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Friday, August 7, 2015

Don’t Miss These Android Stories: August 8, 2015

We had a blast this week debating the importance or usefulness of NFC, sharing our experience with Project Fi, and taking a look at our exclusive Galaxy Note 5 pictures, which are the best you have seen to date. We also sat down for another DL Show, cringed at all of the security news relating to Stagefright, saw a bunch of leaks (Nexus, Xperia SZ5, etc.), and even laughed at a hilarious video involving Apple fanboys getting excited about Android.

It was a busy week, but things are only going to get busier in the coming weeks. Be sure to catch up everything that was through the handy list of the best stories below. If you couldn’t follow along during the week, this is the best way to recap. 

Best burger spot in your home town is…?



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Deal: Get $25 Off NVIDIA SHIELD + Remote Bundle From Amazon and Best Buy

For those with the NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV set-top box on their wish list, now may be a good time to pull the trigger. Through NVIDIA’s dedicated store online, or through Amazon and Best Buy, you can save $25 when purchasing a SHIELD bundle, which includes a SHIELD Remote. 

Regularly priced at $250, the 16GB SHIELD bundle can be purchased for $225, or the Pro 500GB bundle (usually $350) can be had for $325.

For more info on SHIELD, check out our full review here.

PurchaseNVIDIA Link | Amazon Link | Best Buy Link



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Motorola on Stagefright: New Phones Have Patch, Working on Updates for Current Phones

With Google, Samsung, and LG all weighing in with their plans to address not only the Stagefright vulnerability, but also security going forward on Android, we reached out to Motorola to see what they plan to do. In short, like the rest of the manufacturers of the world, they take the security of their customers “extremely seriously.”

In a statement sent to Droid Life, Motorola said that all of their new phones announced last week “will have the StageFright patch integrated into the software.” As for their current crop of phones, they have already begun “working to integrate, test, and deploy the patch” for “many” of the devices that recently saw updates to Lollipop. 

Here is the full statement:

“We take the security of our customers extremely seriously. We applaud Google’s efforts to work with the carriers and handset manufacturers to enhance security in the Android ecosystem, and we look forward to working with them to help make this happen.

All of our products announced last week will have the StageFright patch integrated into the software. We’ve also begun working to integrate, test and deploy the patch in many of our recent Lollipop upgrades for current products.  The patch will also be included in the M upgrade.”

Obviously, they didn’t provide us with any sort of exact time frame for release to phones like the current Moto X (2nd gen), DROID line, or older Moto G and E models. So far, though, Samsung and Google are about the only two to release patches.

Security on Android…good luck!



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The Droid Life Show: Episode 88

On episode 88 of the Droid Life Show, we assemble to talk the latest in Stagefright and what Google, manufacturers, and carriers are doing about security on Android going forward. We’ll also walk through Verizon’s new data plans, Tim’s time with Project Fi, and more than likely debate the importance of NFC in 2015 and beyond. There were a handful of hot topics this week that really grabbed reader attention, so we’ll do our best to run through them all in this show.

We will kick the show off live at 12:30PM Pacific (3:30PM 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



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Friday App Sales: Final Fantasy Series, 4 Player Reactor, SunVox, and More

Over on the Google Play store, shoppers can pick up a solid list of apps and games for a discounted price, including a few of the Final Fantasy series titles. In that grouping is Final Fantasy III, IV, V, VI, and Tactics. Square Enix has them listed at 50% off the original price, so that’s a score for RPG fans.

Also on sale is 4 Player Reactor, a game I find myself playing with friends all of the time at restaurants and bars when I am waiting for my order. Inside the game, there are various challenges you and friends race to complete first. Priced at only $1.99, it’s a good deal.

See the full list of apps and games on sale below. 


Friday App Sales

Go support some developers!



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FYI: Verizon Killed the 2-Year Contract With Its New S-M-L-XL Data Plans

Verizon is done with 2-year contracts. That also means they are done with subsidized (discounted) phones in exchange for you signing up for two years of service. Starting August 13, Verizon’s new S-M-L-XL plans are your option when you decide to become a Verizon customer or upgrade from your current phone. Verizon is now fully invested in device payment plans separated from service costs. 

According to Verizon’s press release for their new plans, “All new customers, and existing customers who want to move to the new plan, will buy or upgrade to new smartphones using Verizon’s device payment option, formerly known as Verizon Edge, or by paying the retail price.” In other words, if you sign-up for new Verizon service or upgrade when your current plan is done, you will move to the new S-M-L-XL data plans. If you want a new phone to go with your plan and service, you can either pay full retail for one or sign-up for their new device payment plan.

On that note, Verizon is also killing off Verizon Edge. While details are scarce on what the new plan will be called or if it differs from Edge, my guess is that it’ll just be a generically branded 24-month device payment plan. Edge already changed from an early upgrade plan to a 24-month payment plan months ago, so it may go completely unbranded going forward.

All make sense? Starting August 13, Verizon is going the T-Mobile route by moving away from 2-year contracts.



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Verizon Tries to Simplify Plans With S-M-L-XL Data Plans

Verizon announced this morning that it is simplifying its data plan strategy with the introduction of new S – M – L – XL options. The options include set amounts of data, coupled with flat $20 line access charges. So instead of having to figure out your line access charge and whether or not it includes a discount and/or how much that discount is, you now just focus on the data amount you and you family needs. 

According to the press release, you are looking at Small ($30/month for 1GB of shareable data), Medium ($45/month for 3GB of shareable data), Large ($60/month for 6GB of shareable data), and X-Large ($80/month for 12GB of shareable data) data buckets. That data can be shared with as many lines as you have on your account. Since each line is $20, take that times the number of lines you have and add it to the data bucket price you have chosen to get your total bill (before taxes and fees).

For example, a family of 2 with 6GB of shareable data would be $100 (2 lines at $20 per + $60 for 6GB shareable data). If you have a family of 4 and share 12GB of data, you are looking at $160 (4 lines at $20 per + $80 for 12GB shareable data). If it’s just you and you want 3GB of data, your bill would be $65 per month (1 line at $20 + $45 for 3GB data). Make sense?

Other notes:

  • Each line comes with unlimited talk and text
  • If you need additional data during the month, it will cost you $15 per GB
  • If you need more than the 12GB XL package, you can ask Verizon about additional options
  • Tablet and Jetpack lines are $10 per month
  • Connected device lines (like smartwatches) are $5 per month
  • “All new customers, and existing customers who want to move to the new plan, will buy or upgrade to new smartphones using Verizon’s device payment option, formerly known as Verizon Edge, or by paying the retail price.”
  • If you are a current More Everything customer, you can stick with your plan until the end of your contrat

The new plans are available starting August 13.


S – M – L – XL: Choose the Right Size on the Nation’s Best 4G LTE Network

August 7, 2015

Verizon Simplifies Data Choices to Match Customer Lifestyles

NEW YORK – Shopping shouldn’t be complicated. That’s why so many things in our lives come in familiar sizes, from small to XL. Whether it’s your morning coffee, your favorite t-shirt, or even how many scoops you’d like on an ice cream cone, those are common options we know and understand.

Verizon is now making it just-that-easy for customers to choose wireless service on the nation’s best 4G LTE network.

Beginning August 13, our newest plan will offer four easy sizes of data to match how you use wireless service. The new data options come in sizes just like other things you buy:

  • Small: $30/month for 1GB of shareable data
  • Medium: $45/month for 3GB of shareable data
  • Large: $60/month for 6GB of shareable data
  • X-Large: $80/month for 12GB of shareable data

And, each size comes with unlimited talk and text, with extra data for just $15 per GB. Customers who need even more data can talk with their Verizon Wireless representative for more details.

“Choosing a wireless plan is now easier than ever. You said you don’t want to have to do a lot of math to figure out your best options, and we heard you,” said Rob Miller, vice-president of consumer pricing for Verizon Wireless. “So a plan with small, medium, large and x-large choices makes sense for the way people actually use their wireless service.”

Plan Access Plus Line Access Plus Equipment Equals a Great Experience

Verizon is further simplifying by streamlining monthly line-access charges. On the new plan, every smartphone line is $20 per month, tablet and Jetpack lines are $10 per month, and connected device lines for devices like smart watches are $5 per month, all the time. Customers always get the best options and don’t have to hunt for – and calculate – special discounts to get the best prices. And the S-M-L and XL data options can be shared among up to 10 devices.

All new customers, and existing customers who want to move to the new plan, will buy or upgrade to new smartphones using Verizon’s device payment option, formerly known as Verizon Edge, or by paying the retail price.

“We were the first to introduce shared data plans more than three years ago, and our S-M-L-XL options build on that success using the insights our customers have provided since then. If you send just a few emails and watch your Facebook friends a little, that’s a Small. If your whole family is watching video clips all the time, we’ll serve up an XL,” Miller added.

Over the next few months, Verizon customers will also see a simpler and more streamlined bill, making it easier to see and understand monthly charges.

####

Via: Fierce Wireless


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Microsoft Translator Hits Google Play, Supports Android Wear

Microsoft has been doing big things for the Android platform, and frankly, it’s about time. This week, the company launched Microsoft Translator onto Google Play, giving users instant access to translations in 50 languages. Not only is it a solid app for your smartphone, but Microsoft also baked in Android Wear support, giving you the flexibility to use it whenever and however you see fit. 

The app is straightforward enough. Speak into the app and it will deliver instant translations. If you do not know how to pronounce a word, the translator can speak it for you, so as not to embarrass yourself in a foreign country. If you happen to be in a noisy environment, you can just show your phone to the person you are attempting to communicate with. The same can be done on your Android Wear watch. Speak into it, then receive your desired translation.

It appears all of the major languages of the world are supported. This includes Spanish, Russian, Arabic, French, Urdu, Hebrew, Greek, German, and a ton more.

If you would like to run this app in conjunction with Google Translate, you should be able to communicate with almost any person on the planet, all thanks to your smartphone. Go try it out.

Play Link



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Moto X Play Already Up for Pre-Order at Clove UK, Forget US Compatibility Though

The Moto X Play, Motorola’s new mid-range device that might be the battery king of the world, is now up for pre-order at Clove UK, with an expected ship date of around August 25. That’s only a few weeks away, in case you didn’t realize that we were already a week into August. At a price of £225.00, US customers are looking at roughly $348 should they decide to import one, because as you may recall from Motorola’s announcement of the X Play – it won’t be coming to the US any time soon. 

That’s a pretty incredible price for a phone with a 5.5-inch FHD display, 21MP camera, 2GB RAM, octa-core processor, and massive 3630mAh battery. Sure, the processor is mid-range-ish as a Snapdragon 615, but I’m guessing Motorola has fine-tuned the experience quite nicely with that chipset. This should be a hell of a phone.

With that in mind, I have bad news. This phone doesn’t support any of the important 4G LTE bands here in the US. The listed bands from the official spec list and on Clove’s site are 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 19, 20, 28, 38, 41. In order for this to work in the US as an unlocked GSM phone, we need to see band 4 at a minimum, but band 17 is almost more important if you wanted to use the phone on AT&T (compare to our US cellular band cheat sheet). In short, no band 4 and 17 makes this phone almost worthless here in the US, unless you don’t mind hanging on AT&T’s HSPA.

Thanks, Motorola, for deliberately killing US fun!

Via: Clove UK


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LG Joins Samsung and Google in Monthly Security Update Initiative

In a statement issued to Wired, LG confirmed that it will join Samsung and Google in attempting to send out monthly security updates to its Android devices. The move is in response to the Stagefright vulnerability that was made public last week, which has left almost every Android device susceptible to pretty serious attacks through MMS. 

LG said that it will provide monthly security updates to carriers who can then make them immediately available to customers. While that sounds like a positive step, just keep in mind that the word “carriers” was involved there and we all know how terrible carriers are at pushing out updates.

Here is the statement:

“LG will be providing security updates on a monthly basis which carriers will then be able to make available to customers immediately. We believe these important steps will demonstrate to LG customers that security is our highest priority,”

Good for LG, Samsung and Google to finally take security and updates seriously, but until we actually see this happen swiftly, we’ll remain skeptical of the entire idea. I hate to be like that,. but we’ve been told for years that manufacturers and Google and everyone else involved will push updates quicker to customers, yet haven’t seen any of it come to fruition.

Via:  Wired


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