APK BRO™ - Download APK Android Apps: 11/17/15

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Report: LG G5 to Feature Metal Exterior, No More Plastic

According to a report out of Korea, LG may look to ditch its plastic past, opting for an all-metal design in 2016 for the G5 smartphone. With many competitors choosing “premium” materials to build phones, such as metal, glass, and wood, LG is still one of the only companies to offer an all-plastic flagship device. However, LG’s new V10 features a metal trim on its siding, and the G4 had custom backsides that featured leather.

According to a source who has seen LG’s G5 prototype, they state that, “the design takes a major step forward than previous smartphones.” Whether this means LG is designing a unique shape or we can expect to see the same rear-facing button arrangement is yet to be seen.

In addition to metal being used on the G5, it is reported that LG wants to be more aggressive in making the device available as soon as it is announced. Many times, a company will announce a smartphone, then consumers must wait weeks or sometimes even months to get their hands on the device. By this time, hype has worn off and something newer comes along. LG likely wants to avoid this, so having supply ready in time for the announcement will be crucial.

In terms of when, it is expected that LG will announce this device in the February/MWC timeframe, right in time for battle with Samsung and a possible Galaxy S7 flagship.

Not only do I think it would be nice for LG to dip into metal for the G5, but I think more importantly, the company needs to spend a lot of time on simplifying its software and making it nicer to use.

Via: etnews

Video: Samsung Galaxy View Hands-on and First Impressions

The Galaxy View tablet from Samsung, available on November 20 from AT&T, is large. There’s nothing else to say about its size. The device features an 18.4″ Full HD display, powered by a Exynos octa-core processor and 2GB of RAM. We received a unit from AT&T, preloaded with all of the DIRECTV and NFL Sunday Ticket goodies, so allow me to share my first impressions with you.

Once you accept the fact that the device is ridiculously large, you begin to think about all of things you can do with a device of its size. You can consume tons of videos, mobile games, and browse the Internet on a massive touchscreen. The tablet runs TouchWiz, Samsung’s custom Android skin, on top of Android 5.1.1, which offers a few helpful software tweaks you can’t normally do on a stock Android device. For example, you can have multiple apps running at the same time, which is useful considering how much screen real estate you have access to. You can have the Chrome browser open, while also watching a movie simultaneously.

On the AT&T-branded model, the carrier pushes DIRECTV quite heavily. For anyone who has DIRECTV, it may be the perfect companion device for your home, as consuming your regular TV programming, NFL Sunday Ticket, and movies is quite enjoyable on the 18.4″ display. DIRECTV access is actually built directly into the Home launcher by swiping right on the display. This brings up a quick access guide to what DIRECTV currently offers.

Beyond the specialty feature of DIRECTV and NFL Sunday Ticket access, it’s basically just a large Android tablet, and we all know how useful those things are (slight hint of sarcasm). With the backside of the device featuring swiveling kickstand for use on a table or in your lap, the device is rather cumbersome and not very portable. I should also note it is rather heavy, although, not as heavy as you may expect from such a large device.

Inside, the Galaxy View features just a 5,700mAh battery, which seems relatively small considering how much size they had to work with. On the exterior backside, you will find stereo speakers for loud, clear audio playback.

Below, watch me go hands-on with the device, going over a few of its software features, and providing a tour of the DIRECTV and NFL Sunday Ticket apps.

Hands-on

Google Introduces New Google+ With Revamped UI and Focus on Communities and Collections

This afternoon, Google announced that it has been working on a new version of Google+ that is ready for prime time. Over the past couple of months, Google (with help from users of Google+) realized that a big part of the social platform’s growth was in Communities and Collections, and so that’s where the latest redesign takes its focus.

With Communities, you get a forum-like atmosphere within G+ that allows you to discuss topics with like-minded folks. With Collections, you have a way to bundle together the posts you like by topic, to help you stay organized and on top of your favorite things.

In this new G+, you’ll see in image above and GIF below, that just below the top “Home” tab, there are easy-to-reach shortcuts for Collections and Communities. From within those specific pages, you can quickly find new groups or topics to entertain, or just browse the ones you are already a part of.

Google also said that this new Google+ has been better optimized for mobile, should let you post, search, and connect easier, while keeping up with content.

To try out the new Google+ on the web, be on the lookout for a “Let’s go” button at the top that will let you make the switch. Google did say that not all of the old Google+ features will move over to the new version, so if you want to switch back to the classic, you can do that.

As for mobile apps, the Android and iOS Google+ apps are brand new and will arrive “in the coming days.”

Via: Google Blog

Sprint CEO to Make “Major Announcement” Tomorrow

Tomorrow, at 11:15AM CT, Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure will make a “major announcement.” Do we have any guesses as to what that may be? Not really, no. He will field questions from journos during a teleconference to address the announcement, though, so we’ll be sure to tune in to see what comes of it.

Any guesses?

Via: Sprint

DEAL: Nexus 5 32GB in Black or White for $209 in Newegg Flash Sale

In my Nexus 5X review, I mentioned that the original Nexus 5, a phone two years old, performs better with Android 6.0 Marshmallow than the new LG model. I don’t know how that is possible with all of the new tech inside of the 5X, but it was painfully obvious. Outside of the camera being pretty poor in the original Nexus 5, it’s still a phone worth considering at the right price. $209 might be the right price.

In a deal currently running through Newegg Flash, you can buy the Nexus 5 with 32GB of storage in either white or black for just $209. This is model LG-D820, which is the North American variant that works on carriers in the US like AT&T and T-Mobile.

As a recap, the original Nexus 5 sports a 5-inch 1080p display, 2GB RAM, Snapdragon 800 processor, 8MP rear camera (with OIS), and 2300mAh battery. It has also been officially updated to Android 6.0.

The phone purchase includes free shipping.

New Egg Deal Link

Cheers enigmaco!

Google Photos Updated With New Ways to Save Your Storage

An update for the Google Photos application is set to rollout today for Android users, one which aims at saving you precious storage space on your device and in the cloud.

Once updated, a “Free Up Space” button will appear in the Settings menu, which will prompt users to clear up bulk amounts of photos that are likely being duplicated. For example, if your photos have already been uploaded to the cloud, Photos will give you the “okay” to delete them off of your device, so as to save space for additional photos. To prevent device copies from being accidentally deleted, Google is asking users to double-confirm their intent during the “Free Up Space” process.

Google is also rolling out a fix that will allow users on select SD-card enabled devices to delete photos stored on an SD card. The hope is that this will prevent the issue of a photo continuing to appear in the Photos view even after being deleted.

The Photos app will now also allow users to downgrade uploaded photos from “Original quality” to “High quality,” which will certainly free up some space on the cloud. Original quality photos are uploaded in full resolution and uncompressed, and Google only provides a certain amount of space for this unless you pay. However, with the high quality setting, users can upload compressed files as much as they want with no limit in space. So, with the update, all of your previous uploaded photos in original quality can be reset to high quality, freeing up storage for more photos and videos.

The update is rolling out now, so be on the lookout.

Via: +John Elstone

FYI: Google Removed Tasker From Google Play

Yesterday, Google removed Tasker, the automate-the-world with insanely complicated triggers and scenes and actions and tasks, from Google Play and has yet to restore the app for the hundreds of thousands of users who have downloaded it over the years. No one is quite sure the exact reason for the removal, which is often the case when Google suddenly, without warning, removes an app, but the developer did take to the app’s support group to say that Google did so “mistakenly.”

Here is the full short response:

Google have removed it, as far as I can see mistakenly since they are complaining about something being in the manifest which is simply not there.

In a couple of days, after I’ve got a few thousand complaint emails, they may have gotten round to reading the appeal.

Others are speculating that the developer possibly included a specific battery-related permission that Google isn’t allowing developers to utilize at the moment, though that hasn’t been confirmed as the issue.

Hopefully, for all of the Tasker die-hards out there, this get sorted out quickly. Hah, did I really just hope for a suddenGoogle Play app removal to be resolved quickly? I must be smoking something today.

Play Link (dead)

Via: Google Groups | reddit

Video: SHIELD Tablet K1 Unboxing and Hands-on

Early this morning, NVIDIA announced and released the SHIELD Tablet K1. Priced at $199, NVIDIA stripped the previous SHIELD Tablet of its stylus pen, and also removed all accessories from the box in order to meet an aggressive price point. Now, we have a unit in-house, and there is no better way to kick-off coverage on a device than a formal unboxing.

The device features an 8″ IPS display, Tegra K1 processor, 2GB of RAM, 5MP front and rear-facing camera, 16GB of onboard storage, microSD slot for up to 128GB of storage, dual front-facing stereo speakers, 19.75 watt non-removable battery, and Android 5.1.1.

Below, check out our complete unboxing and hands-on.

Unboxing

Gallery

Show Off Your Home Screens Day!

Over the weekend, shortly after posting up the latest in “hot” icon packs, I started looking for the last time we did a “Show off your home screens day!” As it turns out, it’s been well over a year, which is kind of shocking. It’s not like we stopped customizing phones in 2015, so I’m not sure what took us so long to get one of these together. Either way, it’s a home screen day today!

For those new to this concept, just know that we want you to share the setup on your home screen in the comments below. We do this for a couple of reasons. First, it’s actually a lot of fun to see how other people have their phones setup. Second, this is a way for us to get inspiration for that next great setup of our own. And finally, we often find out about new icon or theme or wallpaper designers, apps you are using, etc. that help make Droid Life a better place.

So, it’s time to show them off! Set up your best home screen, screenshot them, and then upload as many as you’d like through the comments.

As for our setups, you’ll find mine above. I’m using the Artico icon pack we featured last week, along with one of its included wallpapers. I’m using Nova Launcher, the stock Android clock, and not much else. I keep it super simple.

Tim’s setup is below and utilizes Nova Launcher as well, along with the Retrorika icon pack.

Also, if you want to create fine screenshot art like we have done, feel free to use Google’s Device Art Generator.

NVIDIA Releases the SHIELD Tablet K1, Priced at $199

NVIDIA announced and released the SHIELD Tablet K1 this morning, essentially a re-release of the SHIELD Tablet, sans Stylus. Priced at just $199, this tablet comes with the same lineup of specifications as the original SHIELD Tablet, but by stripping the tablet of all accessories that would usually come packed inside the box, NVIDIA was able to meet an aggressive price point for arguably one of the better Android tablets on the market.

For specs, the Tablet K1 features an 8″ (1920×1200) multi-touch IPS display, Tegra K1 processor, 16GB of onboard storage, microSD slot, HDMI 1.4a, 5MP front and back cameras, 2GB of RAM, front-facing stereo speakers, 19.75 watt non-removable battery, and Android 5.1.1. NVIDIA has a good track record with Android updates, so potential buyers can expect Marshmallow in the near future.

Now, back to those accessories NVIDIA stripped from the packaging. When you buy this device, all that comes inside of the box is the Tablet K1 itself, nothing else. There is no AC adapter, no cables, no SHIELD Controller, no nothing. Everything is sold individually to keep cost of the device itself low. NVIDIA is selling a World Charger kit online for $29, which comes with chargers for the US, UK, EU, AU, and CN. The Stylus is also purchasable as an accessory, priced at $20.

With no Stylus coming with the device, NVIDIA has reworked the SHIELD Tablet’s design a bit, but if you own the original SHIELD Tablet, then you will know exactly what to expect from the SHIELD Tablet K1 in terms of build quality. It it a sturdy, somewhat heavy little tablet, weighing in at 13.7oz.

As for software, NVIDIA bakes in a few proprietary touches on top of Android 5.1.1, such as the ability to livestream gameplay to Twitch, plus the NVIDIA Dabbler app which you will need a stylus to use. In addition, you will find access to SHIELD Hub and GeForce NOW for all of your mobile gaming needs.

The SHIELD Tablet K1 is available as of this morning, priced at $199 on NVIDIA’s website. But again, please note, you will need to already have a compatible charger for the tablet, or will need to purchase the World Charger kit for additional $29 because the SHIELD Tablet K1 does not come with a charger.

NVIDIA Link

Mediafire Launches Pool, a Photo Sharing App With Some Smarts

How often do you share photos with friends, especially those you just took in a group setting? For many of us, the answer is “A lot.” A new app from Mediafire, called Pool, is attempting to make this process easier than ever.

With Pool, you get an app that isn’t just another cloud storage service for your photos. In fact, it’s not a storage service at all. Mediafire says that Pool is more of a personal assistant for your photos than anything, because it looks through your image galleries and then makes suggestions for sharing based on “where you are and the people you’re with.”

Of course, in order for this to work well, everyone you know also needs to have it installed, because as far as we can tell, Pool uses your contacts to find friends with Pool installed, so that it can then share via the app.

Pool works on both Android and iOS, shares full resolution photos, allows you to save those you received from a friend to your device, and is private.

Here are the big features:

Auto Suggestions: Pool makes photo sharing suggestions based on where you are and the people you’re with
Private: Pool only shares photos with the people you choose using the proven infrastructure of MediaFire
Cross-Platform Sharing: Pool works with iOS or Android devices
High Resolution: Shared photos are at full resolution
Reminders: Pool reminds you to share photos if you forget
Activity Feed: Pool keeps track of the photos you’ve sent and received
Save to Camera Roll: Pool saves photos directly to your device.
Pool is not another cloud storage service.

Play Link

To see more of Pool, head over to its new website.

Pushbullet Announces Paid Pro Version, Monthly Fee for “Features Worth Paying For”

Been wondering how Pushbullet, the popular cross-platform messaging/file-sharing/device-syncing service, was ever going to make money? We now know. This morning, the company announced Pushbullet Pro, a paid version of the service that has seen millions of downloads and sign-ups over the past couple of years.

With Pushbullet Pro, the Pushbullet team is going to do its best to justify a monthly (or yearly) subscription by offering up “features worth paying for.” Unfortunately for some, that means features you once enjoyed in the free version (Yes, there is still a free version.), will now become fully paid for features as a part of Pushbullet Pro.

So how much is Pushbullet Pro? You will have two options when signing up for Pro. The first is a $4.99 monthly subscription that is billed monthly. The second is a yearly fee of $39.99, where you will see a discount to about $3.33 per month or $20 overall. If you sign-up right now, you won’t be charged until December 1. If you pay for the yearly account, you can cancel at any time and receive a prorated refund.

What about features? How do they differ from Pro to free? As of today, the differences are that with Pro, you’ll be able to send files up to 1GB vs. up to 25MB in the free version. You will also be allowed up to 100GB of storage space (2GB in free), send unlimited SMS/WhatsApps/Kik/etc. (100/month in free), see actionable mirrored notifications (only mirrored with no actions in free), use universal copy and paste, and gain priority support should you run into issues.

Could Pushbullet have stayed free and inserted ads or sold your data to the highest bidder to make money? Sure, but they decided that they “don’t want to do that” because it would “hurt the Pushbullet experience” and betray your trust.

To sign-up for Pushbullet Pro, head over to the Pushbullet site here.

APK BRO™ - Download APK Android Apps

Sponsors

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Report: LG G5 to Feature Metal Exterior, No More Plastic

Via: etnews

Related Stories

Video: Samsung Galaxy View Hands-on and First Impressions

Related Stories

Google Introduces New Google+ With Revamped UI and Focus on Communities and Collections

Via: Google Blog

Related Stories

Sprint CEO to Make “Major Announcement” Tomorrow

Via: Sprint

Related Stories

DEAL: Nexus 5 32GB in Black or White for $209 in Newegg Flash Sale

Cheers enigmaco!

Related Stories

Google Photos Updated With New Ways to Save Your Storage

Via: +John Elstone

Related Stories

FYI: Google Removed Tasker From Google Play

Via: Google Groups | reddit

Related Stories

Video: SHIELD Tablet K1 Unboxing and Hands-on

Related Stories

Show Off Your Home Screens Day!

Related Stories

NVIDIA Releases the SHIELD Tablet K1, Priced at $199

Related Stories

Mediafire Launches Pool, a Photo Sharing App With Some Smarts

Related Stories

Pushbullet Announces Paid Pro Version, Monthly Fee for “Features Worth Paying For”

Via: Pushbullet

Related Stories

Related Articles

Samsung Galaxy S4 Tips, Tricks, and Tutorials

Topic Panda