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Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Change to Google Drive Makes Finding Files “Super Easy”

An update to Google Drive for desktop and mobile users will have you finding your cloud-stored files much more easily. Once the update has rolled out to all, in the search bar, you will have the ability to select from a variety of file types which will act as a filter for you. If you are looking for a specific PDF, search only through “PDFs.” If you need a picture from last year, search only through “photos and images.”

Once these parent categories are chosen, you have an even deeper list of search filters to choose from, which should really help in discovering the files you need more quickly. These additional filters are for “words used,” date modified, and many more.

Google does not state these changes as an update for any particular app, but will more likely be a server-side change. With that in mind, all users should see these improvements over the next couple of days through their respective platform of choice.

drive_search_update

Via: Google Drive

Change to Google Drive Makes Finding Files “Super Easy” is a post from: Droid Life



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DROID Turbo 2 Will Get Exclusive Star Wars Wallpapers

With Star Wars: The Force Awakens opening in days, it only makes sense that Verizon and Motorola would use their DROID licensing to its full potential. In the coming days, Verizon and Moto will launch DROID Turbo 2 “Star Wars Editions”with 5 Verizon-exclusive wallpapers. 

According to info being sent to Verizon reps, additional information on how Turbo 2 owners can get these 5 wallpapers will arrive “soon,” more than likely through the @DroidLanding Twitter account. At this time, we aren’t sure if they will all be made available to current Turbo 2 owners or if this will only be a special option through new orders in Moto Maker. The image below makes it sounds like this could be a Moto Maker deal, though wallpapers aren’t currently a part of the Turbo 2’s customization experience.

We’ll update this as we have more, but for now, be on the looking for @DroidLanding to go active again.

turbo 2 star wars

DROID Turbo 2 Will Get Exclusive Star Wars Wallpapers is a post from: Droid Life



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5 Reasons the Moto X Pure Edition is Worth Buying

We have been running down the list of top devices from the year of 2015, and we are back again to deliver 5 reasons the Moto X Pure Edition is worth buying. If our official review did not already give you enough reasons, or you just didn’t take the time to read it due to length, then this post will provide an easily digestible list of great reasons you should consider purchasing this smartphone.

Thanks to a large QHD display, personalization options through Moto Maker, and a very attractive price for an unlocked device that works on any major US carrier, I would say there are not many reasons you shouldn’t be considering this phone.

Here are 5 reasons the Moto X Pure Edition is worth buying.

moto x pure edition review-4

1. Motorola <3 stock Android.

The past couple of years, Motorola has been shipping their devices with no OEM skin on top, but instead, are simply adding in software modifications that actually benefit owners. For example, we now have Moto Display, Moto Voice, and gesture actions, all of which I find myself using quite often, especially Moto Display. Before this, Motorola had Motoblur, which may have been arguably one of the worst Android OEM skins ever to ship. It was ugly, slow, and just plain bad.

With Motorola embracing Google’s stock Android, we have found the update process to be much faster, at least with this phone, which is always a major bonus for Android owners. With the Moto X Pure Edition, we have seen a timely update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, with updates rolling out as we speak to those on most US carriers, as well as units purchased from Motorola’s website. When OEMs embrace stock Android, but continue to work in beneficial software additions, it’s a win-win for everyone.

2. Endless customization options.

On Moto Maker, you can customize this phone to your little heart’s content. Not that long ago, phones came sometimes in one color, maybe two. On a few of the newer flagship devices from Samsung and HTC, you can maybe choose between 3 to 5 colors. With Motorola’s Moto Maker website, you can choose between not only colors, but materials. For example, if you want genuine Horween leather on your phone, or even a natural option such as Bamboo, you can do that. As consumers who crave for choice and custom designs, Moto Maker is far beyond what anyone else is currently offering buyers in the personalization department.

moto x pure edition-4

3. The camera is quite usable.

Unlike Motorola cameras from years back, the Moto X Pure Edition features arguably the best camera sensor Motorola has ever placed into a smartphone. Unlike the Moto X (1st Gen) and Moto X (2nd Gen), which both really needed the perfect set of circumstances to capture a decent shot, the Moto X Pure Edition’s 21MP sensor can handle many different environments with ease, including low light. We have gone over the camera’s usability in our full review, which I recommend you check out. If you decide to grab a Moto X Pure Edition, don’t worry about the camera, it’s solid.

4. It’s affordable and works anywhere.

The Moto X Pure Edition has a starting price of $399 for a 16GB model, featuring a 5.7″ QHD display, Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB of RAM, 21MP rear-facing camera, and 3,000mAh battery. But again, it’s not just internals you need to be factoring here. With Moto Maker, you can change the look of the phone however you see fit, and unless you change the backside to wood, leather, or upgrade the memory, you will still only pay $399. A few of the upgrades available on Moto Maker, such as a bump to 32GB of internal storage, will run you just $50. For example, if you go with the highest storage amount, which is 64GB, plus throw on leather, white champagne accents and framing, your grand total will be $525. That is still one heck of a deal, if you ask me.

Once you have your phone, you can then choose whichever carrier you want here in the US. You can use the device on Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, US Cellular, or any other number of prepaid services offered across the country. That’s the beauty of purchasing a completely unlocked device that features all of the LTE bands you need.

moto x pure edition marshmallow

5. The same Moto build quality you expect.

Ever since we got the first DROID phone years ago, Motorola has not strayed too far from making hardware we can depend on. It’s always well built, able to take the regular wear and tear we pound into phones. And regardless of who owns the company, we highly doubt this will ever change – it’s part of Motorola’s DNA. I have been using my Moto X Pure Edition for a solid month+ now, only taking partial breaks due to reviewing other devices. I am not the most careful of people with expensive electronics, and really, this phone has held up considerably well; even with its surprisingly soft leather backside. Even on the more affordable devices, such as the Moto G and Moto E, they are well constructed, always feeling solid in-hand. If you don’t want backside glass from Samsung, all-metal construction from HTC, or plastic from LG, Motorola is a great choice.

There you have it, 5 reasons why the Moto X Pure Edition is worth buying.

5 Reasons the Moto X Pure Edition is Worth Buying is a post from: Droid Life



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How to: Sign-Up for Google Play Music Family Plan

This morning, during Google’s announcement of their new Play Music family plan, they would only offer a launch date of in the “coming days.” However, with the press of a button or two, we seem to be able to sign-up today, as long as you have your Play Music Android app handy.

This is how we are doing it. 

To sign-up for a Google Play Music family plan, start by opening your Play Music Android app. Then, jump into Settings and look towards the top where all of your Account information is. If you aren’t a current subscriber, then click the “Start free trial” button and proceed to the next screen where you get to choose a plan. If you are a current subscriber, but aren’t seeing the option to “Upgrade to family plan,” tapping the “Refresh” button seems to make it instantly appear. Once you see it, tap “Upgrade to family plan.”

family plan12 family plan11

If you are a current subscriber and are upgrading, all you need to do now is follow the prompts to upgrade to the family plan. If you aren’t a current subscriber, then on the next screen, you’ll likely have to tap the “Other Plans” option when you see the orange screen below. Once you tap that, you should see a “Family” option on a blue screen, along with the individual plan. Tap “Family” and get to signing up!

family plan10 family plan2 family plan9

After choosing the “Family” option, you are then taken through the account setup portion. The first screen tells you that you are the family manager, which means you are in control of the payment method and who belongs in your family. The page after that allows you to invite up to 5 people to join your family, followed by another page that lets you select the members. Once you select members, a “Send” button then sends them an email invitation to join your group.

As you can see from the shots below, people don’t actually have to be in your immediate family. They just need to be 13 years or older, have a Google account, and live in the same country. They also can’t belong to another family on Google Play. More on those specifics here.

family plan8 family plan7 family plan6

Once you send off invitations, you are taken to a payment screen, where you tell Google Play how you plan to pay for your Play Music family plan. After that, feel free to go about enjoying your paid music subscription.

If you want, you can manage who is in your family through the settings section of Google Play Music (middle screenshot below). You can also control them from your Google Play account in the My Account tab of the slideout menu, because your family also gets to buy apps, games, movies, and other goodies through Google Play if you specify a family payment method. More on that here.

family plan4 family plan1 google play family2

And that’s it! That is how you get signed up today for Google Play Music’s family plan.

How to: Sign-Up for Google Play Music Family Plan is a post from: Droid Life



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Google Play Family Groups Arrive for Buying Apps and More With a Family Payment Method

Today’s big headline may have been that Google Play Music’s family plan would arrive this week, but behind the scenes, another big new feature has arrived in the form of Family groups on Google Play. With a “family” on Google Play, you will have the opportunity to setup a payment method for your family to use to purchase goods, like apps, games, and other offerings on Google Play. 

I first noticed the new feature when signing up for Google Play Music’s family plan. The screenshot at the top of this post showed up, which clearly states that a family on Google Play can “Purchase apps, movies, books, and music on Google Play with a family payment method.” And sure enough, if I open Google Play and go into the My Account section, I can see a new section called “My Family,” along with a “Change family payment method” option. That’s awesome news!

Here are some screenshots of this new section in Google Play:

google play family2 google play family3 google play family1

You can see there that you can have a total of six people in a family group, all of which can be maintained within the My Account section of Google Play. From there, you will also see an option to selection that family payment method that everyone can use, which includes a Google Wallet Card.

As of now, I was only able to initiate a family when I setup my Play Music family plan, but that could be changing shortly. Also, as we noted earlier, this all appears to only be available to personal Google accounts. I tried to add my Google for Work account to my family and it failed.

We’ve got more coming, including a quick tutorial on how to sign-up for the Google Play Music family plan.

Google Play Family Groups Arrive for Buying Apps and More With a Family Payment Method is a post from: Droid Life



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FYI: Google for Work Accounts Not Supported in Google Music’s Family Plan

So I just opened up my Google Play Music app and cruised into Settings to try to sign-up for the new family plan, but I can’t. Nope, I can’t. Because I use a Google for Work or (GApps) account, I am apparently barred from doing so. According to the screenshot above, you have to sign-up using a personal Google account only. 

That’s unfortunate for one major reason. My Google for Work account is the account I basically use for everything, including Google Play Music. I have all of my playlists and my library attached to this account. If I want to use Google’s new family plan, I now have to switch over to a personal account and basically start over from zero. That’s a whole bunch of years of work I don’t really want to get into, again. Ugh.

I guess…I’ll start getting to work on that personal account…see you in three years.

FYI: Google for Work Accounts Not Supported in Google Music’s Family Plan is a post from: Droid Life



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FYI: Chrome to Phone Won’t Work After March 31, 2016

For those among you still utilizing Google’s old Chrome to Phone application, you best find an alternative before March 31, 2016. As stated in the app’s description on Google Play, Google is shutting down the service entirely on March 31, laying the aging app to rest once and for all. 

Most, if not all of Chrome to Phone’s features are doable from the Chrome browser already, so this news should not sadden many. Sending directions to your phone is easy enough, as well as syncing tabs from the desktop to your phone’s Chrome app. Really, Chrome to Phone should have been removed long ago, but Google might be having a hard time letting go.

Chrome to Phone was launched in 2010 to help bridge your desktop and phone experience by making it easy to send Web links to your phone. Over the years, Google’s core products have evolved to be more integrated across different form factors. As of today, Chrome to Phone is deprecated. The app will continue to work until March 31st 2016 after which it will no longer work.

Until March 31, you can enjoy Chrome to Phone as you have for years, but on that day, it shuts down.

RIP, Chrome to Phone.

Play Link
Cheers Matt!

FYI: Chrome to Phone Won’t Work After March 31, 2016 is a post from: Droid Life



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Moto E (2nd Gen) Will Get Marshmallow After All! Just Not in the US…

Motorola caught a bunch of flack in October after they provided a list of devices that they planned to update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. They pissed people off because the list didn’t include the Moto X (2nd gen) on Verizon or AT&T, which was a phone a year old, or the Moto E (2nd gen), an even newer phone.  Today, they brought some decent news surrounding the latter, though it still won’t please all. 

In an update to their original blog post about updates, Motorola has added the Moto E (2nd gen) to the list. Unfortunately, Motorola is leaving out the US and China, instead only offering the update to Canada, Latin America, Europe and parts of Asia. Mmmmhmm.

So the Moto X (2nd gen) on AT&T and Verizon is still left out, as is the Moto E (2nd gen) in this country.

Oh, but the Moto X Force, Turbo 2, and Maxx 2 were added to the list, if that matters.

Via:  Motorola

Moto E (2nd Gen) Will Get Marshmallow After All! Just Not in the US… is a post from: Droid Life



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DEAL: Nexus 7 (2013) WiFi Plus Travel Cover for $99

Look, this may seem like an odd deal to share, since the Nexus 7 (2013) is over two years old, but Google is still supporting it! This is one of the few tablets on the planet that is already running Android 6.0 Marshmallow. That’s a big deal, especially knowing you can pick one up for just $99 at Groupon.

Groupon is currently selling the device with 16GB of storage in “new” condition. They are also tossing in a travel cover in a variety of colors at no extra cost and providing free shipping. See, that’s a deal even on a 2-year old tablet.

As a recap, the Nexus 7 (2013) has a 7-inch 1920×1200 display, 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB RAM, and both front and back cameras. It’s still very capable, should you be interested in a tablet without the high price.

Groupon Link

DEAL: Nexus 7 (2013) WiFi Plus Travel Cover for $99 is a post from: Droid Life



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New Yorkers, Visit the Nexus Studio Tonight at 5pm

Want to party with Google tonight at the Nexus Studio in New York City? Tonight at 5pm EST, the doors will open at 356 W 12th St in New York City, where you can go hands-on with interactive Nexus experiments, drink from the bar, and much more.  

According to a reader of ours who attended last night, Google had product engineers and managers on-hand to talk shop, there to answer any burning questions you might have. And the best part is, there is no invite required. However, do note, space is limited.

So, if you don’t have any plans, bring the kids to the Nexus Studio and have a bit of fun.

Via: @googlenexus
Cheers Sean!

New Yorkers, Visit the Nexus Studio Tonight at 5pm is a post from: Droid Life



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AT&T Users With Moto X Pure Edition Now Getting Marshmallow Update Too

Update:  AT&T users of the Moto X Pure Edition are now getting Marshmallow as well, according to an update posted by Motorola’s David Schuster this morning.


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

AT&T Users With Moto X Pure Edition Now Getting Marshmallow Update Too is a post from: Droid Life



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Google Play Music Family Plan Finally Arrives!

This morning, Google announced that the Google Play Music family plan will be available in the “coming days!” After initially announcing a family plan back at the end of September during the company’s Marshmallow and Nexus event, we were starting to wonder if it would actually ever arrive. 

As was stated a couple of months back, the Google Play Music family plan costs $14.99 per month and allows up to six family members to connect and stream music. When subscribed, all members of the plan get access to Google’s 35 million+ song collection, ad-free streaming of radio, and simultaneous playback from multiple users (Finally!).

As an added bonus, the family plan also includes access to YouTube Red, which is Google’s ad-free YouTube experience. So you get access to Google Play Music and YouTube Red for $14.99 per month as a family of up to six. That’s a heck of a deal.

Again, the service should arrive on Android in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, France, and Germany shortly.

Via:  Android Blog

Google Play Music Family Plan Finally Arrives! is a post from: Droid Life



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Cortana Exits Beta, Available for Select Android and Cyanogen OS Powered Devices

Cortana, the digital assistant made to be the perfect companion for Windows users, has officially exited beta, made available to a number of select iPhone, Android, and Cyanogen OS powered devices. In late August, a public beta was made available of Cortana, and since then, the Cortana team at Microsoft has been consistently adding features and fixing bugs. 

In this public release, there are new features that include location-based reminders that can be set from any connected device, the ability to have Cortana reply back to missed calls from your Windows PC, plus flight and package tracking right from your phone.

Looking through the list of compatible Android smartphones, it’s virtually all of them. If you have a phone build in the last two years, it is likely supported.

The public release is available right now on Google Play for all of you to play with.

Play Link

Via: Windows

Cortana Exits Beta, Available for Select Android and Cyanogen OS Powered Devices is a post from: Droid Life



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DEAL: Nexus 5X is $50 Off Almost Everywhere

If you missed out on the $80 off deal that Google hosted for the Nexus 5X over Cyber Weekend, try not to be too disappointed in yourself, as you still have a chance this week to grab this year’s smaller Nexus for a solid $50 off.

Both the 16GB and 32GB models have been slashed by $50 in all colors, white, black, and ice. For the 16GB version, you are looking at $329. The 32GB version will drop in at $379, which is the normal retail price of the 16GB model.

You can find the Nexus 5X with discounting pricing a variety of retailers, including the ones we linked below.

Links:  Amazon | Best Buy | B&H Photo | Google Store

DEAL: Nexus 5X is $50 Off Almost Everywhere is a post from: Droid Life



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Download: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow OTA Updates for Nexus Devices

With Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow official and ready for your device in the form of a factory image, it only makes sense that we would start to see the over-the-air (OTA) .zip files arriving as well. We have begun to capture many below and will continue to update this post regularly until we have them all. You may just want to bookmark this post.

As a recap, we have two Android 6.0.1 builds at this time as MMB29K and MMB29M. The updates feature December security fixes, but also introduce a whole bunch of new emoji, along with a new font to Android at a system level. Other than that, there isn’t much else that is new. Still, because we have security fixes here, you’ll want to update as soon as possible.

The files and instructions on what to do with them can be found below. 


Download Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow OTA updates:

  • Nexus 5 – – Link Incoming!
  • Nexus 5X – [MMB29K from MDB08L, 76.5MB] – Download Link
  • Nexus 5X – [MMB29K from MDB08M, 76.0MB]- Download Link
  • Nexus 6 – – Link Incoming!
  • Nexus 6P – [MMB29M from MDB08L, 75.5MB] – Download Link
  • Nexus 6P – [MMB29M from MDB08M, 74.4MB] – Download Link
  • Nexus 7 (2013) WiFi – – Link Incoming!
  • Nexus 7 (2013) LTE – [MMB29K from MRA58V, 64.9MB] – Download Link
  • Nexus 7 (2013) LTE – [MMB29K from LMY48X, 343MB] – Download Link
  • Nexus 9 WiFi – [MMB29K from MRA58N, 169MB] – Download Link
  • Nexus 9 LTE – [MMB29K from MRA58N, 168MB] – Download Link
  • Nexus Player – [MMB29M from MRA58N, 63.4MB] – Download Link

Big thanks to the guys at Droidsec.org who were ultra-quick in capturing many of these.

*Note – In order to flash a .zip file in adb, be sure to match up the build number on the file to your current or the update will fail. For example, look at the new build number in brackets followed by the build number that it’s coming “from.” In your Settings>About screen, you will want to match up to the “from” build number.

For instructions to sideload using adb, check here. For instructions on how to grab an OTA file, check here.

Download: Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow OTA Updates for Nexus Devices is a post from: Droid Life



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Pushbullet Update Gives Remote File Access to Your Devices

In one of its first major updates since announcing paid Pro accounts, Pushbullet has introduced a pretty big new feature in remote file sharing. With remote file sharing, Pushbullet is giving you file access to any of your devices from any of your devices, as long as they have Pushbullet installed and are connected to the internet.

The idea here is pretty straight forward in that you’ll have a Remote Files section from within Pushbullet that shows you a list of the devices available to access. All you have to do is tap on one, then start browsing away before making a request on a file to have it sent over to your device in hand. You can do this from anywhere (Ex: phone with you in New York, computer back home in Portland.) in the world, as long as your devices have internet connections. Make sense? 

The feature is turned off by default, which is good, because we don’t want privacy freaks getting tighter anuses than they already have. To enable, at least on Android, you can swipe out the side menu, tap “Remote Files,” and then enable. On Windows, you will find a box in Settings that needs to be checked. If you are on a Mac, you are out of luck, as this new feature isn’t yet supported.

Oh, you were wondering if this is a Pro or free feature? Well, it’s both. If you are using a free account, you can request access to a limited number of files per month. If you are a Pro member, there is no limit.

An update is available now on Android to enable Remote Files.

Screen Shot 2015-12-09 at 6.57.02 AMScreen Shot 2015-12-09 at 6.57.09 AM

Via: Pushbullet

Pushbullet Update Gives Remote File Access to Your Devices is a post from: Droid Life



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