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Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Poll: Do You Use Home Screen Widgets Still?

Way back in the day, Android widgets were my thing. I rocked Beautiful Widgets, a Gmail widget, DashClock, Sound Search widget, and a few more that I can’t recall right off. These days, I feel old and lame, using a single widget from the stock Clock app on my phone. It’s not very cool.

Times have changed, I suppose. I don’t feel the need to have all of that information cluttering my home screen, and instead, I was a minimalistic look with quick access to the apps I frequently use. It might have also been the performance drag some widgets caused due to improper optimizations made for Android. Whatever the cause was, at this point, I’m over widgets.

Tell us, do you still widgets? If so, which ones can’t you live without?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Poll: Do You Use Home Screen Widgets Still? is a post from: Droid Life



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Report: No More Android Wear Devices From Samsung

Not that anyone was expecting to see one, but according to Fast Company, who spoke with executives of Samsung, there are no future plans for a Samsung-made Android Wear device. The only Android Wear smartwatch Samsung ever released was the Gear Live, which was made available after Google I/O in 2014. Since then, Samsung has used Tizen, its in-house operating system, exclusively for wearables. 

However, while that news should not alarm or upset anyone, the Samsung executive (no name provided), stated that Android Wear is not as battery-efficient as Tizen. No doubt, Android Wear and smartwatches in general have a ways to go in the battery department, but is Tizen really that much better?

Back when Kellen was using the Gear S2 (powered by Tizen), he never mentioned incredible battery life, which leads us to believe its not just battery life that turns Samsung away from Android Wear. Could it be that Samsung has already invested a ton in its own wearable ecosystem? That seems more likely.

Whatever the reasoning may be, don’t expect a Samsung Android Wear watch anytime soon.

Here, you can borrow my tissue to wipe the tears.

Via: Fast Company

Report: No More Android Wear Devices From Samsung is a post from: Droid Life



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AT&T Confirms: $45 and $60 GoPhone Prepaid Plans Get More Data This Week

Yesterday, we reported changes coming soon to AT&T’s GoPhone plans that would reward each with more data without a price hike. AT&T has now confirmed and announced the plan changes, which will arrive this Friday. 

As we noted yesterday, both the $45 and $60 plans are getting more data, with the $45 plan going from 2GB to 3GB data per month, while the $60 plan is jumping from 5GB to 6GB. Again, that is all happening without a price hike.

Also, keep in mind that you can receive a $5 per month discount on each if you sign-up for autopay.

If you are already a GoPhone customer, the increase in data will attach itself to your account automatically – you don’t need to do anything to get it.

Via:  AT&T

AT&T Confirms: $45 and $60 GoPhone Prepaid Plans Get More Data This Week is a post from: Droid Life



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T-Mobile’s Samsung Galaxy S5 Gets Marshmallow Update

Yesterday, T-Mobile began pushing an update of Android 6.0 to the…wait for it…Samsung Galaxy S5. Yeah, that old bird. Sweet, right?

The update is showing up as either software version G900T3UVU1GPE1 or G900TUVU1GPE1, depending on, something. Honestly, I have no idea why T-Mobile has two different variants of the Galaxy S5 cruising around that need different software versions. You want to complain about fragmentation… 

Each update weighs in at right around 1GB and appears to require a WiFi connection or installation via Samsung Smart Switch for PCs.

Go get it!

Via:  T-Mobile

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T-Mobile’s Samsung Galaxy S5 Gets Marshmallow Update is a post from: Droid Life



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Reported OnePlus 3 Specs Include Snapdragon 820, 5.5″ 1080p Display, NFC

As we near the apparent unveiling of the OnePlus 3 from OnePlus, additional details are hitting the web, this time from Evan Blass. According to Blass, the OnePlus 3 specs will include a Qualcomm-made Snapdragon 820 processor, 5.5-inch 1080p (FHD) display, 64GB of onboard storage, 16 megapixel rear-facing camera, as well as NFC. Yes, you read that correctly — NFC! The aforementioned specifications align perfectly with what we have reported previously.

From the previous roundup of rumors, there may still be two OnePlus 3 models featuring varying amounts of RAM and onboard storage. The more premium model would feature 6GB of RAM, while the lesser model would have just 4GB. Not that 4GB of RAM is scoff-worthy by any means. It is also reported that the phone will feature a USB Type-C port, same as the OnePlus 2.

We still do not have a confirmed unveiling or launch date for the OnePlus 3, but the company recently hyped up a brand new virtual reality headset, leading many to believe the launch will take place in VR.

We’ll keep you posted on anymore details, but in the meantime, be stoked about the possibility of NFC and mobile payments.

Via: @evleaks

Reported OnePlus 3 Specs Include Snapdragon 820, 5.5″ 1080p Display, NFC is a post from: Droid Life



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RIP, Nexus Player.

The Nexus Player, Google’s original Android TV set-top box, is now gone from the Google Store and has been sold out (or removed) at most retailers for months. Yes, the end has come to the low-spec’d little media streamer and we may not miss it, outside of its low price. 

It was a decent initial entry to the Android TV platform for the price, especially with included remote, but it always lacked the power needed to run most apps or games and was certainly a “jank” list topper. This device truly was a Nexus, in that it was nothing more than a showcase for what could be possible with Android TV, rather than the best-of-the-best that all should try to beat.

One has to wonder if a new Nexus Player will show in place of the now-retired Nexus offering, or if Google will let third party manufacturers take it from here. After all, the SHIELD Android TV from NVIDIA is about as top tier as it gets for a media streaming box, but we also have options on the way from companies like Xiaomi that will certainly be worth a look.

You used to be able to find the Nexus Player at this link.

RIP, Nexus Player. is a post from: Droid Life



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Google Cast Offer Gets You 3 Months of YouTube Red for $0.99, Which Means Google Play Music Too

YouTube Red, the ad-free version of YouTube that also includes a subscription to Google Play Music at a price of $9.99 per month, can be had as a Google Cast (Chromecast) offer for just $0.99 for three months. At less than a dollar, I’d say signing up is probably worth the hassle if it gets you the next few months of ad-free YouTube streaming with a bonus of the Google Play Music collection on the side.

If you own a Cast-eligible device, you can check to see if the offer is available to you by hitting up the Google Cast Offers page, linked below. Once redirected, the site will check all of your devices to see if the YouTube Red can be yours. If it can be, the click of a “redeem” button followed by a short sign-up process over at YouTube should be all that is required.

Enjoy. 

Google Cast Offers

youtube red deal cast

Cheers Marco!

Google Cast Offer Gets You 3 Months of YouTube Red for $0.99, Which Means Google Play Music Too is a post from: Droid Life



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Twitter Makes it Official, Media and Replies Using “@” No Longer Count Towards 140 Character Limit

Earlier this month, it was reported that Twitter would soon stop counting links, photos, mentions, and other things towards your 140 character limit when composing a tweet. Twitter made these changes official this morning, hopefully bringing an end to compacting words and sentences to make them fit within the confines of 140 characters.

Once these changes take place, over the next few months according to Twitter, replies with @names and media attachments (photos, GIFs, videos, polls) will no longer count.

In addition, interactions with fellow Twitter users are also changing. Instead of using a “.@” to mention someone while also broadcasting it, a new tweet that begins with a mention can go out to all of your followers. Once tweeted, you can retweet your own tweet – also a new feature – that way all of your followers can view it. It seems somewhat complicated, but that’s what we get. In conjunction, when RT’ing your own tweet, you can opt to simply RT or Quote your tweet, giving you a few options on how to interact with your own content.

Twitter states that it is working with users and developers to roll these changes out as soon as possible in the coming months.

Excited?

Twitter_May24

Via: Twitter

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Twitter Makes it Official, Media and Replies Using “@” No Longer Count Towards 140 Character Limit is a post from: Droid Life



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Capital One Comes to Android Pay, Along With a Bunch of Other Banks

Google updated its list of participating banks with Android Pay this morning, adding Capital One to the list. They also added another couple of dozen (or 48 in total) as an extension to the dozens they added only a week ago. 

The full list of new banks is as follows:

  • Advia Credit Union
  • Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union
  • Alcoa Tenn Federal Credit Union
  • Altra Federal Credit Union
  • Amegy Bank
  • Arsenal FCU
  • Bank-Fund Staff Federal Credit Union
  • Bank of England (England, Arkansas)
  • Benchmark Federal Credit Union
  • Blackhawk Community Credit Union
  • California Bank & Trust
  • Capital One
  • Catholic and Community CU
  • Centier Bank
  • Citizens Bank & Trust Company
  • Consumers Cooperative FCU
  • dominion Credit Union
  • Fidelity Bank
  • First Atlantic CU
  • First Community Credit Union
  • Great Lakes Credit Union
  • Greater Iowa Credit Union
  • Hiway Federal Credit Union
  • Inova Federal Credit Union
  • Justice Federal Credit Union
  • KeyBank
  • Lake Michigan Credit Union
  • Marine Federal Credit Union
  • MAX Credit Union
  • Metro Health Services Federal Credit Union
  • Mission Federal Credit Union
  • Nasa Federal Credit Union
  • National Bank of Arizona
  • Nevada State Bank
  • Numark Credit Union
  • Nusenda Federal Credit Union
  • Oregon Community Credit Union
  • Richfield/Bloomington Credit Union (rbcu)
  • San Mateo Credit Union
  • Suncoast Federal Credit Union
  • The Bank of Northwest Kansas
  • Truwest Credit Union
  • University Federal Credit Union
  • UW Credit Union
  • Vectra Bank Colorado
  • Vinton County National Bank
  • Wright Patman Congressional Federal Credit Union
  • Zions Bank

To see the full list of all supported banks, hit up that source link.

Via:  Android

Capital One Comes to Android Pay, Along With a Bunch of Other Banks is a post from: Droid Life



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Pebble Back on Kickstarter This Morning With Pebble 2 and Time 2, Already Surpasses $1 Million in Funding

Yesterday, we wrote that Pebble was teasing something new on its website with a countdown, but no one knew exactly what the countdown was counting towards. First thought to possibly be the launch of a new wearable, we now know that Pebble is back on Kickstarter, looking for $1,000,000 in funding to build a trio of new wearable devices — the Pebble 2, Pebble Time 2, and an all-new Pebble Core. 

The Pebble 2 smartwatch is the same Pebble device many have come to love, but does feature a slightly updated look, along with a built-in heart rate monitor. In addition, the Pebble 2 features built-in activity tracking, water resistance, as well as the same e-paper display. According to Pebble, the Pebble 2 smartwatch should last up to 7 days on a single charge. The watch, once available, will cost $129 at retail, with shipments expected to begin in September. For those who decide to fund through Kickstarter, the Pebble 2 is priced at $99

The Pebble Time 2 features a 53% larger color display, built-in heart rate monitor, activity and sleep tracking, water resistance, and battery life for up to 10 days on a charge. The Pebble Time 2 will be priced at an intriguing $199, with shipments expected in November. If you decide to back the Time 2 on Kickstarter, though, the price is $169.

As for the Pebble Core, there are two models. One is specifically designed for runners (fitness folk), and one for “hackers.” The standard Pebble Core will be priced at $99 at launch and allows users to leave their smartphones at home while out for a run. The Core features GPS tracking, Emergency SOS protocols, syncing with 3rd-party fitness apps, Spotify music streaming, as well as 3G/Bluetooth/WiFi radios. Expected to ship in January of 2017, backers will only need to pay $69 for one, until they are sold out. For hackers, the Core features a hardware expansion port, early SDK access for app building, as well as 2 programmable buttons.

For additional information, check out the Kickstarter campaign. If you are interested in backing, you better do so quickly. Pebble has already hauled past their $1 million goal, sitting currently at over $1.5 million. And yes, many of the rewards will sell out, so act quickly.

Kickstarter Link

Pebble Back on Kickstarter This Morning With Pebble 2 and Time 2, Already Surpasses $1 Million in Funding is a post from: Droid Life



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Verizon Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Get Updates That Fix Google Play Issues, Kill Bloatware

Verizon will begin pushing an update to the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge this morning that should fix a couple of nagging bugs, while tweaking some behaviors on the side.

The updates are rolling out as version VRU4CPD2 for each and can be pulled for installation by heading into Home>Applications>Settings>About Device>Software updates. These aren’t massive updates, but you will want to grab them sooner than later.

As for what’s changing, Verizon says that the update fixes the following:

  • Fixes Google Play Store app update and download errors
  • Resolves Visual Voice Mail access issues
  • Google “Search” is now available in Settings menu
  • You can now answer video calls as just a voice call, and when you do, the call audio is routed to the earpiece by default. Video call audio will come from the speaker by default
  • Removed Amazon Music app
  • When a USB cable is plugged into the phone, the default mode automatically shows other USB options (like File Transfer)
  • Added “Send Premium SMS” in the Application manager settings

Need more? The update also introduces a setting that shows how much RAM is being used by apps and how much is free. To check this going forward, head into Settings>Applications>Application manager>More.

Let us know if that update is live yet!

Via:  Verizon [2]

Verizon Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Get Updates That Fix Google Play Issues, Kill Bloatware is a post from: Droid Life



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LG G5’s “Friends” Now Available Directly From LG.com

For those of you who bought the LG G5 hoping for a modular world of bliss, but have been disappointed at the lack of availability, know that today may change things a bit. LG announced this morning that the “Friends” line-up for the G5 is now available directly from LG.com in the US. 

Instead of having to hunt down a carrier with stock or a retailer, you can buy items like the CAM Plus, 360 VR, and 360 CAM from LG. You’ll also find their new TONE Platinum headsets at the Friends store, but you aren’t going to find the G5’s HiFi DAC anywhere. Remember, LG decided that it wasn’t worth selling in the US, which means you really only have access to one module on your supposedly modular phone, the CAM Plus. The future.

Shop LG.com

LG G5’s “Friends” Now Available Directly From LG.com is a post from: Droid Life



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