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Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Bye Bye, Nexus 6!

Google has officially pulled the plug on selling last year’s Nexus 6 from Motorola on the Google Store. After a good ride, the device has been sent out to greener pastures, but don’t worry, there are plenty of other options available these days. 

While Google has stopped selling our beloved 6″ Shamu, owners won’t need to worry about support dying along with it. After all, this is still a relatively new Nexus device we are talking about. Owners should continue to see timely Android updates for at least another solid year and maybe even beyond.

If you feel so inclined, you can always find the Nexus 6 on sale through eBay for pretty darn cheap, as well as Amazon ($349).

Farewell, Nexus 6!

Google Store Link

Bye Bye, Nexus 6! is a post from: Droid Life



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HTC Vive Set to Launch in April of 2016

HTC’s VR headset, Vive, now has an official launch timeframe – April of 2016. First debuted back in early March, the Vive headset has made its way to select developers and tech shows across the country, mostly impressing anyone who tries it out. Now, HTC is confident they will be ready to deliver a consumer model of Vive by April. 

According to a post on HTC’s official blog, the company will make an additional 7,000 units available to developers early next year, so as to beef up the product’s ecosystem. Then, if all goes well, we should see an official consumer launch.

We will be starting the new year by making an additional 7,000 units available to developers, followed by commercial availability in April 2016. We are incredibly excited about the future and look forward to sharing more information as we move forward towards launch.

As you may have seen across the Internet, tech journos can’t seem to get enough of Vive. They love it. Why? Vive offers one of the more immersive VR experiences, and hopefully, HTC will be able to deliver that same experience to actual paying consumers next year.

Is Vive on your watchlist?

Via: HTC

HTC Vive Set to Launch in April of 2016 is a post from: Droid Life



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Marshmallow Update Rolling Out to Moto X Pure Edition on Verizon, Sprint, US Cellular

Big news today from Motorola’s David Schuster on Google+, as he announced that the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update should now be rolling out to owners of the Moto X Pure Edition on Verizon, Sprint, and US Cellular. 

Recently, a soak test of Marshmallow was hitting enrolled devices, and with this announcement, we would say that the soak test went well. Owners on Verizon, Sprint, and US Cellular should expect to see the update starting today, but if you are not prompted by a notification, don’t worry, it will come soon.

Marshmallow brings Google’s Doze and Google Now on Tap, as well as fixes for many things inside of the Android OS. We have been running the Marshmallow build on the Moto X Pure Edition for a few days now, and so far, it’s been great.

Are you pumped for your Marshmallow?

Via: +David Schuster

Marshmallow Update Rolling Out to Moto X Pure Edition on Verizon, Sprint, US Cellular is a post from: Droid Life



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Deal: Buy a Innori Virtual Reality Headset for Just $34

Still have yet to try out VR for your smartphone? Don’t worry, we got just the thing for you. On the DL Deals Store, you can pick up an Innori Virtual Realty Headset for only $34, down from its usual price of $50. 

With the Innori VR headset, setting up your experience is made easy. All you need to do is lock your phone into the headset (any smartphone featuring a display size of 3.5″-5.7” is supported), adjust the straps for a comfortable fit on your head, make sure the lens is adjusted for proper viewing, and then enjoy the ride.

You can enjoy all of the great VR content already made available from Google and YouTube, or download plenty of other things to do straight from the web. And for only $34, this will certainly beat out that $5 piece of cardboard you might be using.

Features

  • Adjustable straps maximize comfort & optimize viewing experience
  • High-quality lens technology keeps images pure & distortion-free
  • Viewing angles range up to 98-degrees in either direction
  • Adjustable features allow you to easily adjust distance & size of images

Deal Link

Deal: Buy a Innori Virtual Reality Headset for Just $34 is a post from: Droid Life



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OnHub Makers Program Determined to Make Routers Pretty

We all know that to get the best WiFi signals, routers are supposed to be unobstructed in an open area of your house. However, that often means leaving a less-than-attractive box sitting where visitors can see it. OnHub, Google’s own WiFi router, announced a new program hoping to change that.

Google and OnHub have put out a call to all the crafty makers and designers that use their products to see what they could do to reimagine their new TP-LINK router design. The results are pretty awesome. As seen on OnHub’s Makers page, designers turned in everything from a shell made of fur and wood to a knitted wool container.

While the more unique designs are likely to stay within the designers’ spaces, OnHub has interchangeable shells for the TP-LINK router coming to the Google Store soon. When they go on sale, there will be three separate looks for those looking to add a bit of flair to their homes.

And if you are not impressed by anything you have seen thus far, OnHub is giving you a chance to back up your design skills. OnHub is providing CAD schematics and 2D drawings to help get you started if you want to make your own awesome router shell. Just be sure to tag your creation with #OnHubMakers and your creation could be featured on the Makers page.

OnHub Makers Link

Via: @Google

OnHub Makers Program Determined to Make Routers Pretty is a post from: Droid Life



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Samsung Pay Support for Gear S2 Pushed to 2016

It was previously believed that Samsung Pay support for the Gear S2 smartwatch would be launched in November, but as you may know, it is now well into December. Thankfully, instead of leaving consumers completely in the dark, Samsung has reached out to a single person on Twitter who asked nicely, declaring that Samsung Pay support for the Gear S2 won’t be arriving until 2016. 

Samsung has released no official announcement regarding the delay of Samsung Pay for the Gear S2, but now that Samsung sent out that tweet, it is now safe to accept the fact that mobile payments won’t hit your Gear S2 until next year.

The Gear S2, unlike Samsung’s latest smartphones, features no MST, which is the technology that differentiates Samsung Pay from other services such as Android Pay and Apple Pay. However, the Gear S2 does feature NFC (which Samsung Pay also utilizes), which will be the technology used to make mobile payments possible on the smartwatch.

Interestingly, this delay should not come as too much of a surprise. In early November, it was said that Samsung Pay support would launch in 2016 for what was thought to be another smartwatch device entirely, and not the Gear S2. After that was posted, we reached out to Samsung for clarification, but never received an answer back.

For anyone who purchased this smartwatch, hoping they would be doing Christmas shopping from their wrist, this news may come as a downer. Although, looking on the bright side, at least Samsung gave us the 2016 timeline. That’s better than no info at all.

Via: SamMobile | @SamsungMobileUS

Samsung Pay Support for Gear S2 Pushed to 2016 is a post from: Droid Life



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Android Distribution Updated for December 2015 – Marshmallow Hits 0.5%!

Google updated its Android Distribution numbers today, detailing the updates inside of the Android ecosystem as a whole. For the month of December, while nothing crazy happened, Marshmallow did see a major jump from 0.3% to a solid 0.5%. That’s huge. Lollipop also saw a bit of a jump, going from 25.6% to 29.5%. 

KitKat now sits at 36.6% (from 37.8%), Jelly Bean at 26.9% (from 29%), and Ice Cream Sandwich at 2.9% (from 3.3%). Gingerbread (3.4%) and Froyo (0.2%) did not see much fluctuation over November’s numbers.

You can see last month’s numbers here.

Via: Android Developers

Android Distribution Updated for December 2015 – Marshmallow Hits 0.5%! is a post from: Droid Life



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Chicago and Los Angeles Being Explored for Google Fiber

Two of the largest metro areas in the United States have been officially invited to explore the option of embracing Google Fiber. The Google Fiber team has started the inquiry process with Los Angeles and Chicago, in an effort to bring gigabit internet speeds to a combined 6 million+ people.    

Posted this morning to the Google Fiber blog, the two enormous cities are officially on the clock if they want to offer this internet service to its residents. In the post, the Fiber team said that it has been working to refine the process, and now feel comfortable to attempt to bring it to two of the largest cities in the United States.

This is a very preliminary stage of the Fiber rollout, so it could be a while before residents of these cities see sign-ups begin, but the Fiber team said it is talking to city officials to see what can be done. Past cities have been offered three pricing options for Google Fiber, including a free basic internet tier, Gigabit internet, and Gigabit internet + TV. Monthly pricing and installation costs are usually announced once rollout is closer to completion.

In the post, the Fiber team “can’t guarantee that we’ll be able to bring Fiber to Chicago or Los Angeles,” since something this size is, “a huge undertaking.” Nevertheless, it’s an exciting prospect for both of these metro areas, so be sure to let your city leaders hear it if you live in those areas.

Via:  Google Fiber

Chicago and Los Angeles Being Explored for Google Fiber is a post from: Droid Life



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Google Pixel C Specs (Official)

Now that Google’s new Pixel C tablet has gone up for sale on the Google Store for $499, we thought it was time to give you the official specs list. As a Google-built tablet in the Pixel line, you expect there to be nothing but the best in this slate and Google doesn’t disappoint.

Google is giving you a super high-res LCD display at 10.2-inches and 2560×1800, a anodized aluminum body, NVIDIA Tegra X1 with Maxwell GPU, 3GB RAM, 32GB or 64GB of storage,  8MP/2MP cameras, USB Type-C port, 802.11ac and 2×2 MIMO WiFi, and the latest version of Android, which is currently Marshmallow.

Here are the official Google Pixel C specs. 

Operating System Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Display 10.2 inches
2560 x 1800 (308 PPI)
500 nits
√2 aspect ratio
sRGB color gamut
1500:1 contrast ratio
LTPS LCD
In-cell touchscreen
Dimensions 242 x 179 x 7 mm
Weight 0.517 kg
Material Anodized Aluminum
Color Silver
Processor NVIDIA Tegra X1 with Maxwell GPU
Memory RAM: 3 GB LPDDR4
Internal storage: 32 GB or 64 GB
Cameras Rear: 8 MP
Front: 2 MP
Audio Stereo speakers
Quad microphones
3.5 mm audio out
Battery 34.2 Wh
Power 15W USB Type-C adapter
Wireless Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac², 2x2 MIMO, dual-band (2.4 GHz, 5.0 GHz)
Bluetooth 4.1 + HS
Ports USB Type-C, 3.5 mm audio
Sensors Gyroscope
Accelerometer
Ambient Light Sensor
Proximity Sensor
Compass
Hall Effect Sensor

Google Pixel C Specs (Official) is a post from: Droid Life



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Amazon Prime Video Brings Premium Subscriptions Including Showtime and Starz

In the never-ending battle for streaming video subscribers, Amazon announced the Streaming Partners Program, aimed to bring more on-demand content to Prime members. If you are one of the Amazon Prime members who often forgets the streaming video included in your membership, like myself, Amazon is offering discounts and benefits on premium subscriptions like Showtime and Starz.   

Step one to this program is signing up for Amazon Prime, if you aren’t already, and heading to Amazon’s Prime Video landing page. Once there, you can browse through a few of the premium services that Amazon has partnered with. Adding one of these premium subscriptions isn’t completely free, but Amazon is giving free trials to these subscriptions to start, and discounted monthly rates if you decide you like one enough to keep it. It looks like prices will vary from service to service, but services like Showtime and Starz will cost you $8.99 each month in addition to your Prime subscription.

Unfortunately, Amazon can’t foot the bill for the entire monthly subscription cost, but there are other features of this service that could come in pretty handy, specifically the fact that the latest episodes of shows will be available for online watching simultaneously with the broadcast. And giving users the ability to manage all these subscriptions from one place and integration with Fire TV could make this a pretty attractive option if you are in that ecosystem already.

These subscription add-ons are live for Prime members today.

Via:  Amazon

Amazon Prime Video Brings Premium Subscriptions Including Showtime and Starz is a post from: Droid Life



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Google’s Pixel C Tablet Now Available on the Google Store

Google’s in-house designed and built tablet, the Pixel C, is now available on the Google Store starting at $499. First reported on September 28, then made official one day later at Google’s Marshmallow launch event, the Pixel C is Mountain View’s take on an ultra premium Android tablet.

For those who enjoy breaking away from norm, a keyboard accessory is available for $150, bringing your grand total to $649 for a 32GB tablet. A 64GB model is also available for $599. For specs, the Pixel C comes with a 10.2″ (2560 x 1800) display, Tegra X1 processor from NVIDIA, Maxwell GPU, 3GB of RAM, and USB Type-C.

The Pixel C also comes running Marshmallow out of the box, and given its direct tie to Google, you can expect very timely updates for Android.

Are you picking one up?

Note: Edit – It’s live.

Google Store Link (Keyboard here)

Via: Google

Google’s Pixel C Tablet Now Available on the Google Store is a post from: Droid Life



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WiFi Calling Update for Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge Live on Verizon

Yesterday, support docs pointed to an incoming update for the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge on Verizon, one which would bring WiFi Calling, a part of Advanced Calling 2.0. According to messages in our inbox and on Twitter, the update is rolling out now, hitting a couple of our Galaxy S6 owning readers. 

As stated in the docs from yesterday, the update includes Advanced Calling 2.0, VoWiFi (WiFi Calling), HiFi Audio, Live Video Broadcast, an ALM fix, and a wireless charging fix.

In general, Advanced Calling 2.0 will expand on what AC 1.0 already delivered, which was HD Calling and Video Calling over Verizon’s LTE network. These features are available to a large number of phones through the stock dialer and are free to Verizon customers with supported phones. You can see those phones here.

The updates will arrive as G920VVRU4BOK7 for the Galaxy S6 and G925VVRU4BOK7 for the Galaxy S6 Edge.

Cheers Paul and Jesse!

WiFi Calling Update for Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge Live on Verizon is a post from: Droid Life



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Instagram Update Brings “Long Press” Peak Feature to Android

In an update made available to Instagram’s beta users, a new feature has been baked in, which may have you thinking you are using an iPhone. Much like Apple’s 3D Touch, which allows users to long press on items and peak into them, when you are on a profile page or the search menu of the updated Instagram app, you can now long press on thumbnails of photos and videos, peaking into what they have to offer. 

Instagram has been adding cool features often, like multi-account support, which was subsequently removed almost immediately after it debuted. So far, we are most impressed with this peaking feature, so we hope Instagram decides not to remove it.

We have recorded a video below, detailing this snazzy feature.

For those without access to this beta update, you can find a direct download to the apk right here for your enjoyment.

Play Link

Instagram Update Brings “Long Press” Peak Feature to Android is a post from: Droid Life



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Fossil Q Founder Android Wear Watch Can Now be Purchased on the Google Store

Fossil, the fashion watch maker that is taking a dip in the smartwatch pool, is now selling its first Android Wear device, the Q Founder, on the Google Store. After originally only going on sale through Fossil’s own site, you can now buy this round wrist candy from Google, if that serves a better purpose for you. 

At $295, the watch is reasonably priced, especially for what you get. Fossil has packed in a 1.5-inch round LCD display (with flat tire and is likely the same as the display in the Moto 360), 38mm case, Intel Atom processor, 1GB RAM, 4GB storage, a stainless steel body, 400mAh battery, WiFi, Bluetooth, IP67 water resistance, and a 22mm quick-release stainless steel band. It’s also a pretty good looking watch.

There is also a $275 version with a leather strap instead of the stainless band, but it is not currently available.

Play Link

Fossil Q Founder Android Wear Watch Can Now be Purchased on the Google Store is a post from: Droid Life



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