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Friday, November 6, 2015

Don’t Miss These Android Stories: November 6, 2016

It was another busy week at Droid Life, as we got both the DROID Turbo 2 and DROID Maxx 2 reviews posted for your reading pleasure. On top of the reviews, we unboxed and fondled the OnePlus X, Google gave a rundown on the “good” and “bad” USB Type-C chargers out there, and the BlackBerry Priv is now officially available in the US.

If that is not enough for you, new Marshmallow builds are available for select Nexus devices, the Inbox team announced an awesome “Auto Reply” feature for replying to emails, and T-Mobile announced the in-home 4G LTE CellSpot.

These are the stories of the week on Android. 

Have a great weekend, folks!

Don’t Miss These Android Stories: November 6, 2016 is a post from: Droid Life



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Deal: Grab a Car Mount & 4-Port Smart Charger Bundle for $28

Currently available on the DL Deals Store, you can pick up a 1byone Car Mount and 4-port Smart Car Charger bundle, usually priced at nearly $50, for just $28 and free shipping. This bundle should have your car completely set up for the winter road trips ahead, as you hit the road to your in-law’s place. 

The car mount features a 360-degree adjustment, allowing you to set it up however you would like in your automobile. With magnetic mounting, you can have your device ready to go in no time at all. Keeping the actual mount attached to your vehicle is a “super sticky pad” with double grip suction. That’s hot.

In addition to the car mount, you will receive the 4-port USB charger. It features a small, compact design, meaning it won’t get in the way too much while you drive. Thanks to “smart technology,” your devices will receive an appropriate charge that will never damage your device.

If interested, simply follow the link below.

Car Mount Features 

  • 360-degree adjustments for an uninhibited view from any direction
  • Magnetic mounting for quick & easy one-handed operation
  • Super sticky pad w/ double grip suction keeps your device stable
  • Sleek black surface compliments any vehicle’s interior
  • Universal compatibility works w/ most smartphones, tablets, etc.

USB Charger Features

  • Four smart USB ports for charging safely & quickly
  • Super small design for easy portability
  • Powerful smart technology identifies device type to provide optimal charging efficiency
  • Premium construction & circuitry
  • High power: input, DC12-18V; output, DC5V/2.4A (real verified output)

Deal Link

Deal: Grab a Car Mount & 4-Port Smart Charger Bundle for $28 is a post from: Droid Life



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Activate Select Samsung Galaxy Phones at Sprint and Get a Free Year of Amazon Prime

I don’t know that a free Amazon Prime membership ($99 value) would get me to switch carriers any time soon, but if you were thinking of taking your wireless money to Sprint, or are already a Sprint customer who plans to buy a new Samsung Galaxy phone in the near future, get ready for a heck-of-a-freebie. For a limited time (until November 30), new and existing Sprint customers who activate a Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+, or Galaxy Note 5, will receive a free 1-year membership to Amazon Prime. 

Again, that’s a $99 value for Amazon’s Prime service that gives you free 2-day shipping on millions of items, access to movies and TV, unlimited cloud photo storage, and a decent-sized music catalog.

Interested parties can pick-up one of those select Galaxy phones via lease, Sprint Easy Pay, 2-year contract, or pay full retail, and still get the free Prime membership.

Additional details can be found at the Sprint link below.

Via:  Sprint

Activate Select Samsung Galaxy Phones at Sprint and Get a Free Year of Amazon Prime is a post from: Droid Life



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Google Maps and Search Updated With Business Holiday Hours

It’s that time of year again, when every business thinks it is cool to just close up shop early because it’s the holiday season. It can be a total pain to go to your usual spot, just to find they are shut down. Thanks to an addition inside of Google Maps and Google Search, holiday hours for virtually every business you can imagine are now available for viewing. 

Google notes that if the business’ holiday hours are listed, a warning box will appear, letting you know that the hours may be inaccurate. Of course, if the business is closed, a filter for “Open Now” will show you related businesses that are in fact open to take your money.

This change is happening automatically on all Android devices, so make a mental note of it.

Now, go forth and shop.

Via: Google Maps

Google Maps and Search Updated With Business Holiday Hours is a post from: Droid Life



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Verizon Confirms It Will Carry Blackberry Priv “Soon”

The Blackberry Priv arrived today at AT&T as some sort of short-term exclusive because US carriers are the worst and still think anyone gives a sh*t about their exclusives. Sorry, AT&T, but no one is going to flock to your services because you have the Blackberry Priv or the Galaxy S6 Active or some Windows Phone garbage a few weeks ahead of everyone else. Whatever. 

Since that exclusive early launch is only temporary, Verizon has announced today that it will indeed also carry the Blackberry Priv. They wouldn’t say when, only that it is “coming soon.”

I don’t think anyone should be shocked by Verizon’s willingness to carry the Priv. After all, this is the first meaningful Blackberry phone in ages, plus it runs Android. There is potential here.

We’ll let you know when Verizon gives us a date!

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Verizon Confirms It Will Carry Blackberry Priv “Soon” is a post from: Droid Life



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HTC One (M8) Google Play Edition Gets Marshmallow

Hey, we have Google Play Edition news! Anyone remember those dinosaurs? GPE devices were members of that super confusing line of phones from Google that weren’t Nexus devices, but were (for some reason) still supposed to run stock Android and be sold by Google and be updated by Google…kind of…with some manufacturer support. Yeah, you forgot about them and that’s OK.

For the six of you who might have purchased one, and that purchase happened to be for the HTC One (M8) Google Play Edition, get ready for Android 6.0 Marshmallow! HTC’s Mo Versi says that the update is now live, which is kind of crazy. 

Head into Settings>About phone and hammer on that “System updates” button.

Good times.

HTC One (M8) Google Play Edition Gets Marshmallow is a post from: Droid Life



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T-Mobile Galaxy Note 5 Receives Update With Gear VR Support

Back in September, Samsung announced the first “consumer version” of its Gear VR headset, a version that was 19% lighter than previous Innovator Editions. The new model was also different in that it worked with a handful of phones (Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge+, S6 and S6 edge) instead of just a single model, like the original couple of Gear VR headsets. At the time, Samsung would only say that it would launch in the Fall for $99. We still don’t have a firm release date, but are starting to think it’ll arrive very soon, since the Galaxy Note 5 on T-Mobile is receiving an update today that adds support for Gear VR. 

The update is rolling out today as build N920TUVU2COJ5, which is still Android 5.1.1. As I just mentioned, the new features are “Samsung Gear VR support,” but this update also brings along security updates, likely the newest patches from Google.

The update weighs in at around 143MB.

To check for it, head into Settings>About device>Software update.

Via:  T-Mobile

T-Mobile Galaxy Note 5 Receives Update With Gear VR Support is a post from: Droid Life



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Blackberry Priv and HTC One A9 Now Available in the US

Just got paid and need to blow all that cash on a new smartphone? Today would be a decent day, as we have two devices available worth at least a few minutes of your time. On one hand, we have the Blackberry Priv, which is the first Android-powered phone from the Canadian keyboard aficionado. On the other, you have HTC’s One A9, which is actually a pretty great phone, aside from the fact that it looks like an iPhone 6. 

Which should you go after? That is ultimately up for you to decide. We reviewed the One A9 and came away quite impressed with its build, design, performance, software, and camera. The only downside there is that it might be slightly overpriced for what it is and it’s tough to say if this is a phone that will last you two years.

As for the Priv, well, early reviews are in and most people haven’t come away all that impressed. The design, build, and specs seem top notch, but performance, a keyboard implementation that isn’t great, and the price have all been noted as downsides.

The HTC One A9 is available at AT&T and Sprint, while the Blackberry Priv is an AT&T exclusive for the time being.

Links:  AT&T Blackberry Priv | AT&T HTC One A9 | Sprint HTC One A9

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Blackberry Priv and HTC One A9 Now Available in the US is a post from: Droid Life



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Google Play Services 8.3 Makes the Google Sign-In Process Simpler

Yesterday afternoon, Google announced Google Play Services 8.3 and what we can expect to see from it. Since most of it is developer talk around integrating new APIs, I’ll spare you the dirty version and instead point out the new stuff users like you and I will notice. (If you are a developer, hit up that source link.) 

The biggest change is going to be the updated Google Sign-In, where Google has streamlined the experience and hopefully made everything about it simpler. The new Sign-In no longer requires device accounts permissions, supports the new Google logo and branding, and cuts out a whole bunch of steps when you are using it to sign-in to something. With the new 8.3, it should take a single tap to get you signed in to an app with your Google account. That’s a big deal!

As for other updates, Google made a minor Smart Lock API update that allows users to select previously-used email addresses when signing-in or filling forms, updated Play game services Player Stats API, and has made using App Invites simpler to code for developers. Finally, the Data API now gives developers more control over how/when data items are synced with wearables, which could help in battery life.

Via:  Android Developers Blog

Google Play Services 8.3 Makes the Google Sign-In Process Simpler is a post from: Droid Life



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