Google issues internal memo to employees over EU antitrust lawsuit

It’s old news that the European Union has been investigating Google over antitrust claims that their dominance in the search engine market has created somewhat of a monopoly for the company. The EU is reportedly planning on instituting a 6.4 billion dollar fine on Google, which is a massive penalty, even for a company even like Google.

Google has already prepared a response to that judgment and they’ve sent out an internal memo to companies ahead of the announcement, which has some pretty interesting info in it. The memo shows how well Google does against other companies when it comes to things like shopping searches and what customers use when searching for travel information in other countries. The graphs included don’t show Google as a massive company with a complete strangehold on the market, as they’re consistently beat out by the likes of Amazon and eBay in countries like Germany, France, and the UK.

As an added note, Google also points out that by offering so many features within its search engine, its able to save time and effort for its users. Why would you not want to be able to check commute time and the weather in your search app while you’re already there?

This ruling will be interesting, but it certainly won’t be the end of the situation for Google, If you want to read the full internal memo, hit the link below.

source: re/code

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The European Commission May Open A Formal Investigation On Android Tomorrow

Google’s issues with the EU have led to a case over antitrust violations around five years ago, but had been stalled multiple times without resolution. A few weeks ago it was reported that the European Union would be looking to re-open investigations over the initial antitrust violations, and earlier this afternoon a leaked internal memo from Google highlighted their response to the EU over the EU’s arguments. While the case is originally over antitrust violations regarding unfair competition in search rankings for the shopping and travel industries, Google also mentions in the memo that they believe the European Commission will also open up a formal investigation into Android tomorrow alongside their statement of objections.

Unlike the statement of objections reportedly being announced tomorrow, which is a case that is already being set in motion, Google states that a formal investigation into Android may not end up leading to a case like with the claims of antitrust violations over search. Nevertheless, Google has prepared for this scenario in the event that the European Commission takes action against them over Android as well. If the EC does decide to follow through with a case on the Android operating system, it will likely be with the argument that Google uses their position to dominate the adoption of their own apps, like search, on devices as opposed to those from other companies, although nothing has been formally stated about what the EC’s arguments could be at this time as no investigation has been opened.

Google states that they have a strong case with Android, highlighting that they have “paid out over $7 billion in revenue in the past year to developers and content publishers.” They also mention that Android has increased choice for consumers while also lowering cost of devices. Google’s arguments for Android will draw attention to the fact that they believe customers have more choice when it comes to devices and applications than they ever have, and that they are exercising that right to choice, while pointing out that many other companies also have successful mobile businesses, citing Apple as an example.

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Huawei Ascend P8 promotional material leaks out ahead of tomorrow’s event

Leaked Internal Google Memo Details Their Response To The EU Antitrust Arguments

Just a couple of weeks back, on April 1st, it was reported that the European Union was taking the necessary measures to bring charges against Google over antitrust violations in the regions. The charges are stemming from a five year old case with the EU which has been stalled numerous times, likely due to the previous attempts to come to a settlement. It was also reported at the time, that the case could end up happening in a few weeks, and it appears that it may actually be happening as early as next week if those speculations proved to be true.

New details concerning the potential case seem to have come to light thanks to a leaked internal memo from Google which is being looked at as a response to the charges that the EU is reportedly trying to move forward with investigating. As the memo highlights, the European Commission will actually be issuing a statement of objections tomorrow, which is essentially the initial arguments from the commission staff. The purpose of the SO is to give Google a chance to respond to the arguments being made against them and more or less prove their case. The nature of their being an SO is good news for Google, even if the fact that the case being brought against them is not. As such Google will now have time to gather their own arguments and file them to the European Commission.

There is no telling how long the case may take, but Google details in the memo that the process of an SO can sometimes take as much as a year or two, and that even after that length of time (or any length of time after Google issues their own response) the commission can still opt to settle their case or change their original claims. While Google has noted they find the news about the case disappointing, they also appear to be very confident that they have a strong case, stating as such, and then they point to a couple of particulars, specifically having better services for users and the fact that their search rankings create increased competition. Google also bolsters their arguments with a series of graphs and charts to demonstrate and display alongside their oral arguments, which you can find below.

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LeTV announces three new Superphones with USB-C ports in tow, coming soon to the U.S.

AR And VR Mobile Games Could Be The Next Big Boom For Developers

If you’re planning on developing apps or games for Android, it’s important to take into consideration the many different factors which could help to make your app or game successful in the future. Marketing your Android app, advertising, plotting out the design, responding to user reviews, those are all important pieces of a potentially more successful approach to development, but one thing you may want to also consider is where the app and game trends are going. Looking at trends and trying to think about developing something meant for those trends to capture the most amount of users could mean more downloads for your app or game, which could mean even more recognition and more income from your hard work.

One of these growing trends is game development within the augmented reality and virtual reality space. VR is just starting to come onto the scene and has plenty of room to grow, and even though Augmented Reality technology is nothing new, engrossing gaming experiences that utilize augmented reality in a meaningful way to the user are fewer and far between, leaving much room for growth in this area as well. As a developer, if you’re planning on making a game for mobile device, thinking about developing something that uses either augmented reality and/or virtual reality could be a smart move, as Jupiter Research suggests that downloads for AR mobile games could reach a total of 420 million downloads a year by the time we reach 2019. That’s only a few years away, and that’s compared to the current total of downloads for AR mobile games from last year, which doesn’t extend past 30 million annually. In just four short years, games that incorporate augmented reality are potentially posed for explosive growth, which is why planning for and beginning development of such a game type would be a smart move for developers who have the knowledge, skill, and interest/passion in pursuing development of an Android game in this area.

If you take a look at Samsung’s Gear VR, there is only a handful of VR content available in the gaming space, but the library of games for the unit are growing, and getting in on the ground floor early wouldn’t be a bad idea. If you look at AR-based games, there is really only one that has a following on a massive scale, which is Ingress. This leaves the door wide open for many developers to deliver something completely different. AR-based RPG games, AR-based FPS games, the possibilities could be endless at this point as there isn’t a whole lot out there leaving a lasting impression on millions upon millions of users. That is starting to change though as the technology becomes more advanced and more interesting to consumers.

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Exclusive: Source Confirms Rumored LG Stylus Device To Be Mid-Range And Codenamed “LG Leopard”

There has been a lot of speculation about what LG has in the works in the coming weeks in terms of smartphones. While a number of those questions regarding the LG G4 seemed to have been answered a couple of days ago when a massive leak occurred, detailing pretty much everything about the LG G4. However, that is not the only LG device which has been under speculation in recent times.

Another device which is being highly rumored is a phablet-based device. This is one which comes with a stylus and has been suggested it might be the LG G4 Note. However, other leaked images showed a device which was powered by a Snapdragon 610 processor, which is usually more aligned with mid-range devices than what would be expected on a high-end LG G4 variant. In addition, a recent image which surfaced at the end of March further seemed to suggest that the device might be more mid-range. At least, when you consider that the stylus was considered to be more like an antenna than a flagship stylus.

Well, we have been tipped off by a reliable source who claims to have has seen the device shown a few weeks ago in that leaked image. To prove the claim, the source also provided us with the image above and also confirmed to us that the previous leaked image is definitely a mid-range device. Although, the source could not confirm the details or specs of the device, they did confirm that the device is going by the model number “LG H631″. Which is a model number which has previously been rumored to be for an LG phablet device with a stylus. Likewise, they did confirm that the device is 5.8 inches in size and does come with the stylus noted in the previous leaked image. In answering the antenna question, the source stated that the stylus does come with a rubber tip which is missing from the leaked image. Although, the source did also state that the tip is not a fine-point tip like that seen on the Galaxy Note devices. Interestingly, the source also stated that the device is currently going by the codename “LG Leopard”. Whether or not this will be the actual name of the device remains to be seen and is probably unlikely. However, if our source is correct, this device is not an LG G4 variant, and will instead be mid-range positioned and likely priced around the $300 marker.

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Google Rumored To Be Looking At Partnering With Retailers For New Targeted Ads Methods

Whether or not you care for targeted ads, they’re seemingly the wave of the future with digital advertising and Google is still at the forefront. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal Google may be preparing to add some new tactics to the way it handles and serves up targeted ads to users. According to the unnamed sources, Google will be partnering up with retailers for showing targeted ads to users based on users email addresses, suggesting that Google would acquire email address information from online retailers where users have purchased items before and then display those ads in Google Search results.

If this is in fact a new way Google will serve up targeted ads, it might not be such a bad idea for those who already shop online. Targeted ads are there for a reason. To be specialized and attempt to show people ads based on things they may have interest in as opposed to ads for random products or services, so what better way to serve up targeted ads than for products people are already shopping for. There have been rumors already circulating that Google would have a new form of ads ready to hit the web sometime later on in 2015, and these new targeted ads by way of retailers could be the system that was being talked about previously.

According to the sources, the way Google’s new ads would work is that targeted ads for any particular product that has been purchased by an individual before, would be displayed on Google’s search page when those users search for those products. So if you had previously bought coffee filters online, then search for coffee filters again two months later, Google could then show your targeted ads for coffee filters from the company you purchased from before. In theory this is how things would presumably work, although nothing has been officially stated as to the actual process since nothing about the new ads methods has been made public. If Google puts these new targeted ads methods in place, banner ads would be left out of the equation for the time being and things would be limited to targeted ads in search results like in the scenario we explained above. That doesn’t mean however that Google couldn’t decide to employ the use of targeted banner ads in the future.

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2013 Nexus 7 LTE Models Begin Receiving The Software Update To Android 5.1 Lollipop

Android 5.1 Lollipop has been announced and out for more than a month, and it’s taken a little longer than some might have expected to reach some Nexus device models. For those that have been waiting to get the latest version of Android Lollipop on their LTE Nexus 7, which is the 2013 model with codename “Razorg,” that wait appears to almost over as it seems the update is beginning to roll out to device owners. Keep in mind however, that over-the-air updates can sometimes take days before they reach everyone, so you may not end up with the updated software until sometime this weekend or even sometime in the beginning of next week.

If you like to take matters into your own hands, the OTA software has already been pulled down and provided for users to flash manually, (you can download it from the link just above) but be aware that in proceeding with this process the software is not being put onto your device officially and so you’re flashing the software at your own risk, similar to like what users had the opportunity to do with yesterday’s drop of Cyanogen OS 12 for the OnePlus One. As of now, the only options for getting Android 5.1 onto your 2013 LTE Nexus 7 tablet, is to wait for the OTA to reach your device, or flash the OTA zip file manually as the factory images are not yet available. Having said this, flashing the OTA manually is probably easier than flashing the factory image anyway.

This brings the tablet forward to build number LRX22G up from build number LMY470. What’s odd is that the LTE version of the Nexus 7 has gotten the update prior to the WiFi model, which is usually the other way around. In any case, the update to Android 5.1 should come along with some nice little bug fixes and improvements, and it weighs in at a healthy but not overwhelmingly large 202MB in file size, which means you don’t have to worry about freeing up as much extra space as you might have for the original Android 5.0 update. As always we recommend to keep a mostly charged battery before starting the download and update installation process, as it can sometimes take more than a few minutes to complete and you wouldn’t want your tablet powering down in the middle of it.

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The New USB Type C Connector: A Practical Guide To The Next Generation Of Data And Power Ports

While there has yet to be a major smartphone announced with a USB Type C connector, we know they're coming. As are tablets, laptops, and pretty much every other kind of USB gadget you can imagine. This is our quick guide to USB Type C (and USB 3.1, which are actually not the same thing), which will go over the benefits of the new standard, as well as discuss the kind of cables you'll probably want to buy in the next couple of years as it is adopted.

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Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is now compatible with Android smartphones

Kik Messenger updated with in-app browser and Material Design

Kik Messenger users, who now total more than two hundred million, can head to the Play Store and update their beloved messaging application. The latest version of the app removes the sidebar and replaces it with an in-app browser. Everything is now funneled into Kik Messenger rather than having to redirect users elsewhere. Kik Messenger also has a new look for users with Android 5.0 Lollipop devices. Within conversation, too, there are changes. Users have twenty-two chat bubble colors to choose from.

Hit the break for the changelog, gallery, and download links.

What’s New

8.2.0
- So long sidebar! Access your favorite webpages through the web button

– We’ve heard you loud and clear. Now you can choose from 22 different chat bubble colors

Play Store Download Link

Source: Kik

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OnePlus adding two handsets this year

The OnePlus One has remained the company’s sole handset on the market for nearly an entire year. Technology in the mobile industry has advanced and it is time for OnePlus to revitalize its offering. Bloomberg, after spending time at OnePlus’ Shenzhen headquarters, has learned that the company will introduce two handset to the market this year. The first handset is expected to arrive in the third quarter of 2015 while the other, which will be cheaper, is set for the end of the year.

Source: Bloomberg

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T-Mobile’s release of Lollipop for the LG G2 starts today

Starting today, T-Mobile customers with the LG G2 will begin to receive a software update. It unsurprisingly is for Lollipop. The carrier says that the update will take place between April 14 and May 22, but we assume everyone will be updated fairly quick. The changelog issued by T-Mobile only states that Android 5.0 Lollipop is among the new features.

Let us know in the comments when you receive the over-the-air (OTA) update.

Source: T-Mobile

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Deal: Only $30 for This 18,000mAh Battery Pack

Another day, another deal on a battery pack. For just $30, you can grab yourself a Power Vault 18000mAh portable battery beast with dual-USB ports for charging two devices at once. This device would normally retail for around $100, so you are looking at a 70% discount. It might not have Quick Charge 2.0 like the Aukey we recently reviewed, but it’ll certainly charge all of your devices.

The TOCCs Power Vault 18000mAh battery pack comes in blue, should give you up to 5 full charges, depending on your phone’s battery size, and has a sleek, aluminum case.

Here are the specs:

• 18,000mAh battery (approximate power)


• Input: 5V 1.5A


• Output: 5V 1A and 5V 2.1A USB ports


• Dimensions: 6″ × 3″x .4″


• Weight: .58 lbs

The deal is live for another 6 days.

Deal Link

Deal: Only $30 for This 18,000mAh Battery Pack is a post from: Droid Life

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Microsoft slashes patent licensing fees for OEMs that pre-install its apps and services

Despite having its own mobile operating system to foster, Microsoft cares very much about other platforms. The company invests heavily in supporting users of Android and iOS devices in addition to Windows. Late last month, Microosft had signed deals with eleven hardware manufacturers to pre-install select apps and services. The deals put Office, OneDrive, and Skype onto a multitude of Android devices that are available now and on the way. For example, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge feature the aforementioned Microsoft software products.

Hit the break to learn why companies are inking deals with Microsoft.

So what is it that these companies get in return for having Microsoft apps and services pre-installed? Discounted patent licensing fees. Companies such as Samsung and Dell have access to Microsoft’s patent portfolio at a discounted price. It costs them less to implement the patents into their products and all that is required is bundling a few items. The decision to slash patent licensing fees has reportedly helped Microsoft as hardware manufacturers are always seeking to expand gross margins.

Source: Digitimes

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Rumor: Jawbone and American Express Releasing Wearable Payments Service

The hype regarding mobile and wearable payments is continuing to intensify. Jawbone, a popular maker of fitness bands and accessories, is rumored to be announcing a partnership with American Express later this week. Unnamed sources have suggested a future wearable product from Jawbone will allow users to make payments via American Express at retailers who support NFC-based payment options at check-out terminals.

This rumor comes on the heels of Apple’s announcement that the Apple Watch will support the NFC-based mobile payment service Apple Pay that was introduced last fall with the release of the iPhone 6. Android users have had the ability to use Google Wallet to make mobile payments with their NFC-equipped smartphones since the app was released on September 19, 2011. However, although users are able to store debit, credit cards, loyalty cards, and gift cards in Google Wallet the mobile payment service has not generated a significant amount of hype and consumer awareness.

The release of Apple Pay last fall, whether you care to admit it or not, pushed mobile payments into the limelight in ways not seen before. Since the release of Apple Pay, there has been a major push amongst major players in the smartphone and wearables industry to solidify their mobile payment platform, as the de facto standard for mobile payments. On February 23, 2015 Google announced its acquisition of its main Android competitor Softcard, which was backed by AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. The carrier backed Softcard greatly hampered the adoption of Google Wallet as carriers refused to support Google’s platform in favor of Softcard.

Another noteworthy shift in the mobile payments space, was Samsung’s acquisition of LoopPay in February, 2015. Unlike its NFC-based competitors, Google Wallet and Apple Pay, LoopPay developed a unique technology called Magnetic Secure Transmission that gives it the ability to turn any traditional swipe or chip based terminal into a contactless reader. Technically, LoopPay will work at any payment terminal, NFC-equipped or otherwise. Samsung officially announced its own mobile payments service, Samsung Pay, which utilizes the LoopPay technology at the unveiling of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge in March at Mobile World Congress. Although it has not been officially rolled out yet, Samsung Pay should have a significant impact on the mobile payments space given the unique technology it utilizes and the improved fingerprint scanner found on the Galaxy S6.

How Jawbone’s potential solution will fare given the intense competition in the mobile payments space is unknown. Whether it will also seek partnerships with Visa and Master Card is also a noteworthy question as partnerships with financial institutions and vendors has a significant impact on the usefulness of any mobile payments solution. Hopefully, Jawbone will answer these questions when it makes an official announcement later this week. With competition between major companies in mobile at a feverish pitch, 2015 should be an incredibly tumultuous and interesting year for mobile payments.

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Duracell Launches $54 Powermat Ring To Give Older Devices Wireless Charging

Not all devices were graced with the power of wireless charging technology, allowing users to juice up their smartphones and tablets without having to physically plug them in. This is where manufacturers of smartphone and tablet accessories have come in, developing products that can transform your devices, (sort of) into ones that support wireless charging in either the WPC or PMA standards. Normally we’d find things like the more traditional powermats to enable this feature, or cases with built in wireless charging tech, as we’ve seen from some of the battery doors and cases from companies like Samsung and Sony as well as others.

Companies like Duracell who are in the business of energy, more specifically in the business of batteries, have a range of their own offerings in this particular area. A new wireless charging accessory from the company aims to give wireless charging capabilities based on the PMA standard to devices that don’t natively support it, and it’s called the powermat ring. The device itself which actually contains the wireless charging tech is a tiny dongle unit that plugs into the microUSB port on your device, which users can then place on top of a wireless charging block to send the power through to the battery inside of the smartphone or tablet.

This is essentially a new version of the Duracell powermat, as they have made other powermat products in the past. Older products though have been less compatible with devices as they usually required a battery door which contains the wireless charging tech, where as this plugs into the charging port on the device, widening the range of devices it can work with. It’s comprised of the two parts listed above, which are the microUSB ring and the charging mat itself, plus a third piece, which is basically just a flat solid piece of plastic to keep your device level during the charging process, presumably because without it, the ring wouldn’t be connecting to the mat in such a way for the wireless charging to work properly. You can of course simply plug the ring into your phone and place the device on another wireless charging pad, and this would actually work quite well with Ikea’s new wireless charging enabled furniture that is due to launch this month, so long as everything works on the PMA standard. You can grab Duracell’s new device for about $54 on their website.

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WhatsApp Gets Long-awaited Material Design Overhaul

In numerical terms, an app update to something like version 2.12.38 typically involves a few bug fixes and some stability improvements. For venerated communications app WhatsApp, however, it represents a first and long-overdue foray into Material Design. The app isn’t available in the Play Store yet, so hit the break to download it directly from the powers that be.

The shift in aesthetics is drastic. Gone are the interface and color palette that screamed Ice Cream Sandwich, replaced with a Material Design-friendly green title bar with simple side sliding between calls, chats, and contacts.

In the chat window, users now have clear and easy access to Gallery, Photo, Video, Audio, Location, and Contact attachments. There’s also one-touch access to recording voice message, a mainstay of the WhatsApp experience.

Media browsing is also much cleaner now, with a bold and simple interface that, at least for me, reminds me most of QuickPic’s gallery, but there’s a flair of Google+’s photo gallery in there, as well.

Speaking of galleries, check out ours below and let us know how the upgrade goes for you.

Source: The Next Web
Download: WhatsApp

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Eye-tracking could be included when Google Glass is reintroduced

Discovered in the files of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an item from Google that reveals the company is exploring eye-tracking. Why would they be working with such technology? For when Glass is reintroduced to the world. It would eliminate some of the actions that require voice commands or touch by simply replying upon eye movement.

The optical paths noted by the filing include display, ambient, and eye tracking. The display optical path is the standard display that Glass users already saw. The ambient optical path monitors light sources. The eye-tracking optical path, however, is completely new and can be spotted on item 124 in the image above. It captures images of the eye to see where it is focused.

Source: USPTO

Via: 9to5Google

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OnePlus will be launching not one, but two phones this year

OnePlus One, the manufacturer that people love to hate, is set to have a big year. We’ve heard plenty of rumors about the upcoming OnePlus Two, but two could have a new meaning in 2015. Bloomberg paid a visit to OnePlus HQ and got some juicy details about their plans.

The report states that OnePlus will launch two phones in 2015. The OnePlus Two is set to launch in the third quarter, while a another cheaper model will follow later this year. What started as a company with just 6 employees has now ballooned to over 1,000 employees. Hopefully the extra employees will ensure a smoother rollout for this year. OnePlus can not have a repeat of what happened with the OnePlus One.

Would you buy another device from OnePlus?

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Chrome OS to get support for Camera RAW files

The latest promotional video for Chromebooks was all about being ‘for everyone, everywhere’. It has long been said that Chrome OS is far to limited to replace a device with Windows or OS X; however, the operating system has really made strides to become more productive. An update to the Chrome OS Dev Channel introduces support for Camera RAW files. This means that photographers and other editors can play around with images the way in which they were taken.

Now Chrome OS just needs a serious photo editor. Any suggestions that are already available in the Chrome Web Store? Let us know in the comments.

Source: François Beaufort (Google+)

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Rumor Suggests Samsung Has No Plans For Flexible Display Tablets In 2015

Samsung is no stranger to the development and manufacturing of devices with curved display technology, as they’ve released more than a few devices with curved displays to some degree, like the Note Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge, and Galaxy Round devices all which have flexed displays that curve along with the contour of a certain part of the phone’s body. Then there’s Samsung’s wearables, the Gear S and the Gear Fit, both with have curved displays as well. We have yet to see any devices from Samsung though that actually have a flexible display like the LG G Flex series, and this includes tablets. It’s possible that we won’t see anything from them in the way of tablets with flexible displays this year, according to a new rumor from Digitimes that Samsung has no plans for such devices in 2015.

More specifically, it states that Samsung will have no plans for releasing flexible display tablets in 2015 with 7-inch displays or larger, so it’s possible that Samsung could be planning on research and development for flexible display tablets of that size this year, with a planned release for sometime next year or further in the future. So far all Samsung has produced in the way of tablets with flexible or curved displays are designs shown off in patents, but there has been no evidence that Samsung actually has anything in the works or anything that is close to a release. Also according the report, Samsung will focus their efforts on developing and releasing flexible display devices smaller than 7-inches this year, and an older rumor pegged Samsung for having a flexible display device out by the end of 2015.

What Samsung has in the works and whether or not it will be similar to LG’s flexible display offerings remains unclear at the moment, but with Samsung holding patents for flexible display tablets and tablets with a foldable design, they’re bound to have something in mind for the public. Since the rumor suggests that Samsung will be holding off on 7-inch or larger tablets with flexible displays, perhaps it can’t be ruled out that they may have something in the 6-inch device size range with flexible display technology equipped.

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Google’s Designed for Families program spotlights family-friendly apps and games

There are so many audiences being catered to with Android, but Google will be applying a new focus on children. Through its Android Developers site, the company announced Design for Families. Parents will be able to opt-in to the program and have the Play Store spotlight family-friendly apps and games. Families and children then have access to content that is specifically made for them. Google has eligibility requirements set to ensure the program’s integrity.

This is how Google explained the program’s existence:

Google Play is committed to the success of this emerging developer community, so today we’re introducing a new program called Designed for Families, which allows developers to designate their apps and games as family-friendly. Participating apps will be eligible for upcoming family-focused experiences on Google Play that will help parents discover great, age-appropriate content and make more informed choices.

Source: Android Developers (1) (2)

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