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Friday, July 31, 2015

Don’t Miss These Android Stories: 7/31/15

Wow, what a week this was. From OnePlus 2 and new Motorola devices to confirmation of Samsung’s arriving in a couple of weeks, the summer just got busier than expected. We also found out about a pretty scary security hole in Android that affects almost all devices, saw lots of evidence of a new Moto 360, and finally answered your questions from last week’s Q&A session.

Be sure to catch up on everything, because there was a lot going on. From hands-on time with numerous devices, to specs lists, to missing features, pricing and availability, you’ll want to know all that happened as we move forward into review periods. You may have a new phone in your future and this is the time to learn everything about what’s on the horizon.

Everything you need to know is linked below. 

If we don’t show up on Monday, look for the puddle of DL pink melted all over Portland, aka the new desert.

Don’t Miss These Android Stories: 7/31/15 is a post from: Droid Life



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Reminder: Last Chance to Get Lifetime Sticky Password Premium Subscription for $30

Time is running out to pick up a lifetime subscription to Sticky Password Manager for a discounted price on the DL Deals Store. Regularly priced at $60, your subscription will only cost $29.99, a solid 50% discount. 

With Sticky Password Manager, users can create strong and unique passwords whenever they are needed, managed under a single account. When visiting trusted sites, your passwords will be loaded automatically, meaning you will no longer need to remember multiple passwords for different sites. Ultimately, this should lower the time spent logging in, as well as freeing up a bit of your mind’s password storage locker.

Created by the team behind AVG Antivirus, Sticky Password offers “unbeatable security,” plus an intuitive interface supported across all devices.

If a password manager is on your shopping list, follow the link below.

Features

  • Strong, unique passwords, whenever and wherever you need them
  • Automatically log-in to recognized sites
  • Created by the team behind AVG Antivirus
  • Choose between cloud-based or local storage
  • Fill out forms instantly
  • Unbeatable security
  • Support for all your devices
  • Intuitive interface
  • Does not interfere with/interrupt day-to-day activity unless needed

Deal Link

Reminder: Last Chance to Get Lifetime Sticky Password Premium Subscription for $30 is a post from: Droid Life



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Friday App Sales: Goat Simulator Z, Fotonica, F1 Challenge, and More

If you don’t have any plans for the next couple of days over the weekend, a few of the apps and games currently on sale through Google Play may help pass the time, such as Goat Simulator Z and Fotonica, just a couple of the games available at a discounted price.

In addition to those two titles, you can pickup Abs Workout Pro and Abs Workout II Pro if getting in shape this weekend is on your list. Not only are there health-focused apps available, but the couch potatoes among us can grab God of Light HD and Neuroshima Hex, if lounging and playing a few games sounds more fun.

Check the full list of app sales below. 

Friday App Sales

Go support those developers.

Friday App Sales: Goat Simulator Z, Fotonica, F1 Challenge, and More is a post from: Droid Life



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Textra and Chomp SMS Issue Updates That Could Stop Stagefright Attacks

On Monday, a pretty serious security vulnerability in Android’s Stagefright was exposed, one that has left almost all Android phones susceptible to an attack. Of course, at this time, the vulnerability has been kept under wraps and supposedly only shared with Google and OEMs to hopefully get it patched. Unfortunately, patching Stagefright takes a system update that has yet to arrive on anyone’s phone. In other words, even though the vulnerability is known by Google and they have patched things on their end, we are all potentially open to attacks. 

To hopefully help stop attacks, a couple of popular SMS apps on Android have issued updates. Both Textra and Chomp SMS (apps are owned by the same company) received updates today that attempt to stop video MMS messages from automatically running, which is a part of the issue with this Stagefright exploit. Who knows how successful their tweaks could be with a malicious MMS received, but any attempt by a company to help stop an attack is a good thing in our eyes, especially while we wait what could be months for OEMs and Google to push out patches.

If you use either app, feel free to grab their latest updates.

Play Links:  Textra | Chomp SMS

Textra and Chomp SMS Issue Updates That Could Stop Stagefright Attacks is a post from: Droid Life



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The Droid Life Show: Episode 87

It was an insanely busy first half of the week, taking Kellen to San Francisco to go hands-on with the OnePlus 2, then all the way to New York City for Motorola’s event and then back. We got a few new phones to talk about, including the Moto X Pure Edition, so this show is sure to be a lively one. In addition to announcements from OnePlus and Motorola, we will discuss Samsung’s upcoming press event on August 13 in New York City and what we can likely expect from that.

We will kick the show off live at 12PM Pacific (3PM Eastern). We have a live video embedded below, along with an IRC chat, so you can kick it with us during the show. 

If you miss us live, feel free to subscribe to us by following one of the links below.    

Subscribe | iTunes | Stitcher| Show Page

The Droid Life Show: Episode 87 is a post from: Droid Life



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New, Simplified Invitation Settings are Rolling Out to Hangouts

Googler Jordanna Chord announced via G+ yesterday that they are rolling out new invitation settings to Hangouts over the next day or so. These new settings should “make it easier for folks to communicate,” but from what we can tell, they are really just a simplified version of the current settings. That will surely help making communication easier, but it will hopefully make controlling your settings less of a pain. 

You can see a preview of the new settings below, assuming you haven’t received what we can imagine is server-side switch to them on your phone or tablet. The image shows everything bundled together, with a “Recommended” button helping you take Google’s advice on how your invitation settings should work. Otherwise, you can go “Customized” and pick and choose how you receive invitations for chats.

Anyone seeing the new settings?

newInviteSettings

Via:  +Jordanna Chord

New, Simplified Invitation Settings are Rolling Out to Hangouts is a post from: Droid Life



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Android M Preview 3 Release Delayed as Google Works on “Near Final” Build

The next official build of Android M, Preview 3, may see a bit of delay in release, according to the public Android M Developer Preview community on Google+. As stated by a moderator in the community, “We want this to be a near final release to test your apps on, but we need a little more time to get it out to you.” Preview 3 was previously scheduled to be released around late July.

The last update we received for Android M was Preview 2. That update rolled out via OTA and download links back in early July. There is no exact timeframe given for when to expect the next preview build, but Google appears to be hard at work to make sure it is the best one yet.

Once made available, we will let you know how you can load it onto a device.

Are you currently running Android M on one of your Nexus devices? How are you liking it?

Via: +Android M Developer Preview

Android M Preview 3 Release Delayed as Google Works on “Near Final” Build is a post from: Droid Life



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NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet Updated to Android 5.1.1, Includes Performance Improvements

If your SHIELD Tablet was not affected by this morning’s recall, you can now enjoy the newly released Android 5.1.1 update. Inside, owners should see performance optimizations across the board, with NVIDIA forum members already praising the new speeds they are seeing. 

The official changelog lists stability and performance improvements, plus system-wide optimizations and fixes, including audio.

Go grab that update and enjoy, if you were not affected by the recall. If you were, you still have to update the device, but then you should probably not use the device.

Via: NVIDIA

NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet Updated to Android 5.1.1, Includes Performance Improvements is a post from: Droid Life



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YotaPhone 2 Not Coming to the US After All

The YotaPhone 2 isn’t coming to the US. Even though it saw a bit of support through an Indiegogo campaign aimed at bringing it stateside, problems manufacturing the phone have caused a delay that hasn’t made it worthwhile to ship. Because of these delays, Yota Devices is worried that by the time US customers get their phones, the new 2016 YotaPhone will be ready. 

So what happens now? Well, only about 500 people backed this thing, so this isn’t really that big of a deal. If you were one of those 500 or so people, you have two options. The first is to take the international variant of the phone that lacks 4G LTE and go about your way. If you don’t feel like wasting $500 on an HSPA+ phone, you can grab a refund at some point, once Yota figures out how to refund you.

If you backed the YotaPhone 2, you should have an email describing all of this. Be sure to check your inbox and consider which option to take.

Via:  The Verge

YotaPhone 2 Not Coming to the US After All is a post from: Droid Life



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NVIDIA Issues Recall for SHIELD Tablet Units Purchased Between July 2014 and July 2015

A recall has been issued by NVIDIA for the SHIELD Tablet, possibly affecting anyone who purchased the device from July of 2014 to July of 2015. The issue surrounds the battery used in the device, as it has been found that in some cases, it can overheat and become a fire hazard. To correct this issue, NVIDIA is offering free SHIELD Tablets to anyone who owns an affected unit. 

To see if your tablet is affected, you will need to grab the latest software update, bringing your device up to Android 5.1.1. Inside that update, NVIDIA baked in a tool owners can use to see if their device is at risk. Once you have updated, go into your Settings menu, then select About Device at the bottom. From here, hit “Status,” then tap your finger on the Battery portion — the device will automatically inform you if it is at risk or not. If the battery category shows B01, your device is not affected. If it shows Y01, your device needs to be replaced.

Once you send NVIDIA your information through their dedicated claims site, and everything gets approved, your new tablet will be on its way. Take this time to back-up any important information you have on the device, then it is probably a good idea to turn it off and just leave it.

After checking my tablet, it appears I have to send mine in, but hey, NVIDIA is replacing the affected units with brand new tablets, so I can’t complain.

Is your SHIELD Tablet affected by the recall?

Begin Your Claim Here

Via: NVIDIA

NVIDIA Issues Recall for SHIELD Tablet Units Purchased Between July 2014 and July 2015 is a post from: Droid Life



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