APK BRO™ - Download APK Android Apps: 04/22/15

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

LG Watch Urbane Finally Goes on Sale This Week in Korea, North America in “Weeks to Come”

LG announced this evening that its “premium” and “elegantly” designed Watch Urbane will finally go on sale this week in South Korea followed by markets in North America, Europe, and Asia in the “weeks to come.”

No pricing information was made available. Instead, we will have to wait for local markets to announce that info.

PREMIUM LG WATCH URBANE FIRST NEW ANDROID WEAR DEVICE TO FEATURE LATEST OS

Elegantly Designed Smartwatch Rolls Out Worldwide With Latest Technology and Performance

SEOUL, Apr. 23, 2015 ― LG Electronics (LG) will begin the global rollout of its premium LG Watch Urbane this week in South Korea to be followed by key markets in North America, Europe and Asia in the weeks to come. Customers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States will be able to purchase the LG Watch Urbane on Google Store starting this month.

At MWC 2015, the LG Watch Urbane received numerous awards and accolades from consumers, media and industry thought leaders for its modern design, full-circle Plastic OLED (P-OLED) display and overall usefulness. The LG Watch Urbane carries over the 1.3-inch P-OLED display from the LG G Watch R but features a less prominent and lower profile bezel. Its dimensions are smaller overall and thinner, without reducing the size of the display or the battery.

Responding to consumers’ desire for style as well as function, the LG Watch Urbane has a full metal body with a stitched genuine leather strap. The stainless steel body is available in a luxurious polished rose gold and silver, accentuated further with a narrow bezel that gives the device the sleek lines of a classic timepiece. Unlike many other competing smartwatches, the band can be exchanged with any replacement 22mm leather, silicone or metal strap for the ultimate in convenience and personalization.

LG Watch Urbane is the first new smartwatch powered by the latest version of Android Wear which works seamlessly with smartphones running Android 4.3 and above. Some of the features available for the first time on any Android Wear device include Wi-Fi connectivity, always-on apps to keep the display from going dark when running, navigating or even grocery shopping and an improved UX that makes launching favorite apps and getting in touch with friends easier than ever before with everything now front-and-center.

The latest OS allows users to send emojis by drawing them directly on the LG Watch Urbane. Draw a smiley face, a clock showing a certain time or any other pictures and Android Wear will match your drawing to the closest Unicode emoji for sending to another Android Wear watch, smartphone, or computer. Other improvements include the ability to change the font size and see notifications even when looking at another function on the display, such as directions. What’s more, the screen on the LG Watch Urbane can now be set to lock automatically when it is removed from the wrist.

Included in LG Watch Urbane are two new and useful features not available on other Android Wear devices: LG Call and LG Pulse. LG Call allows the wearer to access recent calls and the favorite contacts list on the connected smartphone to dial out directly from the watch. When connected to a Bluetooth headset, there is no need to remove the phone from one’s pocket to place a call. And LG Pulse takes health monitoring to a whole new level by measuring the wearer’s heart rate every second during exercise with no maximum time limit. At the end of the activity, LG Pulse will report the average heart rate over the entire duration of the activity and display a heart rate graph on LG Health (coming soon).

“The LG Watch Urbane is the third Android Wear device introduced by LG in the past year which demonstrates our commitment to this platform,” said Juno Cho, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “More importantly, LG Watch Urbane is a perfect example that Android Wear watches can be functional and beautiful and a useful accessory that complements any wardrobe. No one would mistake LG Watch Urbane for a computer on your wrist.”

Price and additional purchase details will be announced locally at the time of availability.

Key Specifications:
Chipset: 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 400
Operating System: Android Wear™
Display: 1.3-inch P-OLED Display (320 x 320, 245ppi)
Size: 45.5 x 52.2 x 10.9mm
Memory: 4GB eMMC / 512MB LPDDR2
Battery: 410mAh
Sensors: 9-Axis (Gyro / Accelerometer / Compass) / Barometer / PPG (Heart Rate Sensor)
Color: Rose Gold / Silver
Other: Dust and Water Resistance (IP67)

# # #

LG Watch Urbane Finally Goes on Sale This Week in Korea, North America in “Weeks to Come” is a post from: Droid Life

Video: LG Shows Off Another Preview of the G4’s UX 4.0

While Samsung is doing whatever it can to distance itself from hardly-used gimmicky features in its Android skin, LG appears to be fully embracing the bloat. In a new video created to show off LG’s UX 4.0 that will debut on the G4 at the end of this month, LG walks through features like a screen-off creep shot mode (unofficial title there), multi-shot selfie modes and automatic ringtone composing for all of your favorite contacts, because hearing who is calling is better than looking at who is calling, or something.

I really just want LG to come out and say that they worked on performance. That’s it. Samsung got rid of the jank, so now it’s your turn, LG. We want life to be good.

Video: LG Shows Off Another Preview of the G4’s UX 4.0 is a post from: Droid Life

NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet and SHIELD Portable to Receive Android 5.1 Update

Straight from NVIDIA’s forums, it appears the company is prepping OTA updates for the SHIELD Tablet and SHIELD Portable, bumping them up to Android 5.1 for all owners.

A representative for the company in the forums states that they have heard the cries of consumers, mainly due to the buggy nature of the early builds for Lollipop, and to help owners, they will bring Android 5.1 as soon as possible.

As part of the SHIELD tablet experience post-OTA 2.0, we heard your feedback about performance and responsiveness issues related to the Android OS. We have identified and fixed many of these issues in an upcoming OTA release, which will also upgrade the OS to Android 5.1. In addition to new features and improved security, Android 5.1 provides an overall snappier end user experience.

This is great news for SHIELD Portable owners, as their devices have still yet to even get a taste of Lollipop. If you are like me, running Lollipop on the SHIELD Tablet, your experience is likely filled with frustrations from time to time, including a very odd Netflix bug which renders the app useless unless you reboot the device.

Either way, the OTAs should arrive soon enough. We will let you know when to start hitting the update button.

Via: NVIDIA [2] | Android Police

NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet and SHIELD Portable to Receive Android 5.1 Update is a post from: Droid Life

Qualcomm Posts Poor Q2 Numbers, Lowers Expectations for Second Half of 2015

Qualcomm announced Q2 financials for the year of 2015 this morning, and they weren’t very good. Looking at the big picture, it is not the end of times by any means at Qualcomm, but the company has lowered its expectations for the second half of this year, largely due in part to Samsung’s ditching of the Snapdragon 810, opting to use its own in-house Exynos processor in the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge.

Steve Mollenkopf, CEO of Qualcomm, stated the following in the release. “While we remain confident in the significant growth opportunities ahead, we are reducing our QCT outlook for fiscal 2015, primarily due to the increased impact of customer share shifts within the premium tier and a decline in our share at a large customer.”

The part in bold, while not directly attributed, is likely Samsung with the aforementioned decision to use Exynos processors in the new Galaxy S6. It may also be safe to assume that Samsung will continue to use the Exynos processor in the upcoming Galaxy Note 5, which may only lead to more hurt for Qualcomm.

For a time, it looked like Qualcomm could do no wrong in the space, but with the Snapdragon 810, there was a misstep. Now we wait to see if the company’s next high-end processor iterations can deliver the goods.

Via: Qualcomm

Qualcomm Posts Poor Q2 Numbers, Lowers Expectations for Second Half of 2015 is a post from: Droid Life

Wednesday Poll: Will You Try to Sign-Up for Google’s Project Fi?

Google’s Project Fi is about all we can think about on an Android front at the moment. Even though it’s invite-only and only works with the Nexus 6, we can’t wait to grab a Project Fi SIM card and take it for a spin. The thought of being a part of a network that is constantly attempting to find you the strongest, fastest connection is a pretty interesting idea. We also like the fact that Google refunds you for unused data and doesn’t appear to be including any carrier-related gimmicks.

But that’s us. We want to know what you think about Project Fi. Assuming you live in an area that can participate and receive an invite, are you thinking about joining? Is Project Fi worth dropping your current carrier for?

If you don’t know and still need to learn more about Project Fi, check out this post of ours.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Wednesday Poll: Will You Try to Sign-Up for Google’s Project Fi? is a post from: Droid Life

Outlook for Android Comes Out of Preview, Features Improved Look and Feel

Microsoft’s Outlook launched onto Android as a preview back in January, but now, the company feels confident in their work enough to drop the preview tag. In a blog post to announce the change, Microsoft details updates they have made to Outlook, making it feel more native to Android.

Inside, users will still see a navigation drawer on the left side of the display, housing all of the app’s features in a single and convenient place. In addition, Outlook continues to offer IMAP support, for users of various email services.

And finally, Microsoft has sent various updates out the past few months which increase the app’s performance and features. Of course, you can still expect to see more updates down the road if Outlook is your go-to client.

The updated app is now available on Google Play, so go give it a try.

Play Link

Outlook for Android Comes Out of Preview, Features Improved Look and Feel is a post from: Droid Life

LG’s Latest 15 Second Promo Teases “Genuine Leather”

In a new 15 second promo posted to LG’s account on YouTube, the company quickly shows off the craftsmanship and quality that goes into the leather-backed models of the upcoming G4 smartphone.

As we can see, it says “Genuine Leather” on the material used, which hopefully it means it does not feel plasticy or cheap while in hand. If you have heard us talk about the leather strap used on the G Watch R, then you will know what we are referring to. For example, the leather used on the Moto X is soft and smooth, and we hope to feel the same when we pick up one of these G4 units.

At the end of the video, we see the leather being branded with the G4 logo. And that’s it.

If the G4 is a potential pickup for you, which model would you go for? A plastic back or leather back? You can see the various options here from a leak that took place previously.

LG’s Latest 15 Second Promo Teases “Genuine Leather” is a post from: Droid Life

Everything You Need to Know About Google’s Project Fi Wireless Service

Google just became a wireless carrier through Project Fi. Insane, right? The rumors that have spread throughout the last couple of months were basically all correct, so we kind of know what we are getting here. Still, there is a lot to process. We figured, now would be a great time to help you figure out what Project Fi is, how you can get signed up, which devices work, etc.

Ready? Here we go.

What is Project Fi?

This is Google’s take on how your wireless service should work. They created new technology that puts you on the best available network automatically, whether that be WiFi or LTE from Sprint or T-Mobile. The service is able to automatically switch you between cellular and WiFi networks depending on which it deems is the faster connection. Project Fi also attaches your Fi phone number to your Gmail account, so that you can make and receive calls or text from almost anywhere, including computers and tablets.

How much does it cost?

Google is charging just $20 per month for the “Fi Basics” which includes unlimited domestic talk, text, international text, low-cost international calls, WiFi tethering, and coverage in 120+ countries. From there, you add on data at $10 per 1GB. So if you want 2GB of data per month, you will owe $20 for the data plus another $20 for the Fi Basics.

This Fi service differentiates itself from typical carriers because of the fact that Google only charges you for the data you use. So if you buy 2GB worth of data at $20, but only use 1.4GB, they will refund you $6 for the 600MB of data you didn’t use for use on your next month’s bill.

If you buy 2GB of data and go over, Google only charges you at the $10 per 1GB rate. Even if you only go over and use 350MB, they calculate that at the same rate, so you would be charged an extra $3.50.

There is no annual contract with Project Fi. There are no termination fees either.

Coverage

To check to see if you will be covered by Project Fi, you can click through to Google’s Project FI coverage map.

From I can gather, as long as you are covered by Sprint and T-Mobile LTE, you should be eligible for Project Fi.

Project Fi is currently only available in the US.

Carrier partners

Google has partnered with Sprint and T-Mobile for Project Fi.

WiFi networks, data security, WiFi calling

Google’s Project Fi allows you to connect to more than a million free, WiFi hotspots that they have verified as “fast and reliable.” When connected, Google sends your data over a Virtual Private Network (VPN), so that no one else on the network knows what you are up to.

As for calls over WiFi, they work just like your normal calls over cellular. Also, if you start a call over WiFi, but switch to a cellular network that is determined to be a faster connection, your call continues without dropping. That’s part of the beauty of Project Fi.

Support devices

As of right now, the Nexus 6 is the only phone that works with Project Fi. If you already own the Nexus 6, your phone will work with Project Fi, you don’t need to go buy a special version.

Calling from other devices

If you opt-in, Project Fi will attach your phone number to your attached Gmail account, which will then use Hangouts to let you call and text from almost anywhere. This includes calling and texting from computers and tablets. Also, if you receive a call to your Fi number, you can have it ring through your Hangouts accounts on other devices. Cool, right?

Invite only

At this time, Project Fi is invite only. You can request an invite here.

According to Google, if you requested an invite, you will hear from them in 30 days or less. They are prioritizing invitations for this Early Access Program by looking at network access for your zip code, whether Project Fi is ready for service in your area, and when your invitation request was submitted.

Am I eligible?

In order to be eligible for Project Fi, you need to live in a coverage area, have a Gmail account, and own the Nexus 6. Well, you don’t need to own the Nexus 6 to technically be eligible, but you will have to own one in order to use the service.

Switching to Fi: Phone numbers, termination fees, etc.

If you want to bring your phone number with you to Project Fi, you can do that. Just keep in mind that if you are leaving your current carrier, there may be fees associated with the move. Google is not going to pay off your early termination fees.

Battery life and impact

Google states that they have optimized their software to not “put any extra strain on your battery by only moving you between networks when absolutely necessary.”

To find out even more details about Project Fi, hit up the official FAQ.

Everything You Need to Know About Google’s Project Fi Wireless Service is a post from: Droid Life

Mortal Kombat X Appears on Google Play, Not Yet Available to US Residents

Mortal Kombat X, one of the more violent and gore-filled games I have played on a console in recent ages, is now available for Android devices straight through Google Play. However, the publishers have decided to go with a soft launch, so only folks in select markets can download it as of right now, but that should change very soon.

Mortal Kombat, as I would hope everyone knows, is a PvP fighting game that exploded when arcades were still around. All of the classic characters are inside, such as Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Johnny Cage, Sonya, and Ermac. Unfortunately, I don’t think we can expect to see Goro in this mobile version, unless you can purchase additional characters through in-app purchases.

And speaking of IAPs, there are plenty of them. The game is free to download, but you can expect to see quite a few offerings for IAPs when it comes to possible energy bars and things like that. Their prices go from $2 all the way to $100.

To help you get an idea of what you are in for, check the trailer below that is for the console version of the game. The graphics won’t be as intense, but the fighting and X-ray visuals will all be there.

Rumor has it the game will see a global rollout starting tomorrow.

Play Link

Mortal Kombat X Appears on Google Play, Not Yet Available to US Residents is a post from: Droid Life

Google is Now a Wireless Carrier, Makes Project Fi Official

Google made Project Fi official moments ago, after months of rumors coming from multiple sources. Launching with partnerships between T-Mobile and Sprint, Google’s Project Fi allows customers to seamlessly move between mobile networks and WiFi hotspots, connecting them to the best speeds at any given moment.

At this time, only Nexus 6 owners can use it, and to get on the service, you will need to request an invite.

Google details its pricing scheme as well through the release, matching up with previous reports we have written. Essentially, you pay for only what you use on the network, with each 1GB of data costing $10. For $20 a month, you get all of the basics, including talk, text, WiFi tethering, and even International coverage in 120+ countries abroad.

Here’s how it works: for $20 a month you get all the basics (talk, text, Wi-Fi tethering, and international coverage in 120+ countries), and then it’s a flat $10 per GB for cellular data while in the U.S. and abroad. 1GB is $10/month, 2GB is $20/month, 3GB is $30/month, and so on. Since it’s hard to predict your data usage, you’ll get credit for the full value of your unused data. Let’s say you go with 3GB for $30 and only use 1.4GB one month. You’ll get $16 back, so you only pay for what you use.

Google is now accepting invites for anyone and everyone to join Project Fi, so go grab one here. Do note, you need a valid @gmail account to request one, and you will need a Nexus 6 to connect to the network. Everyone else will just have to wait.

What do you think? Exactly what you had hoped or envisioned Google doing?

Via: Google

Google is Now a Wireless Carrier, Makes Project Fi Official is a post from: Droid Life

Facebook Introduces “Hello,” a Dialer App for Android

Facebook just announced a new app that might replace your current dialer, called Hello. At least, that’s what they want you to do with it bv selling you on its features, which include call blocking, people and place searching, and a caller ID-like functionality that shows you who is calling even if you don’t have the number saved to your phone.

With incoming calls, Facebook can show you information that is being shared via profiles on Facebook, at least that’s my understanding. Chances are that people calling will be sharing some form of information, so this could be a pretty solid and free see-who-is-calling option. With people and places searching, the listings show you numbers, if the person/place has free calling through Messenger, and give you quick access to directions. As for call blocking, a simple button press allows you to block unwanted solicitors.

The app was developed by the Facebook Creative Labs and Messenger teams and is technically only in a testing phase. This isn’t a beta, though, anyone can download it and start using it.

Give it a look, assuming you feel like attaching your life to Facebook. We’ll be giving it a look today.

Play Link

Facebook Introduces “Hello,” a Dialer App for Android is a post from: Droid Life

Android Wear V1.1 Update Adds Multi-Device Support, Cloud Sync Over WiFi

An update for the Android Wear companion app began its slow rollout yesterday in preparation for the big Android Wear firmware update that is going to hit smartwatches over the next few weeks. The update adds a handful of new features, including cloud sync over WiFi that allows you to keep up with notifications and use voice search when you aren’t connected to a phone’s Bluetooth.

Cloud sync over WiFi, as I just mentioned, lets you sync data between your phone and watch while on WiFi, assuming your watch can connect to a WiFi network. Most Android Wear watches will soon be able to in the next firmware update, outside of the original G Watch. But devices like the Moto 360 and G Watch R are good to go. In the newest Android Wear app, there is a simple toggle that enables cloud sync.

The rest of the update is equally as important, in my opinion. For one, you can now connect and keep track of multiple Android Wear devices. Instead of forgetting and pairing new devices, you can create a list of watches that are all stored in the Wear app. With each watch’s info stored, you can then maintain their specifics, like if ambient screen, tilt to wake, or card previews should be on. You can also check the battery and watch storage.

The update also includes additional UI tweaks and better control over individual calendars.

It’s a big update.

Play Link | Download Link (apk)