Hub. That saved two other outlets to now be used for other items. Charging the three devices simultaneously was only slightly slower than it would be if all three were on separate outlets.

Although this review focused on transferring data to and from a mobile device, the Inateck USB 3.0 Hub works just as well with a computer. Why? Because it has three USB 3.0 ports and an SD card reader. Most desktops and large laptops have these features, but ultra-thin machines are leaving them behind. The amount of USB 3.0 ports is now left to about one per device; therefore, the Inateck USB 3.0 Hub can expand that to three. Throw in the SD card reader to transfer photographs and this little accessory proves its value. The Inatek USB 3.0 Hub is available through Amazon for $40, but an ongoing sale has that price down to $20.

[Inateck 3 Ports USB 3.0 Hub with OTG and SD Card Reader – Amazon]

Come comment on this article: Inateck USB 3.0 Hub quick review

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

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